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If you’ve been shopping for a three-row SUV that can keep up with your family’s schedule, the GMC Acadia deserves a serious look. Its redesigned cabin grew in almost every direction, seating up to eight passengers with enough cargo room to handle Monday morning school runs and fully loaded road trips. But how does it really perform when you’re wrestling car seats, loading strollers, and shuttling the whole crew around town? Second-row LATCH anchors are exposed and easy to connect, earning top marks from certified car seat technicians at Cars.com. Behind the third row, 23 cubic feet of cargo space beats the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Grand Highlander. Captain’s chairs tilt and slide forward at the touch of a button, so you can reach the third row without uninstalling car seats. Third-Row Seating That Adults Can Actually Use Third-row seats in midsize SUVs have a reputation for being cramped penalty boxes. GMC did a solid job pushing back against that trend with this one. A 6-foot adult can fit in the wayback with some minor adjustments from the second row, and kids will be comfortable on even longer drives. Headroom measures 37.2 inches, and the bench splits 60/40 so you can fold one side for extra cargo while keeping a seat open. For pickups after soccer practice or weekend trips with the cousins, the third row handles it without complaints. Cargo Space That Keeps Up With Your Life One of the biggest improvements in the redesign is the cargo area. With all three rows in use, you still get 23 cubic feet behind the third row. That’s an 80 percent jump over the previous generation, beating the Ford Explorer (18.2), Honda Pilot (18.6), and Toyota Grand Highlander (20.6). A double stroller, grocery bags, and sports equipment all fit without playing cargo Tetris. Fold the third row, and cargo room jumps to 57.3 cubic feet. Drop the second row too and you’re looking at 97.5 cubic feet of flat space. A hands-free power liftgate opens automatically when you walk up with the key fob in your pocket. Car Seat Fit and LATCH Access in the Second Row Young families, pay attention here. Cars.com’s certified child safety seat technicians tested the Acadia and gave the second row straight A’s across the board. Rear-facing convertible, forward-facing convertible, infant carrier, and booster all fit without issues. Two sets of lower LATCH anchors in the second-row captain’s chairs are exposed and easy to reach. Top tether anchors sit right on the seatback and are clearly marked, so installation takes minutes. A rear-facing infant seat fits behind the front passenger with plenty of legroom to spare for a 5-foot-6 adult up front. Both second-row seats also have a car seat tilt function. This lets you tip the seat forward to access the third row without removing a car seat first. If you’ve ever had to uninstall and reinstall a car seat just to get a kid into the back, you know how much time and frustration that saves. Third-Row Car Seat Realities Now, the third row is a slightly different story. There are no lower LATCH anchors back there, so you’ll use the seat belt for installation. Top tether anchors are on the seatback, so forward-facing seats can still be secured properly. Cars.com gave the third-row convertible and booster a C grade, mainly because fixed head restraints on the outboard seats push larger car seats away from the seatback. Your best bet for a third-row car seat is the middle position because it has an adjustable head restraint. For most families, the second row will be the primary car seat zone, and the third row works best for older kids who’ve graduated to boosters or are riding on their own. Everyday Usability for School Runs and Road Trips Car seats aside, the Acadia is loaded with tech that makes daily family life smoother. Tri-zone climate control is standard across all three trims, USB charging ports are in every row, and the available Wi-Fi hotspot keeps tablets connected on longer drives. A big 15-inch touchscreen runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s an available rear-seat entertainment system for the kids. Under the hood, a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder puts out 328 horsepower paired with an eight-speed automatic. That’s more than enough muscle for highway merges with a full cabin, and the GMC Acadia can tow up to 5,000 pounds for pulling a camper or boat on vacation. See the Acadia Up Close at Greg Lair Buick GMC If the Acadia sounds like a fit for your family, we’d love to have you check it out at Greg Lair Buick GMC in Canyon, TX. Bring the kids and your car seats along for a test drive so you can try the LATCH system, test third-row access, and see how everything fits your daily routine. We carry the full Acadia lineup and our team has been helping Texas Panhandle families find the right vehicles for over 30 years. Every new Acadia also comes with our free Lifetime Powertrain Warranty, giving you added confidence for all those school runs and road trips ahead. Stop by or browse our inventory online at greglair.com to get started. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdvCeww7nD0

