Costa Mesa, CA – As vehicles go, some are fantastic for a road trip and others not so much.  Some are fast & agile but not all that comfortable.  Others are comfortable but not all that quick or agile, and some have more space for your luggage then others too, especially if someone brings a bag filled with two weeks’ worth of outfits for a 5 day excursion!
                Of course you need a destination, and the American Lemans Series Season Finale at Mazda Raceway – Laguna Seca is about as perfect a destination as they come.  The battle between Porsche and Acura for the class championship, Emanuele Pirro’s last run in the venerable Audi R10 TDI, one of the few remaining runs of the bellowing Corvette C6.R before they move to the GT2 class from GT1.  Enough reasons – let’s hit the road.
                Our good friends at GM supplied us the carriage for our road trip, a 2009 Acadia AWD SLT-1.  I have to be candid and say that I’m not a big fan of the SUV and crossover segment.  Most of them lumber around town with seating for up to 8 but hardly ever have more than 1 in them, you hardly ever see anyone hauling anything in them, and the closest most of these big vehicles come to going off-road is pulling over on the shoulder of the freeway or a dirt parking lot.
                Well my opinion has changed thanks to this fantastic vehicle.  It’s big, about the size of a Yukon, but it does not feel that big behind the wheel.  Storage galore and the 60/40 split rear bench folds flat for easy loading of cargo.
                MSRP is $31,890.00 and our model stickered at $41,630.00.  For that chunk of change you get dual sunroof’s, the front opens up and slides back as normal but the rear only tilts up, rear view camera for back-up assistance, Aluminum Wheels, Ultrasonic Park Assist which beeps as you get close to objects behind you, heavy duty Cooling System for hauling and a trailer hitch, leather interior for the first and second rows of seats, heated front seats, power seat adjust for the driver and front passenger, Tri-Zone climate control, rear seat audio controls, tilt & telescoping leather wrapped steering wheel, Bose audio, satellite radio and many other comfort, safety and performance items such as anti-lock brakes and airbags galore.
               One option missing was a traditional navigation system and screen.  Not to worry, for those directionally challenged, GM’s OnStar turn-

by- turn navigation is available as is hands free calling via OnStar and Bluetooth was included on this vehicle too.
                Some might scoff at the prospect of this size vehicle having a V-6 instead of a V-8.  Don’t!  The 288 Horsepower and 270 lb-ft of Torque delivered by the 3.6 Liter V-6 offers spirited acceleration, not tire spinning, smoke inducing burn-outs but enough oomph to make it enjoyable and easy to pass when needed.  The 6-Speed automatic transmission handles the gears very well and I experienced no issues with up or downshifts – all were smooth and no hunting for gears on this road trip.  The one place the V-6 seemed a little overwhelmed was climbing up the hill into Mazda Raceway – Laguna Seca.  If you’ve been there you know the hill I’m speaking of and I’ve driven many different vehicles up that hill and all but the most potent of engines struggles in that spot.  On the highway through the mountain passes the engine purred along and didn’t break a sweat.
                EPA Fuel Economy Estimates are 16 MPG City and 23 MPG Highway for the AWD version; you gain a few MPG in the FWD version.  For a vehicle this size and heft (curb weight of 4,700 Lbs) those are pretty good numbers.  Over our 1000 + mile road trip I averaged 18 MPG in mostly highway driving but had a few long stretches of road construction, and I mean long stretches that had us parked for while, and then many large trucks to pass once we got rolling, which meant getting into the throttle more than is typically needed.  Without that scenario the MPG figures would be a little higher.
                The interior, while nicely done, uses to much cheap looking plastic, especially the steering wheel.  All controls are logically placed and most are of solid materials and of good build quality but you know the minute you strap into the driver’s seat that this is a GM interior.
                Well the race was won by the Audi and Porsche claimed the class championship, the #4 Corvette beat the #3 Corvette for only the third time in the 2008 season.  What a race weekend.  A weekend made more enjoyable by the GMC Acadia.   It changed my mind about crossovers! 

Column and photos provided by Rich Branch, EVP of Race Central TV and Radio Network Partners.