10 GMC Acadia Competitors to Consider

18 gmc acadia front sessions ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

GMC bills itself as “Professional Grade.” When it comes to the 2019 GMC Acadia, that translates into a mid-size three-row crossover that excels as a family hauler and mobile office. The Acadia has several unique virtues, chief among them being a wide range of trim levels and prices. A base Acadia SLE starts at $29,000, and a top-of-the-line Acadia Denali starts at $45,500 — meaning that the right Acadia for your family may lie somewhere in between.

As a family vehicle, Acadia has seating for up to seven passengers, and it features ample storage throughout the cabin and active noise cancellation to help keep the ride pleasant. A standard rear seat reminder adds safety for the little ones. As a mobile office, Acadia is available with 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and multiple USB power points throughout the cabin. Here, in alphabetical order by brand, are 10 of its competitors to also consider. 

2019 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse was all new for 2018, marking the start of the second generation for the mid-size three-row crossover vehicle that launched in 2009. The Traverse shares a platform with Acadia, but its wheelbase is 8 inches longer (120.9 inches vs 112.5 inches) and it offers seating for up to eight passengers.

Traverse buyers get the option of a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine in the RS FWD trim level or a 3.6-liter V6 that’s naturally aspirated (non-turbo) in all other trims, both with a nine-speed automatic transmission and choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, compared to the Acadia's choice between the 3.6-liter V6 and a base 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Traverse prices start at $31,125 for the L FWD and go up to $54,195 for the High Country AWD.

Photo by Chevrolet

2019 Dodge Durango

The 2019 Dodge Durango made the transition from rugged to refined over the years since its initial introduction. With available seating up to seven passengers, Durango is a mid-size unibody crossover vehicle. The big difference between the Durango and Acadia is the Durango is available with a wide range of engines. The base engine is a 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing. A 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is available, and a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 is available in the performance-oriented SRT model.

Pricing starts at $29,995 for the base SXT RWD and goes up to $62,995 for the SRT AWD, unchanged from 2018 pricing. The Durango shares many mechanical and engineering features with the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it can be seen as a sleeper alternative to that popular vehicle — as well as a good competitor for the GMC Acadia.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2019 Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot has been around since 2003 and received a mild refresh for the 2019 model year. The 2019 Pilot is a three-row mid-size crossover with unibody construction and standard front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is available, and it incorporates torque-vectoring technology, which makes it deceptively agile around corners and curves — perhaps outperforming the Acadia on the road.

The Pilot’s particular strength, however, is the availability of the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance, which includes adaptable cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure intervention, forward emergency braking, and more. All Pilot models get the same 3.5-liter V6 engine. LX, EX, and EX-L models come with a six-speed automatic transmission, while upper-trim Touring and Elite models get a nine-speed automatic. Prices start at $31,450 for the LX FWD and go to $48,020 for the Elite AWD.

Photo by Honda

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL

The Hyundai Santa Fe started life as a compact crossover in 2002, and it has gone through a number of name and size changes since. For 2019, the names have shifted again — and the three-row SUV is now known as the Santa Fe XL.

The Santa Fe XL embodies Hyundai’s mature quality, design, and engineering status. Starting at $30,850 for a front-wheel drive SE and going up to $41,300 for a Limited Ultimate all-wheel drive model, the Santa Fe XL is available in just four easy-to-understand configurations. A direct-injected 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engine is the only choice, hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai’s famous "America’s Best Warranty" makes the well-equipped Santa Fe XL a good competitor for the Acadia, offering a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty as a highlight.

Photo by Hyundai

2019 Kia Sorento

Now in its third generation of production, the Kia Sorento is the flagship of the Kia SUV lineup. Like the Acadia, it has three rows of seating, but Sorento’s third row is a little tight in comparison. Like the Acadia, the Sorento is available with a choice of two engines: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission or a 3.3-liter V6 with an eight-speed automatic. Both engines are naturally aspirated and use gasoline direct injection.

