Compare the2023 Ford EdgeVS 2023 GMC Acadia

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Edge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Acadia doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Ford Edge 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 Edge has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply 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.

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

The Edge’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 Edge and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available front and rear parking sensors.

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

	Edge	Acadia
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	212	285
Neck Compression	21 lbs.	29 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	282	319
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	43%
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	203 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 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 Ford Edge is safer than the GMC Acadia:

	Edge	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	125
Hip Force	192 lbs.	243 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	103	276
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	635 lbs.	799 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	257	381
Hip Force	425 lbs.	760 lbs.

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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Edge the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Acadia last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Edge’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 79 percent more Ford dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Edge’s warranty.

Reliability

The Edge has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Acadia doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Edge has a standard 760-amp battery. The Acadia’s 660-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Edge’s reliability 18 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 Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 3 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The Edge’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (250 vs. 228) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Edge’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The Edge ST’s standard 2.7 turbo V6 produces 25 more horsepower (335 vs. 310) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (380 vs. 271) than the Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Edge
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Acadia
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Ford Edge as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The GMC Acadia is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Edge	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.6 inches

The Edge stops much shorter than the Acadia:

	Edge	Acadia
60 to 0 MPH	108 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Edge has larger standard tires than the Acadia (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Edge ST’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Acadia (265/40R21 vs. 255/65R17).

The Edge SE/SEL’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 Edge ST’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 Edge SE/SEL has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The Edge ST’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

Suspension and Handling

The Edge’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Acadia doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Edge ST handles at .88 G’s, while the Acadia SLT AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Edge ST executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Acadia SLT AWD (26 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Edge has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (8 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the Edge to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Edge ST’s minimum ground clearance is 1 inch higher than on the Acadia (8.2 vs. 7.2 inches).

Chassis

The Edge is 4.6 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the Edge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Edge has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, 4.2 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Acadia.

Cargo Capacity

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume than the Acadia with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 12.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Edge easier. The Edge’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.6 inches, while the Acadia’s liftover is 32 inches.

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

	Edge	Acadia
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	41.7”/74.8”	18.5”/48”/83”
Max Width	63.3”	50”
Min Width	45.3”	42.5”
Height	34.5”	33”

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

Towing

The Edge’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds).

The Edge ST can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Edge can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Acadia can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Edge (except SE) uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

On a hot day the Edge’s driver can lower the front 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 Edge ST/Titanium’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. 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 Edge’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Acadia’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Edge Titanium/ST offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Acadia doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Edge Titanium/ST’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Edge is less expensive to operate than the Acadia because it costs $354 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Edge than the Acadia, including $175 less for a water pump, $64 less for front brake pads, $220 less for a starter, $75 less for fuel injection, $126 less for a fuel pump, $156 less for a timing belt/chain and $238 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Edge	Acadia
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

The Ford Edge outsold the GMC Acadia by 61% during 2022.

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