(Yes, it's large.GM)
I have a weakness: really, really big SUVs.
For the most part, I favor modest cars — I own a Toyota Prius, and when I lived in LA, I had a Saab, a Volvo, and a Honda minivan. I'm fortunate in that I get to try out the occasional Ferrari or Rolls-Royce, but when push comes to shove, I want to live with vehicles more like the Lexus CT200h.
I also get to sample big pickups and SUVs, and I mean very large versions of these suckers. I'm talking about Cadillac Escalades and Ford Super Duty pickups. The largest of the large.
As it turns out, I recently got the chance to complete a set of sorts, when I tested the 2017 GMC Yukon Denali XL. This is one of the true big boys in General Motors' SUV lineup. And I've climbed behind the wheel of the others, the aforementioned Caddy and the Chevy Suburban.
My pattern is that I marvel at one of these beasts while it's sitting in my driveway, assuming that I'd be more comfortable with a Porsche 911. And then I don't want to give the monster truck back.
The GMC I drove recently was among the toughest to say goodbye to because while I've always dug the Escalade and enjoyed the Suburban and a de-luxed version of the Caddy, the GMC in the Denali near-luxury trim checks off all my big SUV boxes. In short, it's nicer than the Suburban, not as nice as the Caddy. Which makes it the ideal middle-aged road yacht.
(It's an XL, so it's extra long.GM)
Our tester came in just over $80,000, with about ten grand in options. But the standard Yukon, at About $72,000, is no slouch. You get quite a lot of truck for your money. (The Denali trim, by the way, tacks on about $9,000 in extras.)
This is a powerful set of wheels, propelled by a 6.2-liter V8 that's yoked to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This updated old-school pushrod V8 cranks out 420 horsepower with 460 pound-feet of torque, enabling the SUV to convey seven-or-eight people in large-and-in-charge style and tow over 8,000 lbs.
Design-wise, the Yukon Denali XL is an extended-wheelbase SUV, meaning that the wheelbase is stretched to provide additional interior space and cargo capacity. The looks are typical of GMC, a bit slick without taking matters too far. You do sort of feel like a Secret Service agent at times, especially if you're driving the "Onyx Black" version I had, with a "Cocoa/Dark Atmosphere" leather interior.
Normally, I like to save my driving impressions until the end, but with the Yukon Denali, you want to be aiming for one thing: nice, long freeways excursions with a lot of people on board. I did just that for a weekend run from suburban New Jersey across the urban jungle of Manhattan island, through the mean streets of Queens and out to the East End of Long Island. I had three passengers for the outbound leg and two more for the return home. Plus a carpet, a chair, some houseplants, and everybody's luggage.