Hello. My husband and I are looking to purchase an Outlook XE this spring to replace my explorer. However, I am very specific with the options I want and the color, so we are considering ordering an Outlook. The deal told us it would take 6 -12 weeks. Has anyone ordered one yet? Care to share your experience?
As you know the vehicle just came out and is in limited supply due to the slow start up of a brand new product in a brand new plant and it seems to be a hot seller.
Since it is so new no one willprobably have any experience in order time.
But a sold order to a customer does get some priority over a general dealer stock order so a 6-12 week period sounds reasonable. If you did not get preference it could be longer.
Hperna I just purchased a dealer ordered Acadia from my local dealer they said they should have it this week this was on Saturday 12/30 you think they are pulling my leg and it will be a month before I see this vehicle.
When i went into the dealership they said they have one on it's way and it was on their website listed as "Ship"
I will be pretty mad if It takes 3 more weeks I have plans to be out of town by then, nonetheless vehicle is stunning
Hondaford I test drove a FWD SLT it had every option available even the HUD very nice ride is very smooth i did sense the hesitation with the transmision when accelerating like everyone else said but it was not a big deal for me, I also drove an SLE which is what I purchased came to $31,XXX out the door taxes and tag I am upgrading from a 2006 Trailblazer EXT I also had a 2002 chevy Tahoe about 1 year ago so compared to those too the ride is 100X better I'm married with 4 kids and it works fine for me and my family....Now if I can just get them to speed up the delivery LMAO!
Hottdogg, I also have a Trailblazer EXT (2003). How did the Acadia compare in acceleration and rear cargo space with all three rows of seats up? What part of the country are you in? I haven't seen any in Eastern Mass.b
I also drove an SLE which is what I purchased came to $31,XXX
Did you have any trade-ins as part of this deal? If so, what did you have and what did you get? It will help those buying without a trade-in, since those with trade-ins get better prices on their new cars since the dealer is making money on their trade-in, as compared to those without a trade-in. It's the old, "I'll give you $1000 off the MSRP" because in reality the dealer is making $4000 off the trade in.
I test drove a white base SE today (the only Acadia I have been able to locate in the Salt Lake City area). It had the second-row bench package.
My reaction:
I was impressed with the overall layout and roominess. The second and third rows have a fair amount of room (head, shoulder and leg). The third row is easier to access than any vehicle I have tried. I found the the driver's seat position comfortable. The engine seemed to have sufficient power, and I found the lag in the transmission less troublesome than expected from the reviews I have read. Overall, acceleration was decent, maneuverability was good, and body sway was well controlled. Sitting next to a GMC Yukon, it looks much smaller.
The ride was a bit jiggly. My 16-year-old son rode in the third row and said he could really feel curbs, pot holes, etc. The outside rear view mirrors were odd shaped and not all that helpful.
I was disappointed in the cloth seats, the hard plastic on the dash and the overall "feel" (quality) of the interior (compared to my 2002 MDX). I also found the second row bench seats to be hard and not all that comfortable.
A couple of question for those who have driven an Acadia with up-level trim:
1. Are the second row "captains chairs" more comfortable than the second-row bench?
2. How is the leather (quality and comfort)?
3. Is the dash material the same as in the SE?
4. Are there other quality/luxury differences between the SE and the SLT-1 and SLT-2 trim levels?
I tried out the second row captain chairs' leather seats and they weren't all that bad, although still a bit firm, but that might be subjective. The 3rd row bench seat was definitely very firm, even with the leather, but since people won't sit there often, it doesn't really play a role in my decision.
The interior was still full of hard plastics on the upgraded trim, although the dash is textured and does look good from a distance. You might want to wait to see the Enclave if you are coming from a MDX.
I sat in a SLT2 today with captain's chairs. They looked kinda small, almost like go cart seats, but they were pretty comfortable and better than i expected. I though tthe leather they chose was really good. Soft to touch and not vinylish like in some cars. i definetly would opt for leather.
Hey BoBw3 I was going to trade in my Chevy Trailblazer but they only wanted to give me 20,000 for it my payoff is $25,000 it's a 2006 with 11,000 miles EXT every option except NAV they were running the Red Tag and he said MSRP was $31,916 I believe they took about $1500 off don't have paperwork in front of me I got the SLE it has the Remote start and the Rear back up sensors and cloth entirior now that red tag is over they are charging MSRP .
