The Breakdown
The GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave may resemble their respective brands, but they do stem from one creator, General Motors. Built in the same factories, these two large suvs share some of the same components. Up until 2017 these vehicles were exactly the same size! So what makes them different you ask? We take a closer look at what makes these two their own vehicle in this breakdown.
Exterior Comparison
Aggressive vs Sleek
When putting these two large suvs head to head, you'll notice that they stick to their respective branding which makes them unique to one another. They both wear their signature grilles with brand badging. The Buick Enclave has a more smooth and appealing shape surrounded with chrome accents stretching along the body. As for the Acadia, it has a more assertive look to it with sharper edges and a taller stance. The SLE and Essence trims come standard with 18-inch aluminum wheels and LED headlamps.
Moving up the chart to the Acadia Denali, you get a more refined design with an even bolder and aggressive look. The Denali gets a face lift with a new chrome grille, exclusive Denali badging and chrome accents on the door handles and body side molding. The Denali wears 20-inch ultra-bright machined aluminum wheels.
The Buick Avenir also earns itself some upgrades with an exclusive new intricate grille design and avenir badging. Giving you the highest expression of Buick luxury. It sports exclusive 20-inch aluminum wheels with a Pear Nickel finish. Both come with standard hands free liftgate and heated power side mirrors.
When taking a look under the hood, you'll notice some variation between the engine configurations. All Buick Enclave trims come standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 310 horsepower, 266 lb.ft of torque and paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Now the Acadia's SLE is paired with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and the SLT with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo engine. Both paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. The Acadia Denali is then upgraded to the 3.6-liter V6 engine to match the Enclave. The Denali maxes out 4,000 lbs towing capacity while the Avenir can only handle 1,500 lbs unless opt to get the Trailering package to boost that number up to 5,000 lbs. Both come standard with front-wheel drive with available all-wheel drive.
Learn More About the
Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia
Check out a more individual breakdown on both Enclave and Acadia! We breakdown popular trims, styling and new tech features you may not know about! McGrath prides itself on our car knowledge and we do our best to answer any questions that may come up in your car search. If your question isn't answered online, feel free to contact us over the phone, over text, or even through our website.
GMC AcadiaBuick EnclaveInterior Comparison
Versatile Seating and Storage
The Acadia and Enclave are both popular options when searching for an suv because of how much space they provide. The Acadia measures in at 193.4 inches in length compared to the Enclave which measures in at 204.3 inches long. That's a difference of 10.9 inches in space! These family vehicles offer standard seven passenger seating with options for 6 passengers configurations with 2nd row captains chairs for added comfort and easy access to third row. Both offer a good amount of cargo space, but the Enclave offers a tad more space with up to 97.6 cubic feet with 2nd and 3rd rows folded. The Acadia offers up a maximum amount of 79 cubic feet of space with 2nd and 3rd row folded.
Interior Dimensions
| Features | GMC Acadia | Buick Enclave |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Dimesions | 193.4" L x 66.7" H | 204.3" L x 69.6" H (10.9 inches longer and 2.9 inches taller) |
| Front Leg Room | 41 inches | 41.2 inches |
| Second Row Leg Room | 39.70 inches | 38.90 inches |
| Third Row Leg Room | 31.10 inches | 33.50 inches |
| Cargo to 3rd Row Space *estimated measurement at floor length of cargo area | 16 inches | 24 inches |
| Max Cargo Space | 79 cubic ft. | 97.60 cubic ft. |
The Acadia and Enclave both come equipped with many of the same standard tech features such as 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, tri-zone automatic climate control, 4.2 diagonal multi-color information screen and an 8-inch diagonal color touch screen. The cabins come with standard active noise cancelling for a quieter ride. When you upgrade to the higher trim levels the Denali and Avenir you get features like leather seating with wood accents giving a more premium look, although the Avenir looks a little more high class than the Denali. If you're looking to let the cool air in, the Avenir does come standard with power moonroof with rear fixed skylight. The Denali has an available dual SkySpace 2-panel power sunroof option for people wanting to add it on.
Safety Feature Comparison
Standard Safety Packages
Heading over to safety features, both the Acadia and Enclave come with a good amount of the same features to keep you safe on the road. On the SLE/SLT and the Essence trims, you come equipped with standard HD Rear Vision Camera, Lane Change Alert with Blind Side Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Park Assist and Rear Seat Reminder. Bumping up to the Denali and Avenir you added on features like follow distance indicator, forward collision alert and front pedestrian braking.
Overall Comparison
When it comes down to choosing the Buick Enclave or the GMC Acadia, you can see that these two suvs are very similar. Both run on the same performance packages depending on which configuration you opt for. They are built for seating up to seven passengers with plenty of cargo space and come with most of the same standard technology and safety features. It comes down to your preference and style.
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DISCLAIMER: Data described above are for 2021 models.