2010 GMC Acadia

Now in its third model year, the 2010 GMC Acadia shares most of its parts with corporate siblings Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave, along with the late lamented Saturn Outlook. The Acadia is the snazziest of the bunch, with a slightly more masculine exterior and some tarted up interior flairs. In a crossover field that includes the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Ford Flex, Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai Veracruz, Acadia stands out for third row comfort and overall cargo capacity. It's tough to make a case for Acadia over the slightly less expensive Traverse, given their identical mechanicals and overall very close similarity.

GM is down to just four brands now -- GMC, Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac -- and GMC is the toughest one for me to define. I used to think of it as the truck brand, as the contractor's vehicle, as the work truck. But the Acadia, and the recently introduced GMC Terrain challenge that identity. Luckily, the Acadia doesn't do any harm to GM's reputation. In fact, it may enhance it a bit. The large crossover platform is very intelligently designed, especially from the perspective of the second and third rows. Access is easy, and seating is comfortable. Acadia is one of the few SUVs that actually rivals a minivan in terms of passenger friendliness.

I wish Acadia was a bit more driver-friendly. I was never able to find a driving position that didn't feel like I was driving a school bus, despite a myriad of adjustments available. Under way, Acadia always feels big and wide, but without the command seating position of a Yukon. On long highway trips, this is not a big problem, but maneuvering around town and while parking, Acadia's bulk was troubling.

If I were in the market for a seven-passenger crossover, I'd definitely consider the Acadia -- before flipping over to the Chevy dealer and looking at the Traverse. If the styling of the Acadia didn't sing out to me, I'd snag the marginally-cheaper Traverse, and buy myself something pretty with the difference. I'd also consider the Ford Flex and Mazda CX-9 pretty seriously, mostly because they're more fun to drive than the GM crossovers.

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