Journey's End
GM's problems have been well-documented, but it would be a big mistake to count the company out. Considerable time, money and effort has been directed at re-imagining the GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali. GM got a lot right.
They made a few mistakes. At a time when many competitors have solved the third row seating issue by folding the seats into the floor, leaving a flat load floor, Yukon's third row is bulky, heavy and manually operated. Once you haul the two 50 lb seat halves out of the vehicle and into your garage, you still have a load floor that is cluttered with seat tracks. You're going to have to cover the rear floor with a heavy mat so that your doggie won't get hurt on the hardware.
Though fuel economy has improved, it's still too low. The Yukon is too heavy, too big. More has to be done if the big SUV is to survive.
Other manufacturers aren't standing still. Ford's Expedition is due for a makeover but is still formidable; Toyota's Sequoia and Nissan's Armada are stiff competition.
But this Yukon is a big step forward. It looks better, it runs better, it works better than ever before. I expect to see solo drivers at the wheels of their empty Denalis, talking on their cellphones and driving in the carpool lane for years to come.
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