Our Opinion - 2023 GMC Yukon Review GMC is best known for its work trucks and other commercial vehicles, but the 2023 Yukon is one of the company’s most luxurious and roomy cars ever made. This large family SUV has three rows of comfortable seats, and you can also get the Yukon XL, which has a longer wheelbase and more cargo space. Most cars have a V-8 engine, usually a 5.3- or 6.2-liter one, but you can also get a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six, which is a first for this market. All available engines have great acceleration and towing capacity, but the V-8s don’t get excellent gas mileage. The entry-level SLE trim is far from basic because it comes with a wide range of standard technology and convenience features. On the other hand, the luxury Denali trim makes things more luxurious to compete with the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. The best SUVs that compete with the Yukon are the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, which are made by the same company and have similar features and prices. What's New? For 2023, the Yukon will get a new top-of-the-line Denali Ultimate trim with Alpine Umber leather upholstery, 16-way power front seats with massage, open-pore wood trim, and an 18-speaker Bose audio system, among other things. The Denali Ultimate has 22-inch wheels and more chrome on the grille and other outside parts. You don’t have to use Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free highway mode, but you can if you want to. Pros and Cons Pros: A lot of room for stuff Enough space for people to move around Simple ride Engines with a lot of power Cons: Chairs that don’t move enough Sometimes transmission could be faster. Engine, Transmission, and Performance Like the last Yukon, there are two V-8 engines to choose from: a 5.3-liter with 355 horsepower and a 6.2-liter with 420 horsepower. GMC now has a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline-six engine with 460 pound-feet of torque to go along with its gasoline engines. This engine can easily haul large loads. Each model comes with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, as well as a 10-speed automatic transmission with controls on the dashboard. The off-road-oriented AT4 version is also available. It has a two-speed transfer case, 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, skid plates under the body, and an optional air suspension that can add up to two inches of ground clearance. When we tested a fully-loaded Denali model with a 6.2-liter V-8, it took 6.0 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, and the brakes were much better than on the previous model. Safety There are many ways to help the driver, but GMC only comes with basic technology, so users have to pay extra for more advanced options. Among the essential safety features are the following: Front collision warnings come with automatic emergency brakes. Some lane-departure signs and components help you stay in your lane. With adaptive cruise control, you can choose to drive without using your hands. Internal and External Cargo Capacity The Yukon and the Yukon XL, with a long wheelbase, can seat up to eight people and come in different trim levels, from the basic SLE standard to the luxurious Denali Ultimate. If you choose the famous captain’s seats for the second row, the number of seats drops to seven. Denali models have leather interiors that are hand-stitched and a dashboard that is made of wood. The Denali has a unique power-sliding center console that moves back and forth on a 10-inch track to make room for more oversized first-row luggage like a purse or backpack while hiding smaller items in hidden compartments. There are SLT and AT4 versions of this center console. When all of its seats are folded down, the XL model, which is more extensive, has an impressive 145 cubic feet of storage space. This costs more than its rival, the Ford Expedition Max, across town (which has 122 cubic feet behind its front row of seats). Behind the third-row seats of a standard-length Yukon, there is enough room for six carry-on bags. We could fit 35 people if we folded the third and second rows. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG Even though the Yukon doesn’t get great gas mileage, it does better in the city than the model it replaced. Yukons with the smaller 5.3-liter V-8 engine are the most fuel-efficient. This engine gets 16 cities, 20 highways, and 18 combined mpg. The turbo-diesel engine gets 21 cities and 27 highway mpg. Our Denali test car got an average of 20 mpg while going 75 mph on the interstate. Infotainment and Connectivity All Yukon models come standard with GMC’s latest infotainment interface, which we found easy to use. The Denali’s screen is surrounded by beautiful chrome and built into the dashboard, giving it a more expensive look. In the middle of the dashboard of the SLE, SLT, and AT4 models is a big screen. A Wi-Fi hotspot, compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and navigation are all standard, and a Bose audio system can be added as an extra. Price and How to Choose The luxurious Denali with its hand-stitched leather interior and the tough AT4 with its off-road gear may seem like the best options, but the best choice is the well-equipped and less expensive SLT. Some mid-tier options include leather upholstery, heat and excellent front seats, 20-inch wheels, a power liftgate, and driver-assistance systems.
