2026 Dodge Durango vs 2026 GMC Acadia: Three-Row SUV Space and Power in British Columbia
If you're cross-shopping three-row SUVs in British Columbia, the choice usually comes down to how the vehicle behaves once it's loaded up, hitched to a trailer, or pointed at a grade. The 2026 Dodge Durango and 2026 GMC Acadia both promise family-friendly space, but they get there through very different mechanical philosophies.
One SUV gives you a ladder of engines to grow into. The other locks you into a single turbocharged four-cylinder for the life of the vehicle. That difference shapes almost everything else in this comparison.
| Spec | 2026 Dodge Durango | 2026 GMC Acadia |
|---|---|---|
| Max towing | Up to 8,700 lbs (3,946 kg) | 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) |
| Entry-trim horsepower/torque | 295 hp / 260 lb-ft (3.6L V-6, GT) | 328 hp / 326 lb-ft (2.5L turbo I4, all trims) |
| Range-topping horsepower | 710 hp (6.2L supercharged V-8, SRT Hellcat) | 328 hp (single engine across the lineup) |
| Seating capacity | Up to 7 (5-7 with Jailbreak configurations) | 7-8, depending on trim |
| Third-row legroom | 850.9 mm | 816 mm |
| Touchscreen | 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 | 15-inch Premium GMC Infotainment (AT4) |
| Powertrain warranty | 60 months / 100,000 km | 60 months / 100,000 km |
1. A V-8 Ladder Against a Single Turbo-Four
The Acadia's 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder makes 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, and every Acadia trim, from Elevation to the range-topping Denali, uses that exact same engine paired with an 8-speed automatic. That output edges past the Durango's entry-level 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6, which produces 295 hp and 260 lb-ft in the GT trim.
But the Acadia's engine choice ends there. Move up the Durango lineup and the 5.7-litre HEMI V-8 in the GT HEMI trim raises the bar to 360 hp and 390 lb-ft. The 6.4-litre HEMI V-8 in the R/T 392 pushes further to 475 hp and 470 lb-ft, good for a 4.4-second 0-60 run. At the top sits the 6.2-litre supercharged HEMI V-8 in the SRT Hellcat, delivering 710 hp and 645 lb-ft, a level of performance the Acadia's single-engine strategy was never built to reach.
Key Takeaway: Performance enthusiasts get an SUV that offers a genuine V-8 identity at multiple price points, rather than a single turbo-four spread across every trim.
2. Towing and Payload: Where the Numbers Separate
Every Acadia trim tops out at 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) of towing, whether you're in an Elevation or the flagship Denali. The Durango starts ahead of that figure and pulls away from there.
The base Durango GT V-6 already tows 6,200 lbs (2,812 kg). The GT HEMI V-8 AWD raises that to roughly 7,200 lbs (3,266 kg), and the R/T 392 and SRT Hellcat both reach 8,700 lbs (3,946 kg). For a family hauling a mid-size travel trailer or a loaded boat trailer, that gap between 5,000 lbs and 8,700 lbs is the difference between towing comfortably and towing at the vehicle's absolute limit.
Key Takeaway: If you tow a trailer or haul serious weekend gear, the Durango's massive 8,700 lbs (3,946 kg) ceiling provides immense peace of mind compared to the Acadia's 5,000 lbs limit.
3. Cabin, Screen, and Driver Focus
The Acadia AT4 pairs a 15-inch Premium GMC Infotainment screen with Google built-in connectivity, a larger display than the Durango's standard 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen. But the Durango's screen still runs full navigation with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it sits in a cockpit built around physical controls and available SRT seat bolsters rather than screen real estate alone.
The Acadia's available Super Cruise system lets drivers go hands-free on compatible highways, a genuine convenience for long commutes. The Durango takes the opposite approach: the R/T 392 pairs its 6.4-litre V-8 with paddle shifters and an M-gate manual shifter on the centre console, letting the driver hold gears instead of handing control to the vehicle. For audio, the R/T 392 Premium's available 19-speaker Harman Kardon system outnumbers the Acadia's range-topping 16-speaker Bose setup.
Key Takeaway: While the Acadia wins on total screen size and automated cruising, the Durango keeps drivers thoroughly engaged with analog driving inputs and a superior premium sound system.
4. Seating, Cargo, and Family Gear
The Acadia's base Elevation trim seats eight, while AT4 and up seat seven. The Durango seats up to seven across its GT and GT HEMI trims; the SRT Hellcat drops to five for weight savings, though the Hellcat Jailbreak option can be configured in five-, six-, or seven-passenger layouts, part of what Dodge lists as up to 50 total seating configurations across the lineup.
On raw cargo volume, the Acadia's 2,761 L behind the front seats outmeasures the Durango's 2,409.8 L maximum. Where the Durango claws space back is in the third row itself: 850.9 mm of legroom versus the Acadia's 816 mm, a real difference for passengers riding back there on a road trip rather than just for stowing boxes up front.
Key Takeaway: The Acadia holds more raw cargo behind the front seats, but the Durango offers superior comfort for passengers relegated to the third row.
5. Safety and Driver-Assist Tech
The Acadia lists more than 19 standard safety and driver-assistance features across its trims. The Durango draws from a broader pool of more than 60 available safety and security features, including standard Blind-Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path detection, a Trailer Tow Detection System for trailer-equipped models, seven standard airbags, and standard trailer-sway control, tech that's directly useful the moment you hitch up a load.
Key Takeaway: Both vehicles provide excellent safety coverage, but the Durango builds in specialized features tailored specifically for safe towing and trailering in rugged conditions.
Which Three-Row SUV Meets Your Needs?
If you tow a trailer, haul gear for weekend projects, or want an SUV that scales from a 295-hp daily driver to a 710-hp Hellcat, the Durango's engine ladder and 8,700 lbs (3,946 kg) towing ceiling make the case on their own. The 850.9 mm of third-row legroom and up to 50 seating configurations mean gear-heavy families aren't sacrificing space for capability.
The Acadia is a modern, screen-heavy family hauler with generous cargo specs, but its single turbo-four engine strategy leaves no room to grow if your performance or towing demands scale up over time. The Durango remains the more robust choice for active families.
