Compare the2023 GMC AcadiaVS 2023 Cadillac XT5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Acadia AT4’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Acadia has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Acadia has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has a rear cross-path warning system.

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, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Acadia is safer than the Cadillac XT5:

	Acadia	XT5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	24%
Leg Forces (l/r)	129/383 lbs.	213/542 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Acadia is safer than the Cadillac XT5:

	Acadia	XT5
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	799 lbs.	825 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	381	399
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	760 lbs.	799 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many GMC dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Acadia has a standard 220-amp alternator. The XT5’s standard 170-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks GMC higher than Cadillac.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 5 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 75 more horsepower (310 vs. 235) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 258) than the XT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Acadia gets better mileage than the XT5:

			MPG
Acadia
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
XT5
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Acadia 2.0 Turbo’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The XT5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Acadia stops shorter than the XT5:

	Acadia	XT5
70 to 0 MPH	173 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Acadia AT4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (255/65R17 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.

Suspension and Handling

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 AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

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.

Passenger Space

The Acadia offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the XT5 can only carry 5.

The Acadia has 39.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XT5 (143.8 vs. 104.5).

The Acadia has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .7 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT5.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Acadia	XT5
Third Seat Folded	41.7 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	30.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79 cubic feet	63 cubic feet

The Acadia’s cargo area is larger than the XT5’s in almost every dimension:

	Acadia	XT5
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	18.5”/48”/83”	n.a./41.5”/75”
Max Width	50”	51”
Min Width	42.5”	41.6”
Height	33”	30”

Towing

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

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Acadia’s available exterior PIN entry system. The XT5 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 offers an optional 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.

Economic Advantages

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 44.46% to 48.31% of its original price after five years, while the XT5 only retains 42.46% to 44.08%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Acadia is less expensive to operate than the XT5 because it costs $46 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Acadia than the XT5, including $52 less for a water pump, $337 less for a muffler, $24 less for a starter and $127 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 $5782 to $11957 less than for the Cadillac XT5.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the GMC Acadia and the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The GMC Acadia outsold the Cadillac XT5 by over two to one during the 2021 model year.