2025 Buick GMC Acadia vs. the Competition

The GMC Acadia has always compared favorably to the competition, and as it has evolved over the years, the gap between the Acadia and the rest of the midsize SUV segment has only grown. Good looks, dedicated off-road and luxury trims, and cutting-edge tech all contribute to the success of the Acadia. To get a good idea of what makes it such a leader, we put together this guide to how the competition stacks up.

GMC Acadia VS Ford Explorer

For our first comparison, we’re looking at the Ford Explorer. As one of the first really popular midsize SUVs, it’s a logical place to start. The Explorer comes with more power than some of the vehicles in this segment, but it still falls short of the Acadia. To go with that extra power, the Acadia also offers more interior space, which you can see in both the legroom and the cargo space behind the third row. In fact, the Acadia is more spacious enough to offer one more seat than the Explorer.

The Explorer starts off at a lower price than the Acadia, but that doesn’t make it a good deal, since it’s not nearly as well equipped. If you want front foglights, for example, you need to opt for a package that raises the price to above that of the Acadia, which includes them as standard equipment. The Acadia also comes with a hands-free power liftgate and a 360-view camera as standard equipment, but these features aren’t even part of the aforementioned package for the Explorer. The Explorer comes with a very basic stereo system, while a premium Bose system comes standard in the Acadia. You can spend some more money for a name-brand stereo system in the Explorer, but the 10-speaker optional system still comes up short of the speaker count in the Acadia. Lastly, your first year of routine maintenance is included with the price of the Acadia, with no limit on mileage, but Ford doesn’t include any with the Explorer.

GMC Acadia VS Honda Pilot

Up next is the Honda Pilot, which is about as large as Honda vehicles get. The V6 in the Pilot is starting to show its age, and the result is that the Acadia has noticeably more power, thanks to a newer and more advanced power plant. Passenger space is similar for these two, but there is a very noticeable difference in cargo capacity, with the Acadia having a real advantage. There is a big difference in equipment too, with the stereo being an excellent example. The Pilot does offer a 12-speaker Bose system, same as the one in the Acadia, but you need to option up to a trim that costs nearly ten thousand dollars more in order to get it, while it’s standard equipment in the Acadia. The touchscreen you use to control it in the Acadia is also much bigger and easier to see and operate. You can option up to a 9-inch screen in the Pilot by moving to a higher trim, but that’s still pretty outdated in today’s automotive market.

You need to move up to a higher trim in the Pilot in order to get parking sensors, although at least in this case, all but the base trim come with them. However, options like a hands-free liftgate and integrated navigation require you to move up to a much higher trim, and a heated steering wheel, like the Bose stereo system, requires you to spend a lot more. It’s really pretty difficult to see why Honda charges so much for the Pilot when it comes so poorly equipped in all but the highest trims. Lastly, while both vehicles come with a 36 month/36,000 warranty, it is only the Honda where your roadside assistance coverage ends at the same time, with the Acadia, you get an additional 24 months/24,000 miles.

GMC Acadia VS Nissan Pathfinder

For our last match-up, we’re looking at the Nissan Pathfinder, since it’s offered with a dedicated off-road trim, similar to the AT4 trim of the Acadia. While both of these come with standard all-wheel drive and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, there are some pretty glaring differences that appear almost immediately. The Acadia has quite a bit more power, especially torque, which is important in an off-road vehicle. The Pathfinder offers torque vectoring to help maintain traction, and while this is good, torque vectoring combined with a twin-clutch rear axle like you get in the Acadia is better. The Pathfinder also doesn’t come with recovery hooks or off-road tuned suspension, which are both pretty helpful in an off-roader. In all, the Pathfinder seems better suited to dirt roads than actually going off the road entirely.

It’s not just off-road equipment where the Acadia excels, you also get a lot more interior space. Front legroom is identical, but the second and third rows are a lot more spacious in the Acadia. You also get more cargo space, and again, it’s enough to make a real difference in how much cargo you can pack. These two vehicles both get a combined 21 mpg, so the fact that the fuel tank in the Acadia is so much bigger means that you won’t have to stop for gas nearly as frequently. Fuel tank size might not usually be a big deciding factor, but you also don’t usually see such a huge size difference. Similarly, the infotainment screen in the Pathfinder is in dire need of an update, while the 15-inch screen in the Acadia is much more in line with what you expect from this segment. For roadside assistance coverage, the Pathfinder offers a perfectly average amount of coverage, while the GMC goes above and beyond. In all, the Pathfinder does offer a price advantage, but it would need to be much bigger to make it worth choosing over the Acadia.

Winner – GMC Acadia

Whether you’re heading out into the woods for a camping trip, or just heading to the grocery store, the Acadia is the clear choice in this segment. It’s more capable, more spacious, and much, much better equipped than the competition. Come to Crestmont Buick GMC and see for yourself just how clear a winner the Acadia really is.