Impressed with a GM product!

[altiain]

Okay, it was an expensive (MSRP $46,510 ) GM product, but I was impressed nonetheless.

I was in Kentucky again earlier this week for business. Standard company policy for minesite visits is to rent a 4wd SUV, as we often have to take the rental vehicles up into the mine to use as a field "command post" in all types of weather.

The last time I was in Kentucky, I rented through Budget and got stuck with a Forester (they didn't have any real trucks). We managed to sink it up to the axles in mud, and had to tow it out with an F750 service truck. I had warned the idiot at the counter that I had reserved a "real" 4wd, and that I was headed to a coal mine, but he still looked shocked when I brought what was left of the Forester back. Honestly he should have been happy that it wasn't burned to the ground, since it was a union mine we visited.

This time I rented through Hertz, and the only 4wd they had was a 7000-mile old Yukon XL SLT. While I was hesitant to use a $40k+, 6000-pound luxo-barge as a field support vehicle, I really didn't have any other choice. It had been raining and snowing at the mine, and I had no interest in playing "tow the rental out of the mud" again.

The Yukon really, really impressed me. Not only did it handle the muck and mud at the mine with confidence, never putting a wheel wrong even in foot deep mud, but it was supremely comfortable. It was loaded, with leather, seat heaters, locking rear diff, power adjustable everything, XM satellite radio and an aux. audio input built into the radio, etc. It handled well and rode very smoothly, especially for a full-time 4wd truck. It was also surprisingly easy to maneuver in tight spaces, considering its overall size.

Amazingly, even while spending a lot of time driving through the mountains of eastern Kentucky, it managed to return 19mpg over the 600 miles I drove it! This particular model was equipped with cylinder deactivation, and you could track it through the info system in the instrument cluster. The change from one mode to another happened almost instantly and completely transparently - the only thing that gave it away when only running on four cylinders was that you'd feel a little vibration through the accelerator pedal during the first 1/4 inch or so of pedal stroke.

Overall, I was really impressed with the Yukon over the last three days. While I'm not personally in the market for a full-size near-luxury SUV, if I was I would seriously consider this machine if I was.

[cam76034]

As long as you don't plan on keeping it for longer than 3 years or 75000 miles, which is about how long it takes before that GM quality really becomes apparent. At least that's how long my 4x4 Suburban lasted. Then it too became an "expensive GM product".

[CosmosMpower]

I'm surprised it was only 46K, that might be a lightly equipped one. It's easy to get a loaded suburban in to the 50's and 60's IIRC.

[POS Racing]

As long as you don't plan on keeping it for longer than 3 years or 75000 miles, which is about how long it takes before that GM quality really becomes apparent. At least that's how long my 4x4 Suburban lasted. Then it too became an "expensive GM product".

That a fact, plus I had a couple of Ford Expeditions (2000 & 2003) that just couldn't make it to the end of a 36 month lease without spiting up some important stuff that was needed for them to move under their own power.

Still a fan of my 4Runner with only 9 months remaining on the 36 month lease and so far not one failure, knock on bamboo!

But that new Cadillac CTS keeps calling my name........

[Treibenschnell]

Honestly he should have been happy that it wasn't burned to the ground, since it was a union mine we visited.

That would have been a sight!

[trickyrix]

As long as you don't plan on keeping it for longer than 3 years or 75000 miles, which is about how long it takes before that GM quality really becomes apparent. At least that's how long my 4x4 Suburban lasted. Then it too became an "expensive GM product".

My dad has owned several Suburbans/Tahoes/Yukons over the years, and the only weak spot seems to be the transmission - which gives up the ghost around 100K miles (he's lost 2 out of 6 trucks). Other than that, I think they're very solid these days. And as far as the straight up utility of the suckers, you can't beat 'em. And GM has made HUGE strides in trim/build quality.

I've also sampled the latest Ford products with a few miles on them, and IMHO the Expedition is a Piece Of Shit - electrical gremlins, fragile trim, twitchy steering, rough ride, you name it.