2021 GMC Acadia is a midsize SUV built for families on the go. It offers plenty of room and comfortable seating for everyone and everything. The 2021 GMC Terrain SUV is compact but roomy and comfortable, and well-equipped. Let’s look at both.
Design
The 2021 GMC Acadia made a few changes for this model year. Second-row captain’s chairs are now standard on all but the base SL trim, providing seating for up to six people. Acadia offers comfortable seating in the first two rows, with plenty of head-and legroom for adults. The third row offers a little less space, making it a better option to seat children. Second and third row fold-flat-seating and Smart Slide second row seats provide ease with cargo storage and getting in and out of your SUV. Cloth upholstery is standard and leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel are available. With up to 79 cubic feet of cargo space when both seats are folded down, the Acadia offers a good amount of cargo space for your next adventure, with storage cubbies providing ample space to store your goodies. A hands-free power liftgate is available for your convenience.
The 2021 GMC Terrain is a compact SUV, featuring a spacious cabin with high quality material and two rows of seating for up to five passengers. You won’t feel cramped in this SUV with plenty of head- and legroom, even with two tall adults seated in the rear. The well-cushioned seats with an available leather option, as well as eight-way power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats help keep you comfortable while on the road. A heated steering wheel, heated rear outboard seats, and six-way power-adjustable passenger seat is also available. You’ll be able to enter and exit this SUV easily with Terrain’s wide door openings and put your cargo needs away easily with its available power liftgate. Its cargo offering is 29.6 cubic feet of space behind the last row and 63.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. To give you more room to transport long items, the front passenger seat can be folded down.
Trims and Price
The GMC Acadia is offered in five trim levels – SL, SLE, SLT, AT4, and Denali. The SL and SLE are very similar, except the SL base model has a second-row bench seat and seats seven; and the SLE and above trims have second row captain’s chairs and seat six. The SLE also offers a few more options than the SL trim. The SL comes standard with a 193-horsepower four-cylinder engine and standard safety and tech features. The SLT receives a more powerful engine – a 230-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This midrange trim offers a few more available luxury features including leather upholstery, heated front seats, power-adjustable driver’s seat, and roof rails. The AT4 trim adds a few more features for off-road capability that include a 310-horsepower engine and all-terrain tires. Standard all-wheel drive, hill descent control, and hill hold assist are also extra features. The top-of-the-line Denali, keeps the V6 engine and includes standard features that include power-folding heated mirrors, digital instrument panel, head-up display, ventilated front seats, driver-seat memory functions, and wireless charging pad. Acadia’s starting price ranges from $29,800 to $48,300.
The Terrain gives you the choice of four trim levels: SL, SLE, SLT, and the Denali. Each trim will give you a few more choices. You will be happy with the SL trim with lots of technology and safety features including the ProSafety Plus package. The SL trim comes at a starting price of $25,000. The SLE trim comes with the same standard features, except the Pro Safety package is an available option. The SLE has a starting price of $28,400, with an added cost of $295 for a remote start and an added $1,995 for a rear-seat entertainment system with a DVD player. The SLT trim adds several more options, including larger alloy wheels, plus you can add a sunroof for $1,495. The SLT comes with a starting price of $31,200. The top-of-the-line Denali model adds the Pro Safety Plus suite of driver aids and the larger engine. Its starting price is $38,300.
Power and Fuel
With Acadia’s base engine, it features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 193 horsepower or an optional 3.6-liter V6 that will give you 310 horsepower. A turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 230 horsepower is available on the SLT and Denali trims. A nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive are standard and all-wheel drive is optional. The 2.5-liter delivers a 1000-pound towing capacity and the V6 can tow up to 4000 pounds when properly equipped. The Acadia offers 21/27 mpg in the city and on the highway with its base 2.5-liter engine and 19/27 mpg city/highway with the V6 front-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine with front-wheel drive will give you 22/29 mpg city/highway.
The 2021 Terrain now offers two powertrains – a 1.5-liter inline-four that will give you 170-horsepower and will drive well on city streets. If you’d like a stronger engine, you can opt for a 2.0-liter turbo-four that puts out 252 horsepower. This power is only offered with the top-of-the-line Denali. Both engines come with a nine-speed automatic transmission and handle smoothly over rough pavement and around corners, but the Denali trims will give you a more comfortable, cushioned ride. The Terrain will be able to tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. It comes with front-wheel drive, and available all-wheel drive, and it will give you a decent amount of gas mileage. It estimates 25/30 mpg in the city and on the highway and drops to 28 mpg with all-wheel drive. With the larger engine, the Denali will give you 22/28 mpg city and highway with FWD and 21/26 mpg with AWD
Safety and Technology
The GMC Acadia features modern, onboard technology to keep you connected wherever you go. A standard 8-inch infotainment touchscreen comes with the SL and SLE trim, with five USB ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, along with keyless ignition and entry. The SLT trim adds navigation and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with HD radio. Safety features included are the Onstar connected services, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert. The SLT will also feature forward collision mitigation, lane keeping assist, and automatic high beams. Denali’s upgraded packages will add even more safety and technology features to your driving.
The GMC Terrain’s infotainment system is easy to use with a 7-inch touchscreen and easy to read clear graphics. Standard technology features include Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, four USB ports, a six-speaker stereo and a Wi-Fi hot spot. Available infotainment features in the SLE and above include an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, and satellite radio. The SLT and Denali offer available HD Radio and the Denali offers a seven-speaker Bose stereo and wireless device charging. The Terrain offers a long list of standard safety features, including lane keep assist, lane departure warning, a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, following distance indicator, automatic high-beam headlights, and GM’s Teen Driver that lets you put limits on secondary drivers. There are advanced safety features that are available in the SLE trims and above that include blind spot monitoring, lane change alert, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control.
Overall
The 2021 GMC Acadia and Terrain look a lot alike with very similar features, but the Acadia is midsize and the Terrain is compact. They both offer plenty of passenger and cargo room for their capacity in the first two rows of seating. Acadia’s third row is a bit tight, but offers more cargo room and an AT4 off-road trim at a slightly higher price tag. Overall, the new 2021 GMC Acadia and Terrain will offer you the room you need in their cabins and a long list of features while offering a smooth ride. It’s a choice between passenger and cargo room and price; as well as Acadia’s off-road trim.