Episode 28 starts with introducing this weeks guest William Maley also known as realmudmonster on Twitter. Moving into the garage we talk about the Buick LaCrosse I was in for the past week along We then discuss the MAMA spring rally that I attended this past week. We then move along to the major news of the week segment. This week included-
This week we bring back the clip of the week segment. This week we featured Mercedes-Benz: Sorry. (Link)
Next came our main topics which we have a discussion about the going to go over some government boondoggles we’ve been seeing cropping up in the news. We actually got the idea from jalopnik which did a recent post about the world’s safest cars that were built here in America
Last we plug our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.
I will be really up front and honest with you. When I received the email telling me a 2010 GMC Acadia was coming my way, my first thought was “I will not like this vehicle.” The main reasoning behind this is because I actually like the current Chevrolet Tahoe (the GMC Yukon is fine but I like the Tahoe styling better) and I could not imagine why I would personally buy this mammoth crossover instead of a Tahoe. Yes, I’m aware the Acadia starts roughly around $5,540 cheaper than the Tahoe, but pricing never entered my thoughts when making this judgment. The more interesting thing was, I had just hopped out of a fully loaded Buick Enclave, which rides on the same platform and shares so many parts with the Acadia. I really enjoyed my time with the Enclave, but it still didn’t sway my opinions about the Acadia. So what happened?
The Acadia’s exterior is striking. The headlights are unique and truly good looking. They really set the front end apart from other crossovers. The hood has nice sculpting in the center with lines running from the front clip into the hood on either side. The side profile is less sculpted, but has a bulge towards the bottom of the doors near the rocker panels. The fenders are somewhat over exaggerated but not overly done. The rear taillights are stylized with two round turret-looking shapes in each housing. The Acadia’s exterior is overall, very sharp especially sitting on the optional twenty inch chrome clad wheels.
The Acadia’s interior does have a few design cues shared with the Chevrolet Traverse, though it is worth noting the Acadia came to market before the Traverse. The center stack and instrument panel are all easy to operate and organized well. At night the gauges and switchgear all light up GMC red and white. I personally find this easy on the eyes late at night. The standard fold-flat third row is easy to operate but as a usable seat, the space back there is really meant for a child. With the third row in seating position, there is still room in the back for bags. The seats while large and flat were most definitely road trip worthy.
Powertrain options in the Acadia are limited to the 3.6 liter V6 featuring direct injection. Power output is 288 hp and 270 lb-ft to either the front or all four wheels. The power is handled by a six speed automatic with manual shift capabilities. I am undecided on this transmissions programming. It could be the particular Acadia I was in, but the transmission seemed lazy to me. Shifts were not quick and crisp. They were delayed and took longer than expected when not pushed hard. In all-wheel-drive mode, as the tester was equipped, the EPA rated the Acadia at 16/23 miles-per-gallon. I saw an average of 16.8 mpg in the city and 19.9 mpg cruising at 75 miles-per-hour on the highway. It is worth noting I averaged 22.8 mpg when cruising at 65 mph.
Rear End With Third Row Seat Up
The Acadia was optioned as a SLT-2 model with a sticker price of $42,185. The test model also included the following options: technology package, touch screen navigation with rear view camera, rear seat entertainment, power sunroof with second row skylight, heated and cooled front seats with perforated leather surfaces, and red jewel tintcoat. The total price swelled to $49,740 after destination and the plethora of options! That’s a lot of money for a non-premium CUV.
A few things that stood out to me while I was in the Acadia: first, was the heads up display. I like how GMC decided to include this feature with the technology package. Second, the cooled seats in this Acadia were some of the best I have encountered to date. They seats cooled very quickly and prompted me to pay attention as the seats made my backside chilly. Finally, the iPod/iPhone interface on the optional touch-screen radio worked terrific.
So after driving the Acadia for the week, was it good enough to change my original opinions? I was sure I wasn’t going to like it. My final opinion on the CUV is I kind of like it and I kind of don’t. I definitely was impressed at the end of my test. I liked the Acadia as a vehicle; more than I ever thought I would like it. With that said, I cannot admit the Acadia would be my top pick for $49,740. GMC is deep into luxury territory at that price and in reality, the Buick Enclave has a nicer interior. Looking past GM’s products other vehicles in the same price category as the Acadia include: the Acura MDX, Audi Q7 and many others luxury brand CUVs. For the same price as the Acadia, the Audi Q7 TDI or the Acura MDX might be a better buy in my opinion. The main problem is not the Acadia, but rather GM’s pricing of the Acadia. This vehicle fits in much better at with a $44,000 price ceiling to be truly competitive. The bottom line is, if someone was ready to buy an Acadia and asked me if they should, I would say this: if you like it, it is a good vehicle but if selecting a fully loaded one I might be cautious on purchasing.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors
We have heard time and time again that Buick is in a renaissance. Some told us that the movement started with the Lucerne. They were misinformed dearly. The real renaissance movement began with the Enclave. Buick debuted the Enclave concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2006. That concept came to reality less then a year later debuting as a production vehicle at the L.A. Auto Show later that year. So the question is simple: is this every bit the car Buick claims it is? Lets find out.
