| RUFIO |
My Honda Pilot has a new playmate... a brand new GMC 2007 Acadia.
more pictures here
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/...adia/?start=all
Quick thoughts...
The Pilot is a much easier vehicle to drive. The Acadia is big for a midsize. Both have very car like driving dynamics. Though the Acaida brakes are really good in comparison.
I bought both cars when they first came out, in their first year of production. I'm proud to say I've had no problems with my Pilot. Honda makes em rock solid. Cross my fingers that I get the same from my GMC Acadia.
-- Paul |
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| enzie54 |
| Wow, that's a nice ride. Looks much sportier than the pilot, IMO. Nice buy and hope it works out for you. |
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| jdeanski |
| I'd consider an Arcadia for a replacement for my Pilot is a year or so. It sure is better looking. Keep us up to date with your impressions of it compared to the Pilot such as fuel mileage, maintenance, etc. |
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| ED27 |
| I checked out the Acadia at the local autoshow back in Jan....very nice vehicle! I was impressed with the fit and finish and the materials used. I think GM has stepped up their game with this platform so it should prove to be successful. |
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| RUFIO |
We needed a 2nd family hauling vehicle. Especially since my wife is epxecting our third child. She wanted to go the mini-vant route. I fought tooth & nail and convinced her to get the Acadia. When optioned with the 2nd row captains chairs, it's basically a mini van. Full size adults can get in and fit easily in the 3rd row. Even with the 3rd row up, there's still 20 cubic feet of storage behind.
It's my first GM purchase. Sure hope it lives up to my Honda expectations. Our Pilot has been rock solid, no problems. The Pilot will be our main family hauler and will get the daily dirty work while the Acadia will be more of our posh ride.
I was actually hoping on waiting on buying another car because I'm sure Honda has something up their sleeves with the next generation Pilots as a response to the changing CUV's out there.
Looks like the Toyota Highlander is catching on by offering that fold down middle isle seat in the 2nd row. But it's still a tad too small (3rd row and storage) to serve as a mini-van replacement. |
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| tfrain |
Man that looks nice. If it had a Honda or Toyota badge on it I would have buyer's remorse...... Maybe if the quality is pretty good I'll get one in a few years - especially if they have a diesel!
Can you post some interior pics comparing the seating space and everything - wait nevermind, maybe it is on the link you posted.
Also, what did you pay for it and how does it compare to the Pilot (current prices)
NICE RIDE! |
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| NSXBill |
I looked at Acadia before leasing 07 Pilot:
Acadia was nice, but they were not budging on price back in Feb. Would have been $2000+ more than my EX-L 4WD for Acadia w/ Leather and 4WD.
Pros: It is nice looking, and fresh compared to long-in-tooth Pilot. Would have been nice to be the first-on-the-block. Also looks like Pilot was benchmark for layout (flat fold 3-row seats in car-based platform). The version I was looking at CAME with a nice Class III hitch and wiring rated at 4500 lbs (boat or no-boat).
Cons: First year GM. Current price. |
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| mkaresh |
You'll find an excellent new forum for the Acadia here:
GMC Acadia forum
The owner/admin is doing a great job, and as a result the forum is growing very quickly.
He's also been lending a hand with my reliability research, and as a result I already have three dozen Acadias signed up. I expect to have initial results in mid-August.
Getting back to the OP, how is the Pilot much easier to drive? I remember it having soggier suspension tuning than the Acadia. Though it is certainly a more compact package. |
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| MrBiz |
Last year I wanted to buy a Pilot. The only reason I did not was because it did not have bluetooth, and I really wanted a hands free phone. I came close to buying an MDX just for that reason, but there was just something that stopped me from pulling the trigger every time. I test drove the BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus and was not 100% pleased with any of them, I guess you can tell by now that I'm a pretty picky person.
Then, the Saturn Outlook was released, Yeah, a Saturn. I did every bit of research I could find on this car. I waited impatiently for any Saturn dealer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to get one. The day they did I test drove an Outlook and fell in love. The one I drove was a base model XE. I wanted an XR with AWD. I was not able to find what I wanted so on Dec. 12 I ordered a XR with AWD. I picked it up on March 6, 2007. What an awesome car!
I drove it from Dallas, TX to Duluth, MN a while back (through snow and ice) and it handled tremendously well. On the way home I got 23MPG.
I still respect Honda vehicles and can only hope that the Saturn Outlook will have anywhere as good of a resale value as the Pilot.
Anyone looking for a new vehicle owes it to themselves to check out the Saturn Outlook.
By the way, a new message board was just recently started for the Outlooks. It is located at;
http://www.saturnoutlookforum.net
Please stop by and share your thoughts and questions with us.
Biz |
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| mkaresh |
| If memory serves, Bluetooth isn't available in the GM vehicles, either. So I'm a bit confused. |
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| GreenMachine |
quote:
Originally posted by mkaresh
If memory serves, Bluetooth isn't available in the GM vehicles, either. So I'm a bit confused.
