GMC Acadia vs Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

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.

When the original Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid debuted in 2014, it was by no means early to the hybrid game. But most hybrids were sedans, and few automakers had attempted a hybrid crossover. As Subaru’s first-ever production hybrid, sold from 2014 to 2016, it signaled Subaru's interest in the green-car market.

After a nearly three-year hiatus, the Crosstrek hybrid is back, now as a plug-in hybrid. However, it has some stiff competition. The compact crossover segment has exploded, and brought us some unique green cars for eco-friendly shoppers on a budget. You could get the RAV4 Hybrid back in 2015, but now there’s also the Kia Niro, Hyundai Ioniq, and Prius Prime (which was introduced in 2016) all offering plug-in capability and some modest utility. The new Crosstrek Hybrid has the latest infotainment and driver-assistance features, but will that be enough to ensure its relevance in this affordable green-car landscape?