2012 Gmc Acadia Slt Sport Utility 4d Review
The Car Connectedness Good Review
Editorial Director
August 8, 2011
Likes
- Big, cozy motel for eight
- Carlike handling a step up from SUVs
- Denali editions are quite luxe
- Great safety ratings
Dislikes
- Vi-speed automatic is sluggish
- At 5000 pounds, information technology's no lightweight
- Gets expensive for a not-luxury vehicle
Buying tip
features & specs
AWD 4-Door Denali
AWD 4-Door SL
AWD 4-Door SLE
The 2012 GMC Acadia: amend for people than a big SUV, better looking than a minivan.
In the vast middle basis between station wagons and full-size sport-utility vehicles are crossovers. And few crossovers come up off so smartly as the GMC Acadia, an eight- or seven-passenger utility vehicle that shares some of its running gear with the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave, only wears a suit of chunky sheetmetal all its own.
Available with either front- or all-bicycle drive, the Acadia has a single powertrain motivating all versions. It'southward a 3.6-liter V-vi with 288 horsepower, coupled to a six-speed automated that takes some prodding to snap off shifts. Acceleration is fine, but the Acadia's ride and steering feel are finer--and towing chapters is as high as 5200 pounds, depending on which model you lot've specified.
The Acadia's interior sports a pair of buckets in front and a three-kid bench seat in the manner-back, but whether it seats seven or eight depends on the middle row, a demote unless optioned up to captain's chairs. The front end two rows are perfectly comfortable, fifty-fifty for large adults. They'll even find ample caput room in the back seat, but clambering dorsum at that place won't be elegant, and the low bottom absorber won't be very supportive.
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In any Acadia, both the second and third rows of seats fold almost flat to boost cargo storage. From twenty cubic anxiety with the tertiary-row seat in the upright position, the Acadia'south storage chapters blooms to more than 115 cubic feet when the rear 2 rows of seats are folded. The cargo floor sits higher than in some crossovers, but a power tailgate helps make loading upwardly the Acadia easier.
Safety scores are fantabulous. Both the NHTSA and the IIHS give the Acadia their tiptop overall ratings, and the crossover comes with standard stability control, curtain airbags, with an selection for a rearview camera.
The Acadia comes in base SL form with the usual power features, a CD player, and a cloth interior. Past the time you've paid upward to the Denali version, you'll be nearing the $50,000 marking--simply yous'll have DVD navigation, mahogany wood trim, heated and ventilated front end seats, leather upholstery, and USB and Bluetooth connections for your telephone.
It'south virtually as useful as a minivan, and doesn't have the sliding side doors that condemn those vehicles to "swagger-wagon" condition, at best. The Acadia'south a little tougher than that--and information technology looks the role, likewise.
Information technology's the about carlike of GMC vehicles, and the 2012 Acadia looks it, with smartly creased corners and a polished interior.
With its conservatively dressed, nicely detailed motel and sheetmetal with 1 pes in the truck earth and one in the crossover realm, the 2012 GMC Acadia has the styling to charm both audiences, and families too.
The Acadia could exist our favorite of the GM crossover trio, which includes the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave. The plainer Traverse fights anonymity, while the Enclave's feminine interior falls a scrap brusk in materials. The Acadia's more chunky, rugged style nods its caput to GMC's total-size trucks. And that means the difficult plastics inside come off a bit better, while its straight sheetmetal lines and chiseled wheel wells come up off like the automotive equivalent of a casual blazer. It's dressy, but it's also ready to get things done.
Inside, the Acadia wears a simpler await than its corporate kin, too, though information technology's well-sorted and major controls are easy to find. The dark trims and metallic trim come off polished, and Denali versions with mahogany trim are particularly handsome. Nosotros'd take consequence with the blood-red-lit instruments, but blue and greenish have been spoken for elsewhere, leaving GMC with Pontiac'due south quondam authentication colour.
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There's acceptable functioning in the 2012 GMC Acadia's V-6, simply its strongest bespeak is ride quality.
The 2012 GMC Acadia is available with a sole powertrain, configured with front-wheel drive or, optionally, all-bicycle drive. In either version, straight-line performance is a little short of brisk, simply the Acadia'due south ride and steering feel overcome its undeniable heft a bit ameliorate.
The eye of the Acadia is a 3.6-liter V-half-dozen with direct injection and 288 horsepower. Teamed with a half-dozen-speed automated transmission, the powertrain accelerates strongly plenty for midrange passing and highway merging, but must first overcome its substantial 5000-pound adjourn weight. The transmission is slow to respond, specially at urban speeds, simply shifts are by and large smooth and clean.
With the optional all-wheel-drive system, the Acadia can send upwardly to 65 percentage of its power to the rear wheels. That can be useful in uphill takeoffs, when a bit of torque steer comes into play. The AWD system's besides a good thought when towing anything almost the Acadia's 5200-pound tow rating--and of course, in the northern tier of states where foul weather usually comes down in solid grade.
While it'southward a heavy vehicle, the Acadia does a good job of feeling a little smaller than it is. More often than not that's due to its independent interruption, to its light power steering feel and the well-balanced ride quality, which mutes out virtually every bump without blocking out the feel of the pavement. It's more agile than it looks, and the handling's more than predictable, it's confident.
