The midsize SUV market is one of the most competitive segments in the auto industry today and GMC->ke32 has a strong contender with the 2014 Acadia->ke1734. Combining a simple yet rugged look with a spacious interior and a powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine that produces 280 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque, there's no reason why the Acadia should be relegated as a second-tier SUV. It's first rate all the way.

Good job by GMC for keeping itself from over-thinking the Acadia SUV->ke145. It's even smarter of the company to resist the urge of trying to one-up the competition.

GMC kept things at an even keel and it worked wonders in giving the Acadia an impressive identity that's become even more important with so many worthy competitors in its segment. Nothing's worse than being identified as a "run-of-the-lot" model and to its credit, GMC steered clear of doing that to the Acadia with an impressive list of features buyers ought to be interested in.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 GMC Acadia.

2014 GMC Acadia

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 GMC Acadia
  • Engine/Motor: V6
  • Horsepower: 288 @ 6300
  • Torque: 270 @ 3400
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Over the years, we've seen a lot of brands try too hard in giving their models a unique design identity. What usually happens is they either sell them too short, or they just overdo it. The 2014 Acadia doesn't suffer from that sickness in large part because GMC managed to combine a conservative approach to the design and yet still turns in a muscular and rugged look for the SUV.

This successful balancing act resulted in an impressive-looking Acadia, free of needless add-ons that only serve to over-complicate the look of the SUV. But what really caught our attention was how purposeful the design is, particularly how aero components like the rear spoiler are added into the package without looking out of place in the overall design.

2014 GMC Acadia - Exterior Dimensions

Wheelbase (in / mm):

118.9 / 3020

Overall length (in / mm):

200.8 / 5100

Overall width (in / mm):

78.9 / 2004

Overall height (in / mm):

72.6 / 1844 (with roof rails)
70.4 / 1788 (without luggage rack )

Track (in / mm):

67.3 / 1709 (front)
67.1 / 1704 (rear)

Curb weight (lb / kg):

4656 / 2112 (FWD)
4850 / 2200 (AWD)

Min. ground clearance (in / mm):

7.6 / 193 (FWD and AWD)


2014 GMC Acadia - Standard Exterior Features

- Body, manual rear liftgate

- Daytime Running Lamps

- Glass, Solar-Ray deep-tinted (all windows except light-tinted glass on windshield and driver and front passenger side glass)

- Headlamps, dual halogen projector lamp

- Horn, dual-note

- Luggage rack, side rails, roof-mounted

- Spoiler, rear

- Wipers, front intermittent with washers

Interior

The Acadia can seat up to eight people, which by itself already makes the Acadia a worthy SUV for its segment. But that's not the only thing that's special about the Acadia's cabin. If cargo space is an issue, the the 2nd and 3rd row seats can be folded to increase space to a staggering 116.9 cubic feet. But even with all three rows in their full and upright positions, there's enough space to accommodate as many as eight people to go with ample cargo space.

Access to the rear seats is also easy, thanks to a nice mechanism that effortlessly slides the 2nd-row seats out of the way.

The front of the cabin has a center console that's as simple yet functional as the exterior look of the Acadia. A touchscreen display dominates the space, but just underneath it are useful gears and knobs that you can use to control interior systems.

A pair of cup holders beside the transmission stick makes for easy stowing of drinks, all too important if you're running errands with a Starbucks in hand.

2014 GMC Acadia - Interior Dimensions

Seating capacity:

7 or 8

Headroom

First row (in /mm):

40.3 / 1024 (w/o sunroof); 38.6 / 979 (w/ sunroof)

Second row (in / mm):

39.6 / 1006 (w/o sunroof); 38.8 / 984 (w/ sunroof)

Third row (in / mm):

38.4 / 975

Legroom

First row (in / mm):

41.3 / 1049

Second row (in / mm):

36.8 / 935

Second row (in / mm):

33.2 / 843

Third row (in / mm):

First row (in / mm):

61.6 / 1565

Second row (in / mm):

61.0/ 1549

Second row (in / mm):

57.8 / 1468

Shoulder room

First row (in / mm):

