The GMC Acadia may be a harbinger of refined, fuel-efficient vehicles that offer the utility of a big SUV.
We've found the Acadia delivers what most people like about full-size SUVs.
The only places where the Acadia falls short of truck-based SUVs is in heavy-duty towing or for slogging through military-grade muck.
The Acadia offers superb road manners, whether on country roads, rough city streets or pock-marked freeways. It absorbs rough pavement in a soothing manner and takes corners reassuringly for such a large vehicle. It handles better and is smoother than a Yukon and other truck-based SUVs.
The Acadia has the visual mass to support the big rollers, but the bright 19-inchers are too dazzling for our taste.
Acadia triumphs in cargo capacity. It has almost 20 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row; that's more than the trunk space of a mid-size sedan and compares to less than 16 cubic feet for the Pilot and less than 14 cubic feet for a seven-passenger Explorer.
The GMC Acadia is big and heavy, but the engineers have done a good job of concealing its size when it comes to driving.
The Acadia feels strong and rigid and it doesn't quiver on bumps. Unwanted body motions are nicely controlled, so there isn't a sloppy feeling.
The GMC Acadia offers the people and cargo hauling capability of a full-size SUV with significantly improved fuel efficiency and comfort.