PeterJ6 their is no comparison I sacrificed a lot no 6-disc changer, no Leather Interior, no Sunroof and even in base form the Acadia is more than the Trailblazer EXT could ever want to be the Trailblazer is pretty narrow the Acadia feels like a Fullsize Suv but handles like a car I live in Rockville,Maryland but I purchased the vehicle in Virginia they have a total of 4 I could have got an SLT with Leather Captains Chairs in-dash changer and TV for 34,900 but I did not want to spend that much the MSRP was $36,900 and oh yeah Mines is also FWD GM has a hit on their hand no doubt
Your payoff is $25,000 and they only offered $20K even though it's only one year old and has only 11,000 miles?!?!? What did you pay for it new? So what did you end up doing with the Trailblazer?
Thats the trouble with selling any year old car. You are still paying off the depreciation that you got when you drove it off the lot. Depending on when you bought the TB there were a number of different rebates. If you bought it when it first came out last year the rebate was small. If I remember, it doubled at the least so you can't expect to come out ahead on it. Also they are going to give you low bluebook wholesale and try to sell you the new one as close to sticker as they think you will fall for. Also depending on how long your loan was for it could take 3 years or more just to get the loan balance down to what the vehicle is really worth on the market.
Still, if you buy a car for $30K and a year later they offer you $20K, that seems like a LOT of depreciation for one year.
The best thing to do when trading in a vehicle is find out the price the dealer is selling your trade-in for. So if for example you have a 2006 Trailblazer to trade-in and the dealer is selling a comparably equipped used 2006 Trailblazer on his lot for $28K, then you should get $23-$25K for the car because even if the dealer sells it for $27K and buys yours for $25K, they're still making $2000 off of your car that they don't have to do anything to other than clean it up a little. But for the dealer to make $7K off the trade-in sounds crazy to me.
Another way of looking at it. First just because you paid 30K for it doesn't mean that was the best price at the time unless you get the GM employee discount. Second if there is more than one TB on the used lot sometimes adding more brings down the value of them. Third, if you live in a GM town where a lot of the people get GM discounts then the bluebook price goes out the window as the dealers don't always play by this book as they have to sell the used cheaper than the people can buy new for. So another good reason you are thinking of buying used go to a large city that has a GM plant near by and you may be surprised at how much cheaper vehicles can be.
Edmunds TCO tool says that the 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT will depreciate $7,836 in the first year of ownership. A 2006 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV 4WD will depreciate $10,808 per the TCO. (We don't have TCO figured for the Enclave, Acadia or Outlook yet).
"Note that TCO is a comparative tool, not a predictive tool - your actual five-year cost of owning a particular vehicle will vary depending on your personal circumstances, such as your driving history and the number of miles you drive."
Still, if you buy a car for $30K and a year later they offer you $20K, that seems like a LOT of depreciation for one year.
That seems fairly typical to me. The first year depreciation is always the killer. If you want to change your car every year, it is a good way to commit financial suicide.
One of the most prudent purchasing schemes is to buy a nice used model that is about 2 years old and then keep it for another 3 to 5 years. Of course if that is a Camry it'll be a dull purchase but fiscally prudent.
Then again, what do I know? I bought a Eclipse new (for about $23k) and traded it 5 years, 82k miles later for $8k (which now sounds pretty good as the guy above is losing $10k in one year).
Then I got a 3 year old Audi for about $22k, which we've now had 4 years and some 45k miles later is now worth about $7-8k. This was not such a good buy as we have sunk about $5-6K in maintenance into this car over that time, but at least it still looks and drives like it did when we first got it. I expect to keep this for another year or two, by which time I would still expect it to be worth about $6-7k trade as it has hit bottom on its depreciation hit.
Our other car is a Ford Freestyle which was fully loaded at $32k. Now 20 months later KBB tells me it only worth $19k. Ouch! That's $650 per month..
Of course if you want to change your cars regular like, and do not do many miles you could always lease.
I was initially excited about the styling of Buick Enclave, but the more I look at it, the more it looks like a banana. Yes, Dr. Freud, sometimes a banana is merely a banana.
