Compare the2018 GMC AcadiaVS 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

The Acadia Denali’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Pacifica doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Acadia are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Pacifica doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Acadia offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Pacifica doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Pacifica’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

GMC pays for scheduled maintenance on the Acadia for 2 years and 24,000 miles. GMC will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 2 oil changes). Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pacifica.

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 Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC 16th in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chrysler is ranked 17th.

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 Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 45 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chrysler is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2017 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 3 places higher in reliability than Chrysler.

The Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 23 more horsepower (310 vs. 287) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 262) than the Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the GMC Acadia V6 is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica V6:

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 17 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 19 gallons).

The Acadia’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pacifica are solid, not vented.

The Acadia stops shorter than the Pacifica:

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Chrysler Pacifica only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

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 Pacifica doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Acadia has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Acadia flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Acadia offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Pacifica’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better maneuverability, the Acadia’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Pacifica’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The GMC Acadia may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the Chrysler Pacifica.

The Acadia is 10 inches shorter than the Pacifica, making the Acadia easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Acadia has .2 inches more front headroom and .7 inches more rear legroom than the Pacifica.

Maximum trailer towing in the Chrysler Pacifica is limited to 3600 pounds. The Acadia offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

While the Pacifica Hybrid is not recommended to tow, any Acadia can tow a minimum of 1000 pounds.

The Acadia uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pacifica uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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 Pacifica’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Acadia has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The automatic headlight on/off feature is not available on the Pacifica LX.

The Acadia will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Acadia will retain 46.28% to 52.71% of its original price after five years, while the Pacifica only retains 41.07% to 44.12%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Acadia is less expensive to operate than the Pacifica because typical repairs cost less on the Acadia than the Pacifica, including $29 less for a starter and $67 less for fuel injection.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Acadia will be $681 to $1851 less than for the Chrysler Pacifica.