It'll Run You Over

Author's Rating:

Pros: RUNS THINGS OVER

Cons: Doesn't fit on small roads

Handling And Control:

Author's Review
Where’d This Bad Boy Come From?
New name, but same old car. The 2000 GMC Yukon XL is simply the car we knew as the Chevrolet Suburban. It appears it is just GMC’s ploy to compete against the Ford Expedition, which has been gaining popularity over the Suburban and Yukon. The XL stands for Extra Large, which is what we are seeing more and more of these days!

Da Looks…
Simply put, this thing is a MONSTER!! It’s about 220 inches long, but the width and height is where it’s at. This thing is wider and taller than almost any car on the road. There’s no better feeling than riding down the street and intimidating every car you pass. Two side doors and the huge back gate allow you to access the inside. There’s a nice roof rack on the top also, that I’m sure you could fit a standard economy car on.

On The Inside…
They have allowed much more front passenger room this time around. This is great for the people in the front, but steals from the cargo room in the back. I guess you won’t miss it much, since this boat is so big anyway. I still managed to fit a huge board of wood in the back with no problem. The bucket seats for the front and middle are so luxurious. It’s a great improvement from their last model. Front and rear air-condition is great. I assume it’s a must, seeing as how long this thing is, the rear passengers would be dying. There are a ton of mats in this sucker, and I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many and where. The carpeting underneath will never be ruined; that’s for sure! Nine passengers can ride in here with no cramming. There’s even room for a center console in between the front seats, that includes a lockable storage compartment and four cupholders. The sound system is also great. There are 9 speakers scattered all around the vehicle. A CD player and rear 8-inch subwoofer are standard on all Yukons! General Motors' OnStar satellite navigation and communication system is also available.

The Models…
The GMC Yukon XL, which is an even larger version of the Yukon, comes in 2 different main model types. They are the 1500 and 2500. The 1500 is a half-ton. The 2500 is three-quarters of a ton and denoted as the heavy-duty version. It is designed with increased towing and hauling capacities. The SLE is the base package and includes all of the stuff described above. The add-on package called the SLT adds more to the car. You get everything that the SLE has, plus UltraSoft Leather covered seats, CD/cassette player, and 16 inch brushed aluminum wheels. The exterior of the Yukon XL can be painted in any of 9 colors. They are: Copper Metallic, Pewter Metallic, Fire Red, Storm Gray Metallic, Topaz Gold Metallic, Summit White, Dark Toreador Red Metallic, Indigo Blue Metallic, and Onyx Black. They allow some of the exteriors to be painted in two-tone color with any of the two selections above. The interior leather options are: pewter, oak, and graphite.

Safety Features
Safety features? Does it need any besides the fact it can run over 95% of the other cars on the road? Well, actually it does come with quite a few. All Yukons come equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes. Four-wheel drive is available on all Yukon models, and the two-wheel drive XL’s provide a traction control system for more controlled acceleration and stability on slipper surfaces. There are some other crazy features that I myself am not even sure of. One is limp-home mode. In the event of overheating, the engine automatically enters the Limp Home mode. The engine begins operating on alternating banks of cylinders and uses air to cool itself in order to get you safely to a repair center. Another is the door beams. To minimize severe intrusion into the cabin in a side impact, Yukon features sturdy steel door beams. They're designed to deform in a progressive, controlled manner and absorb impact energy. Lastly, electronic traction assistance comes with this car. Four-wheel-drive Yukon and Yukon XL models feature Autotrac, which automatically engages four-wheel drive when needed. 2WD models feature an available Electronic Traction Assist for enhanced traction control on most slippery surfaces.

Who’s It For??
This is a MAN’s car!! We want the power, we will use this power. I wouldn’t recommend this vehicle for the teenagers though. They might get a little out of control with that much power. Any male 22 and up is suitable for it, though. It’s a quite expensive car, but it’s worth its weight in gold, literally.

Other Stuff…
If there's heavy-duty people moving, cargo hauling, or trailer towing to be done, the Yukon XLs will answer. Properly equipped with the optional 5.3-liter/285-horsepower V-8 or the 6.0-liter/300-horsepower V-8, the 2500-Series GMC Yukon XL can safely and comfortably tow a 9000- or 10,500-pound trailer, respectively.