Saw the Acadia for the first time at a local dealer over lunch today. They had two 7-passenger SLTs that they just got in last week. My first impressions (keep in mind this would be replacing a '97 Grand Caravan for us):
- Looks very nice in person: not too big, not too small. - The front seat seemed comfortable to me, with lots of leg room (more fore and aft movement than my van). Bobw I think you will find the seat height to your liking - it's not too high. - The center console is a bit of a joke in terms of storage space. It has a tiny flip-up bin and then it slides back to reveal another pretty small bin. The glove box, however, is huge. The storage bin on top of the dash is a long reach away. - Sat in all 3 rows. I am 6'0" tall and the 3rd row was tolerable depending on the position of the 2nd seat. If the 2nd seat was in its farthest rear position the 3rd seat wouldn't work for a 6 footer. Not enough knee space. Move it forward a couple inches and it was ok. It seemed to me you could adjust all three rows to come up with a reasonable compromise in leg room for 6 adults. I say 6 instead of 7 because I don't think you could put 3 normal-sized adults across the rear bench comfortably. - I had no problem with the flip 'n fold seat, unlike some others who have had complaints about it not working smoothly (I did have to teach the salesperson how to use it though ). Access to the 3rd row was OK, but not as easy as my van. - Minivan owners will be disappointed in the cargo space behind the 3rd row. One large suitcase and a smaller bag would be about it I think. It didn't seem like anywhere near the space I have in my van, although based on the specs it should have been closer. Looking at my old van specs, it has 20.3 cu. ft behind 3rd row, vs. 19.7 for Acadia. Either one of them is wrong, or they are measured differently. I think vans probably just have a lot more usable space due to lower floor height.
I didn't have time to drive it on my lunch hour, but one of them was running and the engine seemed very quiet at idle. The jury is still out on this one for me until I have a chance to drive it and decide whether I'm willing to give up the space of a minivan in exchange for AWD. Of course I could get a Sienna AWD and give up neither, but I'm not sure I can talk my wife into another van. The nice thing is that I don't really need to decide anytime soon.
I think those going from a mini van to the Outlook/Arcadia will have a harder decision then those going from an SUV. I have an Explorer and I hate it. I said I wanted a smaller vehicle. Well, I am planning on getting an Outlook. It drives smaller and the third row access is MUCH easier then in the Explorer.
Loach - your situation and mine is nearly the same. My wife also drives a '97 Grand Caravan with about 145K miles on it. We'll be replacing it this summer. So far it looks like it'll be between a Sienna 2WD and GMC Acadia, but we'll have a better idea after the Houston Auto Show in late January.
I too am planning on using the auto show (in my case in Omaha in 2 weeks) to further evaluate the Sienna, Acadia and several other vehicles. Please keep us posted on your thoughts.
I too have a '97 Grand Caravan and am waiting to compare the Enclave, CX-9, and Veracruz. However, after reading and seeing the pics for the 2008 Chrysler T&C, I want to really check it out too.
Comparing the 2008 T&C, it's a major redo. I like the idea of the new Swivel 'n Go 2nd row seats. This van seems packed (if you get all the options)with the best of all minivan and crossover features and much more storage than the crossovers.
Only thing is the T&C not available into the FAll
It doesn't seem like there is an option of a NAV system on the Veracruz. But maybe the dealer can install one.
I'm really interested in a fully loaded vehicle.
The T&C 2008 seems to offers more than all the above and although the prices aren't out on it yet, I read the range is $25K-$40K. So if $40K is loaded, that could be less than some of the others in the discussions that don't offer all the bells and whistles of the T&C. Estimated mileage is apprx 18/25. Check it out.
Sounds like a few of us in the same boat. I briefly drove a GMC Acadia (SLT-1 trim level) today at lunch. My impressions were similar to Loach above. GM did a nice job on this vehicle. It has nimble handling, like a new minivan, but rides up higher. Less storage room behind the 3rd row, and with the 3rd row folded flat - but would probably meet our needs. My wife loves it - a lot more stylish than a Sienna or Oddy. 19/26 EPA ratings (FWD) and 4500lb towing is a nice mix. I do wish it offered standard BlueTooth in addition to, or instead of On-Star.
I have followed the 2008 T&C closely. I have a couple issues with it. One, it's not out until the Fall, and I don't know if I want to wait that long. Two, I'm still not sold on Stow 'N Go (uncomfortable 2nd row) or Swivel 'N Go (which doesn't Stow).
We will look at the Mazda CX-9, '07 Sienna (3.5L), Odyssey and others during the Auto Show.
