Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.

  1. Sorry, Joe. A "premium" mainstream SUV in the Denali trim? OK. A "luxury" SUV. Nope. True "luxury" brands like Lexus, BMW, Acura, and Cadillac are in another category, altogether. Instead, the Denali trim MSRP is competitive with the top trim versions of the Pilot, the Ascent, the Atlas, the CX-9 and most importantly the new KIA Telluride. (Real world pricing may be another matter.) And with addition of a number of options, many of which are offered as standard equipment on its rivals, the Acadia Denali offers a comparable set of bells and whistles and doesn't break the $50K limit. And to its credit it matches most of its rivals with a V6 either as standard or as an optional choice. (Ascent and CX-9 excepted.) At 193.6" long the Acadia is a few inches shorter than its main 3 row rivals ranging from 196.5" to 203". That might actually be an advantage in terms of maneuverability and parking. And if you're trying to fit it into a crowded garage with a bike rack on the back, it might even be a critical issue. But if you're choosing the captain chairs in the second row, it's effectively a 6 passenger vehicle, even when packed to the gills. And if the third row is viewed as an occasional use feature, the 7 passenger Denali with a bench seat in the second row offers no more passenger room than a KIA Sorento that's a more efficiently packaged vehicle at 189" in length. Of course, almost all three row SUV's suffice to haul six or seven passengers on a short trip around town. A much tougher test is whether a vehicle can accommodate more than five passengers AND their gear/luggage on a longer trip. And that's where the Acadia comes up short (literally.) With only 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 3rd row, it exceeds only the KIA Sorento (11 cf). That compares to 23 cf in the near bus length Traverse and 21 cf in the Telluride. No extended trips for extended families in the Acadia. Look to the Traverse or the Enclave if you want to stay with a GM product. Of course, the elephant in the room is the KIA Telluride (and soon its sibling, the Hyundai Palisade.) It's about 3 inches longer than the Acadia but it offers MUCH greater passenger volume and cargo space as well as more upscale materials and fit and finish in the SX trim. The standard 0-60 times are comparable even with the Telluride running the Atkinson cycle ICE that sacrifices some performance for better fuel economy. And the top trim SX Telluride has several bells and whistles that can't be had in the Acadia for any price. But the horsefly in the ointment is that unless you've already ordered a SX Telluride you'll probably pay a hefty "market adjustment" sticker price and/or wait until the next model year. If I were shopping in this category, I'd give the Acadia Denali a look but at best I think it would make it to (maybe) second place.
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