Sitting lower than a traditional SUV (ground clearance is 7.4 in.), the 2007 GMC Acadia has been engineered with stable handling in mind. Other contributors include the relatively long 118.9-in. wheelbase, the wide track, and optional variable effort steering. We experienced the variable effort system on an all-wheel-drive SLT1 Acadia and found felt overboosted and lacked the road feel of the basic rack-and-pinion assembly in the SLE. The independent suspension provides a comfortable ride but feels soft in corners, and the antilock braking system (abs) is effective and easily modulated. SLE models wear 255/65R-18 Goodyears that are biased for comfort; we noticed little benefit when moving up to the SLT's 255/60R-19 Goodyear Eagles.