The GMC Yukon: it’s massive, it’s luxy, and it comes equipped with all the comforts of home. As the GMC-branded variant of the Chevy Tahoe (with the even more massive Yukon XL corresponding to Chevy’s Suburban), the Yukon is a longstanding and much-loved full-size SUV, now in its 3rd generation, that epitomizes both road-ready hauling muscle and the distinctly American art of hitting the road without even leaving your couch. As a full-frame, truck-based SUV packed with more Lazyboy recliners than cargo space, the 2015 Yukon feels in some ways long-since antiquated, the improbable survivor of a dying species as it lumbers among today’s nimble unibody car-sized SUV crossovers. But at the same time, it manages to feel fresh and sophisticated, a technological marvel. And once you lay eyes on the thing, sink into its sumptuous interior, and mash the gas, it’s not hard to see why.
Our test vehicle was the mid-range 4WD SLT. Not the top-of-the-line Denali, which is the one that rappers and oil tycoons drive, but there really isn’t such thing as a base-model Yukon: even the 2WD entry-level SLE has power everything, 9-speaker Bose sound, nav and backup cam. Throughout, even the SLT was nothing short of loaded: heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel and mirrors. Nav, OnStar, backup cam, front and rear park assist, projector headlights, rain-sensing wipers. A clever secret compartment behind the in-dash screen. A driver's seat that's not only power adjustable in every possible way, but that directionally vibrates when you're about to hit something or you're leaving your lane without signalling (it was a little comically hypervigilant, vibrating furiously at recycle bins and the terrain features of my driveway as I backed out. But boy, what an advancement for today's distracted coma-drivers. Shake them to consciousness, dammt!)
But the real catbird seat in this supersized cruiser is the second row, equipped with heated power bucket captains’ chairs, a Bluray player with a 9-inch drop-down monitor, plus its own dual-zone climate control, 12V and household power sockets, and an array of infotainment features. Yep, those're some big, spoiled kids you've got back there. Even the third-row isn’t far behind, and is armchair-comfortable even without the executive-class legroom of every other seat in the vehicle. Moreover, the entire apparatus is meant to be instantly configurable without the lifting of a finger, with the third row disapparing flat into the floor with the touch of a button and even the bulky second-row captain's chairs folding themselves up and out of the way in a series of graceful electronic somersaults. The rear liftgate opens and closes itself with a mechanized hum and is even height-programable to ensure you won't have to expend even a single extra calorie stretching for that button.
But the drive? Here also, the Yukon is no slouch. It initially feels a little ponderous, and yes, it's a huge SUV with the expected body roll and numb steering feel. But give it the beans and it thunders to life like a Budweider clydesdale. The 5.3L V8's 355 hp goes a surprisingly long way to motivate the 4WD Yukon's 5,700-lb bulk, but under hard accelaration it's really the 383 lb-ft of torque that's getting the job done. That persuasive pull really does serve to remind that this is a vehicle designed to tow over 8000 lbs of gear, and will cause you to overlook certain quirks like the transmission's lurchiness under low speeds: you just know this drivetrain is overengineered as all getout. However, although the Yukon is purported to drop cylinders at highway speeds (which it did seamlessly, I might add), our test vehicle got significantly less than the EPA estimated 16/22 mpg. It's a good thing gas is so cheap right now (thanks, Obama!). Though I didn't get to test the high-low 4wd in any extreme wheeling situations, it felt surefooted on Seattle's slick winter streets, didn't get squirrely in my steeply-graded and gravelled driveway, and judging from the mudbogging aftermath within the engine compartment, a testament to past adventures, I have to assume that the Yukon is quite capable in any terrain.
If you're not a sociopath, you do also feel the fearsome responsibility for others' mortality when you're piloting this thing through traffic. From your perch high above the struggles of everyday humanity, you worry that anything you collide with will be instantaneously vaporized. While the Yukon does a great job of warning you of all manner of hazards, you do sometimes yearn for a more direct interface with the outside world. Much has been made of the new model's sound deadening, even that the very windshield itself has been optimized to shut out out all that bothersome earthly noise. And yes, it's cruising-altitude-quiet inside. But the time I honked at another car for doing something stupid and could barely even hear myself honk really drove home the fact that no one driving such a gigantic vehicle should be this insulated from reality.
All things considered, the Yukon continues into this new generation as a force to be reckoned with, and is ideal if you have a family of large children with whom you want to take long trips while remaining supremely isolated and unbothered. The Yukon dices up its interior space into relatively independent infotainment zones while allowing you to concentrate on the road ahead and all the gigantic toys you're towing. If your tastes run big and you can afford the mid-60s price tag, the Yukon is well worth a test drive.
2015 GMC Yukon 4WD SLT
What's New: The 2015 Yukon gets a sleeker exterior and more upscale interior, a host of upgraded tech features, and powertrains tweaked for improved fuel efficiency.
What's Hot: Ultra-comfortable interior, high-end amenities, impressively effortless seat configurability, crisp modern looks.
What's Not: Not much useful interior cargo space for its size (get the longer XL if you want extra room), numb steering and suspension feel.
Get this vehicle if: You have a large family (and I don't mean in number) and some massive things to tow.
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