Open Today Sales: 12 PM-6 PM
Starting at
Starting at
| 228-310 | Horsepower (hp) | 191-281 |
| 79 | Cargo Space (cu.ft.) | 75.5 |
| 4,000 | Towing (lbs) | 3,500 |
Three-row SUVs are the go-to vehicles for large families who need space for everyone and everything. They offer higher ground clearance, more rugged handling, and more modern styling than minivans and have become some of the most common vehicles you will see in the carpool lane. Comfortable interiors, safety features, and infotainment technology are often top priorities of SUV shoppers. These are the vehicles that you’re going to spend plenty of time in, after all––they’re almost like your living rooms on wheels. Since they’re usually loaded with kids, it’s important that three-row SUVs have features that will keep young, finicky passengers content.
Many shoppers wind up narrowing their search down to the 2023 GMC Acadia vs 2023 Kia Sorento. Both of these three-row SUVs have seating for up to seven passengers, making them excellent people haulers. They are loaded with driver-assist features to keep you feeling confident and in command in a variety of situations, and they boast comfortable cabins that are great for road trips––or even just hours stuck in traffic. However, GMC and Kia have very different reputations. When drivers think of GMC, they think of sturdy and powerful vehicles. When they think Kia, they think affordable and youthful. Appropriately, the 2023 GMC Acadia has a more traditional athletic SUV look, while the Sorento has more of a rounded and spry aesthetic. The differences don’t stop on the exterior, though. Here’s how the 2023 GMC Acadia vs 2023 Kia Sorento hold up against one another.
Performance matters in an SUV. That’s a lot of steel sitting atop the wheels, and you want a vehicle that can keep up with you. However, this is an area where GMC easily pulls ahead of Kia. After all, GMC is renowned for building powerful pickup trucks and other professional-grade vehicles.
The 2023 Acadia stands out here because it provides two powerful engines: a standard 2.0L Turbo and an available 3.6L V6. The 2023 Sorento only offers a basic 2.5L four-cylinder and a turbocharged version of the same engine. If you want serious power beneath the hood, you’ll want that GMC V6. It kicks out 310 hp, which is quite a bit more than the Sorento’s 281 hp. When you’re accelerating uphill or towing, you’re going to notice the difference in the power of these two engines.
Speaking of towing, the Acadia can tow up to 4,000 lbs, while the Sorento can tow up to 3,500 lbs. Those 500 lbs will make the difference when you want to bring that boat or camper out to the lake one weekend for some family fun. Another feature that makes the Acadia easier to command is the transmission. The Sorento gets an eight-speed automatic transmission, but the Acadia gets a nine-speed gearbox, giving you one extra step when shifting gears.
Both vehicles have systems in place to help you maintain control on a variety of surfaces. Both the Acadia and the Sorento offer hill descent control and hill start assist. The former helps maintain control when going downhill, and the latter automatically keeps the brake on until you’ve switched to the accelerator, which reduces incidents of rolling backward on a hill.
The Acadia also shines as far as performance systems go. It has available Adaptive Ride Control, which adjusts shock absorption to match the road, creating a really smooth and comfortable ride. Plus, it has a special Traction Select System, which is standard across the trim lineup. The Acadia offers Normal, Snow, Sport, and Trailer/Tow modes in front-wheel drive models. All-wheel drive models include 4x4, 2x4, Sport, Off-Road, and Trailer/Tow modes. These modes will make appropriate adjustments to your vehicle to better adapt to the road.
In SUVs, the comfort and spaciousness of the interior matter. So does the available cargo space. These are your road trip vehicles, so it is important that everybody can pack up the things they need, both for the destination and for the journey. With that in mind, note that the Acadia has several cubic feet of additional cargo space compared to the Sorento. The 2023 Acadia offers up to 79 cu.ft. with its rear seats folded down, while the 2023 Sorento tops out at 75.5 cu.ft. This difference will matter when you want to get in that one last bag or cooler full of snacks.
You have flexible seating options in both of these SUVs. However, the Acadia boasts fold-flat second and third-row seats. That’s where all of that extra cargo space comes from. Plus, the Acadia has Smart Slide second-row seats, making it easy for third-row passengers to access the back without having to climb over the second row––even when you have a child seat installed.
As you move up the trims of each of these SUVs, you’ll find nice touches like heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheels. However, when it comes to true luxury, many would argue that it just doesn’t get better than the GMC Denali. The Denali family of high-end vehicles has garnered praise from drivers across the country for its stunning design and upscale details. The 2023 Acadia Denali boasts real ash wood accents, brushed aluminum trim, and French seam stitching for a sophisticated look. Plus, it boasts eye-catching embroidered front headrests and embossed sill plates.
Climate control is superior in the Acadia as well. The Sorento offers dual-zone climate control, while the Acadia offers tri-zone climate control with smartly-placed sensors that will keep your rear seat passengers content. This will greatly reduce those arguments with the driver over the temperature settings in the vehicle.
If you’re going to travel far and spend lots of time in your SUV, then the technology and safety features make a big difference. You’ll see your apps, navigation, and more show up on the central touchscreen of both vehicles. However, the 2023 Acadia comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can forget about needing to plug in your phone to access your favorite apps.
You can rest assured that your passengers will also be entertained on the road, thanks to the generous number of USB ports found throughout these vehicles. These enable passengers to power up those important devices for streaming shows, music, and more on road trips. There is also an available Wi-Fi hotspot in each of these SUVs, meaning nobody has to miss an email or social media update, no matter where you go. If you have teenagers, then you know how critical that is.
If you’re hauling kids around in your SUV, then you have some precious cargo to protect, and you’ll want excellent driver-assist features to help you out. The Acadia and the Sorento share some standard driver-assist features, like forward collision warning and automatic braking, to alert you of impending crashes and activate the brakes if necessary. They also both have blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to act as your second set of eyes on those tricky-to-see spots.
The 2023 GMC Acadia, however, has some additional features to improve your time behind the wheel. These features include standard front and rear park assist to guide you into parking spots while helping you avoid objects and an available rear camera mirror. Plus, GMC has available OnStar Connected Services, which offers benefits like automatic crash response and emergency services, which can be lifesaving in the moments following a collision.
At Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth, we offer an incredible selection of new and used vehicles from GMC, including SUVs like the Acadia, pickups like the Sierra 1500, and more. No matter the body style you’re after, we have it, thanks to our extensive inventory of used models from all the major brands. We are always working to keep the most expansive and diverse lineup of vehicles on our lot so that you can shop from tons of models and manufacturers all in one place.
We work hard to offer highly competitive pricing on new and used cars. Plus, we’re regularly running specials so you can get amazing offers on the vehicles you love. Our sales team is friendly and knowledgeable. They’ll be glad to assess your needs and introduce you to several models that might fit them. They’ll take their time and make sure you understand the features and benefits of all of your options.
When you’ve found the car you love, our finance team will be glad to sit down with you and discuss payment options. They know the ins and outs of so many lease and loan packages. They can collect some details about your income, down payment, and credit score, as well as how much you’d like to pay each month, and then show you several financing options that will fit your needs. We do what we can to create a car-shopping experience you’ll never forget. Visit us at Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth today to test-drive popular models from the top car manufacturers––new and used.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.