2007 GMC Acadia

General Motors' big crossover, a first for GMC, has a lot going for it.

2007 GMC Acadia
2007 GMC Acadia
The one real flaw I found in the Acadia was in its six-speed transmission. The problem has to with the transmission's computer software and not any mechanical issue so there may be some changes in the near future.

When the need arose for brisk acceleration or a steep hill climb - or, worst-case scenario, both at once - my test Acadia's transmission refused to shift to a lower gear until the engine felt like it was just about to give out from the strain.

When it finally did downshift, it was with a jarring "whoomph!" as the Acadia lurched ahead. That's not the sort of performance one expects of a six-speed.

GM said the transmission was tuned for the best possible fuel economy, which is why it hesitates to downshift unless it's really needed. At an estimated 20 mpg in overall city and highway driving with all-wheel-drive, the Acadia's efficiency is admirable, but I think GM engineers may have dialed out a little too much performance.

The Acadia's all-wheel-drive system is fully automatic, but it's not intended for serious off-roading. In ordinary driving, 90 percent of the power goes to the front wheels. If wheels start to slip or slide, up to 40 percent of the power can go to the back wheels.


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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.