Seat Issues

As I say, I liked the look of the leather seats. Once I started driving, though, they offered no support in any direction; I felt like I was sitting on top of the seat rather than in it. While it's true that many seats feel like that, what makes the Acadia particularly bad is that there's no thigh support; the bottom cushion doesn't extend far enough. Also, while I'm not skinny, I'm also not fat, and my rear end felt like it was too wide for the seat bottom. I just could not get comfortable, so about an hour at a time was all I could handle behind the wheel.

It's worth noting that the standard sunroof intrudes on headroom, especially with the shade drawn. I've tested many cars with sunroofs, and this was the only one where I really noticed the intrusion. If you're about 6-foot or taller, you'll want to check that out.

In the second row, the seat is set low to the floor and there's no thigh support. The roominess is tolerable — I was OK even though I'm tall — but I don't think I could take more than an hour back there, either, thanks to the seats' design. I suspect even tiny people wouldn't find the seat comfortable because it's so close to the floor.

The Acadia Denali can seat up to eight people with the addition of a no-cost second-row bench, which would make for a lot of upset tiny people.

It's worth noting that the third row seat is smaller and has less room than the second row. It's the norm to offer very limited room in a vehicle's third row of seats, and the Acadia is no exception. The third row is probably best suited for small children.

Overall, seating is a subjective thing, but you'll really need to check out the Denali's on your test drive. Bring the kids and have them try out the second-row seats, too.

    See also:

    Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
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    Tow/Haul Mode
    Pressing this button at the end of the shift lever turns on and off the Tow/Haul Mode. This indicator light on the instrument panel cluster comes on when the Tow/Haul Mode is on. Tow/Haul is a f ...

    Cruise Control
    ON/OFF CRUISE : Press to turn the cruise control system on and off. CANCEL : Press to disengage cruise control without erasing the set speed from memory. RES/+: Move the thumbwheel up to make ...