I don't know if the 2008 T&C is any bigger inside, but comparing the 2007 T&C to the Sienna, the Sienna has 2-3" more legroom in all rows and 17CuFt more cargo area behind the 3rd row, so on top of the AWD option, the Sienna is a lot more roomy inside, but if you're satisfied with the smaller interior room of the T&C, the the lambdas aren't that much of an additional decrease.
You know the T&C has most overall cargo space now, and the new one will probably have improved legroom. I'm so glad that it got a power boost! Carcom-I would be willing to bet VeraCruz will have Navigation, as Suzuki XL7 does.
The max cargo capacity for the T&C looked odd in comparison to the other numbers, so I checked the manufacturer webpages for Chrysler & Toyota http://www-5.chrysler.com/vehsuite/VehicleCompare.jsphttp://www.toyota.com/sienna/specs.html and the Sienna has greater overall cargo capacity behind every row, but maybe it will grow for 2008. The manufacturer page for Toyota matches to Cars.com, but not for Chrysler. It looks like Cars.com was overly generous to the T&C.
Seems like not all comparison sites agree w/ interior dimensions. And I think there isn't a standard system for measuring. Some have seats all the way forward, backward, etc. And they do not always include 3rd row dimensions.
If you're looking for probably the most leg and other dimensions, check out the Nissan Quest. I sat in the 2nd row and it almost seemed like too much room. According to a 2007 brochure legroom is for 1st, 2nd, 3rd row - 41.7/42.1/39.6.
I bet most of the vehicles will have sufficient room for passengers. The biggest differences will be cargo area behind 3rd row. Also specs are not as good an indicator as actually sitting in the vehicle. On some cars there is hardly any room to put your feet under the seat in front of you.
Here is the link for the 2008 Dodge & Chrysler minivans:
I agree with you about the Stow 'N Go being uncomfortable. The Swivel 'N Go seem to be regular size chairs with same dimensions as front so they will not Stow but do fold like in the '97's. Not sure if they can be removed.
I realize it would be best to have 2nd row comfortable seats to stow. Time will tell what we like best. Seems like there are always compromises.
loach said: "- The center console is a bit of a joke in terms of storage space. It has a tiny flip-up bin and then it slides back to reveal another pretty small bin."
Actually, under that sliding arm rest is a deep storage bin. There is a tray in the top of it that you can lift out. There is a power outlet down in there, and you can snake the power cord up to the upper level.
I test drove a base SE (the only Acadia I could find in the Salt Lake City area). The auto show is in town this weekend, and I plan on taking a closer look at it and some of the competition. Right now, I am leaning heavily to the Acadia.
Thanks for pointing out that there's a tray in the lower storage bin - I'll have to check that out at the auto show. The salesperson at the dealership was clearly clueless about this vehicle or she would have pulled the tray out when she saw my disappointment in the size of the bin.
Swivel and go seats will stow into the ground. And why would chrysler not want that revolutionary feature in their top seller? It looks like Cars.com was overly generous to the T&C.- That is odd, considering motortrend car adn driver and consumer Reports magazines said it had the most. In my oppinion, the best minivans outthere for convienience and features and the money are Odessey and T&C.
I just picked up my new Outlook this morning. It's a FWD XR with almost every option available, with the exception of the DVD entertainment package and the 2nd row buckets - neither of which we wanted. Oh yea - we don't have an engine block heater either, but I should get by ok without that living in southeast TX and with global warming and all.
Haven't driven it much and we had only seen a base XE model when we ordered this one, so I was a bit nervous. All in all, I am quite satisfied so far. It drives and handles very well for a vehicle of this size, is quiet and comfortable on the road, has tons of room on the inside, and is done up in a manner better than what some people might expect out of Saturn or GM in general.
In the photos on your link, the 3rd row looks terrible. Did you see how much angle there is to the 3rd row. I think that the more horizontal the seat bottom, the more comfortable, and that side view of the 2nd and 3rd row makes it look uncomfortable and without any legroom...the seats are almost touching when facing eachother.
Most of the newest info. on Swivel 'N Go shows the corrected info. is they do not stow. Initially they said it stowed. Now they say it doesn't. Or else they would have called them Swivel 'N Stow 'N Go. LOL
"Three distinct seating configurations are available for 2008 in North America. They include a second-row bench seat with second-row covered storage bins and third-row fold-in-the-floor seating, a Stow 'n Go(R) seating and storage system that offers the only second- and third-row fold-in-the-floor seats in the industry and the new Swivel 'n Go seating that allows the second row seats to swivel 180 degrees to face rearward. Swivel 'n Go also includes a removable table that fits between the second and third rows with a fold-in-the-floor third-row seat. A one-touch power-folding third-row seat also is available"
I'm confused. Which vehicle are we talking about? Says Acadia in the subject line. Everything I have read says the 3rd row legroom is good. Issue is you cannot fit 3 adults across which is the same for every SUV/crossover.
