• Chevrolet — Tahoe (nonhybrid) or Suburban: $2,000 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash.

Tahoe (hybrid): $0 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $4,000 total cash.

Silverado or Avalanche: $2,000 customer cash + $3,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $5,000 total cash.

• GMC — Yukon: $2,000 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash.

Yukon (hybrid): $0 customer cash + $4,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $4,000 total cash.

Sierra: $2,000 customer cash + $3,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $5,000 total cash.

• Cadillac — Escalade: $2,000 customer cash + $2,000 bonus cash + $2,000 owner loyalty bonus cash = $6,000 total cash.

[Automotive News (sub. req.)]

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: No

Also Consider:
• Chevy Tahoe
• Toyota Sequoia
• Infiniti QX56
• Ford Expedition
• Lincoln Navigator
• Nissan Armada

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: GMC
• Model tested: Yukon Denali AWD
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $50,185
• Price as Tested: $55,750
• Engine type: 6.2-liter Vortec 6200 V8 SFI
• Horsepower: 380 @ 5,700rpm
• Torque: 417 lb/ft @ 4,400 RPM
• Red Line: 6,500 RPM
• Transmission: Hydra-Matic 6L80, 6-speed automatic
• Curb Weight: 5,838 lbs
• LxWxH: 222.4" x 79.1" x 77.1"
• Wheelbase: 116.0"
• Tires: P265/65R18
• Drive type: AWD
• 0 - 60 mph: 8.0 seconds
• 1/4-mile: N/A
• Top speed: 105 MPH
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 13/19 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: 5 Stars Driver/Passenger/Side Impact

Also see:

• 2008 GMC Yukon Denali, Part One
• 2008 GMC Yukon Denali, Part Two

Acceleration: ****
The big 6.2-liter Vortec V8 gives you as much power as you need, whenever you need it. While we didn't have the opportunity to try to mash the pedal to the floor while towing, the 380 horses let us dart through traffic better than we expected we should have been able to, given the sheer size of this beast.

Braking: ****
Given the size, you'd expect long stopping distances, but the four-wheel disc brakes worked with aplomb, even when encountering the pressures of coffee-spilling stops that scared the bejeezus out of even our stony-faced road test editor. Seriously, we've just gotten those pants back from the cleaners — you know how many times it took for them to get the coffee stain out?

Ride: *****
Like a pillow. What? You didn't know the Yukon is the new Serta mattress? OK, not really, but the Yukon Denali took a series of potholes on I-75 like they were sidewalk cracks. This Huge-UV has the ability to take just about any standard byway or highway, regardless of disrepair, and make you feel like you're on the latest re-surfaced MDOT road.

Handling: **
The GMC Yukon handles like a beached whale. But, despite the Gigantor-like proportions, the turning radius was better than we expected. Still had to do a turn-and-backup on the road outside the ol' apartment building, but at least we didn't have to do it twice. So we guess there's that.

Gearbox: ****
The six-speed auto tranny may be good at helping the General wring that extra mpg out of the GMT-900's, but it's hopeless for feeling what gear you're in. Feel free to use the "+" and "-" buttons on the shift column to move up and down the gears. We didn't.

Audio: ****
Bose surround sound, XM Satellite radio, six-disc CD changer and the premium acoustic package. Nothing more than what you'd expect on a uber-equipped SUV.

Toys: ***
The power tailgate may be nice for the not-so-tall, but we wish it didn't force us to use it. Just another extra 15 seconds before we were comfortable pulling out of our parking spot. The rear DVD system would be great if we had kids in the back seat every day. But we don't and neither should anyone else buying this Giant-UV. Let's re-cap people — do not buy the GMC Yukon Denali as a soccer mom-mobile. And when are we going to get Xenon's GMC?

Value: **
At $55,750.00 the 2008 GMC Yukon Denali is more than some people put down to buy a house. Most people who need the room and size will probably find a non-Denali trim version will work out just fine for them and fulfill all their needs. And do it for $10,000 cheaper. This Truck-UV is only a value proposition if you're hauling lots of people and all their equipment. Period.

Overall: ***
It all comes down to what you're looking for. Frankly, although it works for us, there's very few folks it'll do the same for. And the Chevy Tahoe looks better, does the same thing, and costs much less money.

Also see:

• 2008 GMC Yukon Denali, Part One

I think I'm now one of those people who "knows" I need one — at least some of the time. Since January, I've now spent so much time in the 2008 GMC Yukon Denali, I almost feel like GM should just hand over the keys. But I can't help it. The Yukon just seems to be a convenient choice whenever we've got the team in the Detroit area and we need a heavy hauler to lug our portly auto-writing frames around. Not to mention seemingly having more equipment in tow than is needed to put together a Top Gear segment.

Case in point. My most recent time spent behind the wheel of the new up-optioned Yukon was the end of last month — for a quick photo shoot with an upcoming vehicle being revealed at the New York Auto Show. With an extra two guys in town and their assorted video and camera equipment, that standard CUV's just going to end up getting stuffed to the gills. Not the Yukon.

As if hoisting myself into the driver's seat isn't enough, all it takes is a quick look out the front windshield (or into the rear-view mirror, across the cavernous double rear rows of seats and out the rear window) and you notice your vision falling well above the roofs of most cars in your line of sight. That's all you really need to remind you this ain't no pansy crossover you're rumbling down the road in.