Summer has a way of filling the calendar fast. Beach weekends, campground bookings, a long haul to see family two states away. The right three-row SUV swallows luggage, keeps everyone charged, and stays calm on the interstate, which makes those miles a lot more fun. A vehicle like that turns a packed itinerary into something you actually look forward to. The GMC Acadia seats up to eight people, with cargo room that grows as you fold seats flat. A 328-horsepower turbo engine tows up to 5,000 pounds with the Trailering Package, plenty for a small camper or boat. Six USB ports and a big touchscreen keep kids and gadgets happy across long stretches of highway. Picture the night before a trip. Out in the driveway sit coolers, duffel bags, and a tent that never folds back the way it should. Space is the first thing that matters, and this SUV has plenty of it. Room for People and All Their Gear Behind the third row you get 23 cubic feet of space, which holds a weekend's worth of bags for a full house. Fold that row down and the number jumps to 57.3 cubic feet. Drop the second row too and you open up 97.5 cubic feet, room for bikes, a cooler, and a stroller with space to spare. Seating runs up to eight with the second-row bench, or seven if you pick captain's chairs for an easy walk-through to the back. Power That Handles a Full Load Every trim uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic. That torque shows up early, so a loaded SUV climbing a grade or merging onto a busy highway never feels strained. Add the Trailering Package and you can tow up to 5,000 pounds, which covers a small camper, a pair of jet skis, or a fishing boat. Front-wheel-drive setups are rated near 27 mpg on the highway by EPA estimates, a nice bonus when the trip stretches past the gas you planned for. Tech That Keeps the Backseat Calm A 15-inch upright touchscreen anchors the dash, with Google built in and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its upright shape makes maps easy to read at a glance, which matters when you're hunting for the right exit. Six USB ports spread across all three rows mean nobody fights over a charger, and the kids in the way-back stay powered up too. The GMC Acadia also comes standard with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, handy for those early starts before the sun warms things up. Hands-Free Help for Long Highway Stretches Super Cruise is where road trips get easier. On compatible highways it lets you drive hands-free, and it even works while towing a trailer. The system can change lanes on its own to pass a slow truck when the road is clear. You can get it on Elevation, AT4, and Denali, and it comes standard on Denali Ultimate. After six hours behind the wheel, that kind of help takes real strain off your shoulders. How the Trims Stack Up for Travel Feature Elevation AT4 Denali Denali Ultimate Drive setup FWD or AWD AWD standard FWD or AWD FWD or AWD Max towing 5,000 lb 5,000 lb 5,000 lb 5,000 lb Super Cruise Available Available Available Standard Off-road build No Yes, lifted with all-terrain tires No No Ventilated front seats No Available Standard Standard Panoramic sunroof Available Available Available Standard Bose audio 12-speaker Bose standard Bose standard 16-speaker Matching a GMC Acadia Trim to Your Summer Plans Trips that lean toward dirt roads and lake access fit the AT4, which brings all-terrain tires, extra ground clearance, and an off-road drive mode built for gravel and sand. Families who stick to highways and want a little extra polish will like the Denali, with its ventilated front seats and head-up display. The Denali Ultimate piles on a panoramic sunroof, a 16-speaker Bose system, and standard Super Cruise for the longest hauls. Most drivers find the Elevation already covers the basics for a great summer of travel. Plan Your Summer Drive With Greg Lair We've spent more than 30 years helping Texas Panhandle families get ready for the open road, and summer is our favorite season for it. Stop by and we'll walk you through the full Acadia lineup, from the easygoing Elevation to the trail-ready AT4, so you can match the right setup to your trip. Every new vehicle we sell comes with our free Lifetime Powertrain Warranty, so you can rack up the miles on those long Texas drives without sweating the big repairs. Schedule a test drive and feel how it handles a loaded run down the highway before you commit.