2024 GMC Acadia: Bigger, faster, better? [First Drive]

The 2024 GMC Acadia has been completely redone to be bigger, faster and better in every way. Well, that’s what they told me. I climbed behind the wheel to see for myself.

What’s new?

Before I get into how it drives and tows (yup!), let’s do a quick summary on what’s new.

First, the entire vehicle is longer, wider and taller than the previous generation. How much? How about a whopping 10 inches longer, 4 inches wider and 4-6 inches taller depending on trim with Elevation being the lowest and AT4 being the highest due to the taller off-road tires.

These improvements add up to a 23% increase in second row cargo capacity and an 80% increase in the third-row area.

[Related Video: Towing 5k lbs, Playing in the Dirt w/ 2024 GMC Acadia Denali, AT4]

Next, all GMC Acadia SUVs come with a 15-inch diagonal infotainment screen. This screen is powered by the latest Google automotive operating system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability, which not found in GM EVs. The electronic switch to this screen allows you to easily see the available nine camera views to see in front, the rear or all around the vehicle.

Another big change is the exterior and interior styling. It has completely changed versus the prior-generation Acadia. I can’t stress this enough! It is a big overhaul. The Denali trim feels more like a premium interior with unique stitching, and upscale material choices as well as the Vader chrome material on a redesigned front grille. The AT4 looks like it could actually go off-road with the wider stance, knobby off-road tires and prominent tow hooks and the Elevation just flat-out looks better.

Lastly, the V-6 is gone and it’s replaced by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder just like in the 2024 Chevy Traverse. Yup, they dropped the V-6 for a 4-banger, but that’s not the whole story. The new engine produces 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 RPM. Compared to the prior-gen with 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 RPM, this new Acadia will smoke the old one off the line.

Driving the 2024 GMC Acadia

After looking over the new Acadia, I was pretty eager to get behind the wheel.

Why so eager? Frankly, I didn’t like the prior-generation Acadia one bit. I felt like the powertrain was boring, the driver’s seating position felt more akin to driving a tank, and it just felt like designers just splashed premium materials where they could to dress it out.

This new one? Improved just isn’t a strong enough word.

This new turbocharged engine is a huge improvement, and while I couldn’t zippy, it certainly does a much better job moving the three-row SUV.

The fuel economy, though, hasn’t improved. It is 20/27/23 (city/highway/combined) for FWD and 19/24/21 (city/highway/combined) for AWD. That is down compared to the 3.6-liter V-6 with 19/26/21 (city/highway/combined) AWD and even worse for the 2.0-liter 4 cylinder with 22/27/24 (city/highway/combined) AWD.

Basically, it is more power for more fun and spirited driving, not better fuel economy.

The interior feels spacious enough for a family of four and you could actually have people in the third-row — albeit not 6-foot-tall people. It also feels more like a Denali. And the AT4 has enough styling differences to actually make cross-shopping the trims harder for a consumer.

Also, the driver’s seating position feels more engaged with the driving experience. I found it easy to find a good spot and the lowered dash really improves the visibility in the cabin. I’m going to bet more people of different sizes and shapes will find a better seating position quicker than the outgoing model.

The 15-inch vertical screen nestles nicely in the cabin and doesn’t feel like an afterthought. Also, the icons are big and easy to see plus you can arrange the screen to put your favorites on the homescreen.

We did some pretty aggressive off-road driving for the AT4 over a sandy road as well as through an obstacle course with staggered whoops. In off-road mode, the AT4 performed quite well allowing the rear-end to slide a little as you’d want to keep the tires from digging in and getting stuck.

On the staggered whoops, we got a tire in the air on both sides to show how Terrain mode allows torque to be split to each wheel allowing the AT4 to keep moving forward. This is a pretty aggressive thing for an AT4 owner to do. I mean it can do it, I doubt many people will do it though.

Finally, we tested out the Super Cruise with its new lane change ability. Every GMC Acadia will come with Super Cruise as an available option. It adds $3,500 to the price and there’s a monthly subscription for the Onstar with Wi-Fi plan to use it.

How does it perform? Quite well. And I’m glad there’s an option to select either automatic lane change or driver assisted.

For the automatic lane change, it will switch lanes for you when it senses a vehicle slowing down in front of you then switch back lanes after passing said vehicle. However, I find this to be too aggressive at times.

Instead, I opt for the driver assisted which means when I use the turn signal, it switches lanes.

Super Cruise is a fatigue reducer for long-trips and everyday driving with lots of traffic. However, there’s a trust factor you have to develop to use it.

Towing with the Denali?

Wait, somebody actually towed with the GMC Acadia Denali? Yup, this guy.

I asked the event team about towing, and they hooked up me. They pulled an Acadia out hooked up to a 30-foot trailer filled with various mechanics items like tool boxes and an engine. Our best guess is the trailer was more than 4,000 pounds, which basically maxed out the Acadia’s 5,000 pound towing capacity as well as the nearly 1,500 pounds of payload with the weight of the trailer tongue factored in.

As I maneuvered through some city streets and onto the highway, it was clear the Acadia can pull the load. It didn’t like it at times with the RPMs hitting nearly 5,000 as I pulled off the line to get to highway speeds.

Also, the lack of trailer brakes puts a lot of pressure on the Acadia to slow down the trailer, and this could be an issue in some conditions like a hot day through the Rocky mountains. There was one spot where I about missed my turn. The Acadia slowed down enough for me to make the turn, although, it certainly rattled my nerves. My fault, not the Acadia’s fault.

The simple truth is the Acadia can do it, and I did see 14 MPG while towing. It isn’t my vehicle of choice for towing such a load and likely won’t be for most customers. This is a vehicle meant to really tow a small boat, short camper or a small U-Haul trailer. I wouldn’t regularly go much bigger.

Starting prices for the GMC Acadia with the $1,395 destination fee are as follows:

• GMC Acadia Elevation $43,995 (FWD) $45,995 (AWD)
• GMC Acadia AT4 $51,395 (AWD)
• GMC Acadia Denali $55,695 (FWD) $57,695 (AWD)

They are now on dealer lots.

The bottom line

After two days with the 2024 GMC Acadia, I came away with one simple thought. Anybody cross shopping the new Acadia with the prior-gen needs to get their head examined. This new one is so much better in every way.

Editor’s note: Driving impressions in this “First Drive” review are from an invitation-only automaker launch event that allowed special access to the vehicle and executives. GMC covered our accommodations, meals and transportation costs.