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You could not help but cringe when General Motors unveiled a new line of 5,500-pound, gas-guzzling behemoths just as gas prices spiked and sales of large SUVs plummeted. After years of fumbles that have put America's biggest car company in a tough spot, had GM blown it again?
Not judging by the sales figures. As other large, truck-based SUVs suffer, GM's new generation is selling briskly, fuel costs be damned. A sizable niche of buyers wants a big SUV that can tow a boat or trailer or haul a lot of people, and most crossover SUVs don't cut it. But the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade have plenty of power and seat up to eight passengers. (The long-wheelbase Chevy Suburban, Yukon XL and Cadillac Escalade EXT can seat up to nine.) And fuel economy is better than in the old models. The most efficient powertrains in the lineup get 16 miles per gallon in the city and 22 on the highway. That may make Al Gore wince, but it qualifies as best in class.
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Slide Show: A Narrated Alaskan Trek | ||
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Kiplinger's Car Finder | ||
Driving a big SUV in a traffic-clogged city is like putting a linebacker through his paces by asking him to high tea. So General Motors invited Kiplinger's to test the GMC Yukon in Alaska, where its size and power match the terrain.
Unabashedly big
My assignment: Land in Anchorage and drive a Yukon Denali (base price: $48,165) a thousand miles in four days. When I first climb into the driver's seat, I am a little daunted by the Denali's size. The roof is 6 feet 5 inches high, and you have to step up nearly 2 feet to enter the cab. You'd expect it to handle like a barge, but GM has managed to tame this truck -- it's surprisingly carlike. Rack-and-pinion steering makes maneuvering easy. New front and rear suspensions, in tandem with electronically controlled shock absorbers, keep you well insulated from bumps. Better body stiffness means you don't feel tippy -- or even sense much lean -- around curves.
The Yukon Denali, an upscale trim level in the GMC family, is nicer than the Tahoe but not as bling-intensive as the Cadillac Escalade. Demographics confirm that Yukon Denali buyers are affluent (median income: $123,000), and nearly 60% are managers or professionals who often use the vehicle in their business. The Denali sports a unique chrome grill as well as a long list of standard equipment, including heated leather seats in the first and second rows, second-row seats that tumble forward with the push of a button to allow easy third-row access, remote start, power liftgate and a much-needed rear parking-assist feature.
Despite the Denali's massive 6.2-liter, 380-horsepower engine and our optional ($1,995) 20-inch wheels, the ride is quiet. The interior is comfortable though not quite luxe, with a dash design that's easy on the eyes, wood-and-leather heated steering wheel ($150) and even an iPod/MP3 jack. Our model has a $1,295 rear-seat DVD entertainment system, but the scenery beats anything a disc could hold.
The last frontier
On a sunny Monday morning when the temperature promises to hit 70 degrees, Emily, who is the photographer, and I set off. Everywhere we look is a picture postcard of snow-covered peaks, and about 30 minutes after leaving downtown Anchorage headed north, we are in the forest primeval. The Yukon Denali's navigation system is no use up here: Alaska's roads aren't in GM's satellite database.
When the highway narrows to two lanes, I start to appreciate the Denali. The high-riding truck with 380 horses makes me feel safe and confident when I pass the local, unhurried drivers, or worse, the stacked-up RVs crawling up mountain roads. Those horses also translate into towing power -- the Yukon can pull up to 7,700 pounds, which is what you'd need for a 32-foot trailer.
As we climb the Alaska Range, clouds move in and the temperature falls from 70 to the low 50s. We stop for gas and drop $62 filling three-fourths of the 26-gallon tank. A light rain is falling as we pass the entrance to Denali National Park and, near the turnoff to Earthsong Lodge, we spot our first moose -- a pair meandering across the road. We are above the tree line and tundra surrounds us. At the end of the day's 300-mile marathon, the seats still feel comfortable, and rough roads haven't translated into aches and pains.
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