Compare the2023 Genesis GV70VS 2023 GMC Acadia

Both the GV70 and Acadia have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV70 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Acadia’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the GV70 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The GV70’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Acadia’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GV70 Advanced/Sport has standard Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Acadia doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GV70. But it costs extra on the Acadia.

The GV70’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Acadia doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GV70 and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GV70 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

The GV70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Acadia’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV70 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Acadia. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Acadia ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV70’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV70 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Acadia.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV70 second among compact premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Acadia was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 7th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 9 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The GV70’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 72 more horsepower (300 vs. 228) and 53 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 258) than the Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV70’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The GV70’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 65 more horsepower (375 vs. 310) and 120 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the GV70 gets better mileage than the Acadia:

The GV70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Acadia doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the GV70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Acadia:

The GV70 stops shorter than the Acadia:

The GV70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard 65 series tires. The GV70 Sport Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Acadia’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV70 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The GV70 Sport Prestige’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

The GV70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52.6% to 47.4%) than the Acadia’s (56.5% to 43.5%). This gives the GV70 more stable handling and braking.

The GV70 Sport Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Acadia Denali AWD pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GV70 Sport Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Acadia SLT AWD (26.4 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GV70’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Acadia’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GV70 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (7.3 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the GV70 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The GV70 is 7.8 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the GV70 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front step up height for the GV70 is .5 inches lower than the Acadia (17.5” vs. 18”). The GV70’s rear step up height is 1.7 inches lower than the Acadia’s (17.3” vs. 19”).

The GV70 has a much larger cargo volume than the Acadia with its rear seat up (28.9 vs. 12.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GV70 easier. The GV70’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.9 inches, while the Acadia’s liftover is 32 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GV70. The Acadia doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GV70’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (3500 vs. 1000 pounds).

The engine in the GV70 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Acadia. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The GV70’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

On a hot day the GV70’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Acadia can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GV70 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Acadia doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The GV70’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Acadia’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The GV70’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The GV70 Sport Prestige/3.5T has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Acadia.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis GV70 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Acadia.

The GV70 Advanced/Sport Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The GV70 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the GV70 will retain 51.14% to 51.23% of its original price after five years, while the Acadia only retains 47.29% to 50.03%.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Genesis GV70 and the GMC Acadia, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV70 first among compact premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Acadia isn’t in the top three in its category.

The GV70 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Acadia has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue, and the Acadia has only been chosen.

Motor Trend selected the GV70 as their 2022 Sport Utility of the Year. The Acadia has never been chosen.