SUV? Crossover? Compact Crossover?

It’s great to have a lot of options, and equally good to make the right choice. So let’s take a moment to run through the categories with your needs in mind. We’ve organized our list by seating and towing capacity, starting with SUVs – scroll down to find out about crossovers and compact crossovers.
 

 

If you’ve got a big boat or serious trailer to tow, and need to move people, too, choose an SUV (sport utility vehicle). Some full-size SUVs, like the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, combine pickup truck-style ladder frame construction and V8 power with the ability to carry up to nine passengers in a comfortable interior.
 

GMC Yukon and Yukon XL are one-hundred-percent truck, with high-strength steel body-on-frame construction, capable of towing major-league trailers and hauling large amounts of cargo. Yukon has a standard Vortec^TM 5.3L V8 engine that generates 320 horsepower and 335 lb-ft of torque, allowing you to tow up to a maximum of 3,856 kg (8,500 lb). If you need more, the Yukon XL 2500 tops out at a massive 4,355 kg¹ (9,600 lb), an achievement that no other SUV can match.² That SUV power, strength and 4x4 capability is also necessary if your travels take you off the proverbial “beaten path.”
 

 
 

Wherever you’re going, you can bring lots of friends and family with you (including your crew if you need to transport people for work). Yukon seats up to nine* in comfort, with tons of room for all your gear. In fact, with all seats in place Yukon XlL boasts an incredible 1,297 litres (45.8 cu. ft.) of cargo volume. And, you’ll get best-in-class 9.5L/100 km highway and 14.4 L/100 km city ratings on 4 X 4 ½-ton models.³

 

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Crossovers were originally conceived to fill the gap between the SUV and station wagon. A crossover (also called a cross utility vehicle) has a unibody construction like a car, which means car-like handling and fuel consumption, because it weighs less than an SUV. Yet it combines the functionality of an SUV with tall interior design, high ground clearance and available all-wheel drive capability. Typically, crossovers have a smaller footprint in terms of wheelbase and overall length.

A crossover like Acadia is a great dual-purpose vehicle, with the advantages of a car and an SUV in a single vehicle. Think about your lifestyle. If your recreation time revolves around the great outdoors, Acadia is ideal – you can tow up to 2,359 kg or 5,200 lbs (a small 20’ powerboat, for example), which is the highest towing capacity for Acadia’s class and segment.¹ Then there’s your day-to-day life, which has you ferrying the kids back and forth to school, hockey practice and birthday parties. A crossover helps you there, too. Acadia seats 8 comfortably in three rows of seats, and has loads of cargo space for sports gear and shopping. (And we’re talking serious shopping – the interior reconfigures to allow up to 3,282 litres of cargo.) It’s also an easy-handling and fuel-efficient ride to work.

 

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Compact crossovers are the new kid on the block and the name says it all: they’re more compact versions of crossovers that combine features like cargo space and towing ability with maneuverability (great for downtown parking) and fuel efficiency in a vehicle with a smaller footprint than a crossover.
 

 

The GMC Terrain seats 5, so it’s great for a small family. If making a trip to the building centre or grocery store is part of your weekend routine, you’ll have lots of space to carry your purchases home. You can fold down the rear seats to make more room, and Terrain’s multi-flex rear seat also slides forward to allow you to maximize the cargo area. If you’re going out on the town with friends, you can slide the multi-flex rear seat back to add legroom.

Terrain has a towing capacity of 1,588 kg (3,500 lb) with the towing package, so you can head up to the cottage with a couple of jet skis on a single axle trailer, help move your kids to university with a utility trailer, or tow your pop-up camper. And, Terrain’s 4 cylinder Ecotec^® engine will give you good fuel economy.

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What works for you?

In the end, the key question is: “What do you plan to do with your new vehicle?” It’s worth taking the time to think about all your needs before making your decision. We’ve just skimmed the surface here in terms of the sophisticated safety systems, technology and connectivity offered by Yukon, Acadia and Terrain, as well as a long list of other interior, exterior and mechanical features that will also influence your decision. For more detail, click on the links we’ve provided for more information about the vehicles GMC offers in each segment – SUV, Crossover, and Compact Crossover.

^Yukon

^{1, 2 When properly equipped; requires available equipment.}

^{3Yukon fuel consumption rating based on Natural Resources Canada’s 2012 Fuel Consumption Guide. Your actual fuel consumption may vary.
*On GMC Yukon SLE model only.}

^{**Based on WardsAuto.com 2012 Large SUV segment and latest 2012 Model Year competitive information for comparably equipped vehicles at time of publication. Excludes other GM models.}

^Acadia

^{*Based on WardsAuto.com 2012 Large/Cross Utility Vehicle segment and latest published competitive information available at time of publishing. Excludes other GM models.}

^{1When equipped with trailering package.}