GMC (11)
Trucks dominate the auto industry, and not everyone is looking for a basic work truck. In fact, the trend is moving in the opposite direction, with these vehicles moving farther away from being solely work-focused and instead growing more luxurious in their creature comfort offerings for the whole family, based on customer demand.
The 2019 GMC Sierra has been redesigned for 2019, and attempts to break out of the shadow of its GM cohort the Chevy Silverado. I recently tested out one of the upper trim level Sierra offerings, a 2019 Sierra Denali 1500 4WD Crew Cab, and I’m back with a full report on how this truck distinguishes itself.
Crossover is the buzzword of the past decade (even Lamborghini made one, for chrissakes), but body-on-frame SUVs have not yet gone the way of the dodo bird.
Yes, these massive relics live on, including the GMC Yukon, due to their extreme storage capacity and versatility.
There’s a limited number of contenders here, and the Yukon is primarily taking on its own GM brethren (Chevy Tahoe and Chevy Suburban) as well as the Ford Expedition and some foreign entrants that are smaller players in the segment (Lexus GX, Infiniti QX80, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada).
I recently tested a 2019 Yukon — which saw its last major design overhaul back in 2015 and sees only minor changes for the 2019 model year — and I’m back with an update on how it competes in this old-school segment.
As SUVs continue to top the list of most carbuyers’ wish lists, and more and more automakers expand their offerings, it’s a constant struggle to keep up. One of GMC’s top offerings is its three-row mid-size offering, the GMC Acadia, which battles such category heavyweights as the Ford Explorer, Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and newcomer Volkswagen Atlas.
After some time driving a 2018 Acadia, I’m back with a full report on how it holds up in the category.
LOOKS
Versatility and space is key with any SUV. And the good news is that the 2018 Acadia offers a healthy amount of storage room with the second and third rows down. It’s also very easy to lower the seats, and even with the seats up there is easy access to the Acadia’s third row. Be aware though, the back seat is pretty tight and I would recommend for kids only whenever possible.
The leather-appointed seating in the Denali model I tested was quite comfortable.
I had a 6-passenger setup (2/2/2), but you can also opt for a seven-passenger version.
Other niceties included heated and ventilated front seats. Optional second-row heated seats; leather wrapped steering wheel; LED daytime running lights; 20-inch polished aluminum wheels; and a sunroof. Denali touches make it shine inside (wood accents) and out (grille).
Numbers don’t lie, and in the case of the 2018 GMC Yukon XL, the numbers are pretty staggering.
It’s among the largest and longest vehicles available to car buyers, coming in at 224 inches long, 81 inches wide and 74 inches tall.
This big boy is a truck-based twin to the Chevy Suburban, with the main wrinkle being its Denali trim level, which pushes the Yukon XL into a higher echelon in the GM landscape.
I recently tested this behemoth and I’m back with a full report.
LOOKS
Size is everything with the Yukon XL, which grows from the base Yukon by more than 20 inches in length. Leg room in the third row also grows by nearly 10 inches when moving up from the standard Yukon to the XL, and cargo volume behind the third row more than doubles.
Point blank: Everyone and everything in the Yukon XL will be comfortable and roomy.
Long overdue for an upgrade (it hasn’t had one since being introduced in 2009), the GMC Terrain compact SUV finally gets one for the 2018 model year.
In a segment that continues to be hot and see more entries, it’s critical to stay fresh.But is it fresh enough? I recently spent some time in a 2018 Terrain and I’m back with a full report.
LOOKS
Less boxy and rigid, and more sleek and aerodynamic, than its predecessor, the 2018 GMC Terrain is seriously upgraded in exterior looks for 2018. It’s not so extreme a change that it blends in with the crowd now (the grille still screams GMC), but it’s enough of a change that you definitely won’t confuse it with the prior version. In the process of the upgrade, the Terrain lost a few inches of length and shed several hundred pounds of weight.
The interior is high-end and comfortable, especially on the Denali model, which is at near luxury level. It’s one of the most comfortable small SUVs you will find on the market.
It also feels surprisingly roomy for a small SUV, not claustrophobic like some of them can be. A power sunroof is offered too.
Nine years is a long time for a vehicle to go without a refresh, but that’s how long it took for the GMC Acadia, which finally gets a new look in 2017 as it aims to grow its sales with a redesign.
The new Acadia has gone on a bit of a diet -- getting shorter and lighter -- and the question now is: Will the changes be enough to improve this midsize SUV’s standing on the intense battlefield that this segment has become?
NEW LOOK
For the 2017 version of the Acadia, you lose just over 7 inches of length, about 3.5 inches of width, plus just under 7 inches of height. Add that all up and the inside is a bit smaller -- less head room, less leg room, less cargo space. The other part of the diet is the weight, roughy 700 pounds are gone.
The design changes mean that if you go for a three-row version of the Acadia, you’ll have less room in the back seats -- meaning they’re strictly for little ones. The weight change means a peppier drive due to less poundage being hauled around with you, and of course a boost in the fuel mileage numbers.
In the grand scheme of things, GMC is not an automaker that comes to mind when the word “luxury” is mentioned. They’re known as a rugged brand, primarily for Sierra pickup trucks, and aren’t thought of alongside Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lincoln and others.
But there’s another side to GMC that many don’t know about -- the Denali side. By sprucing up many of their models with Denali trim, GMC is boosting up many of its offerings to be on par with the heavyweights in the luxury class.
I recently drove a 2016 GMC Yukon Denali, and I’m back with a full report of the dapper nature hiding behind that rugged exterior.
When I hear the name GMC, I think of trucks -- its Sierra pickups most specifically, and its Yukon full-size SUVs, which are based off of a truck body.
But let’s not forget that GMC still competes in the crossover marketplace too -- with its midsize Acadia offering, plus the baby of the bunch -- the GMC Terrain.
The Terrain is getting a bit dated compared to some competitors, but remains in the battlefield in the ever-crowded small SUV/crossover segment. I recently spent some time in a 2016 GMC Terrain Denali, and I’m back with a full report.
There are big vehicles, there are bigger vehicles, and then there is the 2015 GMC Yukon XL Denali.
A full-size SUV in every sense of the word, this thing is extremely large -- inching out even its competitors in this segment.
It’s large as in you could fit a small car inside of it.
It’s large as in you could maybe even live in it for a little while (though it doesn’t have a shower, so that wouldn’t last very long).
For 2015 the Yukon XL is fully redesigned with exterior styling changes and interior upgrades. I spent a week driving this luxurious land-cruiser, and I’m back with a full report on my experience.
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