I feel so....dirty.

"Slave2anMG" (Slave2anMG)
08/22/2014 at 15:57 • Filed to: Feeling dirty, Yukon

This was my rental this week...a 2015 GMC Yukon XL. Pretty well loaded with a mess of bells and whistles. For some reason it was plonked in the 'midsize' aisle at National Car Rental in Minneapolis. So I snagged it.

It's big. Really big. Ought to come with its own zip code big. And you know what? I liked it. A lot. Nobody's going to call this beast nimble, but it was easy to drive, easy to maneouver, even pretty easy to park with the various sensors on the ends and the cool back up camera that curves with the steering wheel angle to show your path backwards. Excellent HVAC (expected in a GM vehicle), very quiet at highway speeds, suspension handled the heaved and patched Minnesota roads, and the engine (not sure of size) was plenty capable of moving the thing along. Nicely finished interior with leather, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel and such.

So why do I feel dirty? Because I really liked it. And I'm a fan of small cars; never got the SUV thing even when we owned a '98 Mercedes ML320. This Yukon was just so unexpected...I now have to face my preconceived notions. Arg.

DISCUSSION (17)

William Byrd > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 15:59

I had a 2008 Suburban (same size as the "XL" variants of the Tahoe/Yukon) and loved it. I could put a ton of stuff in there (literally) and haul trailers, tons of people, and it was pretty easy to drive. Would happily take a newer version.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 16:01

Engine is a 5.3L V8. 355 horsepower, not sure about torque.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 16:04

They are wonderful trucks, don't feel bad.

It's not like you loved a crossover or something, at least it has functional abilities!

lone_liberal > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 16:08

Rented a 2013 or 2014 earlier this year. Other than trying to maneuver its mass around the tight parking lots of Maui, the only thing I didn't like was that the third row seat didn't fold flat so there wasn't as much luggage space as you would expect.

DoYouEvenShift > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 16:57

5.3 L83, active fuel management, VVT, direct injection, 355hp/388 lb ft. Put E85 in it and you get 380hp/416 lb ft.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 17:15

What brang you to the land of two seasons? Winter and road construction.

Slave2anMG > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro)
08/22/2014 at 18:51

A call on General Mills...they use our products in a number of their plants ranging from Yoplait production to Froot Loops :)

jkm7680 > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 19:06

If this is "midsize" then what is full size? :P

Pretty cool truck though, I'd like to drive one.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 19:16

What kind of gas mileage did it get?

I'm renting a car at the Boston airport for labor day weekend and went with the "surpise me!" choice - hoping for something out of the ordinary, but with about 500 miles of driving to do I'm hoping I don't get a horrible gas guzzler.

Slave2anMG > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
08/22/2014 at 19:39

Out on the highway, 21-23; in town looked like 16-ish...

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 19:44

That's actually pretty decent, for something that huge.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 19:51

A lot of people I went to college with work there now

Slave2anMG > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
08/22/2014 at 19:51

Exactly what I thought. When I filled it up it was a bit over 18 mpg average. Big, comfy, quiet, built to eat up highway miles. Now I really feel dirty...must go towel off my extremities...

doodon2whls > Slave2anMG
08/22/2014 at 20:42

Nice score. The best move I made early on in my road warrior days was sign up for National's Emerald club. I'm @ the exec level now and only pay the intermediate size rate, but can practically drive anything I want off the lot.

Camaros, full size pickups, suburbans, exploders, Impala LT1s, etc...

Slave2anMG > doodon2whls
08/22/2014 at 20:44

Been Emerald Club for years...not sure if I have status or not as I rent maybe 8-10 times a year...

Ron Stack > Slave2anMG
08/26/2014 at 03:21

I just rented one from National, too! Just sitting there in the Executive Aisle after a much delayed flight.

I used to own big SUVs when I had a lot to tow and haul (tow the race car, haul the kids). I loved them, from Suburbans up to Escalades. OK, the Escalade embarrassed me, but only a little. Happy to downsize when the kids started driving and I didn't go to the track as much, but those beasts were fun to drive and I miss them. Poor fuel economy, of course, but solid acceleration, handling and brakes. I could tow my car and trailer for hours and barely know I had 5,000 lbs. behind me.

Yes, it was odd to see a dozen of them on the pick up line at my kids' middle school, but I still think they were overvalued as political statements and undervalued as cars.

Slave2anMG > Ron Stack
08/27/2014 at 11:32

I found a pretty darn competent beast...way overkill for a kid hauler or soccer mom transport, but for towing etc I get 'em.