Acadia a fresh take on GMC trucks
Now, before we begin this week’s road test (subject: GMC Acadia), let me caution you against making the mistake I kept making throughout my week in the tester: that is, erroneously referring to it as the Pontiac “Acadian.”
Not only because this would be wrong (the Acadian was a car, after all, whereas the Acadia is a crossover SUV), but also because making this faux pas will reveal you to be an “old person,” who actually remembers the Pontiac marque dating back to the late ’60s.
Then all the Gen Y-ers you know will mock you behind your back, texting to their friends that: “OMG old man Ozeroff is the suxxor, Acadian LOL” on their Razrs and Blackberrys. You have been warned.
The truth is, the 2007 Acadia (remember, no “n”) is General Motor Corps’ fresh-for-the-times sport ute. Built on the group's latest Lambda platform (which also underpins its siblings from the General’s brand stable, the Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave), the Acadia is touted as the company’s first crossover ute.
And this is also something of a trick to remember, friends, as you no doubt recall that the GM family also already produces the Chevy Equinox, the HHR, the Pontiac Torrent (and Vibe), along with Saturn’s Vue, the Buick Rendezvous and the SRX from the Cadillac arm.
The deal, as near as I can figure, is that the Acadia is the first vehicle branded “crossover” from GMC, but is the eighth such vehicle from parent company GM. Simple, no? Check out company blog http://fastlane.gmblogs.com for a better explanation.
All that aside though, the Acadia acquits itself well on all criteria in its intended category, and carries enough goods to justify a price that, when you get to the end of this piece, may draw your breath.
My tester, a loaded version of the vehicle in SLT trim outfitted with all-wheel drive, provided an even-riding, quiet and nearly vibration-free ride, balancing a civilized suspension with ample power that commanded as much attention for its looks as its abilities.
The 2007 Acadia floats on the kind of suspension that the whole newly popular “crossover” term was meant to imply: it’s smooth, it's quiet, and (perhaps as much due to the optional 19-in. wheels on the tester as the refined suspension) is a refreshingly jar-free ride, even here in Pothole City.
I’m going to assume that a prospective buyer isn’t looking to this class of vehicle as an off-roader, but the SLT version of the Acadia comes equipped with all-wheel drive (AWD by way of acronym, though the Acadia can also be had as a front-drive only), but the full-time four-wheel operation makes it capable on the hills or in sludgier conditions, whether expected or unexpected.
The interior upholds GMC’s reputation for making some of the best vehicle innards of any manufacturer in the truck and SUV segments. The tester utilized a two-tone light leather on black poly colour scheme, all fitted and tailored well and stretched out for the seven-seat configuration.
You can get the vehicle as an eight-seater also, but the seven is the good-looking one, with second-row captain chairs' replacing a bench. The second row was roomy and comfortable enough for two adults, and provided easy access to the third row (or cargo) thanks to a sliding rail system and fold-forward feature that pushed them handily out of the way.
The third row seats are great. Unlike a lot of crossovers that treat the last rack as a sort of tacked-on tip of the hat to the popularity of church pews in the marketplace today, the Acadia’s last row is suitable for (and accessible by) grownups, particularly in the seven-seat configuration.
The engine, and there is only one engine choice in the vehicle for this model year, is a capable 3.6-litre V6. While a six-banger, the powerplant moves the Acadia around well on street or highway (I did a bit of each, as you might imagine), and brings 275 hp — which stands up well against anything in the class — to the wheels if you pump the rpm up to 6,600.
That’s near redline, in case you wondered, but the peak torque available from the engine arrives much earlier, a respectable 251 lb.-ft. at 3,200 rpm. It all adds up to a decent combination of acceleration and torque under normal driving conditions, and never left me wanting.
The feather in the Acadia’s hat, though, is its appearance. I got a lot of people commenting on it. Unsolicited comments too, not the usual thing I do where I run up to random strangers and say, “Hey! I’m some media creep, what do think of this car?”
The outward styling is racy-ute, and helped by the narrowing of the upper cabin above the beltline. The test vehicle’s optional 19-in. wheels helped the proportional image of the Acadia, and provided a sort of optical illusion in terms of making it look smaller than it actually is.
And it is big outwardly (it has to be to accommodate the inner space and capacity), riding on a wheelbase of 3,020 mm (118.9 in., for you non-metric types), and tall (1,846 mm with my optional roof rails)
My list of highlights in the ‘07 Acadia is far longer than my list of complaints.
I like the profile and appearance; I like the weight distribution (where, despite the high sightlines you want in a crossover sport-ute, most of the bulk is kept low, keeping cornering a relatively roll-free affair without that nasty feel of unwanted weight-transfer); I like the all-wheel-drive system and particularly enjoy the interior space and access to all rows.
In brief, the stuff I don’t care for in the 2007 Acadia include: lack of a locking gas cap. Seriously, why does this still happen in this day and age? (Yes, I realize other makers are guilty of this too, I’m just sayin’, you know?); and the need to option up the priceline to get things like a navigation system (which my tester didn’t include, despite coming in at the better part of $60 grand).
Overall, however, the 2007 Acadia provided an experience of capable motoring, with its all-wheel drive and array of power features the equal of anything in its competing price class.
While the base Acadia starts at $36,495, and my tester came in at $56,080, one can easily max out a fully arrayed model at a slightly startling $59,415.
Competition: Honda Pilot, Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer
Strengths: Roomy, comfortable, flexible cargo capacity and seating configuration, sporty looks
Weaknesses: Bewildering array of options, steep price, so-so handling
Find a dealer that sells the GMC Acadia
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