2020 GMC Acadia vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

Long story short, as a friend of mine likes to say, GMC screwed up. This is just my opinion, of course, but when GMC redesigned the Acadia for the 2017 model year, the SUV shrank in size and switched to a softer look in order to plug a huge hole in the Buick-GMC SUV lineup.

Fast-forward to 2020, and GMC may have decided this move was a bad idea. As part of a refresh, the new Acadia adopts bolder styling and adds a new AT4 trim level with greater off-roading capability. Additional changes include the availability of a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a new nine-speed automatic transmission, and new and updated technology.

These revisions do help the Acadia to better stand out in what is now an ocean of midsize SUVs, from Hyundai to Kia and Honda to Toyota, and everything in between, but it’s up to GMC to make people aware of this fundamentally good, but oh-so-vanilla SUV. And the company must also address the Acadia’s questionable value.

Like a geological core sample, you can chart the evolution of the American family car by looking at the Chevrolet lineup. Go back a few decades and you have tail-finned and wood-paneled station wagons, then Lumina APV “Dustbuster” minivans. Today, you have the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse.

The Traverse is a three-row crossover of the type that has largely eliminated the minivan from showrooms. As the new default choice for larger families, the three-row crossover has spawned a competitive market segment, encompassing the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas. So buyers aren’t exactly lacking in choices here.

The current-generation Traverse dates back to the 2018 model year, so it’s not the newest vehicle in the segment, but still fairly fresh. Chevy had some updates planned for the 2021 model year—including minor styling changes and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity—but they’ve been pushed to 2022. However, these changes don’t appear significant enough to justify waiting around for the 2022 Traverse, which is scheduled to reach dealerships later this year.

For 2021, the Traverse is available in L, LS, LT Cloth, LT Leather, RS, Premier, and High Country trim levels, with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD). Our test car was an AWD Traverse RS model.