Compare the2023 GMC AcadiaVS 2021 Lexus NX Series

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the GMC Acadia are height-adjustable, and the middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lexus NX Series has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

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 NX Series 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 NX Series doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Compared to metal, the Acadia’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Lexus NX Series has a metal gas tank.

Both the Acadia and the NX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, 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 Lexus NX Series:

	Acadia	NX Series
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	46%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	509 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	129/383 lbs.	480/609 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	319	355
Neck Stress	203 lbs.	295 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	210/60 lbs.	442/307 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 Lexus NX Series:

	Acadia	NX Series
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	192
Hip Force	243 lbs.	352 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	276	317
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
HIC	381	542
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	760 lbs.	828 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 7 times as many GMC dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Acadia has a standard 660-amp battery. The NX Series’ 580-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (228 vs. 194) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 199) than the NX 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. 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 NX 300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Acadia 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the NX 300 FWD (22 city/29 hwy vs. 22 city/28 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Acadia’s fuel efficiency. The NX Series doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regardless of its engine, the Acadia’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the NX Series 300h.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Acadia uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The NX 300 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the NX Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the NX Series’ standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

The Acadia has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The NX Series doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Acadia higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Lexus NX Series (3 to 7). This means the Acadia produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the NX Series every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Acadia, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the NX Series.

Brakes and Stopping

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 NX Series are solid, not vented.

The Acadia stops much shorter than the NX Series:

	Acadia	NX Series
70 to 0 MPH	173 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Acadia has larger standard tires than the NX Series (235/65R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Acadia AT4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the NX Series (255/65R17 vs. 235/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia offers optional 20-inch wheels. The NX Series’ largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lexus NX Series 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 NX Series doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Acadia’s wheelbase is 7.8 inches longer than on the NX Series (112.5 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Acadia is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the NX Series.

The Acadia Denali AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the NX 300 F Sport AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Acadia SLT AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the NX 300h AWD (26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Acadia has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 300h (7.2 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Acadia to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Acadia’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the NX 300 (7.2 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Acadia FWD 4 cyl. uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The NX Series doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

Passenger Space

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

The Acadia has 72.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the NX Series (143.8 vs. 71.6).

The Acadia has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX Series.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Acadia	NX Series
Third Seat Folded	41.7 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	17.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79 cubic feet	54.6 cubic feet

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

	Acadia	NX Series
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	18.5”/48”/83”	n.a./36”/71.5”
Max Width	50”	53”
Min Width	42.5”	44.3”
Height	33”	27”

Towing

The Acadia’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX Series’ (1000 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus NX 300h AWD is only 2000 pounds. The Acadia offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Acadia has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The NX Series doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Acadia (except SLE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The NX Series doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 NX Series doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Acadia’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The NX Series’ power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 NX Series’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the Acadia and the NX Series offer optional heated front seats. The Acadia also offers optional heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the NX Series.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the GMC Acadia offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The NX Series doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 NX Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Acadia is less expensive to operate than the NX Series because it costs $227 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Acadia than the NX Series, including $61 less for a water pump, $221 less for a muffler, $197 less for a starter, $286 less for fuel injection, $62 less for front struts and $159 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the GMC Acadia and the Lexus NX Series, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The GMC Acadia outsold the Lexus NX Series by 9% during the 2021 model year.