2014 GMC Acadia Denali Review

For When a Minivan Won’t Do 

The GMC Acadia Denali is top of the heap in the Acadia line-up, which shares its basic chassis with the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave. It is by far the most rugged-looking of the trio. The platform itself is about ten tears old, but has been updated consistently along the way. Power comes from a six-cylinder engine, producing around 270 lb/ft of torque. However, this is no lightweight vehicle, tipping the scales at over 2000 kilos, or close to 5000 pounds.

 

Inside, the Denali is a mix of luxury and plastic. Biggest gripe is the row of similar buttons, set low, to operate secondary controls. Designers, please note. Humans work well with tactile stuff, switches, knobs, and levers. If you must use buttons, can’t you give each one a distinct feel? Drivers should never need to look down to find a control.

 

The common line on the Denali, and other biggish crossovers, is that they are for people who need a minivan but don’t want one. Goofy, because a good minivan is a fine thing. There had to be more to the story, and I found it in my traditional road testing territory, the winding Duffey Lake Road across the Coast Mountains, and then onto the rugged Chilcotin Plateau.

 

Performance and handling were adequate if not inspired, but that’s not the point. Unlike most of my journalist colleagues, I spend at least half my life beyond range of cellular phones or internet. Getting stuck becomes a Bad Thing, because help is not a phone call away. On some of my roads, you could wait a day or two for another vehicle to come by. We always carry self-rescue equipment and emergency supplies.

 

On a late winter afternoon, I cranked the Denali down a snowy track between some trees, then further along the Duffey. The only reason it came close to getting stuck was the 20-inch wheels and tires, a disadvantage in almost every circumstance except a golf club parking lot. On skinnier 17-inch tires, the Denali would have done even better. It is by no means a hard-core off roader, but handles snow and gravel very well.

 

Well, that’s the vehicle’s mission. Seven or eight seats, rugged appearance, and reasonable multi-surface capability. For the family that likes to go skiing, camping, etc, and likes that certain old GMC feel, it is a reasonable choice.

 

I have a hard time with the $60, 000 price tag, but there are many buyers who value luxury and toys much more than I do. For that money you could find quite a few interesting SUVs. The good news is that the base AWD Acadia can be had for a little over $40,000, and it is well-equipped. It even has the skinnier tires, so will keep going where the fancy version could be stylish but stuck.