The outside of the Enclave is really stunning. From the front fenders that flow into the body to the rear fenders, which pick up and flow into the rear taillights— the lines are stunning. The headlights are unique and look great both during the day and when lit up at night. The twenty-inch chrome clad wheels were met with more chrome strewn about the exterior, from the door handles to the rear taillight surrounds. Chrome was all over the exterior of this vehicle. I did have one person tell me it was a little flashy for their tastes. I however think it was tastefully done and not overdone in the least bit. The traditional Buick waterfall grille still resides in the front reminding you that yes, indeed this is a Buick. Though you might be shocked to find this out by looking around the vehicle.
Inside the stunning looks continue. Wood is literally everywhere. Well when we use the term wood we use that generously. The wood is actually plastic with only the wood on the steering wheel being real mahogany. With that said, it does not look bad. The design is aesthetically pleasing and very upscale. The center stack has an analogue clock at the top. The climate control set up and the radio/navigation is shared with the other lambda-based vehicles (Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and the now dead Saturn Outlook). The second row seats can be had in either a three-person bench seat or two captains chairs. This is a no cost option and I personally liked the captain seating option, though it is not quite as practical since you lose a seat. The third row folds flat and is standard. This is mainly a space for children though an adult could manage for a quick trip across town. The dual laminated glass keeps things extremely quite inside even on the highway. Even with the third row up you still have room for luggage or groceries. The interior—like the exterior—is definitely tastefully done.
The powertrain is shared with the other lambda vehicles as well. Equipped with a 3.6 liter direct injection V6 that puts out 288 hp and 270 ft-lb to either the front or all four wheels. The power is handled by a one-choice six speed automatic transmission, which does have a manual shift capability. The steering is noticeably boosted and is light to the touch. This is not a barnburner but it has enough power to get up and merge onto a freeway. Though I would not suggest racing your next-door neighbors Porsche Cayenne to the country club for pinks, for you will lose.
The Enclave I had was CXL-2 which is the top trim level. Equipped with every option other then the all wheel drive the sticker price rang in at $47,355 including destination. This included such options as the audio system with navigation and DVD, power sunroof with second row skylight and the twenty-inch chrome clad wheels. The navigation system is the older touch screen unit supplied by Delphi, which is DVD-based rather then hard drive based. This is a tad slower then the new hard drive based unit supplied by Alpine in the new Cadillacs. I am hoping this gets upgraded soon. Also the rear seat entertainment, which as part of the audio system package mentioned earlier, drops down from the roof that puts the screen right in the way of your rear view mirror. The newer models from GM are using dual flip up monitors on the back of the front seats. This too hopefully will be upgraded sooner rather then later. Another feature that was missing was auto up windows. Only the driver’s window was equipped with the auto up feature. In this price range that is almost commonplace and a little strange.
One of the biggest downfalls of the lambdas is their weight. They are almost obese, weighing in at almost 5000 lbs (4780 to be exact). You can most definitely feel the engine pulling all this weight around. The EPA rates the fuel mileage at 17/24 for the front wheel drive model I was in. I did manage to average 17.3 mpg in the city and did not have the chance to truly test the highway rating. These are fairly decent numbers especially compared to some of the competition.
In this price range you are deep in luxury SUV territory with players such as the Acura MDX and the Lincoln MKT, among others. The question is simple: is the Enclave a worthy competitor? I would say it is definitely a vehicle I would recommend, but it will not be for everyone. The Enclave to me feels bigger then the MDX and is really just a different personality than MKT. All three are really nice vehicles and the Enclave is definitely class competitive. While some upgrades are needed as time has passed, the Enclave is still the competitive looker it was when it made its debut.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors
Episode 28 starts with introducing this weeks guest William Maley also known as realmudmonster on Twitter. Moving into the garage we talk about the Buick LaCrosse I was in for the past week along We then discuss the MAMA spring rally that I attended this past week. We then move along to the major news of the week segment. This week included-
