Readers often ask, “Why do so many people buy large SUVs these days?”
Answers vary naturally, but the easy one is comfort. That can translate to roominess for a large family, both in size and numbers. Let’s face it, large SUVs provide oodles of room.
GMC’s Acadia Denali Ultimate is a prime example of the comfort and convenience a big brute tamed with a creamy soft leather interior can provide. I’ll attest to this bright white beauty being a treat after a week in a small Italian crossover equipped with a stiff sport suspension.
Glute massage anyone?
Never mind, as the Ultimate name implies, this top-tier trim Acadia was not just loaded with every feature a discerning buyer likely could want, it offers massaging front seats. Press the buttons on the lower seat cushion’s side and one can pick from various lumbar support locations and massages. Bingo!
Even without a massage, Acadia’s seats offer comfy soft leather and good hip and back support and power adjustments that not only activate the massage but tune up the lumbar settings. All adjustments light up the impressive 15-inch vertical info screen to secure proper settings.
Acadia’s leather seats were brown (fancy white stitching) in the test vehicle and the soft material extended to the dash and doors where there’s fake wood trim that looks pretty natural, open pore and all. Other trim is chrome with satin chrome speaker covers in the doors and then again wood on the console top.
Heated and cooled front seats are standard as are heated row two captain’s chairs and a thick leather heated steering wheel.
Acadia’s steering column is power tilt/telescope and there’s a HUD displayed on the windshield in front of the driver.
Climate controls are adjusted via large toggles below the info screen and there’s an easy to adjust big volume knob there too. Speaking of sound, Acadia comes with a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, no upcharge for quality sound. Bravo!
Overhead? There’s a twin-pane panoramic sunroof and power shade. While in back under the power hatch are third row seats allowing this Acadia to can carry seven folks. Go with a mid-row bench, and the GMC will carry eight.
Bonus too, the rear seats can power down and up via buttons inside the cargo area, which is massive with the seats down. Buttons in back unlatch the second-row seats so they fold down automatically, but they do not power back up, a small inconvenience. There’s a power release button on the second-row seats though to easily move them forward for easy third row access.
Granted I’m not tall, but moderate sized adults such as me can fit in row three in Acadia’s roomy interior.
Other interior benefits include a wireless phone charger at the console’s front edge, and a steering wheel column mounted shift lever. That’s easy to use and an improvement over the past push-button system. It also frees up console and lower center stack space.
Tech features? In addition to that big info screen with its impressive Google Maps for navigation (zoom in for easier use), GMC loads up Acadia starting with its Super Cruise hands-free driving system. Think of this as GM’s version of Ford’s Blue Cruise, or vice versa. Super Cruise is a fine feature to use on long highway drives.
But a buyer also gets eight years of OnStar protection, the HUD, a Wi-Fi hotspot, active noise cancellation (extremely quiet interior), and a load of safety equipment. That includes smart cruise control, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot assist, pedestrian and bike recognition and braking, reverse automatic braking, HD surround vision, driver attention assist, parking sensors, and I may have missed a couple. But you get the idea!
Oh, and the driver’s seat vibrates mildly when the Acadia starts to cross into an adjoining lane. That’s a pleasant head’s up as opposed to an annoying chime like most vehicles deliver.
No interior is perfect though. There’s one bugaboo inside, the large loop stitching that helps the fine leather seats look so darned fancy. My wife was quick to point out that kids and dogs will find a way to snag those large loops and could cause seat wear and tear that otherwise wouldn’t be an issue. Be forewarned depending on your kid and pup count.
By now you may be wondering how Acadia drives.
Quite well, but it feels like what it is, a large SUV.
Most impressive is the ride, extremely well cushioned to protect passengers from the abuse our crumbling Midwest roads deliver, especially in spring before the craters known as potholes are patched. One wonders if those Artemis II photos are really the dark side of the moon or just images of Milwaukee area streets.
Likewise, engine performance is good as the Acadia packs a powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 making 328 horsepower. That’s a lot for a turbo 4. Its torque rating is an equally impressive 326.
This powerplant hooked up to an 8-speed automatic transmission has plenty of kick for fast highway merging or just zipping ahead of folks at a stoplight. But it becomes fairly noisy when pressed on such occasions. Acadia also offers three drive mode settings.
Note though that the engine re-engaging via Stop-Start after downtime at a traffic light sometimes is a bit hesitant. Yet Acadia will scoot and tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Handling is what I call vague or relaxed as there’s not a lot of immediate response to steering inputs. As with many large SUVs, one guides the truck down the highway and the ever-present lane sensing technology keeps it centered between the lane markers. It’s easy to control and park, other than gauging its 203.9-inches of length. Steering effort is light.
This Acadia came with AWD, but front-drive models are standard. AWD adds about $1,700 to all trims.
A base Acadia Elevation trim in FWD lists at $45,795, well below an average new car cost and considerably below the average truck pricet. Move up to the AT4, which comes standard with AWD and it’s marketed as an off-road-friendly vehicle, and the price jumps to $54,495.
A standard Denali lists at $57,895 and the tested Denali Ultimate began at $66,795, so consider what all you need or want on your large SUV. The test truck added only the new for 2026 color of Glacier White Tricoat (extremely bright white) for $1,095, to put the tester at $67,890.
That’s definitely luxury pricing. Good news though, Acadia is happy with regular fuel and is made in Lansing, Mich., so should not be impacted by any tariffs. Gas mileage was OK too for this size SUV. I managed 22.5 mpg while the EPA rates it at 20 mpg city and 23 highway.
Wish there were a hybrid version, but that’s likely just down the road.
In the meantime, one can compare the Acadia with its cousins, the Chevrolet Traverse or Buick Enclave. Other worthy considerations in this market include Hyundai’s Palisade and Kia’s Telluride, the Mazda CX-90, Honda Pilot, and the popular hybrid Toyota Grand Highlander. All start in the $40k-$50k price range.
FAST STATS: 2026 GMC Acadia Denali Ultimate AWD
Hits: Attractive, great ride, good acceleration, AWD, and three terrain settings. Dual-pane sunroof, huge vertical info screen, wireless charger, power hatch, Bose stereo, roomy interior, comfy heated/cooled front seats, heated steering wheel and rear seats, big radio volume knob, big toggles for climate controls, stalk shift lever, and extensive safety features.
Misses: Noisy engine under heavy acceleration, vague steering and no hybrid system.
Made in: Lansing, Mich.
Engine: 2.5-liter turbo I4, 328 hp/326 torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 4,550-4950 lbs.*
Wheelbase: 120.9 in.
Length: 203.9 in.
Cargo: 23-57.3-97.5 cu.ft.
Tow: 5,000 lbs.
Ground clearance: 7.3 in.
MPG: 20/23
MPG: 22.5 (tested)
Base Price: $66,795 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $64,100
Option:
Glacier White Tricoat paint, $1,095
Test vehicle: $67,890
Sources: GMC, www.kbb.com
* = Car & Driver estimate
