Compare the2024 GMC AcadiaVS 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

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 Grand Highlander 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Acadia has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Rear Cross Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Acadia and the Grand Highlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Grand Highlander’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 35 percent more GMC dealers than there are Toyota dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Acadia has more powerful engines than the Grand Highlander:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Acadia’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Acadia uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 17.8 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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better traction, the Acadia Denali’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Highlander (275/45R22 vs. 255/65R18).

The Acadia’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Highlander XLE’s 65 series tires. The Acadia Denali’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia Denali offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Grand Highlander’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Acadia’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Grand Highlander (120.9 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Acadia is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Highlander.

For better maneuverability, the ’s turning circle is 38.1 feet tighter than the Grand Highlander’s ( feet vs. 38.1 feet).

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

The Acadia has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 2.7 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room, 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 1 inch more third row headroom, 2.9 inches more third row hip room and .4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Highlander.

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

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Acadia Denali’s second row seats and pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Acadia uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Grand Highlander uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Acadia Denali’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Acadia’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Grand Highlander does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Acadia’s available power side swing out door makes it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the sport utility. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Acadia’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Grand Highlander has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Acadia has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum.

The Acadia’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The GMC Acadia outsold the Toyota Grand Highlander by 38% during 2023.