The crossover segment is starting to get very confusing. You have those that look more like station wagons and those that resemble SUVs. And, they come in nearly every size and shape.
Among the large crossover SUVs is the GM Arcadia, which is almost as big as a Suburban.
The Acadia is one of four similar vehicles in the GM lineup. Buick offers the Enclave, Saturn the Outlook and Chevy just rolled out its version, the Uplander. Each model is supposed to appeal to a different buying market.
The Acadia is targeted to the family-oriented buyer who doesn’t want a minivan but enough space for carrying seven or eight passengers at a time. With the available second row captain’s chairs, seating is good for seven with easy access to the third row thanks to sliding seats in the middle.
You can choose from three different trim levels, but by adding option packages, you can almost duplicate the higher levels. Our test model was the top-of-the-line SLT-2, which came with almost everything but a kitchen sink. The final price tag was $43,225, which included $7,125 in option packages. Among the add-ons were a navigation system with back-up screen, 19-inch wheels, dual sunroof and upgraded audio system.
The SLT-2 package comes standard with leather seating for the first two rows, including captain’s chairs, heated front seats, tri-zone climate controls, rear-seat audio controls, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls and XM Satellite radio for a year.
Three key features include a power liftgate, remote start (standard) and the heads-up display (optional) on the windshield. This is the same heads-up system found on the Corvette, which comes in handy in traffic.
Powering the Acadia is a 275-horsepower V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel or all-wheel drive is available. The all-wheel drive is automatic with no driver input needed as the vehicle switches power to the rear wheels when needed.
Surprisingly, the V6 handles the 4,700-pound vehicle quite nicely and gets decent fuel mileage of 16 in the city and 24 on the highway. (A note: fuel mileage ratings have been revised by the government and current figures are about three miles per gallon less than ratings of two years ago.)
The Acadia ride is smooth and comfortable on all but the roughest roads. And, despite the all-wheel drive, the GM isn’t designed for off-road use but more for urban travels.
With its family-oriented features and demeanor, the Acadia has been the sales leader over the Enclave or Outlook so far. The more economical Chevy version may change that.

Ryan’s Ride –
As I’ve ranted before, I’m not sure we really need these many choices when it comes to buying a vehicle. Sure, the dealers all want a version of each model to attract customers. But do we really need four similar crossovers from GM?
The Acadia would be my second choice. I prefer the cleaner lines of the Buick Enclave even though it costs a few thousand more, similarly equipped. The engines and features are nearly identical on all the models, just with some tweaks and option packages offered differently.
The Acadia is a nice vehicle with plenty of space for a large family. The third-row seats are big enough for three adults and easily accessed thanks to the sliding second-row seats. The cargo area is huge, even with all three rows of seats upright. But fold them down, and there’s a ton of room.
One feature exclusive to the Acadia is the heads-up display, which I think should be on all cars, especially performance cars. For one thing, it’s a great safety feature because your eyes don’t have to leave the road very far to monitor your speed.
The Acadia also comes with power folding mirrors, which are good because it wouldn’t have fit in our garage otherwise. The mirrors also have the turn signal warning lights build into them to further warn following drivers.
So, if you’re in the market for a large crossover, do your on-line research to try and narrow down your choices. That way, you won’t have to visit four different dealers.

Marilyn’s Moment –
I was never a minivan candidate, so the new generation of crossovers is more to my liking. The Acadia is among the biggest with plenty of room and three rows of seating.
Even though the two back rows are not power operated, they are relatively easy to operate. We had the third row folded most of the time during our test drive and that left plenty of room for groceries. The power liftgate was appreciated, especially when it was raining.
One nice thing about the Acadia is that, even though it’s huge, it sits low to the ground so you don’t need running boards to enter or exit.
The seats are comfortable and the center console has cupholders, a large, center storage area and several other slots for the cell phone.
I really expected a V8 in the Acadia because of its size, but the V6 offered more than enough power.
It’s obvious that families were strongly considered when the Acadia was designed. Rear seat audio and climate controls can cut down on any arguments from the back seat.
Overall, if you need that much room, the Acadia would certainly be worth looking at.