The GMC Yukon Denali Needs An Identity: Review

The GMC Yukon occupies an odd space in GM’s large SUV hierarchy. It’s essentially a higher-end version of the Chevrolet Tahoe, but it still slots well below the Cadillac Escalade. That’s a tough spot to be in when the Tahoe has a smaller price tag, and the Escalade sells on name alone. 

That positioning leaves a weird niche for the Yukon, which needs to do something to capture the customer who’s trapped in the middle, like the car itself. With that in mind, we drove the top-end Denali Ultimate model to find out what exactly its deal is, and if it’s actually worth the six-figure price tag. 

The Yukon received a minor facelift for the 2025 model year, adding larger headlights and tailights that make the SUV look more stately—in a hitman sort of way. That said, the front and rear fascia are the only major differences between it and the Tahoe, and that’s a comparison that will come up a bit more when we get to the interior. 

The Denali Ultimate package adds its own slight visual tweaks to the exterior—greyscale badging, ‘Denali’ and ‘Ultimate’ branding on the side and rear, and special 24-inch rims that also say ‘Denali’ on them, in case you’ve forgotten what trim you bought. 

Inside the Yukon is where this SUV hits its highest highs and lowest lows. For starters, there is a lot of stuff in this car. The Denali Ultimate gives you virtually every optional extra for both the driver and rear seat passengers. 

Pros: Smooth Ride, Endless Storage Space, Loaded With Bells & Whistles

The front seats are heated and ventilated with massage functions, while the rear captains’ chairs are heated with optional ventilation as well. There is wireless charging up front and plenty of USB-C ports around the second and third row. Speaking of the second row, the wireless screens for rear passengers are great, come with a ton of apps, and have HDMI adaptability, which means that we can answer “yes” to the question of “can you play Minecraft in it?”

The materials are, unfortunately, a bit of a letdown. While the seats and dashboard wear plush leather with monogrammed ‘Denali Ultimate’ badging, there is an epidemic of piano black plastic on the center console that, in less than a week, was smudged. 

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

It isn’t just the piano black; cheap-feeling plastics live in lots of other places where they shouldn’t. Parts of the steering wheel, the rear of the center console, even the wood felt platsicy despite it being supposedly real.

It’s unfortunate, because there are plenty of little touches like those aforementioned monogrammed seats and piped stitching that make this interior a really special place otherwise. It’s just ruined by the obvious cost-cutting needed to keep this a step below the Escalade. 

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Cons: V8 Is Thristy, Iffy Interior Materials, Not Defined Enough

Thankfully, on the tech side, the Yukon is more or less on par with the Escalade. It has a behemoth 16.8-inch center screen that, despite taking up the whole center stack, is relatively easy to use and offers physical controls for HVAC and volume control, which is nice. Wireless CarPlay is still offered, which is nice given that General Motors has been threatening to kill it for months. 

Space is no issue either, as both second and third row passengers have lots of it. Even in the non-XL variant, there is little to complain about if you’re stuck way in the back. The third row seats can also be raised and lowered electronically, which, for a car built for families, is a nice touch. 

Despite the easy-to-use rear seats and ample tech, the Yukon’s interior is its weakest point. You can tell that the Yukon is still a step below real luxury SUVs, and for someone spending six figures—our test car came in at $108,390—it might not leave the best taste in someone’s mouth.

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The GMC Yukon Denali is powered by either a 3.0-liter Duramax V6 diesel engine or, what we had, a 6.2-liter V8. This engine is a not-too-distant relative of the C8 Corvette’s V8, and it makes a respectable 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. It also makes a great big noise every time you start it or put your foot down.

In no way is this a “driver’s car,” even with optional carbon ceramic brakes; the Yukon is not trying to put on a mask. That said, the V8 is punchy and allows the massive SUV to get out of its own way, something you can’t say for the diesel. The ride is plush and could easily eat the New York to Baltimore route with little to no effort. Add in the very easy-to-use Super Cruise self-driving system, and the Yukon is a mile-munching machine.

But—and here’s the big but—in an age of bizarre gas prices, expect six-figure fill-ups. We spent $50 filling slightly less than half the tank, and even doing straight highway driving, we don’t expect anything more than a low-20 miles per gallon average (GMC quotes up to 26 mpg on the highway). There’s also a multi-hundred-thousand-car recall on this engine from both this car and other large General Motors SUVs because of it, so buyer beware. 

GMC Yukon Verdict

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The GMC Yukon still sits in an odd spot. It isn’t defined enough. When you look this car up on Wikipedia, it auto directs you to the Chevy Tahoe’s page, and that says a lot. This is a much nicer and more refined SUV than it was two generations ago, but it still hasn’t been able to develop the personality that the Escalade has. 

This is a car for long road trips. It’s objectively a nice car, and it’s what you buy when everyone and everything needs to go wherever the driver is going, and for that crowd, it works. But we wish that GMC had given the Yukon Denali Ultimate more room to spread its wings and forge its own identity. 

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Source: Zander Sutton | Motor1