They want you to use ONstar hands free. |
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| jdeanski |
| MrBiz= troll ?????? |
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| mkaresh |
| Well, technically trolls post to stir up trouble. I don't think that's his intent. |
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| tfrain |
I looked on ebay yesterday for some interior photos of the Acadia. I was surprised to find that neither the 2nd or 3rd row had a headrest for the center seats. What is wrong with GM? Don't they know that many customers care about safety when purchasing a vehicle like that? Anyone in the middle seats are going to get a nasty case of whiplash if hit in the rear.
In addition, the interior still looks like GM. I don't like the plastics, I don't like the stitching on the armrest, I just don't like GM interiors. |
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| BCinTX |
| Don Willems, here is your thread to talk about the Acadia. How about actually comparing the pros and cons as you see them against the Pilot? Please don't hijack every other thread where someone has a minor complaint against the Pilot to spout your marketing spiel. Say something original. Just because you claim 25% of your sales go to previously foreign car owners doesn't tell me why I'd want to consider it. We're not lemmings willing to blindly follow a few others. |
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| tfrain |
You know, I don't think my wife would like the Acadia. It is too big on the outside. She felt nervous driving our neighbor's Sequoia because of it's size, so I'm guessing it would be the same with this.
And I would hate driving it because GM's interiors suck big time. MMMMmmm plastic chrome....sooooo nice...... |
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| 787_Pilot |
Had the opportunity to rent a brand spankin' new (only 20 miles on it) Acadia AWD on a business trip this week and here are my initial driving impressions:
VERY nice looking vehicle inside and out but way too big for my taste. The Acadia is a bit taller and much longer and wider than the Pilot. You will definitely notice the size difference when parallel parking or taking a hard turn on a freeway on/off ramp. In short, I didn't feel as comfortable driving the Acadia around town the way I drive my Pilot. I don't know if it was the suspension, the engine, or the larger size & weight, but the Acadia just felt 'clumsier' and not as nimble as the Pilot for whatever reason.
Rear visibility was not that great due to the short rear window design. However, the audible rear 'proximity sensor' warning lights that are visible in the mirror worked well when backing up and is a good alternative to the Pilot's rear view camera.
The Acadia leather seats are much nicer than the leather seats in the Pilot. In fact, almost as soft and comfortable as the leather seats in my wife's Lexus ES330. Nice balance of chrome, black and titanium colored surfaces on the dash and door trim made for a pretty swank interior IMO.
The remote control rear hatch is a convenient and cool feature on the Acadia that the Pilot lacks. Once you use it you'll never want to go back to 'manually' opening the hatch with your hands again.
I didn't like the clumsy radio UI especially the XM Radio integration. Not very intuitive.
Finally, the V6 VTEC engine in the Pilot feels like it has a bit more 'oomph' than the Acadia when stomping on the accelerator pedal.
787_Pilot |
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| mkaresh |
Thanks for the detailed impressions. What color was the interior? I ask because, for me, color has a big impact on my perception of interior quality.
I can think of two reasons the Acadia doesn't feel as agile around town:
1. You're much more familiar with the Pilot
2. It's much larger than the Pilot, especially in length and wheelbase
When I've driven the Acadia and its sibs I most notice the relative clumsiness in tight turns.
In response to an earlier post: the Acadia is still much more nimble than a Sequoia or any other large conventional SUV. |
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| 787_Pilot |
quote:
Originally posted by mkaresh
What color was the interior? I ask because, for me, color has a big impact on my perception of interior quality.
According to GMC's Acadia website, I believe the exterior color was Deep Blue Metallic and the interior color was 'Light Titanium Leather'. |
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| mkaresh |
quote:
Originally posted by 787_Pilot
According to GMC's Acadia website, I believe the exterior color was Deep Blue Metallic and the interior color was 'Light Titanium Leather'.
Thanks. I actually think just about any interior looks least impressive in light gray, so if you liked it in light gray... |
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| BCinTX |
I browsed the Acadia forum a few weeks ago and saw comments about how dull the Pilot styling was, and how great the Acadia looks. I looked at the Acadia pictures, and was just reminded of this by the one just posted, and it looks to me that they aren't all that dramatically different. Maybe I need to see one in person to judge better. I like both. I just find it funny that Acadia people think theirs is soooo much better.
I just scrolled to the top and see the two side-by-side. Obviously there are differences, but is it really that much?
I'm talking exterior only. I haven't really looked at interior pictures. I'll be surprised if that wins me over though. One thing that really hooked me on the pilot is how much I liked the whole center console, especially coming from a 97 CRV with just that little folding thing between the seats, and a flat floor where things could slide to the driver's foot area. |
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| jdeanski |
quote:
Originally posted by BCinTX
I browsed the Acadia forum a few weeks ago and saw comments about how dull the Pilot styling was, and how great the Acadia looks.
Don't get me wrong as I love my Pilot but next to the Arcadia it really looks really bland and dated. |
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| mkaresh |
quote:
Originally posted by BCinTX
I browsed the Acadia forum a few weeks ago and saw comments about how dull the Pilot styling was, and how great the Acadia looks. I looked at the Acadia pictures, and was just reminded of this by the one just posted, and it looks to me that they aren't all that dramatically different. Maybe I need to see one in person to judge better. I like both. I just find it funny that Acadia people think theirs is soooo much better.
