Highlander vs. Acadia?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone weigh in on these two SUVs? I currently have a 4Runner, and have loved Toyota...but for some reason am just kind of turned off by the Highlander. That being said, I'm a little worried about the longevity of GMC vs. Toyota. We have 2 kids, a big dog, and the potential for one more kid. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Got my Acadia in July so I can't comment on longevity, but the warranty is very good and I have had 0 problems so far. LOVE it!

[Anonymous]

I'd never get a GMC/Chevy again. It was so plasticky and everything started shaking. I couldn't figure out what was making the noise, and it drove me crazy. The battery kept losing its charge every few months. The dealer couldn't figure it out until the car was out of warranty. Don't even get me started on the transmission.
I'd go with the Toyota.

[Anonymous]

Love my highlander. Would get another in a second. Would never buy gmc.

[Anonymous]

Since you obviously, know nothing about cars... Just get the one in the color you like and make sure you get your stick people stickers of your special snowflakes on the back.

[Anonymous]

The highlander is less car for more money. I don't know how much GM's quality has improved, but toyota took a major hit with their massive recalls and problems over the last few years. The GMC is quite a bit larger, whether that is good or bad is personal preference, but the third row seat can actually hold people in the GMC. Highlander, not so much.

[Anonymous]

My sister's Acadia was in the shop frequently by the time it was 4 years old, so she traded it in.

Consumer Reports always has good auto reliability information, OP.

[Anonymous]

My brother's Acadia is a piece of shit (it really is). It's 4 yrs. old and literally falling apart - and they bought it new and take care of their vehicles. Go with a Honda, Toyota or Subaru.

[Anonymous]

We bought an Acadia last October and checked out the Highlander too. We have 1 toddler (not planning for more but we are planning for playdate transportation) and no animals.

A few things about the Acadia:
(1) It's a beast. I mean it's huge and when you park you can hardly open the door if there is another car next to you. If you live in outer suburbia, then that's probably fine. It's a really tight squeeze in my parking garage so I opt to drive the old car instead. Plus the gas mileage isn't that great, but that is probably the case for most large SUVs anyway. I also find that when you break it takes a while to slow down (but we researched this and found that it's b/c the Acadia weighs a lot more than other SUVs so basic physics causes this).

(2) That said, b/c it's a beast (like PP mentioned) the 3rd row REALLY does work. They are real seats and also 3 adults is a tight squeeze, 2 is totally fine and comfortable (I've sat back there before myself). Cargo space is awesome esp when 3rd row is down. We also opted for the 2 captain's chairs in the middle row so that we could more easily access the 3rd row (a pal who didn't get that option regrets it now -- but that could be for a variety of cars).

(3) It's quite comfortable to drive and to be a passenger. I enjoy driving it for sure -- whether short or long distance. It's just tough to park. DH doesn't have as big of a problem with this but he's a better driver than me for sure.

(4) Random stuff: The navigation system sucks. It's a rather annoying display that doesn't make sense. The backup camera is susceptible to rain and drops will obscure your view (didn't happen on the previous car but that was a sedan). HOWEVER the auto trunk open/close feature is awesome. The remote start feature is awesome. I think the dash area and the middle console b/t the 2 front seats is pretty well designed too.

Would I buy this car again? Perhaps. DH is probably more on the fence than me but we traded in his sporty sedan so he's a little cranky about that anyway. We were required to buy American but checked out the Highlander just b/c. And the Explorer. I liked a lot about the Highlander but did think the 3rd row wasn't sufficient and overall I was concerned that it wasn't going to be comfortable for long haul drives (which is why were getting a bigger car). It wasn't as big as the Acadia so parking is probably easier. But I agree with PP that it was a little pricey for what it was.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since you obviously, know nothing about cars... Just get the one in the color you like and make sure you get your stick people stickers of your special snowflakes on the back.

I am not the OP, but how does this apply?

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all who replied. To 22:44, I am intrigued (what can I say, bitchiness turns me on)...can you elaborate why you think I know nothing about cars? If you have ideas, let's hear them. Is there an amazing car/SUV out there that I'm missing? I'd love to hear about it if so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We bought an Acadia last October and checked out the Highlander too. We have 1 toddler (not planning for more but we are planning for playdate transportation) and no animals.

A few things about the Acadia:
(1) It's a beast. I mean it's huge and when you park you can hardly open the door if there is another car next to you. If you live in outer suburbia, then that's probably fine. It's a really tight squeeze in my parking garage so I opt to drive the old car instead. Plus the gas mileage isn't that great, but that is probably the case for most large SUVs anyway. I also find that when you break it takes a while to slow down (but we researched this and found that it's b/c the Acadia weighs a lot more than other SUVs so basic physics causes this).

(2) That said, b/c it's a beast (like PP mentioned) the 3rd row REALLY does work. They are real seats and also 3 adults is a tight squeeze, 2 is totally fine and comfortable (I've sat back there before myself). Cargo space is awesome esp when 3rd row is down. We also opted for the 2 captain's chairs in the middle row so that we could more easily access the 3rd row (a pal who didn't get that option regrets it now -- but that could be for a variety of cars).

(3) It's quite comfortable to drive and to be a passenger. I enjoy driving it for sure -- whether short or long distance. It's just tough to park. DH doesn't have as big of a problem with this but he's a better driver than me for sure.

(4) Random stuff: The navigation system sucks. It's a rather annoying display that doesn't make sense. The backup camera is susceptible to rain and drops will obscure your view (didn't happen on the previous car but that was a sedan). HOWEVER the auto trunk open/close feature is awesome. The remote start feature is awesome. I think the dash area and the middle console b/t the 2 front seats is pretty well designed too.

Would I buy this car again? Perhaps. DH is probably more on the fence than me but we traded in his sporty sedan so he's a little cranky about that anyway. We were required to buy American but checked out the Highlander just b/c. And the Explorer. I liked a lot about the Highlander but did think the 3rd row wasn't sufficient and overall I was concerned that it wasn't going to be comfortable for long haul drives (which is why were getting a bigger car). It wasn't as big as the Acadia so parking is probably easier. But I agree with PP that it was a little pricey for what it was.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for this great breakdown! Re: the third row, I agree the Highlander's sucks, which is why I don't love it. I'm just trying to figure out of all the cons you listed above are cancelled out by the larger back row in the Acadia.

[Anonymous]

OP do not get the Acadia. If you need a completely functional third row and a reliable vehicle go with the Pilot.

[Anonymous]

We just went through all of this. I would really suggest just going to CarMax where you can drive all of the cars and see what may work for you. The Acadia was much bigger than I thought it would be (Traverse is smaller) but that gives you a good back row. But how big is the back row to you? Will the dog be back there? I like the captain seats of the Acadia/Highlander for ease of access to the back row. Mazda has a CX-9 with a third row (small). I thought I would really like that but didn't at all.

We still haven't decided but at least being able to drive them all at one place made me narrow the search down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you obviously, know nothing about cars... Just get the one in the color you like and make sure you get your stick people stickers of your special snowflakes on the back.

I am not the OP, but how does this apply?

1. Comparing a compact/midsized cuv to a full size cuv.

2. Trying to compare between two different price-grouped vehicles.

3. Asking a bunch of know-it-all women, who think that just by taking a car in for service regularly qualifies as taking care of a car, advice.

4. Asking the same group, who will only suggest Subaru, Honda, or Toyota, for thier opinions.

5. Still waiting for the enviro-nazi to post "Get a Prius!!!"

to name a few