GMC Yukon
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
There will always be a market for full-size SUVs regardless of fuel prices and greenenlightenment. As good as the GMC Acadia and similar crossovers are, and for most people are allthey will ever need, this breed can not tow 8,200 lbs, tackle tough off-road trails, and get tonsof gear anywhere you want it. For people who truly need a serious SUV, they will be hard press tofind a better one than the GMC Yukon.
Exterior styling is clean, smooth, and tough without slapping on a mess of wheel extensions andgray plastic. You could drive the big SUV through the woods, spray it off at a car wash, pick upyour wife, and head to the finest restaurant and look great doing all of it.
Since the 2007 re-design, the Yukon’s interior has been a great place to spend time. The dash isstyled like a Cadillac Escalades and includes wide expanses of woodgrain, large center console,sporty analog gauges, and controls that can be used with gloves on. Leather seats, power sunroof,navigation, XM Satellite Radio, and a CD/DVD player keeps everybody comfortable and on the rightpath.
Yukon seats have always been great and the latest ones are the best. Up to eight passengers canfit in three rows of seats.
What really matters for serious SUV buyers is what’s under the suave outer attire. Our testvehicle was equipped with GM’s automatic 4×4 system that includes a locking rear differential.Four-wheel ABS disc brakes and Stabilitrak electronic stability control add artificial intelligenceto assist the mechanics in keeping the Yukon going straight.
On-road and off, there was never a shortage of gusto from the 310-HP 5.3-litre V8, connected toa newly available 6-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings of 14/20-MPG are typical ofSUVs and the price of so much capability.
On a Tuesday afternoon a few weeks ago, snow started to fall. By the time I left the office inIndianapolis, an inch was on the ground. While sleeping soundly, another 11 inches came down. Iwoke up to a neighborhood full of people trying to get their cars out of their driveways ‘ withshovels, snow blowers, and plows. I took a few extra minutes to brush off the foot of snow, steppedinside the Yukon, started the engine, put it in reverse, and backed out. People were literallystuck at stoplights, but I made it to the office on time. That’s what full-size SUVs are all about’ being able to do anything you want, when you want, without excuses.
Ask any new car dealer and he or she will tell you that SUV sales have plunged in the last year.Given the price of gas last summer and the economy, it’s unavoidable. However, SUVs are still thegreat vehicles they always were. If you need one, drive the 2009 GMC Yukon before also checking outthe Toyota Sequoia, Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada, or similar Chevy Tahoe. Price as tested came to$51,130.
GMC Yukon Hybrid
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
Imagine a Toyota Prius crawling over rocks and slogging through mud. A friend owns one, butadmitted he drove his Toyota Tundra 4×4 to work when 12′ of snow fell. I said, ‘A real man wouldhave driven his Prius.’ To which he replied, ‘I tried, but couldn’t get it out of the driveway.’ AGMC Yukon Hybrid would have made it just fine ‘ without the need for a Tundra-in-reserve.
Like every other GMC Yukon, the Hybrid is large, comfortable, trailer-ready, and loaded to theroofline with a full entourage of luxuries. As a 4×4, it can do almost anything its full-gasolinedbrethren can do. It just does it with much less fuel running through its injectors. In fact, itsin-town fuel economy is comparable to a Toyota Camry!
Few things would clue you into its electrified underpinnings from the exterior. Yukon Hybridshave a front facia that more closely hugs the ground for airflow, lighter alloy wheels, re-shapedrear window, and low-resistance tires. To get the most out of every gallon of gas, the exterior wasrefined to eliminate drag and friction wherever possible. HYBRID graphics on the lower bodysides,as well as GM’s ‘green H’ logos, remove any doubt that this is no typical Yukon.
From inside, you would be challenged to tell the difference. Heated leather seats, woodgraindash panels, XM Satellite Radio, Bose audio, and automatic climate control are all available forthe asking. Power-adjustable pedals, navigation, and fold down rear seats provide comfort andconvenience. Select the $1,295 rear seat entertainment system and climate control knobs to keep thekids happy.
Suspension and steering feel tighter, and acceleration is more effortless with high electrictorque off the line and a variable-displacement 6.0-litre V8 pumping out 332-HP at speed. Anelectrically-variable transmission, with four fixed gears, has two modes for optimizing fueleconomy or for towing up to 6,200 lbs. During low speed driving, the battery pack pitches in tosave fuel while regenerative brakes replenish energy while decelerating. As a result of all thissophistication, two-wheel-drive models achieve 21/22-MPG city/hwy while our 4×4 test model posts20/20-MPG.
A full-size SUV that can carry seven passengers while towing a boat will never challenge aToyota Prius for fuel economy honors, but a Prius can’t even get out of its own driveway when deepsnow falls. Real men drive GMC Yukon Hybrids.