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For families needing supreme condolement in their SUV-ish wagon, the 2012 GMC Acadia excels.
The GMC Acadia makes the most of its big crossover carriage body, though it sits a little higher for people and cargo loading than something similar the nifty Ford Flex.
Inside the Acadia, the well-configured, flexible seating makes room for vii or eight passengers, depending on whether the second-row seats are a demote or buckets. A third-row seat is standard equipment. It's the closest thing to a GMC minivan you'll find, bated from sliding doors.
Upwardly front end, the commuter and front passenger will find plush only firm seats, with heating and ventilation on the Denali models that'due south a must if a black interior is specified. The cushions add to the loftier driving position that makes forward visibility so bang-up. The 2nd-row seats are adult-sized, and whether they're the optional helm'south chairs or a bench, they're quite comfortable for larger riders. These seats also slide fore and aft on track to expand leg room if information technology'south non needed in the tertiary row.
The third-row seat might sit very close to the floor, just it even so provides plenty caput room for adults to ride dorsum there on occasion. They won't have it easy, clambering in back, as they would in a real minivan. With the third row upwardly, the Acadia has twenty cubic anxiety of room for cargo; fold down the second- and third-row seats, and it reveals 115 cubic feet of space. The Acadia'south load floor sits a bit college than in some other crossovers, but a power tailgate is near a must, particularly if the Acadia'southward being used more often for cargo than for people.
The Acadia's interior is tight and tranquillity, with excellent damping of route, wind, and engine noise. Build quality and switchgear is besides superlative-notch, and controls are straightforward and will put the driver at ease compared to the complicated interfaces in some luxury crossovers. The merely major disappointment in the Acadia is the affluence of hard, hollow-feeling plastic that panels the nuance and eye console.
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The 2012 GMC Acadia is a standout for safety, even in a class of very condom vehicles.
The 2012 GMC Acadia promises top-notch safety, and according to the major crash-testing agencies, information technology delivers.
With its stiff, carlike trunk and stout overall design, the Acadia earns the highest overall ratings from both the NHTSA and the IIHS. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives it an overall rating of five stars, separate between four-star forepart-bear on scores and 5-star side-impact numbers. The Acadia too aces the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) roof forcefulness test, receiving top 'good' ratings across the board, which makes it a Summit Safe Pick.
The Acadia'due south list of safety gear includes standard anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control; front-seat side airbags, and curtain numberless that accomplish to the third-row seat. OnStar, GM's telematics system, is provided standard with half dozen months of service, too. Rear parking sensors are standard, but front sensors are not offered, and neither are blind-spot monitors, though the Acadia's side rearview mirrors now accept blind-spot zones for better visibility.
They'll come in handy, because like other big crossovers, the Acadia has somewhat poor visibility to the dorsum. Shorter drivers will accept problems when changing lanes or backing up--all the more reason to take our recommendation and buy the optional rearview photographic camera, which can exist a boon in parking lots.
The 2012 GMC Acadia--particularly the Denali--feels every bit a luxury crossover vehicle.
With the new Denali model joining the lineup in the 2011 model twelvemonth, the Acadia is largely carried over for 2012, with a few new added features in the mix.
The 2012 Acadia comes in SL, SLE, SLT and Denali versions. All offering the iii.6-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic, but interior trim differs widely. The more affordable SL and SLE models sport basic simply comfy fabric upholstery, while the SLT and Denali models have leather-upholstered seats. The Denali'southward, in fact, is perforated leather, paired with mahogany dash trim and leather trim for the doors and steering wheel.
All Acadia crossovers have standard ability locks, windows and mirrors; prowl control; front and rear air conditioning; satellite radio; and a USB port. On SLT versions, a 10-speaker Bose audio system is offered, along with a six-disc CD changer. On these three trim levels, options include a power tailgate, heated front seats, a head-up display, a dual-pane sunroof, Bluetooth, and a DVD entertainment system. On Acadias with the DVD player, the USB port moves within a nuance-top bin, leaving your music thespian out of sight--merely possibly out of listen, too.
The Acadia Denali makes most of those features standard. Along with xx-inch wheels, HID headlamps and a new grille, the Denali adds on DVD navigation with real-time traffic; three-zone climate control; Bluetooth; remote start; and heated and ventilated front seats.
New this twelvemonth are a power outlet on the eye console, revised trim pieces, and on the Denali, loma-hold technology.
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Information technology has reasonable fuel economy for an eight-passenger vehicle, just the 2012 GMC Acadia isn't a gas-mileage champion.
As is the case with most big crossovers, the 2012 GMC Acadia rates well enough in highway fuel economy, merely ofttimes checks in with averages closer to the lower city-bicycle ratings.
The Acadia shares its vi-speed automatic transmission with other GM vehicles, and as in those other crossovers, the wide span of gear ratios helps provide impressive performance.
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The EPA rates the Acadia at 17/24 mpg in front-drive versions, and at 16/23 mpg in all-wheel-drive models. We recollect those figures are optimistic. In repeated test drives of the Acadia and its Buick Enclave and Chevy Traverse siblings, we've just seen real-world gas mileage almost the lesser of that scale.
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The Car Connection Consumer Review
Apr 17, 2015
For 2012 GMC Acadia
Very comftortable car.
people establish this helpful.
Source: https://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/gmc_acadia_2012