Is the GMC Acadia a Good SUV?
- The large and well-equipped 2025 GMC Acadia Denali could be an unexpected alternative to the bigger, more expensive GMC Yukon, and it’s certainly one of the most compelling entries in the ultra-popular mid-size three-row SUV class.
How Does the GMC Acadia Compare With Other SUVs?
- The 2025 GMC Acadia is larger than most of its segment-mates, like the Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot and Toyota Grand Highlander, genuinely splitting the difference between the mid- and full-size SUV classes, but with towing capability and performance that matches the mid-sizers.
Do You Need a GMC Yukon? Or a Chevrolet Suburban?
The question isn’t whether you want a GMC Yukon or not, but do you need one? Think and answer again: Do you need a GMC Yukon?
Chances are good that, if you truly reflect upon your heart of hearts, the answer is no; I’d bet the majority of folks who buy these behemoths can boil their reasoning down to “I just like a big ol’ SUV.” And that’s a perfectly fine line of reasoning, but have you seen the GMC Acadia recently? It’s huge. Like, huge-huge. And the Acadia Denali, which is the car I test-drove for this review, is properly luxe — as all the best GMC Denalis are.
Related: 2025 GMC Acadia Comes With More Seats Standard, Priced From $44,295
What’s the Price Difference Between a GMC Acadia and Yukon?
I’m a zealous fan of GM’s full-size SUVs — they’re still my first-round draft pick for best road-trip vehicle — but I reckon some people would be genuinely better served by downsizing just a bit.
Let’s start with price: A top-trim Acadia Denali with all-wheel drive starts at $57,495, including destination fee, compared with the $72,195 that a base four-wheel-drive Yukon will cost you. And a four-wheel-drive Yukon Denali? That’ll be roughly $10,000 more.
The Acadia Denali has left little on the cutting floor. Its seats and interior surfaces are done up in perforated leather, with the front seats incorporating heating and ventilation functions. The steering wheel is also heated, as are the second-row seats, and that’s all complimented by tri-zone automatic climate control. All the expected “premium” finery is here, including a head-up display, a massive 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system, acoustic glass, wood trim, beaucoup charging ports and a primo Bose sound system. In terms of its raw feature set, it slightly outperforms the base Yukon.
What’s the EPA Fuel Economy of the GMC Acadia?
Choosing an Acadia over a Yukon also means you’ll visit the gas pump less often: An AWD Acadia with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is good for an EPA-rated 19/24/21 mpg city/highway/combined, versus the Yukon’s EPA-estimated 15/19/17 mpg rating with its 5.3-liter V-8 and 4WD. The Yukon does, however, offer a turbo-diesel six-cylinder that’s rated as high as an impressive 23 mpg combined.
Over 464 miles of mixed city and long-distance highway driving in the Acadia, I averaged a trip-computer-reported 18.6 mpg — a figure that’s significantly higher than I’ve experienced in a full-size GM SUV in similar driving.
The full-size body-on-frame Yukon does have its distinct advantages, naturally. No matter which way you fold it, the big Yuke handily out-tows the Acadia, with a maximum capacity of 8,400 pounds versus the Acadia’s competitive-for-its-segment 5,000-pound towing capacity. Passengers will generally be more comfortable in the bigger bus; the Yukon offers significantly more shoulder and hip room. Surprisingly, differences in the Acadia’s and Yukon’s headroom and legroom are modest until you get to the third row, where passengers will be far happier with the Yukon’s legroom. And, predictably, you can cram more crap in the Yuke, which has an additional 25 cubic feet of cargo room, by GM’s measurements, with both rear rows of seats folded.
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- 2024 GMC Acadia Up Close: Bigger and Better
- Shop for a 2025 GMC Acadia Near You
How Does the GMC Acadia Drive?
While the Acadia Denali offers a more premium space than the base Yukon, it doesn’t deliver a superior driving experience. The Acadia’s turbo four-cylinder is plenty gutsy, with 328 horsepower and 326 pounds-feet of torque, but it can feel as though it’s straining a bit against the SUV’s bulk. Merging is still a confident, worry-free affair, but there’s significantly more gnash ‘n thrash from the powertrain than you’ll experience from any of the Yukon’s three available engines.
In every other scenario, the Acadia was every bit the cozy, cush, long-legged shuttle I expected it to be. GM’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free driving system was fabulous on my drive between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Calif.; it’s a $3,490 option I’d beeline for if I were speccing my own Acadia Denali. I can’t, however, say the same of the $3,130 Denali Reserve Package, which includes a “performance suspension” and larger 22-inch wheels and tires. It was perfectly buttery, I’d just need a back-to-back comparison with an Acadia Denali without that kit to determine if the added “passive, frequency-based dampers” are worth the extra spend.
Need, need, need — that’s the theme here. Before you order that lovely Yukon, go see and sit in a new Acadia — you might learn something about yourself and save a chunk of cash.
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