I am looking for a replacement for my 1995 Explorer and the Acadia and Edge could do the trick. Today I finally test drove both cars.....I had an extensive road test of the Acadia.....going several miles of the freeway and on bumpy roads.
For what it's worth...here are my observations.
The Edge- It is bigger and nicer looking in person than the photos reveal. The car drove nicely but had a rather pronounced high pitch sound when accelerating hard. I thought the leather seats were basic and short in the seat. The rear seats had good leg room but were very low.....so much that my knees were forced up into the air several inches. I am only 5 foot 9 inches so I think this is a significant issue. The other major problem was the windshield glare. It was the first thing I noticed when I got in the drivers seat. I could see a perfect reflection of the dashboard on the lower third of the windshield. I couldn't believe how bright and clear the reflection appeared. My concern was that the glare would cause eyestrain. Still, on my one mile test drivve I forgot all about it. I thought the instrument cluster was basic and oddly vertical. Usually the gauges are slanted a little so you don't look at them off axis. The car has the dunne pearl paint job and was very attractive. I might have bought it on the spot if not for the negatives....I still might.
Acadia road test- It is bigger and longer than the edge with a third row seat. I thoght the interior looked nicer and more professional than the edge. The dashboard especially looked more adult-like. Acceleration was ok and the ride was smooth even going over train tracks. On the negative side...2nd row bucket seats are small....so small that I think I would prefer the bench seat. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the second row has several large slots in the floor to allow the seat to move forward...I can see small objects falling into these slots or a woman with high heals getting stuck. But , I did see the floor mats they give you and they cover most of the slots.
Both cars had very small engine compartments....my explorers is twice the size. I can't imagine working on these engines....I hope they don't have to drop the engine just to change the spark plugs.
So which did I prefer? The acadia had the edge...no pun intended. But you are paying at least 3k more so I guess you get what you pay for. If I can find a color I like, I'll probably order an acadia in the near future.
Edmonds states a loaded Acadia base invoice is $34,941.00. They list the loaded Outlook base at $29,819.00. So what is the difference. I priced an Acadia pretty much loaded, below invoice, and it was about $2,000 more than the regular Saturn dealer quoted for a comparable Outlook. If they are basically the same vehicle, why is it so much cheaper, and I might add, "easier", to buy a Saturn?
Invoice to invoice for the base Outlook and Acadia varies by ~$2,000. (link)
TMV is holding close to MSRP, but it's early and not a lot of real world buying information is in.
Among the differences listed in the link above, the base Acadia comes standard with a 6 speed automatic that's not available on the base Outlook and has captain's chairs instead of a 40/60 bench for the third row. You can play with the Comparator tool to figure out differences with other flavors of the Outlook and Acadia.
Yeah, that seems to be in vehicle pages that I found here. I'm confused about the "shiftable" part since there's D and L and a +/- button mentioned for both models, but I didn't look through all the trim lines to see if they were all the same.
If there's something wrong in our data, use the Help link at the bottom of the page and Contact Us and it'll get fixed.
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http://www.xmradio.com/navtraffic/solution_availability.xmc
thanks!
Since it is so new no one willprobably have any experience in order time.
But a sold order to a customer does get some priority over a general dealer stock order so a 6-12 week period sounds reasonable. If you did not get preference it could be longer.
When i went into the dealership they said they have one on it's way and it was on their website listed as "Ship"
I will be pretty mad if It takes 3 more weeks I have plans to be out of town by then, nonetheless vehicle is stunning
Did you drive one first? How was the ride compared to a minivan? A large sedan? an SUV?
Did you have any trade-ins as part of this deal? If so, what did you have and what did you get? It will help those buying without a trade-in, since those with trade-ins get better prices on their new cars since the dealer is making money on their trade-in, as compared to those without a trade-in. It's the old, "I'll give you $1000 off the MSRP" because in reality the dealer is making $4000 off the trade in.
