2017 GMC Acadia Wants To Rock The Suburbs

The world skipped a beat today as the reveal of one of the most important production vehicles of our time graced the Detroit auto show. The crowd gasped when learning of its 700 lb. weight loss, and the inclusion of its Herculean V-6 sent shock waves—at least for those of us that live in Indiana.

The 2017 GMC Acadia, at first glance, does not seem like the machine to cause such a ruckus. (And, honesty, it didn’t.) But if you, like me, live on the north side of Indianapolis—an area known as the Beverly Hills of the Midwest (at least to those that have never been to Beverly Hills or indeed left the state of Indiana)—the Acadia is a big deal.

A short while ago, I drove my kid to preschool. It’s a 10-minute drive each way, and upon my return, I counted 38 separate Acadia sightings. Five of these occurred prior to leaving my own street.

A few days later I went to my kid’s soccer game. Parking was at a church, because Indiana, and I counted 11 Acadai dueling within my vicinity—including three that were side-by-side, as if they were locked in an intense battle for parental brinkmanship. If Bravo ever chose to create a “Real Housewives Of Indiana,” GMC would make a killing.

My own wife dragged me to a dealership the other day. Her friends on our street rave about their Acadias, and she wanted to see what all the fuss was about: “It has three rows, a decent sized trunk,” she said. “What more do we need?”

I forget my reply, maybe something about how cults recruit new members. We didn’t buy one that day, but I have little doubt an Acadia will one day grace my driveway. After all, I was never much for having kids. Now I have four.

I’ve wondered how the Acadia movement here in the suburbs began. The truth is GMC does no more advertising in this region than anywhere else. We don’t have an abundance of GMC dealerships. What we have is word of mouth, and this speaks of its importance.

Mrs. K speaks to Mrs. C during her hot yoga class. Mrs. K drives an Acadia. Mrs. C thinks it looks pretty, and practical, and convinces Mr. C that they should have one. Mrs. C then gushes to Mrs. E about her new ride, who in turn goes out and buys one as does her neighbor and fellow scrap-booker Mrs. F. Mrs. Z sees the influx of GMCs on her street, and decides that her next rig should be an Acadia too.

Thus, the revolution continues—evolving into this unfathomable, unstoppable force, lining every driveway within a 15-mile radius.