The GMC Acadia 2023 can take the family on all kinds of trips, but it won't impress anyone on the road. It may be perfectly acceptable if you're looking for a mid-size SUV with a truck-like appearance and a versatile cabin. Of course, you'll have to put up with some of this SUV's shortcomings, including unconvincing interior materials and a small third row of seats. Outdoor sports enthusiasts might be interested in the AT4's off-road-focused model, but aside from the all-terrain tyres and variable-torque rear-axle all-wheel drive, our tests found it's not as capable as advertised. In addition to front- or all-wheel drive, the Acadia is available with a 228-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine as standard or the optional 310-horsepower V6 V6 engine, which is worth buying. Neither engine is off-putting, and neither are the Acadia's driving characteristics. In fact, it's hard to take offense to anything about this GMC SUV. However, it's equally hard to get excited about anything in the 2023 Acadia, and that's the problem.
What's new for 2023?
The Acadia enters the model year without any striking changes. There's no need to get too excited, but GMC is touting a new wrapped steering wheel that comes standard with the base SLE trim level. The Acadia also gets three new paint colors, all of which are available at an extra cost. The list includes Volcano Red shade, Ultra Blue metallic and Sterling metallic. It's worth noting that the 2023 model lineup will also be more expensive, with all four models' starting prices rising by $2,050.
We'd choose the SLT mid trim, which adds such goodies as leather upholstery, remote engine start, heated front seats, built-in navigation and a hands-free tailgate to the equipment list. In addition to these optional extras, the SLT also comes standard with LED headlights, electrically heated mirrors, keyless entry and push-button start. We'd opt for the more powerful V6 engine and all-wheel drive, which together cost $2,495.
Engine, transmission and power
The Acadia's base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 228 horsepower. The optional 3.6-liter V6 makes 310 horsepower, and that extra power, along with its pleasing character, makes it our pick. Both engines come standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive is optional. While you never forget you're behind the wheel of an SUV, the Acadia is competent and reasonably balanced. It feels restrained in high-speed corners, but with a less aggressive driving style (as most people prefer to do), the ride is forgiving and stable. The adaptive suspension - standard on the Denali model and optional on the SLT all-wheel-drive package - adjusts the dampers every two milliseconds to help smooth out bumps or tighten them up if the driver starts to fidget.
Fuel consumption and real MPG data
The EPA estimates that the front-wheel-drive version with the four-cylinder turbo engine gets 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The front-wheel-drive V6 model is rated at 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. However, the Acadia with the nine-speed automatic transmission was not tested in our highway fuel economy test at 75 mph. For more information on the Acadia's fuel economy, visit the EPA website.
