5 Best GMC Models for Families

Here at #1 Cochran Buick GMC Youngstown, we love helping local families in Boardman and Youngstown, Ohio, find the car of their dreams. We know how hard it can be to drive the kids around to school or practice and then take family road trips together in a car that doesn’t suit your needs.

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the best GMC models for families from our collection of over 1,000 cars. With the perfect combination of size, comfort, and safety features, the cars below will make your whole family feel safe and happy.

GMC Acadia

This top-rated car frequently beats the competition as one of the best cars for families on the market. The GMC Acadia has plenty of room for all your passengers and cargo, as it can fit six people in three rows of seating, and you can add on a seventh person with a second-row bench seat. The first two rows are luxurious, spacious, and incredibly comfortable for adults and teens of all sizes, while the last row is best suited for younger children during long road trips.

The GMC Acadia also comes with a great entertainment system that’s sure to keep your children happy. The car comes equipped with a six-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay, and active noise cancelation technology to help keep outdoor noise to a minimum.

In terms of safety, the GMC Acadia is perfect if your children sometimes distract you while driving. The vehicle includes automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alerts, following distance indicators, and lane-keep assist, which warns you whenever you drift out of your lane.

GMC Terrain

2022 GMC Terrain SLT

If you have a smaller family and are looking for the perfect SUV for it, you may want to consider the GMC Terrain. It’s GMC’s smallest crossover model, as it seats five people as opposed to the Acadia’s seven, but it is much more efficient in terms of gas mileage and easier to handle. If you only have one or two children, you may want to look into this option.

The GMC Terrain comes with the same safety features as the Acadia, as well as significantly better fuel economy at a lower price. The Terrain gets an average of 25 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, as opposed to the Acadia’s 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway on average. However, the Terrain has significantly less cargo space and slightly less power than the Acadia, with 170 hp as opposed to 228 hp for the Acadia. If you’re a smaller family looking for efficiency, the Terrain is the better choice.

GMC Yukon XL

If you have a large family, frequently drive your kids’ friends around, or simply love going out into the rugged outdoors and towing campers or bringing other gear with you, the GMC Yukon XL is the way to go. This powerful model comfortably seats seven people and has a maximum cargo capacity of 144.7 cu ft and a towing capacity of 8,100 lbs to enable you to embark on all your outdoor adventures, from fishing to camping.

The tradeoff is that the Yukon XL is significantly less efficient than the Terrain or Acadia, with a rating of 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. However, if the power, cargo and seating capacity, and towing capability are at the top of your list, the Yukon XL is the perfect choice for you.

GMC Sierra 1500 Elevation

Some families opt for pickup trucks over SUVs, depending on their needs. If you’re looking for the perfect family-friendly pickup truck, check out the GMC Sierra 1500 Elevation. This powerful car has four-wheel drive (4WD) and similar safety ratings to the Yukon XL, making it an incredibly durable and safe truck.

The car comfortably fits six people and has a towing capacity range from 9,400 to 13,000 lbs, multiple V-8 options for its engine, a truck bed, and ample storage space.

GMC Canyon

If you want a pickup truck but don’t necessarily need the grand size and power of the Sierra 1500 Elevation or its towing capability, you should look at the more affordable and efficient GMC Canyon. This 4WD vehicle is more fuel efficient than the Sierra, with a 17 mpg rating in the city and a 24 mpg rating on the highway, as opposed to the Sierra’s respective 15 mpg and 19 mpg ratings. It also includes the same great infotainment system as the GMC SUVs and crossovers to keep your kids entertained for hours.

Unless you specifically need the heavy-duty towing capability of the Sierra 1500 or the greater horsepower of its engine, the Canyon is a great family-friendly and affordable choice. We have the new 2022 GMC Canyon Elevation in stock, starting at an MSRP of $42,980.

What’s your favorite family-friendly GMC model? Do you think there’s one we missed? If so, contact us at #1 Cochran Buick GMC Youngstown in Boardman and Youngstown, Ohio, and let us know your thoughts, as we would love to include it next year. In the meantime, if you are in the market for any of the vehicles listed above, simply drop by our #1 Cochran Youngstown store, and try one out today.