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Some say that the "bloom is off the rose" for the uniquely excessively American sport utility vehicle. For General Motors the 2005 GMC Yukon Denali continues to be a bouquet of technical innovations installed on a strong truck foundation. The GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade all share the same basic heritage of a light duty pickup with an enclosed compartment rather than an open pickup bed. Traditionally work trucks that tow and haul heavy loads are based on a strong ladder style frame with versatile bodies bolted directly to the frame. "Crossovers" based on car and van architectures are often "unibody" designs where the body whole comprises the frame. The Yukon Denali shares a heavy-duty "body on a frame" foundation with work trucks but takes body versatility to a new level of comfort and luxury. My 2005 GMC Yukon Denali test vehicle was powered by the huge 6.0 Liter V8 pumping out 335 horsepower and 375 lb. ft. torque. This five thousand pound workhorse can tow an 8,100-pound boat without complaining about the steep lake roads. There simply are few vehicles with the credentials to work as hard as the GMC Yukon. Where the 2005 GMC Yukon Denali shines is not only in the ability to work, but to work in style and comfort. Denali represents the highest level of luxury in the Yukon lineup. The chrome drilled grill is very attractive and distinctively Denali, letting the world know that here, luxury is not an option. Almost every luxury feature is included as standard equipment. All Wheel Drive feature with Stabilitrak provided confidence on icy streets. There is no need to manually switch anything when conditions become treacherous because the All Wheel Drive systems automatically take care of traction controls. My test vehicle was the ultimate in creature comforts. The sofa soft heated leather seats are some of the most comfortable in any vehicle. Infinitely adjustable seats remain supportive and pleasant on long hours behind the wheel. Personal memory settings will bring the seat back to the preset position upon entering and slide back for easy exit. I still maintain that General Motors has the best heated seats on the market. At this price point, heated seats are a requirement, but I now look forward to the day when massaging seats also become accepted and expected as well. New for 2005 is the available GPS Navigation System. While not quite as sophisticated as the voice activated systems from Honda and Toyota, this is a very acceptable system using a 6.5" touch screen and available 3-D viewing. The $4,290 Sun, Entertainment and Destination option is expensive but it includes the Sunroof, Navigation Radio and an excellent DVD based Rear Seat Entertainment system. The Rear Seat Entertainment System includes really cool wireless headsets that let the driver listen to the Bose stereo while the rear seat rug rats are watching Power Rangers on the DVD and listening with their wireless headphones. Such tranquility was not available when my children were growing up. In reality General Motors pickups including SUV derivatives may be in need of modernization. However this is a mature product that continues to serve well. The 2005 GMC Yukon Denali is a good example of how GMC has kept the product fresh and exciting while the platform has aged. There is nothing uncompetitive about these trucks. They may be a familiar design but they do the job in style. This year fuel economy ratings increased to 13 MPG in the city and 17 on the highway by the EPA. As the attention shifts from truck based sport utility vehicles to "Crossovers" with car or van based platforms there will still be a market for the tough workable full-sized SUV. Not only will the need to tow heavy boats still exist, there will still be those who like the feel of a truck based SUV. Often it's not even a logical choice. We just like our trucks. So if you need or just want a truck tough full size SUV, you can't get a better luxury value than the ultimate 2005 GMC Yukon Denali.
2005 GMC Yukon Denali AWD
$54,490 Price as tested.
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©2003 - Stan Risener