2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid
By Chris Jackson www.car-data.com
If there is one thing to say about the GMC Yukon Hybrid, it’s that this truck isn’t shy aboutbeing “green.” With gas prices on the rise and conspicuous consumption a serious social faux pas,the “HYBRID” stickers and badges that cover just about every square inch of this truck seem to beboth proud and defensive. “Please don’t slash my tires!” the Yukon Hybrid’s garish decals beg. “Imay be a great big truck, but I’m a hybrid, too!”
All kidding aside, it’s good to finally see a two-mode hybrid system applied to the vehiclesthat need the fuel economy boost the most:full-size SUVs. The new Yukon Hybrid features a two-modeelectric- assist system that provides additional power at both low and high speeds. Like theToyota Prius, it can also run on full-electric mode up to thirty miles per hour, and the enginewill run on eight, four or no cylinders depending on demand. All of that fuel-saving technology isapplied to a vehicle that sacrifices little of the conventional Yukon’s drivability or utility.
Standard power is provided by a 6.0 liter V8, hooked up to GM’s Electrically VariableTransmission and a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS). The ESS enables theYukon to shut the gasoline engine down completely when the vehicle is at a stop, and to run onelectric power at low speeds. The big V8 is also equipped with GM’s Active Fuel Management
(AFM) system which shuts down cylinders when they’re not needed, and thanks to the ESS theYukon’s V8 can operate in four-cylinder mode for longer periods of time.
Does the combination work? Two-wheel drive Yukon Hybrids can get 21mpg in the city, a decentfigure for any vehicle. Opt for the available four-wheel drive, and it goes down to 20, but that’sstill respectable for a big SUV.
Freeway fuel economy increases over the conventional gasoline version are in the 25- to 30%range. Like many modern hybrids, the Yukon’s operation is seamless. A sensitive driver will beable to feel the engine cycling on and off at low speeds, but it doesn’t affect the power deliveryat all. Other than a tendency to be preternaturally quiet, the Yukon doesn’t betray its fancydrivetrain.
Of course, the exterior makes up for that. My tester featured no less than six decals, badgesand stickers proclaiming it to be a HYBRID. While probably not a part of the standard Yukon Hybridpackage, it seemed a bit like overkill. A fancy, high-tech green badge and discreet “hybrid”badges on the fenders suffice nicely.
Sharper eyes will notice aerodynamic tweaks that make the Yukon a bit slipperier on the freeway,including a lower front air dam and specially sculpted running boards. Apart from those details,the boxy and handsome Yukon is the same as its conventional siblings.
Interior differences are subtle; at a glance, the cabin is the same spacious, comfortable Yukonenvironment that we know and love. The large console is ready to swallow small items, the dashnicely laid out and trimmed with luxury-car attention to detail. The Yukon Hybrid’s front seatsare slightly thinner, to reduce overall mass, and this makes for a slight improvement in second-rowknee room.
Most obvious is the silent ride; many passengers remarked that the Yukon was incredibly quiet,even when the V8 engine was running. Low rolling-resistance tires and a specially tuned exhaustare a big part
of the reason the Yukon is so calm on the freeway. The Yukon Hybrid
is also available with all of the comforts of home that make the standard Yukon a great placefor traveling; a navigation system, heated mirrors, XM satellite radio and rear view camera arestandard, and a rear-seat entertainment system is available.
This big SUV is impressively easy to drive; GMC has done a fantastic job of making the big SUV”drive small.” The Yukon uses an independent coil-over shock suspension up front and a five-linkcoil- sprung rear that give the Yukon a confident and stable feeling on the road. The fullyelectric power steering is responsive and light, and around town this 5800-lb vehicle never feelsponderous.
The “green” badge and family-friendly road manners haven’t affected the Yukon’s truck abilitiesin the least. With a trailer out back, the Yukon Hybrid doesn’t act any different than any otherYukon, and it’ll tow up to 6000 pounds.
If there’s a downside to the Yukon Hybrid, it’s just that modifier, “for a big SUV.” Its 20mpgfuel economy is good.for a big SUV. In most other automotive arenas, 20 mpg is nothing to writehome about.
And considering the Yukon Hybrid’s $52,855 starting price, the significant premium over theconventional models isn’t quite justified by the fuel economy boost. That said, for buyers whoneed a real truck and want to improve their efficiency a bit, the Yukon Hybrid offers the best ofboth worlds.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4×4.
Length: 202.0 in.
Width: 79.0 in.
Height: 77.0 in.
Wheelbase: 116.0 in.
Curb weight: Mini Cooper5 lb.
Cargo space: 108.9 cu.ft. (all seats folded); 16.9 cu.ft. (all seats up)
Towing capacity;6000 lb.
Base price: $52,855
Engine: 6.0 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain: Two-mode continuouselectric ratio hybrid transmission with four fixed gears, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 332 @5100
Torque: 367 @ 4100
Fuel capacity: 24.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 20/20
