Compare the2018 GMC AcadiaVS 2017 Cadillac XT5

The Acadia has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The XT5 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Acadia and the XT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

There are over 86 percent more GMC dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC 16th in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 20th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 15th.

As tested in Car and Driver the GMC Acadia V6 is faster than the Cadillac XT5:

The Acadia stops shorter than the XT5:

For better traction, the Acadia’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (245/65R17 vs. 235/65R18).

The Acadia has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The XT5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Acadia’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56.5% to 43.5%) than the XT5’s (58.2% to 41.8%). This gives the Acadia more stable handling and braking.

The Acadia Denali AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the XT5 4x4 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Acadia uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XT5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Acadia Denali AWD is quieter than the XT5 4x4 (41 vs. 44 dB).

The Acadia has standard seating for 7 passengers; the XT5 can only carry 5.

The Acadia has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 3.6 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT5.

The Acadia’s cargo area provides more volume than the XT5.

Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac XT5 is limited to 3500 pounds. The Acadia offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Acadia’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The XT5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Acadia SLT/Denali has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Acadia owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Acadia will cost $1060 less than the XT5 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Acadia is less expensive to operate than the XT5 because it costs $45 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Acadia than the XT5, including $313 less for an alternator, $96 less for fuel injection and $12 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Acadia will be $4857 to $12983 less than for the Cadillac XT5.