Or you could just look at your gas gauge. Yeah, it's no 20 miles-plus per gallon CUV, that's for sure. Close to 20, maybe — we saw 17.8 MPG in mixed city/highway driving (EPA 13/19) — but definitely not 20-plus. But you're also not going to find any crossover on the market with a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood giving you 380 horses to play with and max torque of 417 lb-ft. But you'll need an engine that big with an animal packing 5800+ pounds unladen, like the Yukon truck-UV. Anything less would be pokey given this elephant of a vehicle's pack animal purpose.

It kills me when I see a MILF driving a Yukon or it's Chevy brother, the Tahoe, through the suburbs of Metro Detroit. That's because the Yukon, like any pack animal, isn't designed to pick the kids up from soccer practice or bring the groceries to your suburban home. Save those suburban tasks for something smaller, more pedestrian and definitely more pocketbook friendly at the pump. No, this camel of a cargo-carrier should only be used when you've got seven souls in the seats and all 45.8 cubic feet of cargo area behind the third row packed to the gills with equipment. Soccer moms need not apply.

I, on the other hand, feel like I need a vehicle like this. Well, at least I do when I'm not paying for it.

GM Premieres First Ever Fuel Cell, Hybrid SUV Fleet At The Oscars

LOS ANGELES - The red-carpet arrivals at the 80th Annual Academy Awards® on Feb. 24, will be transformed with advanced technology vehicles from GMC and Chevrolet. This fuel-friendly fleet - larger than any other assembled for a major awards show before - will enable Hollywood's hottest talent to enjoy stylish and environmentally friendly rides in one of more than 75 vehicles, including the GMC Yukon Hybrid, the zero-gas and zero-emissions Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell and the FlexFuel E85 ethanol-compatible GMC Yukon.

As the only ABC Network automotive sponsor of the 2008 Oscar® telecast, GMC and Chevrolet will bring hybrid and fuel cell technology to the forefront at the red carpet, and other Oscar Week events. The fleet continues GM's major strategic effort to provide "fuel-friendly" vehicles to the entertainment industry and spread the word about GM's environmentally-conscious cars, trucks and SUVs.

"GM's longstanding relationship with Hollywood and our strong commitment to bringing advanced technologies to market that will help diversify fuel sources and reduce vehicle emissions makes this the perfect time for GM to drive 'green' to the Oscars," said Dino Bernacchi, GM Director of Marketing Alliances and Branded Entertainment. "Our outreach to showcase GM's 'fuel-friendly' products will be increasingly evident in the entertainment industry in 2008 with presence at awards shows, film festivals and special events, as well as a heightened product placement effort in movies and television."

GM's ramped-up efforts to drive Hollywood "green" began with "fuel-friendly" vehicles at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards and 39th NAACP Image Awards. Chevrolet is also reaching out to the next generation of tomorrow's influencers with the first-ever "Chevy Rocks The Future" event on Feb. 19. GM already provides the largest "fuel-friendly" product placement fleet to Hollywood producers and directors with nearly 20 different vehicle types.

Later this quarter, Chevrolet will hand over the keys to Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles to major entertainment celebrities for everyday use as part of its Project Driveway program - an effort by Chevrolet to move fuel cell technology from the laboratory into consumers' driveways.

The GMC Yukon Hybrid is the industry's first full-size SUV hybrid. No other hybrid can offer the fuel efficiency and full-size SUV performance including seating for up to 8 passengers and 6,200 lbs. maximum towing.

The 2008 Yukon Hybrid boasts vastly improved fuel economy over its gasoline-only sibling. Two-wheel drive models, for example, deliver 21 mpg in the city, a 50-percent improvement over its 5.3L non-hybrid sibling and comparable to the much-smaller 2.4L-equipped Toyota Camry sedan, according to figures obtained from www.fueleconomy.gov.

This year's Oscars will be the first major awards show where a fleet of fuel cell vehicles will provide transportation for celebrities. The Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle is a zero-gas, zero-emissions vehicle that makes no compromises, achieving 0 to 60 mph in 12 seconds, 236-lb.-ft. of instant torque and top speed of about 100 miles per hour. It seats four, sports 32 cubic feet of cargo volume for everybody's gear, and has a range of approximately 150 miles per fill-up based on the new 2008 EPA adjusted measurement. The Equinox Fuel Cell also features full four-wheel ABS for controlled, confident stopping.

Aside from its dramatically different propulsion system, the Equinox Fuel Cell looks and drives much like a production Chevy Equinox (a small SUV).

In addition to the GMC Yukon Hybrid and Chevy Fuel Cell Equinox, a select number of FlexFuel E85 ethanol-compatible Yukon SUVs will drive to the red carpet. Biofuels such as E85 ethanol have tremendous potential to help offset the world's growing energy demands, and General Motors offers more FlexFuel E85 ethanol-capable models than any other brand, with 2.5 million FlexFuel E85 ethanol vehicles currently on the road. FlexFuel E85 ethanol vehicles can run on either gasoline or E85 ethanol - a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - or a combination of both.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will present the 80th Annual Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007, on Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, televised live at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST by the ABC Television Network.

[Source: GM]