GMC has been leaning into its premium luxury and off-road capabilities in recent years, and that shows up in the 2025 GMC Acadia. And with a third row that actually be used by adults, it has plenty to offer for those looking for a comfortable long-hauler. Read the whole review at Headlight.News.
The GMC Acadia had a major makeover for 2024. The changes for 2025 are modest.
The 2025 GMC Acadia is a mid-size crossover SUV with seating for up to 8 passengers. Better yet, those delegated to sit in the third row won’t feel like they’re stuck in the penalty box.
Add the fact that Acadia is a GMC. Although closely related to the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC has been leaning into its premium luxury and off-road capabilities in recent years, and that shows up clearly in the Acadia, even with the base Elevation trim which gets plenty of infotainment and driver assistance technologies, as well as a useful trailering package.
The GMC Acadia was redesigned for 2024, so not a lot has changed for this year. However, GMC did add room for eight passengers with a second-row bench seat in the Elevation trim. Everything else remains the same with GMC’s premium mid-size three-row crossover.
Design
The Acadia picks up on the design language seen on other recent GMC products.
The 2024 Acadia makeover adopted the latest GMC design language, which is a very masculine look without the overt GI Joe treatment that’s currently making too many SUVs look like something from a dystopian sci-fi movie. Overall, the 2025 Acadia is a nice-looking SUV that isn’t trying to be anything but what it is: a premium family vehicle.
The simple premium ethos carries over into Acadia’s interior. About the only complaint to register is the push-button gear selector on the dash. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather have something that can’t easily be pushed by mistake.
The seats are comfortable, and in the AT4 trim we tested, they’re heated and ventilated in the front row. Second row heated seats are part of the optional Luxury package. In the AT4 you get bucket seats in the second row, and a three-across bench in the third row for seven seating spots. You can bump that to eight with the Elevation bench seat.
Cargo hauling is a basic SUV function, and the Acadia provides a generous 97.5 cubic feet with all the rear seats down, or 57.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 23 cubic feet with all the seats in use. This makes the Acadia useful even when the whole soccer team is in the vehicle.
Powertrain
Behind that grille Acadia features a 328-hp turbo-four.
Under the hood, the 2025 GMC Acadia has an efficient turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that returns up to 27 MPG in highway driving, or 24 mpg if you choose the all-wheel-drive version. City economy is a bit less at 20 MPG for front-drive, and 19 MPG for AWD.
All Acadia models use an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the buyer’s choice of front-drive or all-wheel drive. In case you’re worried about the four-cylinder, it produces a whopping 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, so it drives more like a traditional V6.
The AT4 designation includes all-wheel drive, with a fully modern system that incorporates hill descent and traction control, so Acadia can cover plenty of rough roads. You also get a hitch-view camera and hitch guidance for easy towing. With AWD, the SUV will tow up to 5,000 pounds.
More Reviews from Headlight.News
- A Week With the 2025 Toyota TRD Rally
- A Week With the 2025 Lucid Air Touring
- 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is the Ultimate American Hypercar
Safety and Technology
The Acadia Denali features a larger infotainment touchscreen than low-end trims.
Safety is also a basic SUV function, and the Acadia brings the latest in driver assistance tech to your driveway. The AT4 trim includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision alerts and automatic rear braking when traffic comes from the side. There’s also steering assistance when a car is in your blind spot.
Our test Acadia came with GM’s Super Cruise package, which offers hands-free self-driving under easy freeway conditions as well as enhanced parking assistance and a camera-based rear-view mirror. It’s available on all Acadia trim levels. An optional Luxury package adds a head-up display, and heated seats in the second row.
Different trim levels offer different dashboard tech, but the Acadia AT4 and higher trims include a 15-inch tablet-style infotainment system. It’s all good, easy to use, and comes with standard GM features like OnStar and WiFi.
The 2025 GMC Acadia offers a variety of different configurations, including the off-road-capable AT4 and luxurious Denali.
Driving Impressions
On the road, the Acadia is pleasant to drive. There’s no getting around its size, but there’s good engine power and a smooth, quiet ride. Like so many competitors, GMC has been downsizing powertrains on many of its product lines – and that’s the case here. But don’t feel like you’ve been shortchanged. The turbo-four provides plenty of grunt, even at low RPMs. If there’s any reason to complain, it doesn’t make quite as satisfying a grunt when you press the pedal to the floor.
Honestly, the driving impression of the Acadia is unremarkable. And, for many buyers, that’s precisely what they’ll want. It’s a solid, comfortable and capable SUV that can take you on a long trip in comfort and style
You won’t find anything to hate in this SUV, and it will tow a small trailer or boat.
Fold the roomy 3rd row bench and you get a huge cargo compartment.
Wrap Up
Pricing starts lower for more basic trims, but the Acadia AT4 starts at $51,200, which is right in the ballpark with similar premium SUVs. The Super Cruise Package added $3,490, and we’d probably not recommend that unless you do a lot of long-distance Interstate driving. Same with the panoramic sunroof at $1500 and the luxury package at $1,150. The AT4 is nice enough without extras.
The AT4 is a good trim level, but if you want the GMC nameplate on a budget, you can be perfectly happy in a more basic trim. Or you can bump up to Denali trim if you want the full luxury treatment.
0 Comments