I've had ample seat time in all three of them now, but the GMC Acadia remains my favorite version of GM's Lambda platform.
I hadn't driven an Acadia for over a year after attending the press introduction in November of 2006. But the Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave just never felt as good to me when I tried each of them, though part of me thought it was just my imagination. Now I've confirmed that the stiffer suspension tuning, cleaner design (inside and out) and cool features (like heads-up display) make the Acadia better than the other two.
There are two specific aspects to this vehicle that continue to impress me. First is the relaxed, car-like handling offered by the Acadia despite its monstrous size. This is one of those vehicles where after driving it awhile you forget about the size. Then you look behind you and think, "Oh yeah, I'm driving a small RV." Again, the suspension tuning of the Acadia makes it the least "tippy" around corners, but the Enclave and Outlook are by no means "floppy" -- the difference is more subtle than overt.
The other pleasant surpise comes (usually) when stepping on the throttle. I normally wouldn't expect a vehicle this large to feel adequately powered by a 3.6-liter, 275 horsepower V6. But these Lambdas all feel fine in terms of power. Certainly the Mazda CX-9 with its upgraded 2008 drivetrain feels sportier (in terms of handling, too), but that vehicle doesn't offer the same level of interior space, so either one is a good choice depending on your specific needs (max performance or max people/cargo toting). All good news in a $100-a-barrel world.
I say "usually" with regard to the drivetrain's responsiveness because while the engine is plenty strong enough the transmission (as in the Enclave, Outlook and Ford's Edge -- all of them use the same tranny) is a disappointment. It simply will not downshift when you roll into the throttle looking for more power. Unless you're willing to hammer the gas pedal you get a lackadaisical rise in revs as the engine lumbers to get those 4,700-pounds accelerating in the wrong gear.
GM (and Ford) need to stop trying to game the EPA testing system to eek out another MPG on the ratings. Besides, with the transmission programmed like this owners will just end up flooring it to drop a gear, which ultimately uses more fuel anyway.
Supposedly GM held these cars back for fear they would eat into Tahoe/Suburban sales. I don't know if they have, but they sure as hell should.
By vacagrande
on February 6, 2008
08:26 AM
I think it's a good sign that you clearly prefer one over the others, whichever it is. That says to me that GM has done a good job differentiating the triplets, rather than just letting people choose whichever dealer is offering the best incentives.
By tiruvan
on February 6, 2008
09:08 AM
Yep ... the Acadia is one winner ... period.
By brett8210
on February 6, 2008
09:18 AM
Karl
What about the new Chevy Traverse? I don't know about the suspension tuning, but the engine will be a direct injection version of the 3.6 creating more power and better MPG.
I also like the look of that one better than the GMC. Although the GMC looks better than the Buick or Saturn. The interior look of the Chevy is very nice.
By ahightower
on February 6, 2008
11:38 AM
Cool HUD. I'm not sure how often I'd use that feature on a car like this. Like, do I really need it to show what gear it's in? Pretty much always D. Maybe they could have it display gear only when playing with manu-matic mode. And I use cruise control a lot, so I don't think I need the speedometer display. But the radio info is nice to have. I imagine I'd do a lot of channel surfing if I had satellite radio, and that would take my eyes off the road.
I agree, it's the best looking of the three (four). I'd like to see a Denali version with a V8, any chance of that happening? Maybe an Enclave Super?
As you say, it's probably a better choice than a Tahoe for those who don't tow. I'd add that a minivan would probably be better yet. But this is a nice compromise if you're not using the third row every day.
By daytona_500
on February 6, 2008
01:17 PM
The Acadia is my favorite too. The picture above is superb and the color is nice. IMO the Enclave and Traverse are too bulbous and overweight looking, while the Outlook is nice too.
There is an interesting story on Autoblog of the Ford Edge's annual sales were just behind the three Lambdas combined. I would never have guessed the Edge was doing that well.
By rick8365
on February 6, 2008
03:08 PM
I also think the Acadia is the best looking of the three....and just a nice solid option/choice in today's market.
