I recently had an opportunity to test drive the new 2014 GMC Acadia, courtesy of Weld County Garage in Greeley.  The Acadia name is derived from a French area of northeastern North America that includes parts of Canada and Maine.  The vehicle was the Denali, GMC’s finest, another name of a North American destination – specifically, the highest mountain peak in America.  It is located in Alaska, and has a National Park that carries its name.

GMC  has been building the Acadia since 2006, and introduced an extensively updated version for the 2013 model year.  The 2014 I drove also had two new standard items, forward collision alert and lane departure warning.  The M.S.R.P. of the Acadia was $52,835, and it included 20” chrome-clad aluminum wheels ($600), a navigation/entertainment system ($2,240), and Crystal Red Tintcoat paint ($495).  The DVD entertainment system was for the rear occupants, two of which could sit in individual bucket seats, a popular setup when children are passengers.  Thus, my test car was for seven passengers, and all second and third row seating could be folded flat, producing 116.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity.  Additionally, 4’ x 8’ material can be loaded in the Acadia.  The Cocoa Dune leather looked like chocolate soft serve ice cream, and the two front buckets were powered, heated, cooled and comfortable.  A two-panel sunroof was overhead, and the stereo was a 10-speaker Bose unit with satellite radio.  Of course the Denali had power mirrors/windows/locks and tilt/telescope steering column with leather trimmed wheel.

Ride on the highway is a hallmark of the Acadia, a vehicle that weighs 4,850 lbs.  Wheelbase is 118.9”, length is 200.8”, width is 78.9”, and height is 72.6”.  The new design that was rolled out at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year involved a new, brawnier grill, sculpted front fascia, and a redesigned liftgate.  LED daytime running lights are up front in a distinctive “necklace” design, as are projector beam fog lights.  The 20”, six-spoke chrome-clad aluminum wheels are fitted with P255/55R20 Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza all-season radials, and chrome door handles and roof rails close the deal on a beautiful vehicle. 

Denali power comes from a 3.6 liter, DOHC, direct injected V-6 (288 hp/270 lb. ft.), and an automatic 6-speed automatic transmission delivers it to the all-wheel drive train.  EPA mileage ratings are 16 city/23 highway, and a 22 gallon gas tank is on hand.  Zero to 60 mpg acceleration time is reportedly 7.04 seconds.  The transmission, in typical GM fashion, is silky smooth.

My wife and I rolled over to Ft. Collins for some breakfast in the test vehicle, and once again she expressed surprise at the sumptuous GMC ride quality.  I agree, and think the Acadia Denali is a quality choice for the full-size crossover SUV shopper.   

My most recent test was of the 2014 GMC Terrain, courtesy of Ryan Green over at Weld County Garage.  Ryan is the internet manager there and has been employed at “The Garage” for eleven years.  He tossed me the key fob and dealer license plate; immediately my wife Ruth and I were off on a road trip to Nebraska.

GMC has produced the Terrain since 2009, when the mid-size crossover SUV was introduced as a 2010 model at the New York International Auto Show.  The vehicle shares its drivetrain and platform with Chevrolet’s Equinox, but has styling that is substantially different than that of the Chevy.  It’s been a hit, selling almost 100,000 units last year, with the General Motors twin products leading all manufacturers in this segment.

The Terrain that Ruth and I made the trip in was the SLE-2, with upgraded cloth upholstery in black and beautiful extra-cost ($495) Carbon Black metallic paint.  M.S.R.P. came to $30,890, including freight ($895), power sunroof ($900), and chrome alloy wheels/door handles/mirrors ($795).  The tires mounted on those chrome, five-spoke wheels were Michelin Latitude P235/55R18 all-season radials.

Power for the SLE-2 is provided by a 2.4 liter, DOHC 4 cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque.  The transmission is a six-speed automatic with overdrive and manual shift mode.  The EPA fuel economy ratings are 22-city, 32-highway, and 26 mpg overall.  I checked out the fuel mileage on my trip back from Hastings (392 miles) and calculated 33.75 mpg in gentle highway driving.  My test Terrain was a front-wheel drive model with an 18.8 gallon fuel tank.

The interior of the Terrain has seating for five and 31.6 cubic feet of luggage space behind the 60/40 second row seating.  That volume is doubled when the second row seating is folded down.  For and aft sliding and reclining capability is a feature of Terrain’s second row bench seat.  The front buckets were supportive for me and worked well on the extended journey from Nebraska.  A Pioneer 8-speaker premium stereo was on hand in the Terrain with satellite radio, an Intellilink system (Bluetooth, smartphone integration, Pandora, etc.) with 7” screen, tilt/telescope, power mirrors/windows/locks, and cruise control.

Highway driving was excellent in the Terrain, with guidance, ride, and wind noise all acceptable.  Handling is nimble, and I particularly liked the electric power steering.  Since I am fond of Terrain styling and felt comfortable driving the machine, I’d have to say that the reason they are so popular is evident to me.  Were I to be in the market for a mid-size crossover SUV, the Terrain would be a candidate for my purchasing dollars.