Our test vehicle was a Yukon XL Denali, whose tone-on-tone leather bucket seats suggest a luxury sedan more than anything even distantly related to a truck. Seat belts mount to the seat frame, and the side-impact airbags are incorporated into the seats. Ten-way power adjustments include side bolsters, lumbar support, and articulated headrests.

Other unique Denali features include teal-green instrument lighting, a specific center console with storage space for CDs, cloth-covered sun visors with pull-out extensions and lighted vanity mirrors, theatre dimming of interior lamps, and nine acoustic floor dampers to keep Denali exceptionally quiet.

Our Denali had the 50/50 split bench seat in the second row, although a pair of heated bucket seats is available for the second row for $290.

The third-row bench also splits 50/50 so that each side can be folded independently. The first two rows are convenient and relatively easy to slide into or out of. However, the third row is a bit more challenging. While members of our test group were all able to use the seat, a few of our larger cohorts felt it wasn't the place for them. Still, they're a vast improvement over any of the third rows in smaller SUVs.

Last year, buyers could not order both a power sliding sunroof and automatic air conditioning, because the location of the controls conflicted. GMC has fixed the conflict this year, and added separate controls for the rear-seat heater. Front and rear heating and air conditioning is standard on all Yukon models; automatic climate control is optional on SLE/SLT and standard on Denali.

GM's OnStar security and information service is standard on Denali, optional on SLT.

Buyers of basic SLE or SLT Yukons can select either side-by-side cargo doors or an all-aluminum liftgate with a glass section that lifts independently. the liftgate is convenient for quickly adding and removing lightweight items to the cargo compartment. We preferred the cargo doors because they open wide and allow a closer working position to the vehicle's storage area. Cargo doors are also useful when pulling trailers because they will usually clear the trailer tongue jack. The hinges can be released, allowing the doors to open fully when loading large items. However, the luxury-oriented Denali offers only the lightweight liftgate. The liftgate has the advantage of offering better rearward visibility than the cargo doors, which block the view in the center where the doors meet.