GMC Yukon review

GM has put enough miles on the truck/SUV platform upon which the Yukon is built that it’s quite refined at this point, which we’ll casually attribute to the success of the Escalade (which, as a luxury shuttle, demands a smooth ride). A high tide elevates all ships, as they say, so if that is indeed the case, the Yukon is certainly reaping the benefits. The independent suspension does well to extend the comfort throughout the SUV’s structure while giving it better agility than expected.

Take ‘agility’ with a grain of salt here: we’re not barnstorming in this, a vehicle as large as a barn itself, but it does take much of the stress out of maneuvering this three-row land craft around town. The premium Denali trim features adaptive air suspension, with the capability-focused AT4 trim offering it as an option, the latter using it for both comfort and to provide two more inches of ground clearance. A little goes a long way, after all.

How about those V8s?

If the mighty V8 is going the way of the dino in other segments, it makes a sensible case for itself in vehicles like the Yukon. Is 17mpg combined good by any standard? Hardly, but it’s the price paid for having the right tool for the job. If the 5.3-liter V8 hits the spot with its 355hp and 383lb ft, the 6.2-liter V8 with 420hp and 460lb ft slops on extra gravy to make the drive that much better.

Neither engine is there to make the Yukon a rocket ship; if they’re doing their job right, you’re not thinking about them much at all. Power, incidentally, is funneled through an equally unobtrusive ten-speed automatic gearbox.

Can the AT4 off-road?

The AT4 hints more at off-roading than being readily equipped to tackle it. As we’ve seen in other AT4 models like the GMC Acadia, the extra bit of actual equipment isn’t transformative, it’s all there to feel slightly more rugged than other trims. Here, the AT4 adds a skid plate, 20in all-terrain tires and makes use of the available active air suspension to hike up its pant legs an extra two inches if you encounter some muck.