2025 GMC Acadia Denali 3-Row SUV Review

This week I’ve been reviewing one of my all-time favorite 3-row SUVs, the 2025 GMC Acadia, the sister vehicle to the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave.  All the GM midsized 3-rows had a huge transformation last year.  They were redesigned and reengineered, and they all got super-sized.  This Acadia got lengthened by 10.6-inches, and it is 3.2-inches taller.  Most significant for most buyers was an 80% increase in cargo area, and 36% more room for the 2^nd row passengers.

My review Jimmy is the top-of-the-line Denali model, which is the luxury version of the three trim levels.  In the middle is the AT4, which is sportier with bigger off-road tires and built more for leaving the pavement.  Then there is the entry-level, the Elevation, but make no mistake, it is still a very nice 3-row SUV.

Exterior 

The exterior changes to the Acadia last year look great in my opinion, much more modern.  It features a sleek, new front fascia, distinctive lines down the sides, a built-in spoiler and dual quad exhaust. 

LED lights are featured in the front and rear, and chrome is a nice touch surrounding all the side glass.  GM added side rear windows to give 3^rd row passengers a way to see out.  The 22” aluminum wheels look terrific on the Downpour Metallic Blue paint color. 

You get the GMC Professional Grade grill that is unique to the Denali, and it is very attractive.

Powertrain  

The only choice under the hood is a 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder that is turbocharged. It has 328-horses, 326 pound-feet of torque, and it’ll tow 5,000 pounds.  It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles, and all Denali’s come with all-wheel drive.  You have to drop down to the Elevation to get a two-wheel drive version.

Interior 

You can tell as soon as you enter the cabin that the Denali is the luxury upscale version of the Acadia, and first glance is impressive.  Stitching is everywhere and there are all soft touch materials.  The top portion of the seats are quilted.  Plus, I love the light-colored seats with brown accents.  The seats might be hard to keep clean if you have little munchkins, but it would certainly be cool in the hot summers. The interior is not only super nice but is also quite functional.

The 11” gauge cluster is bright, colorful, and highly configurable.  You can go with a really clean look of just a digital speedometer, or you can get a screen that shows a tachometer, digital speedometer, trip information, and on the right, your audio choices.  You can also turn it into a full map, so you don’t have to look over to your right.  The controls to change the gauges are on the heated, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel.

Command central is a massive 15” touchscreen that looks fantastic and is lightning-fast to operate and unlike many others, is super-intuitive.  It operates the Bose 16-speaker sound system, Google navigation maps, the Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, AM & FM radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.  This screen also has apps for Google Assistant, Alexa, a trailering page, ambient lighting, and much more with a simple swipe.  I also love that across the top there are shortcuts for the most-used items on the screen, and I was super-impressed with the rearview camera.  There is even a trailer hitch hookup view.

The power heated and air-conditioned front seats with lumbar support are extremely comfortable, and the Acadia has a ton of headroom, even with a panoramic moon roof. The gear shifter is on a stalk on the steering column which I love, and there are knobs and switches for the radio and air conditioning, and buttons to the left of the steering wheel for the drive modes, all-wheel drive, and to disable the start/stop system.  There is a camera mirror for a better view behind you if there are people in the 3^rd row.  Drive modes include Normal, Sport, Snow/Ice, Off-Road, and Tow/Haul.

The center console is pass-through with storage underneath.  Above is a wireless phone charger, a compartment behind a door for whatever you wish to store, and a large center console that serves as a soft armrest that will hold a lot of stuff.

Moving to the second row, my review vehicle has heated-but not cooled-captain chairs making this a 7-passenger, but you can get a bench seat in the Elevation trim, giving it seating for 8.  2^nd-row occupants can set their own temperature, have 2 USB-C ports, a 110-V power outlet, and both seats slide and recline.  I love that the air conditioning vents for the 2^nd and 3^rd row occupants are in the ceiling for better cooling.

To get to the third row seat, the second row seats tilt and slide forward allowing easy access, and it is simple to operate with the push of a button.  It would even work great with a child seat strapped in, without the child in it of course.

3^rd row legroom would accommodate two not-overly large adults, or three kids would be just fine.  There are a pair of USB-C ports back there (total of six throughout).  Again, headroom is not an issue in the least.

Utility

When you go around to the tailgate, it is power and works hands-free.  There is actually very good cargo area behind the third row seat.  In fact, there is 58-cubic feet behind the 3^rd row, and if you fold the 2^nd row down, you get a whopping 98-cubic feet of storage.  Under the rear area is a large storage area for whatever you need, and under that is a spare tire, albeit smaller than what is on the ground, but at least it has one.

A word about the AutoSense tailgate.  If the key is on you, and you walk up to within 3-feet of the rear of the vehicle, the tailgate will open itself.  Very nice if your hands are full.  However, don’t forget to go into the settings on the infotainment system to disable this feature for everyday use.  This entire week, every single time I walked around the Acadia to get to the driver’s side, it opened itself.  My advice is to leave it off unless you know you could be loading something in the cargo area.

In a feature not every midsized SUV has, there are switches in rear to power-fold the 3^rd row seat down and bring it back up, with the push of two buttons.  You can also drop the 2^nd row captain chairs from back there, but they have to be raised manually.  It is a nice and very convenient setup for when cargo area is needed.

Standard Features and Options

The Denali comes extremely well-equipped with notable features like; a head-up display, keyless entry and remote start, power liftgate, memory seats in front, tri-zone climate control, trailer towing package, heated 2^nd-row seats, and universal remote.

One option is the $3,490 Super Cruise system, GMs fantastic semi-self-driving system, but it comes with a free 3-year subscription. I still think it is the best system out there so far.  GM has driven and mapped out almost 750,000 miles of divided highways across America.  On an approved road, you’ll get a green light on the dash.  Set the cruise control, hit the Super Cruise, and the vehicle literally drives itself. If you want to change lanes, turn on your blinker and it will make sure there is enough room and will change lanes for you. 

A small camera on the steering wheel monitors your eyes to make sure you are engaged, and if not, you get a verbal warning.  After that, the car will start to slow down, the flashers come on, and it will safely get you off the road and OnStar will call for help.  This is in case the driver is incapacitated. I’ve tested many of these systems, and still this one performs best in my opinion.

Other options include the Denali Reserve Package for $3,130 and includes Performance Suspension, the upgraded Bose system, 22” aluminum wheels, and the panoramic moon roof with a power sliding color.  The paint will run you an extra $495.

Safety

On the safety front, Acadia has it all.  You get automatic parking assist, rear park assist, lane change alert, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights, and forward collision alert with automatic braking.

Some features I really like include Teen Driver, so you can monitor and control your kids or a valet parker.  It also has the rear seat reminder.  If you open either of the back doors, when you get where you are going, it will remind you there may be something in the back seat, like a kid or a pet. It also has the safety alert seat that vibrates if the vehicle senses any kind of obstacles.

Ride and Drive

The Acadia Denali rides and handles really well for its size, is very quiet inside due to active noise canceling technology, steering is easy, but with good feedback, and you do not get a lot of lean going into curves.  Driving is a very enjoyable experience overall. Road noise is not detectable, but there is some engine noise when you really get on it coming from the 4-banger.

Fuel economy is good for a large SUV.  It is rated at 19 in town, 24 on the highway, and 21 overall.  It is rated to tow 5,000 pounds.

Verdict 

Price-wise, this ultra-loaded Denali comes in with a sticker price of $64,410, which I consider to be a great buy based on the terrific interior, vast amount of room, and high level of standard equipment, not to mention the prices of other 3-row SUVs available that are not as nice or luxurious.