2017 GMC Yukon

The 2017 GMC Yukon comes in three trim levels, namely the SEL, SLT, and the top Denali trim. All the trims come with either a rear-wheel-drive setup or a four-wheel-drive setup. Pricing for the trims starts at $48,530 and goes up to $68,965 for the top trim. The 4WD versions demand a premium of around $3,000 over the RWD version. Standard features on all the trims include alloy wheels, heated mirrors, foglights, roof rails, trailer hitch receiver on the outside; and front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, remote keyless entry and ignition on the inside. The SLE trim also comes with an optional front bench seat that increases overall capacity to 9. The Denali trim gets second-row bucket seats as standard and comes with a 7-seating capacity. 

The Yukon SLE also gets the optional Enhanced Driver Alert package that adds some safety features. The SLE and SLT trim also have the HD Trailering package and also get a few standalone features as optional items.

We Recommend

The 2017 GMC Yukon's SLT trim with the 4-wheel-drive is the trim that we recommend. It is pretty costly at $60,000, but it's worth the investment. The SLT gets the job done with its 5.3L V8 engine and offers great performance and a decent fuel economy as well. Over the SLE trim, it is much better equipped and comes standard with safety features that are optional on the SLE trim.

The 2017 GMC Yukon has excellent fuel efficiency when compared with other cars of this class. The 5.3L V8 powered RWD Yukon returns 16 mpg in the city, 23 on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. With the 4WD setup, this efficiency drops slightly to 16 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway, and 18 mpg combined. The 6.2L V8 with the RWD setup returns 15 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway, and 17 mpg combined. Its drops down to 15 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway, and 17 mpg combined with the 4WD setup.

The GMC Yukon gets a 26-gallon tank. This gives the Yukon a combined range of 494 miles with the 5.3L engine and the RWD setup.

The Yukon and the Tahoe share the same mileage figures and the same range and tank capacity as well. The Yukon offers a massive 600 miles highway range! The reason behind this top efficiency on the Yukon is the cylinder deactivation technology that shuts down half of the cylinders under low-load conditions. The Armada offers the next best mileage at 16 mpg combined, whereas the Toyota offers a mileage of 15 mpg combined. In terms of range, the range on the Yukon stands at 416 city miles and 598 highway miles.

"Luxurious even in the base form, the Yukon is comfortable- but its second and third rows aren't as roomy as some crossovers." - TheCarConnection

2017 GMC Yukon Seating and Comfort

The 2017 GMC Yukon interior is a combination of all the right things that are a must on a full-size SUV. Right from cabin ambiance to materials used to the seating, there's no room for complaint. The materials used are above standard and the fit and finish levels are top-notch. Soft-touch materials are seen on most surfaces, apart from some areas finished in leather wrapping. The front dash and its layout resemble a car-like arrangement in terms of controls, knobs, and buttons. There has been a lot of attention towards making this cabin a quiet place to be in and that is evident from the thick doors with seals and also the noise cancellation aid on the Bose system. This has been a major improvement over last year, as earlier Yukon's did not pack a quiet cabin.

The visibility offered through the cabin is excellent, and the doors open wide allowing for easy ingress and egress. In terms of seating comfort, the 2017 GMC Yukon has spacious and roomy seating. The front row seats have great legroom and headroom, and taller passengers won't have a problem getting in and out. In the second row, the space is adequate and the seats are well-cushioned. They have adjustability, but the range is limited by the folding mechanisms. The rear seats are thin-cushioned, and there's not enough space overall. Even the legroom is limited due to the tall floor.

In the front row, the Tahoe and the Yukon offer the most legroom and headroom at 45.3 inches and 42.8 inches respectively. The Yukon and the Tahoe compromise on the third-row seating and the cargo space to provide a spacious front and second row. In the second row, the Sequoia has the most legroom at 40.9 inches. The Sequoia also offers the most legroom in the third row as well. The success behind this balanced legroom in the Sequoia is the long wheelbase of the car. All cars can seat 8 passengers. Interior features on the Yukon are:

• Cruise Control
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Heated and power-adjustable steering wheel
• 12-way power driver and front seat

2017 GMC Yukon Infotainment System

The infotainment system on the 2017 Yukon is easy to use and straightforward. However, this system lacks consistency, as the touch responses are laggy sometimes. All trims get an IntelliLink infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen. Even on the base trim, this system is highly functional and gets OnStar emergency telematics, Bluetooth phone and streaming audio, Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, auxiliary input, USB input, CD player, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 9-speaker Bose audio system. The car also gets five USB ports and a 110-volt household-style power outlet.

Some other features on the car include:

• Wireless charging pad
• Heads-up display
• Active noise cancellation
• A ten-speaker surround-sound system 
• Navigation with real-time traffic
• Rear-seat DVD entertainment system (opt)

2017 GMC Yukon Cargo Capacity

The 2017 GMC Yukon packs in one of the least cargo spaces available on cars of this segment. The standard space stands at 15.3 cu-ft, with the maximum cargo capacity at 94.7 cu-ft. This low cargo space however provides a better front row space and a better second-row space.

With the second row folded down, the Yukon offers a cargo capacity of 51.7 cu-ft.