My reaction:
I was impressed with the overall layout and roominess. The second and third rows have a fair amount of room (head, shoulder and leg). The third row is easier to access than any vehicle I have tried. I found the the driver's seat position comfortable. The engine seemed to have sufficient power, and I found the lag in the transmission less troublesome than expected from the reviews I have read. Overall, acceleration was decent, maneuverability was good, and body sway was well controlled. Sitting next to a GMC Yukon, it looks much smaller.
The ride was a bit jiggly. My 16-year-old son rode in the third row and said he could really feel curbs, pot holes, etc. The outside rear view mirrors were odd shaped and not all that helpful.
I was disappointed in the cloth seats, the hard plastic on the dash and the overall "feel" (quality) of the interior (compared to my 2002 MDX). I also found the second row bench seats to be hard and not all that comfortable.
A couple of question for those who have driven an Acadia with up-level trim:
1. Are the second row "captains chairs" more comfortable than the second-row bench?
2. How is the leather (quality and comfort)?
3. Is the dash material the same as in the SE?
4. Are there other quality/luxury differences between the SE and the SLT-1 and SLT-2 trim levels?
I really want to like this vehicle.
Kelly
The interior was still full of hard plastics on the upgraded trim, although the dash is textured and does look good from a distance. You might want to wait to see the Enclave if you are coming from a MDX.
PeterJ6 their is no comparison I sacrificed a lot no 6-disc changer, no Leather Interior, no Sunroof and even in base form the Acadia is more than the Trailblazer EXT could ever want to be the Trailblazer is pretty narrow the Acadia feels like a Fullsize Suv but handles like a car I live in Rockville,Maryland but I purchased the vehicle in Virginia they have a total of 4 I could have got an SLT with Leather Captains Chairs in-dash changer and TV for 34,900 but I did not want to spend that much the MSRP was $36,900 and oh yeah Mines is also FWD GM has a hit on their hand no doubt
The best thing to do when trading in a vehicle is find out the price the dealer is selling your trade-in for. So if for example you have a 2006 Trailblazer to trade-in and the dealer is selling a comparably equipped used 2006 Trailblazer on his lot for $28K, then you should get $23-$25K for the car because even if the dealer sells it for $27K and buys yours for $25K, they're still making $2000 off of your car that they don't have to do anything to other than clean it up a little. But for the dealer to make $7K off the trade-in sounds crazy to me.
"Note that TCO is a comparative tool, not a predictive tool - your actual five-year cost of owning a particular vehicle will vary depending on your personal circumstances, such as your driving history and the number of miles you drive."
That seems fairly typical to me. The first year depreciation is always the killer. If you want to change your car every year, it is a good way to commit financial suicide.
One of the most prudent purchasing schemes is to buy a nice used model that is about 2 years old and then keep it for another 3 to 5 years. Of course if that is a Camry it'll be a dull purchase but fiscally prudent.
Then again, what do I know? I bought a Eclipse new (for about $23k) and traded it 5 years, 82k miles later for $8k (which now sounds pretty good as the guy above is losing $10k in one year).
Then I got a 3 year old Audi for about $22k, which we've now had 4 years and some 45k miles later is now worth about $7-8k. This was not such a good buy as we have sunk about $5-6K in maintenance into this car over that time, but at least it still looks and drives like it did when we first got it. I expect to keep this for another year or two, by which time I would still expect it to be worth about $6-7k trade as it has hit bottom on its depreciation hit.
Our other car is a Ford Freestyle which was fully loaded at $32k. Now 20 months later KBB tells me it only worth $19k. Ouch! That's $650 per month..
Of course if you want to change your cars regular like, and do not do many miles you could always lease.
- Looks very nice in person: not too big, not too small.
- The front seat seemed comfortable to me, with lots of leg room (more fore and aft movement than my van). Bobw I think you will find the seat height to your liking - it's not too high.
- The center console is a bit of a joke in terms of storage space. It has a tiny flip-up bin and then it slides back to reveal another pretty small bin. The glove box, however, is huge. The storage bin on top of the dash is a long reach away.
- Sat in all 3 rows. I am 6'0" tall and the 3rd row was tolerable depending on the position of the 2nd seat. If the 2nd seat was in its farthest rear position the 3rd seat wouldn't work for a 6 footer. Not enough knee space. Move it forward a couple inches and it was ok. It seemed to me you could adjust all three rows to come up with a reasonable compromise in leg room for 6 adults. I say 6 instead of 7 because I don't think you could put 3 normal-sized adults across the rear bench comfortably.
