Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-8
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Mazda CX-8

$24,880 - $47,900

2023 price

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Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2023 Mazda CX-8

By Laura Berry

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Diesel Twin Turbo 4, 2.2L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Practical family features
Luxe factors throughout
Easy-as-pie to drive

Dislikes

2000kg braked towing capacity
Engine needs to rev hard to make grunt
Wireless charging not standard on LT

Misses out on a 360-degree view camera system
Expensive compared to similarly specified rivals
Low number of airbags for family SUV

2020 Holden Acadia Summary

If the Acadia had an accent it would be a southern drawl because this big seven-seat SUV is built in Tennessee, USA, and wears a GMC badge when it’s at home.

In Australia of course it wears a Holden one and comes straight from the factory in right-hand drive. So how does it suit Aussie conditions? Does it even know the importance of a sausage on a piece of bread bought outside a hardware store on a Saturday?

All this and more was learnt when the entry grade LT front-wheel drive came to live with my family.

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2023 Mazda CX-8 Summary

Mazda has a tendency to have a lot of similar looking horses in the stable; blink and you'll miss the (very) subtle differences between the CX-8 and the CX-9 but if you're not super keen on the bulk of the CX-9 and you've outgrown the space of the CX-5... this one's for you.

Especially, if you've been considering its competition - the Hyundai Santa Fe Elite CRDi AWD and Toyota Kluger GXL AWD. Both of which have become known for their features and space.

So, how does it compare? The CX-8 GT SP diesel all-wheel drive seats seven, has a decent boot space (albeit, when the third row isn't in use) and handles like a dream.

Perfect combination? Maybe. I've been driving it for the last week with my family to find out for you.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2023 Mazda CX-8

Verdict

The Holden Acadia is a proper seven-seater SUV in that it will fit adults in the third row without turning your friends into enemies. It’s also practical and well fitted out with storage places and utilities such as USB ports.

I was particularly impressed with the advanced safety equipment on-board even at this entry LT level. Yes, it’s a V6 petrol and it’s not the most fuel-efficient SUV, but our time with it showed that with cylinder deactivation and the stop-start system it might not be as thirsty as you’d think.

Verdict

So, what did my family think about the Mazda CX-8 GT SP diesel all-wheel drive? I love how it performs on the road - it's super easy to drive and you don't notice how large it is in a car park.

There are some great family-friendly features scattered throughout and I like how practical this is too with the extra seats and top-tether points. The multimedia system isn’t my favourite and I would have preferred to have seen a few extra airbags and a 360-degree view camera, but overall, it’s a good family car and gets an 8.0/10 from me.

My son loved the sun blinds and the cool colour of the seats. He also gives it an 8.0/10.

Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-8 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-8
What's the difference?