2011 GMC Acadia Denali

As many SUVs have evolved into what some folks call crossovers, they have also morphed from utilitarian, truck-like vehicles into more luxurious ones. Some dedicated luxury brands have entered the market, while other automakers have spruced up their offerings to punch in this class. GMC falls into the latter category, introducing for 2011 its first luxury, Denali version of the Acadia crossover, which can seat seven or eight in three rows of seats.

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While the Acadia Denali is a solid offering for this segment, it doesn't do enough to vault its way to the top of the class.

What Makes a Denali

The changes from a regular Acadia to a Denali are obvious from the outside, and they make the Acadia Denali look more put together, as if it were sculpted from one piece of metal rather than glued together from separate pieces of metal and plastic. The Denali gets a restyled front and rear end, body-colored lower cladding, unique body moldings with chrome accents, dual chrome exhausts tips and a restyled grille. It has just the right amount of chrome, and that's a hard thing to get right given many automakers' tendency to add too much in all the wrong places.

Inside, there's a standard dual-pane sunroof for the first two rows of seats, wood trim, perforated leather seats, lighted doorsills and heated/ventilated seats, among other changes. (Compare the differences here.)

Inside the Acadia, it's more of a mixed bag. I don't like wood trim in general, and I'm not a fan of the Denali's. The rear floor, though meant to be covered by a rug, looks cheap when the rug shifts and the floor is exposed. Highlights were the sunroof and the look of the seats. The dual-pane sunroof really opens up the cabin, making it seem very light and airy, and the perforated leather is in line with what better luxury cars offer.

Seat Issues

As I say, I liked the look of the leather seats. Once I started driving, though, they offered no support in any direction; I felt like I was sitting on top of the seat rather than in it. While it's true that many seats feel like that, what makes the Acadia particularly bad is that there's no thigh support; the bottom cushion doesn't extend far enough. Also, while I'm not skinny, I'm also not fat, and my rear end felt like it was too wide for the seat bottom. I just could not get comfortable, so about an hour at a time was all I could handle behind the wheel.

It's worth noting that the standard sunroof intrudes on headroom, especially with the shade drawn. I've tested many cars with sunroofs, and this was the only one where I really noticed the intrusion. If you're about 6-foot or taller, you'll want to check that out.

In the second row, the seat is set low to the floor and there's no thigh support. The roominess is tolerable — I was OK even though I'm tall — but I don't think I could take more than an hour back there, either, thanks to the seats' design. I suspect even tiny people wouldn't find the seat comfortable because it's so close to the floor.

The Acadia Denali can seat up to eight people with the addition of a no-cost second-row bench, which would make for a lot of upset tiny people.