- I had no problem with the flip 'n fold seat, unlike some others who have had complaints about it not working smoothly (I did have to teach the salesperson how to use it though
- Minivan owners will be disappointed in the cargo space behind the 3rd row. One large suitcase and a smaller bag would be about it I think. It didn't seem like anywhere near the space I have in my van, although based on the specs it should have been closer. Looking at my old van specs, it has 20.3 cu. ft behind 3rd row, vs. 19.7 for Acadia. Either one of them is wrong, or they are measured differently. I think vans probably just have a lot more usable space due to lower floor height.
I didn't have time to drive it on my lunch hour, but one of them was running and the engine seemed very quiet at idle. The jury is still out on this one for me until I have a chance to drive it and decide whether I'm willing to give up the space of a minivan in exchange for AWD. Of course I could get a Sienna AWD and give up neither, but I'm not sure I can talk my wife into another van. The nice thing is that I don't really need to decide anytime soon.
Good luck w/ your decision!
I too am planning on using the auto show (in my case in Omaha in 2 weeks) to further evaluate the Sienna, Acadia and several other vehicles. Please keep us posted on your thoughts.
Comparing the 2008 T&C, it's a major redo. I like the idea of the new Swivel 'n Go 2nd row seats. This van seems packed (if you get all the options)with the best of all minivan and crossover features and much more storage than the crossovers.
Only thing is the T&C not available into the FAll
It doesn't seem like there is an option of a NAV system on the Veracruz. But maybe the dealer can install one.
I'm really interested in a fully loaded vehicle.
The T&C 2008 seems to offers more than all the above and although the prices aren't out on it yet, I read the range is $25K-$40K. So if $40K is loaded, that could be less than some of the others in the discussions that don't offer all the bells and whistles of the T&C. Estimated mileage is apprx 18/25. Check it out.
I have followed the 2008 T&C closely. I have a couple issues with it. One, it's not out until the Fall, and I don't know if I want to wait that long. Two, I'm still not sold on Stow 'N Go (uncomfortable 2nd row) or Swivel 'N Go (which doesn't Stow).
We will look at the Mazda CX-9, '07 Sienna (3.5L), Odyssey and others during the Auto Show.
http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USB70CDV081A0,USB70TOV111B- 0
Carcom-I would be willing to bet VeraCruz will have Navigation, as Suzuki XL7 does.
and the Sienna has greater overall cargo capacity behind every row, but maybe it will grow for 2008. The manufacturer page for Toyota matches to Cars.com, but not for Chrysler. It looks like Cars.com was overly generous to the T&C.
If you're looking for probably the most leg and other dimensions, check out the Nissan Quest. I sat in the 2nd row and it almost seemed like too much room. According to a 2007 brochure legroom is for 1st, 2nd, 3rd row - 41.7/42.1/39.6.
I bet most of the vehicles will have sufficient room for passengers. The biggest differences will be cargo area behind 3rd row. Also specs are not as good an indicator as actually sitting in the vehicle. On some cars there is hardly any room to put your feet under the seat in front of you.
Here is the link for the 2008 Dodge & Chrysler minivans:
http://www.allpar.com/model/m/2008-minivans.html">link title
Some of the dimensions decreased while others increased. So, seeing is believing. Can't wait to see all these vehicles in person.
The Swivel 'N Go seem to be regular size chairs with same dimensions as front so they will not Stow but do fold like in the '97's. Not sure if they can be removed.
I realize it would be best to have 2nd row comfortable seats to stow. Time will tell what we like best. Seems like there are always compromises.
Actually, under that sliding arm rest is a deep storage bin. There is a tray in the top of it that you can lift out. There is a power outlet down in there, and you can snake the power cord up to the upper level.
I test drove a base SE (the only Acadia I could find in the Salt Lake City area). The auto show is in town this weekend, and I plan on taking a closer look at it and some of the competition. Right now, I am leaning heavily to the Acadia.
Kelly
It looks like Cars.com was overly generous to the T&C.- That is odd, considering motortrend car adn driver and consumer Reports magazines said it had the most. In my oppinion, the best minivans outthere for convienience and features and the money are Odessey and T&C.
