Ford Expedition vs GMC Acadia: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the GMC Acadia burns about $2,450 of fuel annually against $3,100 for the Ford Expedition. That $650 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,250 over five years and $5,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the GMC Acadia leads in both cycles — 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway against 17 and 24 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Expedition is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI, SIDI; Stop-Start), the GMC Acadia with 1 (SIDI). Across 49 recorded Ford Expedition configurations and 44 for the GMC Acadia, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Expedition is offered with Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the GMC Acadia with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the GMC Acadia emits 349 g/mile of CO2 versus 441 g/mile for the Ford Expedition. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.