25th Nov 2009, 14:13

Although I like the styling of the Acadia I have resisted buying one for two major reasons:

1) Front drive is MUCH more complicated, handles much worse and is much more expensive to service and work on.

2) The truck-based Envoy is a far more solid, reliable and easy-to-service vehicle. My wife has 80,000+ miles on her Envoy and never a single repair. Not even brake pads yet. She plans to drive it another 150,000 miles or so before even considering trading. Since GM has stupidly dropped the Envoy we will most likely go back to Ford for a truck-based, rear-drive SUV. Our Envoy handles far better in the snow than our front-drive vehicles and corners far better. The rush to front-drive has terribly compromised SUV performance.

31st Dec 2009, 13:10

If you are comparing an all-wheel-drive Envoy with a front drive anything, naturally the Envoy will come out on top.

Compare a rear drive Envoy with a front drive Acadia and see which will keep you alive longer.

It is a proven fact that on slippery surfaces it is better to have the driven wheels pull than to push. That's why trains have their engines at the front. The even better situation is to have all four wheels carry you on your way. If this is what you seek, then go for the all-wheel-drive Acadia... they have them.

And in case you haven't noticed, a front drive car, when compared with a rear drive one, has LESS moving parts, making it less complicated. That's why the majority of vehicles these days are front drive. The move back to rear drive these days is fueled by the ability of engineers to fit things like traction control to rein in the handling of rear drive cars, as well as the advent of direct injection and variable valve timing to compensate for the lower fuel economy caused by the added weight of the rear drive components.

6th Jun 2010, 16:36

I am the guy that posted to first comment on the problematic Acadia in this section. The dealer where I purchased and had warranty work completed has FINALLY gotten the bulk of the issues solved. Unable to change service providers while the vehicle was still under warranty (the other dealership, Chevrolet, can't/won't work on it while it's warranted) I stand by the comments I initially made. Although it may not be the vehicles fault entirely, the dealer in my case failed to step up and resolve the manufacturing issues as they arose, thus a reflection on the entire company and the products they offer. I still won't buy another one, and I will definitely NOT buy a new GM product. Sorry people, it's time to shop somewhere else.

3rd Jan 2012, 00:32

I have been a fan of GM for many many years, until now. We just purchased a 2012 GMC Acadia Denali (thinking that going from a Chevy to a GMC was a little step up, we were wrong).

First of all their catalog is misleading on the specifics. They mention that the floor mats are different, and with only the Denali model you would get "Denali Specific" floormats. So why label them as a different item when they are exactly the same? GM still cannot answer this question.

Then 300 miles into driving the vehicle, had to have it towed to a local dealership, because the throttle body unit was bad; had to be replaced and was without a car for 2 days. The car never really seemed right, and took it back in 1 1/2 months later because of the odd sounds that it made. They have now had it for 10 days, in which the timing chain and timing chain actuators needed to be replaced. This again is another big part to need to be replaced (especially so soon).

At this point they still cannot figure out the other annoying and loud sounds the car makes. I have contacted their customer service and do not feel satisfied with the "call center" service I received. I have a completely new feeling about GM, and sad to say, it is not a good one. I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

3rd Jan 2012, 00:33

By 2012 it should be right? Well not with my luck!