2007 GMC Acadia Safety Review [ 2008 ]
GMC Acadia Safety Review
Safety - 9.3 (Excellent)
The 2007 GMC Acadia earned excellent ratings in government crash tests, and comes with a comprehensive set of six standard air bags. It also features standard electronic stability control and alluring safety options such as a heads-up display and a backup camera.
Accident Avoidance
One of the Acadia's most important standard accident avoidance systems is GM's StabiliTrak system. New Car Test Drive explains: "The best safety feature is the ability to avoid accidents, which in the Acadia's case is helped by StabiliTrak, GM's brand name for electronic stability control. The system uses sensors to tell if the front or rear of the vehicle is sliding in a direction that is at odds with what the driver is doing with the steering wheel. Then, it tries to correct for the skid." Also standard are four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, daytime running lamps, a tire pressure monitoring system, and GM's OnStar communications system. Of course, all-wheel drive is available on any model.
A unique accident avoidance option is a heads-up display, or HUD (available on the SLT1 and SLT2), which projects information such as speed, tachometer, turn signals and radio station onto the windshield so drivers can keep their eyes on the road ahead. AutoWeek notes, "I happen to like HUDs, and this one was a bit unique. You don't really need to pay attention to the tach, like you would in say a Vette, so the speedo number is dominant in the display. And when you have XM tuned in, the song name is flashed across the screen. Again, not something that's really necessary, and it's probably another unneeded distraction, but at least you don't have to take your eyes off the road."
Despite all the safety assists, some reviewers note that visibility isn't ideal. Motor Trend advises buyers to be careful: "Between the high beltline, small side mirrors, and sizeable C-pillars, visibility is slightly compromised. Ultrasonic parking assist is standard and comes in handy." The Ultrasonic rear parking assist is standard only on the SLT2 model but is available as an option on the other models.
Crash Protection
To protect occupants in an accident, the Acadia features a whopping six air bags--two dual-stage in front, two side-impact air bags mounted in the first-row seats, and two head curtain side-impact air bags that protect all three rows.
The Acadia's scores in crash tests prove that its comprehensive approach to safety is a good one. The government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2007 model perfect five-star safety ratings in every crash test category--including both driver and passenger positions in frontal crashes, and the front seat and rear seat in side crashes. Both the FWD and AWD models get four out of five stars for rollover ratings.