To my eye, the proportions of the Acadia are much better. But in my experience not many people notice such things. And if you don't notice the difference, then there might as well not be one.
It certainly doesn't make sense to give any wine to me that costs more than $5 a bottle. |
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| sjlee |
quote:
Originally posted by jdeanski
Don't get me wrong as I love my Pilot but next to the Arcadia it really looks really bland and dated.
It should... the Pilot is a 4-5 year old design while the Arcadia is new... plus it is a Honda. |
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| sjlee |
| Comparably equipped, isn't the Acadia more expensive than the Pilot? |
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| rockman19762001 |
| Comparing the two side by side in your picture, I do not really see that big a difference in the overall appearance. The Acadia looks to be a little bit taller, wider but I would have to have the design measurements to make sure. But, than the last GM product I owned broke me of that habit for a long time. Now, the interiors might be very different, but you had no pictures of that. I hope your Acadia is trouble free and a pleasure to drive. |
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| mkaresh |
quote:
Originally posted by sjlee
Comparably equipped, isn't the Acadia more expensive than the Pilot?
Not by much, at least not before dealer discounts enter the picture. (Do Honda dealers get bonus cash that lets them deeply discount the Pilot?)
The Acadia SLE is equipped at about the same level as the Pilot EX based on my site's price comparison program. After a $500 rebate on the GMC, the Pilot EX is $50 less at MSRP (very likely not a coincidence) and about $1,000 less at invoice (Honda dealers enjoy larger margins).
Of course, if the Pilot LX suits you fine then the Acadia will require more out of pocket. That's where the Saturn with less standard equipment than the GMC enters the picture.
To perform your own price comparisons:
Vehicle price comparisons |
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| larryziegler |
quote:
Originally posted by mkaresh
Not by much, at least not before dealer discounts enter the picture. (Do Honda dealers get bonus cash that lets them deeply discount the Pilot?)
The Acadia SLE is equipped at about the same level as the Pilot EX based on my site's price comparison program. After a $500 rebate on the GMC, the Pilot EX is $50 less at MSRP (very likely not a coincidence) and about $1,000 less at invoice (Honda dealers enjoy larger margins).
Of course, if the Pilot LX suits you fine then the Acadia will require more out of pocket. That's where the Saturn with less standard equipment than the GMC enters the picture.
To perform your own price comparisons:
Vehicle price comparisons
I found some minor errors in the comparison I did, but to be fair, I went to carsdirect.com and compared no frills base model AWD models (LX vs XE Saturn) Zip code 93309 was used (Bakersfield, Ca)
Base price of the Pilot LX was $28,990
Carsdirect price is $24,345
Base price of the Outlook XE was $29,990
Target price is $29,473
GMC Acadia is a couple thou more.
Even without Honda's current incentives, the base Pilot is the more economical buy. However, wait until resale. Honda has a huge advantage with resale values.
Just my 2 cents! :D |
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| mkaresh |
quote:
Originally posted by larryziegler
I found some minor errors in the comparison I did, but to be fair, I went to carsdirect.com and compared no frills base model AWD models (LX vs XE Saturn) Zip code 93309 was used (Bakersfield, Ca)
Base price of the Pilot LX was $28,990
Carsdirect price is $24,345
Base price of the Outlook XE was $29,990
Target price is $29,473
GMC Acadia is a couple thou more.
Even without Honda's current incentives, the base Pilot is the more economical buy. However, wait until resale. Honda has a huge advantage with resale values.
Just my 2 cents! :D
Sounds like there are large factory-to-dealer incentives on the Pilot, for the price to be that low.
Could you PM or email me with any errors you found? I'd like to correct them. |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by mkaresh
Sounds like there are large factory-to-dealer incentives on the Pilot, for the price to be that low.
$2K incentive till 7/2/2007. |
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| donx |
Just had chance to get a rental Acadia, it's an insurance company paid rental to replace my Pilot when it is being fixed (side swiped by a left lane driver who did not check blank spot when changing lane).
It is black color base model 2008 Acadia with only 1000 miles on it, even the base model is nicely equipped and looks great with lots of chromes.:D I really like the front and rear look of it.
The third row has better leg room, because the the floor is lower in front of it. The trunk space is better even behind the 3rd row.
It feels much stronger than Pilot, when you try to shake the car sitting inside, it is barely moving. Maybe weight has something to do with it.
What I am impressed most is that even it is much heavier than Pilot, the posted fuel economy is the same or better than Pilot!
It drives fast, if not faster than Pilot, and I do feel lots of power. It is not as nimble as Pilot, but I still enjoy driving it.
What I don't like:
Steering wheel is too soft, reminded me of my previous 04 Sienna.
Rear view is not as good as Pilot, the second row car seat blocked half of the rear window view.
If it bares Honda badge, I would buy it with no hesitation. But since it is a rental, I don't care about reliability issue (if it ever has any), and it is such a pleasure driving it.
Even it looks sharp, my Pilot is still not bad, with all the chrome bling bling I added to my Pilot, I think my Pilot looks as good as the new Acadia!
:2: |
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