58.0 / 1473

Second row (in / mm):

57.8 / 1468

Third row (in / mm):

48.3 / 1227

Second row (in / mm):

Third row (in / mm):

16.1 / 3288

Hip room

70.1 / 1985

First row (in / mm):

24.1 / 682


Second row (in / mm):

- Air conditioning, rear manual

- SiriusXM Satellite Radio

- Audio system feature, USB port

- Audio system feature, USB port, dual charge only, located rear of center console

- Console, front center with 2 cup holders and storage

- Cruise control, electronic with set and resume speed

- Cup holders, 10 with (ABB) 7-passenger (2-2-3 seating configuration) and 12 with (ABC) 8-passenger (2-3-3 seating configuration)

- Defogger, rear-window electric

- Door locks, power programmable with lockout protection

- Lighting, interior with theater dimming, cargo compartment, reading lights for front seats, second row reading lamps integrated into dome light, door-and tailgate-activated switches and illuminated entry and exit feature

Drivetrain

For all of the gushing we've given to the Acadia's appearance, you can argue that its biggest selling point is the 3.6-liter, V-6 engine under its hood. That bad-boy is capable of producing 288 horsepower and 6,300 rpm and 270 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 rpm, good enough to best the competition outside of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Ford Explorer. Even then we're just splitting hairs with a 1- or 2-horsepower difference.

2014 GMC Acadia - Drivetrain Specifications

3.6L V-6 SIDI (LLT)

Displacement (cu in / cc):

217 / 3564

Bore & stroke (in / mm):

3.70 x 3.37 / 94 x 85.6

Block material:

aluminum

Cylinder head material:

aluminum

Valvetrain:

DOHC, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing

Fuel delivery:

direct injection

Compression ratio:

11.3:1

Horsepower (hp / kW) @ rpm:

288 / 215 @ 6300

Torque (lb-ft / Nm) @ rpm:

270 / 365 @ 3400

Recommended fuel:

regular unleaded

Max. engine speed (rpm):

6700

Emissions controls:

dual close-coupled converters; two pre- and two post-oxygen sensors

EPA-estimated fuel economy (city / hwy):

17 / 24 (FWD)
16 / 23 (AWD)


Prices

Here's the catch with the Acadia: it's more expensive than its rivals. Whereas the Santa Fe and the Explorer begins at around $29,000 and $30,500, respectively, the base Acadia SLE-1 has a start price of $35,410. That figure goes all the way up to $46,825 for the top-of-the-line Acadia Denali.

Model

Price

GMC Acadia SLE-1

$35,410

GMC Acadia SLE-2

$37,300

GMC Acadia SLT-1

$41,465

GMC Acadia SLT-2

$42,560

GMC Acadia Denali

$46,825


Competition

2014 Ford Explorer

If there's one SUV that can match styling wits with the Acadia, it's the Ford Explorer.

Up front, the model features a three-bar grille inspired by the one on the Taurus, a trapezoidal lower air intake similar to what we find on some European Fords and larger wheel arches that give it an aggressive stance.

Under its hood, the Explorer makes use of a pair of engines: a base 2.0-liter EcoBoost and a 3.5-liter, V-6 engine.

The former delivers a total of 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, while the latter increases the output up to 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque.

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a strong competitor that carries it with a fresh new look for the sunshine. It’s capable of only seating six, but a stout 3.3-liter V-6 making 290 horsepower and getting 18/25/21 mpg city/highway/combined gets some good marks from us. And like every Hyundai, the Santa Fe comes with the famous 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.

As far as the aesthetics goes, the Santa Fe is clearly more appealing than the Pilot, and while Honda is noted for its reliability, Hyundai’s slowly creeping up those ranks, too. Starting price for the base GLS trim is $29,900 and grows close to $37,000 for an AWD in Limited trim.

Conclusion

The GMC Acadia checks out on a lot of our mid-size SUV requirements. Looks, power, interior space, and versatile cargo area. The only caveat is the price, but if you don't mind spending extra dead presidents for the SUV, we certainly won't hold it against you.