Either way, the Yukon is a good size for large families. Built on GM's excellent full-size truck platform, the Yukon is the same size and, in many ways, the same vehicle as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. Yukon is 20 inches shorter than the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL, making it much easier to park and garage. It is slightly smaller than the Ford Expedition, but longer and wider than the GMC Envoy, Chevy TrailBlazer, and Ford Explorer. Yukon is wider and shorter than the Envoy XL, giving it better stability in cornering and more comfortable accommodations for third-row occupants.

Yukon was completely redesigned for 2000, and the luxurious Yukon Denali was introduced for 2001. For 2002, GMC upgraded the automatic transmissions, designed a more efficient starter, built a more durable steering gear housing, installed new child safety seat anchors, and achieved an ultra-low emissions (ULEV) rating for the Vortec 5300 V8 engine.

2003 brings major revisions for improved comfort, safety, reliability, and emissions. The front seats are more sculptured for 2003. The brakes have been improved, the airbags are smarter, and optional Autotrac four-wheel drive is more sophisticated. StabiliTrak electronic stability control, power adjustable pedals, and multi-zone electronic climate control are standard on 2003 Yukon Denali and optional on other models. A rear-seat Panasonic DVD system is available for all models.