Haven't driven it much and we had only seen a base XE model when we ordered this one, so I was a bit nervous. All in all, I am quite satisfied so far. It drives and handles very well for a vehicle of this size, is quiet and comfortable on the road, has tons of room on the inside, and is done up in a manner better than what some people might expect out of Saturn or GM in general.
http://www.allpar.com/model/m/2008-minivans.html
"Three distinct seating configurations are available for 2008 in North America. They include a second-row bench seat with second-row covered storage bins and third-row fold-in-the-floor seating, a Stow 'n Go(R) seating and storage system that offers the only second- and third-row fold-in-the-floor seats in the industry and the new Swivel 'n Go seating that allows the second row seats to swivel 180 degrees to face rearward. Swivel 'n Go also includes a removable table that fits between the second and third rows with a fold-in-the-floor third-row seat. A one-touch power-folding third-row seat also is available"
Here is a correction: http://www.allpar.com/model/m/2008-minivans.html -
I would have to try them to know for sure.
Other than that, I think all the extra features and options are excellent.
It's still something I'll want to check out more.
I'm still looking forward to see and drive the Veracruz, CX-9 and the Enclave.
First Drive: 2007 GMC Acadia
This one is a bit older than that:
Full Test: 2007 Saturn Outlook XR FWD
And this blurb from the LA Car Show is so we don't leave the Enclave fans out: :shades:
2007 LA Auto Show - 2008 Buick Enclave
There's more in the Article Comments: 2007 Saturn Outlook Full Test discussion.
For what it's worth...here are my observations.
The Edge-
It is bigger and nicer looking in person than the photos reveal. The car drove nicely but had a rather pronounced high pitch sound when accelerating hard. I thought the leather seats were basic and short in the seat. The rear seats had good leg room but were very low.....so much that my knees were forced up into the air several inches. I am only 5 foot 9 inches so I think this is a significant issue. The other major problem was the windshield glare. It was the first thing I noticed when I got in the drivers seat. I could see a perfect reflection of the dashboard on the lower third of the windshield. I couldn't believe how bright and clear the reflection appeared. My concern was that the glare would cause eyestrain. Still, on my one mile test drivve I forgot all about it. I thought the instrument cluster was basic and oddly vertical. Usually the gauges are slanted a little so you don't look at them off axis. The car has the dunne pearl paint job and was very attractive. I might have bought it on the spot if not for the negatives....I still might.
Acadia road test-
It is bigger and longer than the edge with a third row seat. I thoght the interior looked nicer and more professional than the edge. The dashboard especially looked more adult-like. Acceleration was ok and the ride was smooth even going over train tracks.
On the negative side...2nd row bucket seats are small....so small that I think I would prefer the bench seat. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the second row has several large slots in the floor to allow the seat to move forward...I can see small objects falling into these slots or a woman with high heals getting stuck. But , I did see the floor mats they give you and they cover most of the slots.
Both cars had very small engine compartments....my explorers is twice the size. I can't imagine working on these engines....I hope they don't have to drop the engine just to change the spark plugs.
So which did I prefer? The acadia had the edge...no pun intended. But you are paying at least 3k more so I guess you get what you pay for. If I can find a color I like, I'll probably order an acadia in the near future.
Guys, come back to the topic of the lambdas, or at least crossovers.
I think this is a recycled story but if you need a review fix:
Don't miss the 2007 GMC Acadia (San Mateo Daily Journal)
Who cares what Edmunds says!!!!!!!!
Do your own research. Price both with comparable options.
A base stripped Outlook has a MSRP of $27,990.
A base stripped Acadia (8 pass. seating) has a manufacturers invoice of $27,677. The Acadia has another 5 HP, dual exhaust with chrome tips.
If you can buy an Outlook under MSRP you can get a slightly lower price than the Acadia.
TMV is holding close to MSRP, but it's early and not a lot of real world buying information is in.
Among the differences listed in the link above, the base Acadia comes standard with a 6 speed automatic that's not available on the base Outlook and has captain's chairs instead of a 40/60 bench for the third row. You can play with the Comparator tool to figure out differences with other flavors of the Outlook and Acadia.
The base Outlook comes with a 6 speed automatic!!!!!!!!!! If you are using Edmunds data to say it doesn't then Edmunds is wrong.
I deleted the captains chairs to get the comparable equipment to the Outlook. If you want captains chairs, add them to both vehicles.
Well DUH! But some are talking about minivans-with no lambda comparison going on. Lets stick to crossovers.
Yeah, that seems to be in vehicle pages that I found here. I'm confused about the "shiftable" part since there's D and L and a +/- button mentioned for both models, but I didn't look through all the trim lines to see if they were all the same.
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