GMC GIVES ITS NEW CROSSOVER VEHICLE A STYLE ALL ITS OWN
This new generation of crossovers is the best thing General Motors has done in as long as I can remember (though the new full- size pickups are out-of-the-park good, too): The Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and forthcoming Buick Enclave are so much better than the SUVs and minivans they effectively supplant, it's like they dropped from the heavens fully formed.
I drove the GMC version. The Saturn Outlook that Ben drove last week is the value leader, offering a base model with five fewer horsepower and seating for eight with a second-row bench seat for $2,000 less than the base Acadia. The GMC gets different styling, inside and out. It looks possibly more SUV-like, disjointed in a jaunty way, compared with the Saturn's more integrated approach. Though this is the first GMC model not based on a truck chassis, you'd never know it from how well the package works.
Power comes from a smooth dual-overhead-cam 3.6-liter V-6 that never becomes raucous or unsettled as it pulls the Acadia up to speed. And it's well-matched to a six-speed automatic. Having so many gears means the transmission does tend to get excited when climbing hills, dropping two or three gears to run up the tachometer, but the engine never turns coarse at these times, and that sixth ratio helps with efficient highway cruising. The engine also makes a hefty sound, both when it's idling along the highway and when it pops right awake to overtake.
When the Buick version launches, expected this summer, a window might open for the addition of a V-8 to the lineup. Until then, the V-6 is a winner. I took the Acadia on the High Road to Taos, a trip I haven't fully done in years. Winding your way through the stunning pine forests and delightful traditional villages is a sublime way to spend a leisurely day. And the Acadia's spot-on mix of power, traction and lazy cruising was a good match.
I would have felt better about the whole excursion had I brought more than just a camera and some water: With so much room inside, there's no reason not to bring all your friends along for the ride. The Acadia remained flat and composed on even the most worrisome of curves, with a connection to the road that's light-years ahead of the SUVs it replaces (hopefully), the Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy.
Steering feel is linear and always at the top of its game. Body roll is well-controlled, impressive for a vehicle that's nearly 17 feet long. At a certain point, I pulled over to empty out some space on the camera's card and was passed by a V-6 Mustang and a Mazda 3. Thinking this would be some good fun, I took off after them, but neither driver was interested in holding the speed I could in the corners; each would brake to a good 10-15 mph under the limit as the road kinked. In the Acadia, there was no need to slow.
Not that it's directly related to the idea of cruising through corners, but a full raft of safety gear is included in the Acadia, including an advanced safety structure, six airbags (including head curtains on each side that protect all three rows), ABS, traction control and a system to sense rollovers and adjust the airbag inflation accordingly.
The Acadia I drove cost about $10,000 more than the Outlook that Ben took to Sin City. But it was fully stocked with optional extras: leather, second-row captains chairs,
two sunroofs, remote start, a rear-seat DVD system, XM satellite radio with a Bose speaker system that includes a subwoofer and 10 speakers -- the whole kit and caboodle.
Inside is a sumptuous place that makes you wonder why GM interiors haven't always looked this good. All materials look and feel expensive, more than competitive. There are no unsightly panel gaps. The seats are supportive without being restrictive. Access to the third row means twisting one handle and each second-row seat jumps up and out of the way. Amazing. And there's plenty of room for two adults back there. Try that in a full-size, truck-based SUV.
Yes, there's a bit too much chrome around the air vents that can blind the driver when the sun hits it. And I would have liked a grab handle set up for rear-seat riders to haul themselves into their places. But those are minor quibbles.
Well, there's always the price: Pushing past $45,000 is rich territory into which to launch the Acadia. But if the pricey full- size SUVs have been selling at those kinds of prices, the Acadia is a natural step smaller, without giving up much of anything, except maybe ultimate towing capacity.
But no, I can't say enough good things about this Acadia. And that means this GMC -- and its Saturn cousin, plus the Buick, which looks to be a luxury stunner -- really must be the best thing for roadtripping families since the crossover idea was hatched.
Jay Binneweg is automotive editor at The New Mexican. E-mail him at drive@sfnewmexican.com.
2007 GMC Acadia SLT-2 AWD
Base price: $38,105
As tested: $45,710
Type: Front-engine, AWD 7-passenger crossover
Drivetrain: 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6 producing 275 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 251 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm; six-speed automatic
EPA mileage: 17 mpg city/24 highway; reg. fuel
Length: 200.7 inches
Wheelbase: 118.9 inches
Weight: 4,925 pounds
Built in: Lansing, Mich.
(c) 2007 The Santa Fe New Mexican. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.