2017 GMC Acadia Crashes Its Way to Earn Top Safety Pick Rating

It’s not Top Safety Pick+, though. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2017 GMC Acadia is worthy of the Top Safety Pick rating. The + didn’t make the cut due to the headlights. The IIHS tested three different headlight variations, as follows: HID projector lamps on the luxed-up Denali, halogen projectors with high-beam assist on the SLT-2, and halogen projectors without high-beam assist on the SLT-1. Care to guess which of the three variations was awarded the fewest points?

Yup, it's the cheapo-lights that come as standard on the entry-level models. The SLT-1 and SLT-2 alike were rated “poor,” whereas the Denali and its HID projector lamps leveled up to “marginal.” I know what you’re thinking right now, but that’s how the cookie crumbles: without an “acceptable” or “good” headlight rating, a crashworthy vehicle can’t earn the institute’s coveted Top Safety Pick+ rating.

In every other noteworthy test (small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength, head restraints & seats), the 2017 GMC Acadia boasts “good” ratings. When equipped with the optional Technology Package, which includes front automatic braking and low-speed front automatic braking features, the mid-size crossover is worthy of the "superior" rating.

The ease of use of the LATCH system, however, is “acceptable” because the lower anchors are located too deep in the seat, making it hard for parents to fit the child seat. Other than that, the tether anchor could be confused for other hardware.

As a brief refresher, the cheapest Acadia is priced from $29,070, whereas a fully-loaded Acadia Denali retails for $50,000, give or take a few bucks.