Get to Know the GMC SUV Lineup: Comparing the Acadia vs Terrain

As much as we love the auto industry here at Crossroads Chevrolet GMC, car companies don’t always do the best job explaining the differences between their models, and the names they choose don’t usually help. While the GMC lineup has some of the finest trucks and SUVs on the market, offering something to meet the needs of a wide range of drivers, looking at the model names doesn’t necessarily tell you which is right for you. Both the GMC Acadia and the GMC Terrain are fantastic SUVs with a lot to offer, but checking out a picture of each of them or seeing their names doesn’t give you much to go on when trying to figure out what they have to offer.

Whenever you’re looking at new and used GMC SUVs for sale, it helps to have a game plan and know which model or models will work best for you. That’s why we’re here to make your shopping trip easier and provide unbeatable customer service that’s always focused on your needs. Of course, you don’t need to visit us just to find out the details of different GMC vehicles because we’re always happy to help you with everything you’re looking for online or over the phone. Let’s take a look at two of GMC’s most popular models, the Acadia and Terrain, to see how they compare and what makes them a great fit for different drivers.

The Basics: Midsize vs Compact

When we start to take a look at these two vehicles, there are some massive differences between them right off the bat that makes it very easy to distinguish them from each other. The GMC Acadia is a midsize SUV that has seating inside for up to seven passengers across its three rows. By comparison, the Terrain is a compact crossover SUV that’s significantly smaller in overall size and only has two rows of seating for up to five passengers. This is one of the biggest differences between them, and it helps most of our customers decide on one over the other simply based on how much passenger seating they need.

As you would expect, this difference in design means there are significant differences in size between them. The compact GMC Terrain measures 182.3 inches in total length, 72.4 inches in width, and stands 65.4 inches high. By comparison, the larger GMC Acadia is 193.4 inches long––a difference of nearly a full foot––and stands 66.7 inches tall. The difference in height between these two models is pretty minimal, but the Acadia is significantly longer than the Terrain, which is important to consider if you have a garage for your vehicle or other concerns about fitting it into your life.

Looking inside these two SUVs, not only do you find an extra row of seating inside the Acadia, which gives you more space for passengers, but it’s also roomier and provides you with greater cargo capacity. The GMC Terrain has 29.6 cu.ft. of rear cargo space behind the back seats and 63.3 cu.ft. of total cargo volume available with the rear seats folded down. With the Acadia, you get just 12.8 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the third row but will have 41.7 cu.ft. of cargo volume available behind the second row of seats and a total of 79 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the front row. You get more total space inside the Acadia due to its larger size but less room in the back since it has an extra row of seats.

Similar Trim Levels

This tremendous difference aside, there are some important ways that the GMC Acadia and Terrain are actually pretty similar. Perhaps most importantly, beyond the fact that they’re both GMC SUVs, is that they both have the same four trim levels available. The Terrain and Acadia start with the SLE trim, followed by the upscale SLT, the off-road-ready AT4, and finally, the high-end Denali. This is in keeping with GMC’s overall approach to its lineup and makes it easier to compare these two models and see what they have to offer.

In both vehicles, the SLE trim has all the standard features you could want, such as the GMC Pro Safety suite of advanced driver assistance technology that includes Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, and more. Similarly, they both start with a six-speaker sound system and comfortable seating, with more options for added features. The SLT trims add upgrades like heated and power-adjustable front seats to the starting features.

With both SUVs, the AT4 trim is the way to go if you’re looking for something perfect for getting to remote campsites or if you tend to deal with a lot of dirt and gravel roads. This isn’t a hardcore off-road model like the Canyon AT4X, but it’s a great option for rugged driving thanks to standard all-wheel drive, active torque control, and more. Finally, the Denali trims represent the pinnacle of what these SUVs have to offer, with the most luxurious features available. Both Denali trims have Bose Premium sound systems, perforated leather-appointed seating, eight-inch reconfigurable driver information screens, and much more.

Differences Within Similarities

Even with the similarities between these models that mark them as siblings within the larger GMC lineup, there are some notable differences beyond their size. As we said, both of these models start with the SLE trim, but the two versions are not identical. For instance, the Acadia SLE comes with an eight-inch GMC infotainment display and Tri-Zone automatic climate control, while the Terrain SLE has a seven-inch GMC infotainment screen and single-zone automatic climate control. Since the Acadia is much larger inside, it makes sense that it features a more elaborate standard climate control system to keep all of your passengers comfortable, but it’s still worth pointing out.

Similarly, since these are such differently-sized vehicles, you’ll find completely different powertrains within them. Every 2023 GMC Terrain comes with a 1.5L Turbo four-cylinder engine that delivers 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission. The 2023 Acadia, on the other hand, features a standard 2.0L Turbo four-cylinder engine with 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It also has an available 3.6L V6 engine that delivers 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Again, the larger size of the Acadia means it needs more power for excellent overall performance, but it’s still a notable difference.

How to Choose the Right GMC SUV

You can see that the differences between these two SUVs generally come down to the fact that one of them is a three-row midsize model, and the other is a two-row compact crossover. This fundamental distinction in design means they have very different requirements for the kind of power they each need and offer different amounts of space for passengers and cargo. You can’t go wrong with either of these SUVs; it simply comes down to which one better meets your needs and fits into your lifestyle. If you want something smaller, then the Terrain is a great choice, but if you need to have six people with you, you’ll want to go with the Acadia. Once you know which one will work for you, we’ll be happy to show you everything it has to offer.

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