2009 GMC Yukon XL 1500 Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the GMC Yukon XL 1500:

Despite its considerable bulk, the Denali leaps off the line when accelerating...

-- Canadian Driver

Denali's big, pull-type interior door handles... can be used with gloves.

-- Canadian Driver

[with Denali] a full-time all-wheel-drive system is standard, a first in this size class.

-- Car and Driver

independent torsion bar front suspension and a five-link coil-spring rear setup that delivers a satisfying ride.

-- Edmunds.com

Folks who truly need a size extra-large sport-utility will find the Yukon XL hard to beat.

-- New Car Test Drive

Generous cross bracing adds stiffness, helping to retain the rigid chassis as well as allowing engineers to design a suspension that soaks up the jarring bumps and craters found on and off road.

-- New Car Test Drive

Good brakes are important for a vehicle that weighs more than two tons and is sometimes asked to pull heavy trailers. With the Yukon's redesign came exceptionally good brakes.

-- New Car Test Drive

...now you can even buy the Yukon XL with the same luxurious Denali equipment reserved previously for the shorter-wheelbase Yukon. Denali packs a bigger engine and more sophisticated full-time all-wheel-drive.

-- New Car Test Drive

What reviewers liked least about the GMC Yukon XL 1500:

The running board is too narrow to be of much use.

-- Canadian Driver

...we would like to see higher-quality interior pieces and an overall improved level of fit-and-finish...

-- Edmunds.com

GMC Yukon XL 1500 Comparisons:

the... Yukon XL/Yukon XL Denali is a little smaller than the Ford Excursion.

-- Car and Driver

...excelled compared to the [V10-powered] Excursion, making it to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds and running the quarter mile in 16.8 at 82.0 mph.

-- Motor Trend

While the Yukon can carry a lot of people or a lot of cargo, the Yukon XL can do both at the same time.

-- New Car Test Drive

Best one-liner about the GMC Yukon XL 1500:

...you will hardly need to look for a bigger vehicle, unless you're seriously into procreation.

-- Automobile

A revised bumper, grille, running boards, and monochromatic treatment are about as subtle as a 320-pound linebacker.

-- Automobile