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In the GMC world of SUVs, bigger is often better. Right? The Yukon reigns supreme on big space. Or does it? GMC makes three three-row SUVs, the Acadia the Yukon and the giant Yukon XL. Is the Acadia really a better Tahoe alternative?

GMC Acadia vs. Yukon: which has more cargo space?

2022 Chevy Tahoe Premiere, or luxury, interior
2022 Chevrolet Tahoe Premier
2023 GMC Acadia Cabin View
2023 GMC Acadia Cabin View | GMC

The easiest way to measure size is in the interior cargo room. The Acadia holds 79 cubic feet of cargo with all the seats folded, and 41.7 with the third row folded. But the Yukon? Well it holds 72 cubic feet behind the third row, and a massive 123 cubic feet of stuff behind the second row. For the even bigger Yukon XL, count on 145 cubic feet behind the front row and almost the same amount of space behind the third row as the Acadia has with the third row folded.

But, all of that space comes at a cost in sheer vehicle size. The Yukon is 17.5 feet long, and the XL is nearly 19 feet long, so good luck squeezing that into a Trader Joe’s parking space. The Acadia, however, is much better for city driving with a length of 16 feet, and it’s six inches narrower which helps a lot when you’re parking. The Chevy version of the Yukon is the Tahoe, while the Chevy Traverse is the Chevy version of the Acadia.

The Yukon has a lot of leg room

2023 GMC Acadia Rear Cabin View
2023 GMC Acadia Rear Cabin View | GMC
Interior of the Yukon with the seats folkded
GMC Yukon XL with seats folded | GMC

In the third row, the Yukon’s size really stands out, with 35 inches of legroom. That’s plenty for real adults to sit comfortably in the back. But, if you really need the room, the Yukon XL adds almost another two inches of leg room. If you’re carrying seven passengers regularly, the Yukon XL is your go-to SUV. But, if you’re only occasionally ferrying seven, maybe the easier-to-park Acadia is for you.

The Acadia is comfortable, but every dimension inside is just slightly smaller. The rear seat passengers still get a generous 30 inches of leg room, but that’s about 10 inches less than second-row passengers get.

The Tahoe has more power, too

The Acadia comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Don’t let it’s small size fool you, it has 228 horsepower. The optional V6 makes a healthy 310 horsepower, which should be plenty. All Acadia SUVs get GMs 9-speed auto, which should help to maximize the power from either engine. You can also order it an off-road ready AT4 package with four-wheel drive.

While you can get GM’s mighty 6.2-liter in the Yukon with 420 horsepower, you’ll pay for that power both at the dealer, and the pump. You have to step up to the AT4 or Denali packages that start at about $76,000, and then you’ll only get 16 mpg combined. It comes standard with the 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 and, to the delight of many, you can still get the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel that helps with massive torque for towing.

How much is a GMC Yukon?

A black 2022 GMC Yukon driving down the road.
2022 GMC Yukon Denali | Creative Commons
White 2023 GMC Acadia Posed on trails
White 2023 GMC Acadia | GMC

While the Yukon may be bigger, it’s also a lot more expensive. The Yukon starts at about $58,000, while an Acadia starts at about $39,000. The base Yukon comes well equipped, but the SLT for $66,000 has more of the options that most of us like, such as heated seats and wireless charging. The longer XL version starts adds about $3,000 to the base price.

The comparable upgraded Acadia SLT, however, starts at about $43,000, while the off-road focused AT4 starts at $45,000. With the money you save, you can always buy an extra trailer for the Acadia, which tows up to 4,000 pounds.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.