The Toyota Sequoia offers the most standard space at 18.9 cu-ft, due to its long wheelbase. The Chevy provides as much as the Yukon. The Nissan offers a slightly better space, but it's only 1 cu-ft more. The Toyota has the most maximum cargo capacity as well, at 120.1 cu-ft. 

"Clean. boxy proportions make the Yukon an especially stylish SUV."-TheCarConnection

2017 GMC Yukon Dimension and Weight

The 2017 GMC Yukon carries over without any changes to its exterior design. The most prominent feature about the Yukon's exterior is its truck-like appearance and the boxy body language. The four corners of this car are squared-off but with a curve. Upfront, the Yukon gets a segmented grille, finished with a chrome surround that sits neatly in between the rectangular pulled-back headlamps. The bumper is body-colored and features fog lamps with chrome accents all-around. A look at the side profile shows the tall and flat roofline that cuts down straight in the rear. the deep wheel arches give this car a commanding presence on the road.

The rear of the Yukon is simple and has no flair. It houses the vertical LED taillights and the GMC brand lettering in the center. On the Denali trim, the grille gets a meshed treatment, and the overall body has more chrome on it, along the sides, on the door handles, and with the chrome-finished wheel rims. In terms of body design, the Yukon and the Sierra seem to share a few ideas. However, this design has now started to get a little old and a redesign is needed soon.

In terms of dimensions, the Yukon is a compact truck when compared with its rivals. It has the least length of all, at 203.9 inches, and also a tight wheelbase of 116 inches. The curb weight stands at 5379 lbs, making this a lighter car than some rivals. It's worth noting that the Yukon shares most of its dimensions with the Chevy Tahoe. The Nissan Armada is the heaviest car and also has the most length. On the Sequoia, we see the longest wheelbase of 122 inches. The Armada and the Sequoia are both benefited from their high ground clearance that will help overcome even some tough off-road tracks.

Some exterior features on the Yukon are:

• LED DRLs
• Foglamps
• Automatic wipers
• Roof rails
• Power-folding mirrors
• Hands-free liftgate

The 2017 GMC Yukon scored an overall rating of 5-stars from the NHTSA, but got a mediocre 3-star rating in the rollover test due to its high center of gravity. The IIHS has not yet rated the 2017 GMC Yukon, and we'll update this space once the ratings are out. The Yukon gets six airbags, a rearview camera, traction control, and stability control are some of the standard features available. There are also Safety packages that offer additional driver assistance systems. Some safety features for the Yukon include:

• Rear cross-traffic alert system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• OnStar Emergency telematics
• Forward Collision Alert
• Lane Keep Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

2017 GMC Yukon vs 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe

The 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe is very similar to the Yukon. At the core, both get the same 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission. Both these cars have the same fuel economy, the same interior, and exterior dimensions, and a very similar list of features as well. The Tahoe is better in terms of performance and that's thanks to its lower weight.

The Tahoe is priced at $47,215, which makes it around $1,000 more affordable than the Yukon. What the Tahoe lacks in, however, is the Yukon Denali's offerings which are on the next level of trim features and offerings. The Yukon packs in a much interior as well. However, the Tahoe gets a better reliability rating.

2017 GMC Yukon vs 2017 Nissan Armada

It's important to know that the Armada is not a new car at all. It was sold as the Infiniti QX80 earlier and comes into the Nissan line-up mostly unchanged. However, the Armada's design makes it more upscale than it was and it now sits more aggressively against its rivals. The Armada is priced at $44,900, which makes it much more affordable than the Yukon. It is much quicker than the Yukon as well in the performance runs. Both the cars flaunt a commendable engine-gearbox combination.

The Armada offers a better ride quality thanks to its refined suspension and also has a very plush interior on offer. However, it does have a lower fuel economy where the Yukon benefits. In terms of reliability, however, the Armada is better overall than the Yukon. All in all, these two cars are the most fierce competitors of each other.

2017 GMC Yukon vs 2017 Toyota Sequoia

The 2017 Toyota Sequoia boasts top-notch quality and very high reliability which the Yukon can never match. The Sequoia however needs a long overdue update. It packs in a more powerful V6 compared to the Yukon's and is better in terms of outright performance as well. In terms of fuel economy, the Sequoia offers a terrible economy which is sure to give you a lot more stops at the gas station.

The Toyota however, cannot tow as much as the Yukon can, and lags by around 1,000 lbs. The Sequoia is also the heaviest car in this comparison, and this weight is reflected in the braking power it has to offer. In terms of interior and exterior design, the Yukon is the preferred car.

The 2017 GMC Yukon delivers a stellar interior with very practical and usable features, while maintaining the luxury standards in and out. This truck offers consistent performance with either of its V8 engines but disappoints with the 6-speed transmission. The car has very composed and quiet ride quality and also has one of the highest tow ratings as well. The fuel-economy returned by the car is the best in its class, and the 26-gallon tank gives a superb highway range. What the car lacks, is the reliability and quality standards that are lower than what the other cars in this segment have to offer. If one looks beyond this point, with the safety features, and the other things mentioned above the Yukon makes for a very well-equipped full-size SUV to buy.