The Sorento, like all Kia vehicles, carries an impressive list of standard features, and it can be optioned to near-luxury levels for a reasonable price. 2019 Sorento prices start at $25,990 and go up to $44,690, plus options. In addition to sharing a platform with the Hyundai Santa Fe XL, the Sorento also comes with a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

Photo by Kia

2019 Mazda CX-9

The CX-9 is Mazda’s flagship crossover and was all-new in 2017. It comes standard with Mazda's G-Vectoring Control, a torque-vectoring system that manages engine output to subtly shift vehicle weight on turn-in and cornering, resulting in less effort and smoother handling. Mazda has also concentrated on inching the CX-9 toward the premium spectrum, with a very sophisticated, well-executed interior design — a real strength for the model.

CX-9 prices start at $32,280 for Sport front-wheel drive models and going up to $45,365 for the Signature all-wheel drive. All use a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is an $1,800 option on the Sport, Touring and Grand Touring models, and standard on the Signature. The CX-9 gives the Acadia a run for its money when it comes to elegance and fun-to-drive character.

Photo by Mazda

2019 Nissan Pathfinder

The Nissan Pathfinder started out life as a rugged body-on-frame (truck-based) SUV back in 1987 and has evolved over four generations into a mid-size three-row crossover vehicle. Unlike most GMC Acadia competitors, the Pathfinder uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) as opposed to a conventional geared automatic. Nissan is devoted to this technology, which can deliver improved fuel efficiency over a conventional stepped gear automatic — but with some performance penalties, like slow starts and rubber-band acceleration. That said, the Pathfinder’s CVT is relatively well-mannered and should be transparent to all but the most sensitive enthusiast drivers.

Each 2019 Pathfinder comes with a 3.5-liter direct-injected gasoline V6 engine, and front-wheel drive is standard (all-wheel drive is an option at $1,690). Prices for Pathfinder start at $31,430 for the S FWD and run up to $44,460 for the Platinum 4x4.

Photo by Nissan

2019 Subaru Ascent

The Ascent three-row crossover joined Subaru’s lineup in 2019. It is now the largest Subaru vehicle, seating seven or eight passengers depending on second-row configuration. The Ascent uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter horizontally opposed Boxer four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Like all current Subaru models except the BRZ, Ascent comes standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The Ascent has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, meaning it can make use of the AWD system’s X-Mode and hill descent control off-road.

When properly equipped, the Ascent is rated to tow up to 5,000 lbs — outdoing the Acadia’s 4,000-lb maximum rating. The Ascent is the first Subaru model to come with the company’s EyeSight driver-assist technology as standard equipment on every trim level. Prices start at $31,995 and go up to $44,695 for the Touring.

Photo by Subaru

2019 Toyota Highlander

From humble beginnings as a car-based little brother to the truck-based 4Runner, the Highlander has grown into a mid-size three-row crossover vehicle with a style all its own. The Highlander’s significant advantage over the Acadia is an available hybrid gasoline-electric engine in the Hybrid LE trim (starting at $36,870) and in trim levels up to Hybrid Limited Platinum (starting at $48,480), all with standard all-wheel drive. The Highlander Hybrid’s gasoline engine is a 3.5-liter V6, with a combined horsepower rating with electric motors of 303 hp, so you don’t have to sacrifice performance for hybrid efficiency.

The gasoline-only 2019 Toyota Highlander starts at $31,330 for the base LE front-wheel drive model while the loaded Limited Platinum all-wheel drive model starts at $46,860, and it is available with a fuel-sipping 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or 3.5-liter V6.

Photo by Toyota

2019 Volkswagen Atlas

The Atlas joined VW’s lineup as a new model in 2018. It is the biggest VW crossover yet, taking the place of the Touareg as the brand’s flagship as a mid-size three-row crossover. Starting at $30,750 for S 2.0T front-wheel drive models and going up to $48,395 for the SEL Premium V6 4Motion all-wheel drive, the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas is available in 13 different configurations — a dizzying lineup.

The Atlas comes with a choice of two engines: a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injected inline four-cylinder and a 3.6-liter direct-injected naturally aspirated V6, each hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. VW’s "The People’s Warranty" provides six years or 72,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper protection, fully transferable to the next owner within the warranty period — a distinct advantage over the GMC Acadia’s three-year/36,000-mile coverage.

Photo by Volkswagen