Depending what level of trim you choose, you’ll get various levels of luxury on the Acadia. The Denali trim is always the star of the GMC lineups, but will be your most pricy option. With the lower trim levels, things are a bit more simple inside, but there are plenty of levels to choose from to get some upgrades you may want. Overall, the quality on all trim levels is pretty strong and reflective of the price ranges.

The Acadia is built with families in mind, and has multiple setups offered -- capable of carrying anywhere from 5 to 7 people in it. Most versions have three rows, but getting the all-terrain package means the third row is gone.

Maneuvering the seats in the Acadia is a breeze, even when car seats are in place, and you’ll get helpful features like tri-zone auto climate control and driver and passenger heated seats in front.

The setup of the cockpit and all the controls is very well done. Unlike some modern vehicles, you don’t need a guide book to figure out what button does what on the dashboard, infotainment system and steering wheel -- GMC kept it simple and straightforward.

UNDER THE HOOD

Two engines are offered on the 2017 Acadia. I tested the optional 3.6-liter V6 engine, but a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine is the base offering.
The Acadia features a 6-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is offered, but  front-wheel drive is standard.It tows up to 4,000 pounds (a bit less than its competitors).

The raw power you’ll get from the V6 is …. 310 horsepower, and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. Drop down to the four-cylinder option and you’ll be at 193 hp/188 lb.-ft.

Based on my experience, the V6 is the engine to choose. It’s powerful but not overwhelmingly so. When you’re driving around your family, you don’t need a drag racer, just something fast to get you out of  a tight spot in a hurry when needed.

Going beyond power, I must note the overall smoothness and responsiveness of the ride in the Acadia, and increased maneuverability due to the cut in weight. The level of outside noise that will enter the Acadia is minimal, helping in the overall smoothness of the ride. Essentially, you’re losing some space and roominess inside, but gaining a better driving experience. It’s a trade-off potential buyers will have to weigh and determine what’s more important.

And if you go All Terrain with your Acadia, you’ll be able to go a little bit off the beaten path -- but don’t go too crazy. It’s not that high up the off-roading food chain, so I wouldn’t climb any cliffs with it, though it does offer a hill descent control feature.

CUTTING EDGE TECH

There’s an unwritten rule that if you upgrade a vehicle, you have to get the tech as up to date as possible -- since you’re never sure when the next refresh will come. GMC did well on this front with the Acadia. As I mentioned, the controls are well-designed and effective, and you get all the tech amenities you would expect, some as options and some standard.

Among the offerings on my test vehicle:
-- Onstar service, including a 5-year basic plan, plus 3 months service with automatic crash response and navigation
-- You can opt for a 4G LTE WiFi Hotspot

-- The 8-inch diagonal color touch screen with Intellilink offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, which worked very well for me overall and also responded well to voice commands
-- Bose premium 8-speaker audio

You also get: Keyless open and start, Remote vehicle start, antilock brakes, and you can opt for the “Driver Alert package”, which includes rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change alert with side blind zone alert. Other options include pedestrian detection and forward collision warning with automatic braking. These are among the type of safety features that I would recommend on any family vehicle, as they most definitely come in handy to prevent accidents.

Perhaps my favorite new tech feature is a simple one -- called Rear Seat Reminder. This one lets drivers know to check the backseat before getting out. Aimed at parents with small children in the back seat, it’s a nice way of the car helping you protect your family when you’re out and about.

Another cool tech feature is the Teen Driver controls that parents can enable. The stereo stays off until all seat belts are fastened, you can cap music volume, track distance driven, how fast your teen was driving, and whether ABS/stability systems were deployed. There’s even an option to set a max speed (between 40 and 75 mph), and the vehicle will let you know if that was surpassed. Some may call it Big Brother-y, but it’s really just another way for parents to have peace of mind when they kids take the car out. This type of tech will continue to grow in coming years.

MPG
Official fuel mileage numbers on the 2017 Acadia top out in the low-to-mid 20s. Among competitors, this just beats out the Chevy Traverse and Ford Explorer; and is slightly behind the Honda Pilot.

PRICE, BOTTOM LINE
There’s a wide range of prices offered on the Acadia. My test vehicle was just over $47,465 ($41,450 plus options). The base price on the Acadia starts at $29,070, and that version is still equipped quite well; The All Terrain and Denali lines are higher up the ladder. The Acadia comes with a 5 year/60K miles powertrain limited warranty.

While the vehicle was overdue for a refresh, the improved drive quality and technology changes made to the 2017 GMC Acadia should push it in the right direction when it comes to taking on the Explorer and others in this midsize SUV category. The SUV has become the vehicle of choice for families, so there are no shortage of potential customers … and these updates move the Acadia up a notch from its previous incarnation.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.