Compare the2023 BMW X5VS 2023 GMC Acadia

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

Safety

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The BMW X5 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Acadia doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The X5 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Acadia doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The X5 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Acadia doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The X5 offers optional Active Park Distance Control 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.

The X5’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 X5 and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 BMW X5 is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	X5	Acadia
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	35%	43%
Neck Compression	91 lbs.	99 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 BMW X5 is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	X5	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	72	125
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	130 lbs.	156 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	48	276
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	584 lbs.	799 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	308	381

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

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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the X5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 151 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The X5 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Acadia’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X5’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X5 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Acadia.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X5’s reliability 15 points higher than the Acadia.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 4 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 107 more horsepower (335 vs. 228) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 258) than the Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The X5 40i’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (335 vs. 310) and 60 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The X5 M50i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 produces 213 more horsepower (523 vs. 310) and 282 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the X5 gets better mileage than the Acadia:

			MPG
X5
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/25 hwy
Acadia
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the X5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. GMC only offers a regenerative brake system on the Acadia 2.0 Turbo.

The X5 has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The X5’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.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Acadia:

	X5 xDrive40i	X5 M Sport	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	15.6 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	14.6 inches	12.4 inches

The X5 stops shorter than the Acadia:

	X5	Acadia
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	173 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X5 has larger standard tires than the Acadia (265/50R19 vs. 235/65R18). The X5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Acadia (F:275/40R21 & R:315/35R21 vs. 255/65R17).

The X5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard 65 series tires. The X5’s optional 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Acadia’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The X5’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Acadia doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X5 M50i offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Acadia doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The X5 M50i offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. GMC doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Acadia.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X5’s wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the Acadia (117.1 inches vs. 112.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the X5 is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Acadia.

The X5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.2% to 49.8%) than the Acadia’s (56.5% to 43.5%). This gives the X5 more stable handling and braking.

The X5 xDrive40i handles at .89 G’s, while the Acadia Denali AWD pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The X5 xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Acadia SLT AWD (25.8 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the X5 has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (8.7 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the X5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The X5 has .7 inches more front headroom and .6 inches more front shoulder room than the Acadia.

Cargo Capacity

The X5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Acadia with its rear seat up (33.9 vs. 12.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the X5 easier. The X5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the Acadia’s liftover is 32 inches.

Both the X5 and the Acadia have standard second row automatic folding seats. The X5’s optional third row seats also fold down at the press of a button. The Acadia doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the X5. The Acadia doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The X5’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Acadia’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

The X5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (5952 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Acadia is only 4000 pounds. The X5 offers up to a 7209 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the X5 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than GMC. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, GMC is ranked 15th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Acadia (except SLE), the X5 M50i has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The X5’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Acadia, and is not available on all models.

The X5’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.

If the windows are left open on the X5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower 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 X5 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 X5’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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the X5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Acadia doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 X5’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X5 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Acadia doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X5 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The X5 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Acadia.

The X5’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the X5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the X5 with a number “1” insurance rate while the Acadia is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X5 and the GMC Acadia, based on reliability, safety and performance.