By millem
on February 6, 2008
05:02 PM
daytona 500----Yes the Ford Edge almost outsold the GM Lambda Trio. Throw in the Lincoln MKX's 40K sold (which I think is reasonable to do) and it outsold GM handily. That said----the upcoming Flex with its 3rd row is probably a better comparison vehicle
By kratas101
on February 6, 2008
09:19 PM
I love both the Acadia and Enclave. The Enclave edges out its cousin in design originality and feature content and thus wins for me. Plus the Buick interior is gorgeous.
By johndaniel
on February 7, 2008
12:11 AM
I like the reflections in the car.The Acadia is excellent..on the road and off the road.
Buick Terraza tail lights
By texases
on February 7, 2008
08:44 AM
Pretty fine distinction betwee the Outlook and the Acadia. Yes, the Enclave is a bit over styled. I'll have to see one on the road, but the Traverse looks slightly better than the Outlook to me. My question - with 4 almost identical versions, why didn't GM use the opportunity to create a short wheelbase, two-row Edge competitor, say 190"? I'd go for it today over the Edge.
By chavis10
on February 7, 2008
11:15 AM
texases- that's an interesting idea. I'd much rather have a two row Lambda vehicle over the Vue/Equinox. Chevy and Saturn could have two rows to keep cost down while letting Buick and GMC play to the more affluent customer. That way, we could get rid of the stupid Theta platform altogether and just have a dual sized Lambda. Again, while this sounds nice it isn't so easy to implement in the real automotive world.
By chavis10
on February 8, 2008
08:35 PM
Also- the Enclave's interior is MUCH better than the Acadia's. Not only does it possess a finer aesthetic quality, its dash is soft while the acadia's is not. It's in the details- the Enclave features stitched door panels where the GMC features hard plastics. Even the doors feel more sustaintial as if they came from the old SEL MB's in the '90s. Slam them back to back if you don't take my word for it. In fact, the Enclave's doors feel more substaintial than the Land Cruiser & Sequoia. The Buick is the superior vehicle of the GM trio & entire class. I'm sure less than 5% of potential buyers would give a damn about sporty driving/handling which is the ONLY advantage the CX-9 has over this car. It loses in every other catergory.
Honda & Toyota have effectively numbed America to good style with entries like Pilot & Highland so it's hard for people to wrap their heads around such a cohesive good looking design.
By altimadude00
on February 10, 2008
10:23 AM
Texases & chavis10 -- GM tried the dual length version thing with the Trailblazer/Envoy with mixed success. You can either do a seven passenger car well, or a five passenger car well....but trying to do both would probably be a bad idea. A competitor to the Edge will come when they bring out a new Equinox or Trailblazer.
By chavis10
on February 10, 2008
11:54 AM
altimadude00- you're off base. The Trailblazer extension project was completely different animal because of the nature of the platform's architecture. Live axles work best when placed behind the seating area as the axle needs vertical clearance to compress into a void contained in the body . Obviously, if there is a seat placed directly over this area, the seat will be forced to be placed higher in the body by as many as 4-5" to leave clearance for the axle's highest compressed position (think current Tahoe versus an IRS Expedition). That is why the roof of those vehicles had to be raised in unison with the bench height to ensure adequate headroom. Raising the roof not only caused an awkward exterior design but raised the center of gravity as well causing worse handling confidence since the track remained the same on a significantly stretched wheelbase.
IRS circumvents this issue but letting the wheels do all the articulation independent of the fixed mounted diff. Therefore, two wheelbase lengths would be completely feasible on the Lambda vehicles with no such compromises.
By firstwagon
on February 11, 2008
09:10 PM
"I'm sure less than 5% of potential buyers would give a damn about sporty driving/handling which is the ONLY advantage the CX-9 has over this car. It loses in every other catergory"
I guess I'm one of the 5% percent that cares more about how a car drives then what the plastic feels like.
And proud of it.
....and the Acadia is much better looking then the buick.
By 1487
on February 12, 2008
08:47 PM
"....and the Acadia is much better looking then the buick"
Not too anyone with good vision. The GMC looks good, but not better than the Buick. cant think of a crossover that looks better than the Enclave. I guess the GMC doesnt offend the conservative sensibilities of people who are typically fans of bland Toyota and Honda designs.
By bbechtel16
on February 13, 2008
07:47 AM
"....and the Acadia is much better looking then the buick."
I wholeheartedly agree. And so does my Mini driving female co-worker.