Giant leap for GM
Acadia crossover shows Detroit can compete on style, fit, and finish
We've repeatedly sung the praises of Saturn products in recent months, citing the company's sports car, sedan, small SUV, and crossover models as fine examples of what
Today's test car, the 2007 GMC Acadia AWD SLT-2, is very similar to the 2007 Saturn Outlook crossover, as will be the 2008 Buick Enclave. Both offer evidence that the Saturn surge is spreading to GMC, and another GM division, Buick.
It is a trend likely to continue as the new so-called Lambda architecture of these cars becomes more widely known. That's good, not just for GM loyalists, but for consumer s who want to shop these GM crossovers against cars like
The Acadia's sleek exterior breaks the boxy-look that still defines the 2007 versions of Highlander and Pilot, and its interior makes a large leap in function, style, and quality for GM.
Triple air vents over an optional touch-screen navigation system and easy-to-use control knobs and buttons -- all mounted in brushed-aluminum-like trim -- give the sense of being in a cockpit. A leather-wrapped, four-spoke steering wheel, with the same brushed silver inserts, looks sporting, and multi hued, textured trims atop and below the dash and along the doors, show GM's effort to bring its interior quality up to world-class standards.
The front leather seats are powerfully bolstered but as not rigid as you'd find (and want) in a sports car. The center row can be either a pair of captain's seats or a bench, and the rear row actually holds a pair of adults in remarkable comfort. Both sets of rear seats fold flat, creating nearly 120 cubic feet of cargo space, and the middle row also slides back and forth or folds forward against the front seats.
The Acadia is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine with 275 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque for tugging. And tug it will, with a capacity of 4,500 lbs. That's not quite up to the brute towing power of a pickup truck or SUV, but it's more than enough for good-size boats and other trailers. And the engine is smooth and quiet, transmitting its power through a six-speed automatic transmission. It did, however, seem to linger a bit over shift decisions more than some of the six-speeds we've tested.
The Acadia comes in either front- or all-wheel-drive (as tested). Base prices start at just below $30,000 and can climb quickly with add-ons. In AWD, 90 percent of the power is sent to the front under normal driving conditions. When slippage is detected, up to 40 percent can be sent aft.
With unibody construction (as opposed to truck-based underpinnings), a revamped suspension system, and a wheel base nearly 3 inches longer than GM's Yukon SUV, the Acadia proved remarkably stable, even when its more than 5,000 pounds made themselves apparent.
Our upscale model, based at around $37,000, came with a host of remarkable standard fare: antilock brakes, stability, and traction control; air bags front, front-side, and curtain for all three rows; a power liftgate, heated windshield washer fluid, and outside mirrors; heated, powered front seats in leather for the first and second rows; rear-seat audio controls; and a six-CD/MP3 sound system.
We quickly got the price to nearly $45,000 by adding the navigation system ($2,145), sunroof ($1,300), 19-inch aluminum wheels ($1,295), a rear DVD entertainment system with headphones ($1,295), and some other lesser options.
But you don't have to spend that much for the Acadia. It will do almost anything most of us require in muck, rain, and snow, without an SUV's political incorrectness.
Royal
Shop it against:
HYUNDAI TUCSON Attractively priced from $22,000 to $30,000, can seat seven, and has two V-6 engine options, 185 or 242 horsepower. Front- or all-wheel drive. And it has a 100,000-mile warranty.
LAND ROVER LR2 Want your SUV and a crossover too? This is a capable off-road vehicle in four-wheel drive. It gets 230 horsepower from an inline six-cylinder engine. Mid-30s to $40,000-plus.
