There are 5 trims in total for the 2014 GMC Acadia’s line-up - SLE-1, SLE-2, SLT-1, SLT-2, and Denali. All the trims have been equipped with the same powertrain and come with front-wheel drive as standard, which is upgradable to a 4-wheel system with an additional 2 grand. As standard, the Acadia packs decent specs like loaded safety features including electronic brakeforce distribution, lane departure warning, etc, leather steering wheel, 19-inch alloy wheels, etc. The seats come with premium cloth upholstery as standard and upgrades to genuine leather as you climb up the trims.

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As standard, the SLE-1 misses a few electronics like the power-adjustability and heated functions that the SLE-2 and SLT-1 possess. The Denali is way too expensive and is recommended for a certain class of people who prefer luxury over the value proposition. Otherwise, the SLE-2 or the SLT-1 would be the perfect options among the other three.

The powertrain remains unchanged and packs enough grunt to power the 2014 GMC Acadia. It is a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6 lying under the hood which belts out 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of maximum torque kicking in around 3,400 revs. This engine is mated to a 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission and drives through the front wheels as standard. As the only powertrain option across the trims, it is quite capable. 

As the engine has no forced induction, the power comes a bit late. The Acadia, while it has a huge body, pulls quite decently with 7.7 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill and takes 16.0 seconds to reach a quarter-mile. The straight-line accelerations are quite impressive but this SUV is not the ideal one for city traffic or taking corners with higher speeds.

In terms of raw engine power, the Ford has a slight edge over the competition but the GMC does a better job altogether. Both the GMC and Chevy share the same engine but despite producing lower power figures, the latter is on par with the competition in terms of acceleration. The Honda is last in the bunch producing the least engine power and slowest acceleration.

The Acadia has been pretty consistent with the mileage figures since its first year of launch because of the powertrain which has remained unchanged. The front-wheel-driven variants deliver as much as 17 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highways, and a combined figure of 19 mpg. The figures come down by a mile with the all-wheel-drive system. Also hauling a big fuel tank of 22 gallons has its advantages, the range is impressive with 418 miles combined.

The fuel economy returned by all four SUVs is kind of similar but the Honda returns a mile extra but packs a slightly lower fuel tank capacity, making it even. The Ford Explorer packs the smallest tank in the competition and that affects the range noticeably. Both the GMC and Chevy are pretty consistent with a decent fuel economy among all four SUVs.

GMC has made the Acadia’s cabin look and feels more inviting and plush even for the base trim. The interiors of this SUV have a lot of soft-touches around the dashboard and the door panels instead of cheap plastics found on some of the rivals. The dashboard has a very minimal yet classy design with silver rails going through the middle to either side. The instrument cluster offers well-detailed information from the cockpit and the leather-wrapped steering wheel feels good in the hand. 

The seats are cloth-covered as standard and have manual adjustability which is a shame cause some of the rivals offer power-adjustability at this price point. However, the seats get upgraded to leather in higher trims and all the additional features get added with them. The cabin offers a seating capacity of up to 8 people and all three rows are adequately spacious and comfortable. 

The first and the second row has abundant space for even taller individuals but the third row cuts major legroom making it a bit uncomfortable for longer rides for adults. The cargo capacity on offer with all seats up is 24.1 cubic feet which are quite impressive considering it is an 8-seater SUV, and with the third row down, it can increase to a whopping 70.1 cubic feet.

The Ford is the 7-seater in the competition and has a similar space to the Honda with a more spacious second-row than the GMC and Chevrolet. The GMC has adequate cabin space with good headroom and legroom considering the competition. The GMC and Chevy rules with added practicality for packing a better cargo capacity than the competition. A few of the standout interior features packed with the Acadia are:

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Rearview camera
• Leather seats with 8-way power-adjustable front seats with power lumbar support
• Interior air filtration
• Cruise control

How intuitive is the 2014 GMC Acadia’s infotainment unit?

The 2014 GMC Acadia is equipped with a smaller 4.2-inch touchscreen display connected with GMC’s IntelliLink system, making it very user-friendly but the system is laggy and unresponsive and does not provide a good viewing experience. However, using the allocated knobs and buttons can make things better. An additional 8-inch display is optional on offer and can improve the visibility, at least. A few of the important infotainment system features are:

• 4.2-inch touchscreen display
• SiriusXM
• 10-speaker Bose premium audio system
• HD radio
• Navigation system
• USB connection
• Auxiliary audio output with media control

GMC has made the Acadia look more rugged and muscular than its Chevrolet counterpart. After receiving a design change last year, the Acadia looks more modern with the front getting HID headlamps, LED DRLs, and a big chrome-coated intake vent. The SUV now gets a bigger wheel arch and sits on 18-inch wheels as standard. The rear gets a spoiler to improve the aerodynamics. It also gets dedicated exhaust tips and a rear wiper as standard.

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Acadia does not seem to be compact in any manner. It boasts a curb weight of 4,656 pounds, making it the heaviest among the competition. Apart from that, it has 200.8 inches of length, 78.9 inches of width, 72.6 inches of height, and a long wheelbase of 118.9 inches. Also, the ground clearance is pretty high at 7.6 inches.

The GMC and Chevy, as they share the same chassis, share similar dimensions and are quite bigger than the Honda and Ford. The former has a class-leading ground clearance with a lower curb weight but has very outdated looks and does not look sharp like the other three SUVs. A few of the standout exterior features worth mentioning are:

• 20-inch 6-twin spoke flared chrome wheels
• Heated and powered mirrors
• Power sunroof
• Power tailgate
• LED DRLs and HID headlamps

The GMC Acadia does perform well in terms of safety and is built on a rigid platform and boasts a well-built exterior. Talking about safety ratings, the Acadia has been rated well by both the NHTSA and the IIHS with the prior giving a 5-star maxed-out rating and the latter rating the same with “Good” in almost all major categories. Here are some of the safety features that watch your back:

• 4-wheel with traction control
• Stability control
• Electronic brakeforce distribution
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Emergency brake assist
• Post-collision safety system
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation

The GMC Acadia is a wholesome SUV with all the modern bits and tweaks you need starting from a punchy performance, decent opulence, good practicality, and comfort. It also has a lot of driver-assistance safety features which not only elevates the overall safety but also gains the trust of consumers over the competition. All this makes it one of the compelling choices in the segment for buyers.