More than once a third row passenger was tempted to use the cell phone to reach the driver. It’s not because the vehicle interior is too loud (a re-designed 57-degree windshield rake helps quash the road noise), but this full-size SUV is just one immensely big environment. And for the 2007 model year, the Yukon was re-designed, and that means everything was touched – even the glovebox is 25 percent bigger. Each row of seats is better than before because there’s more legroom, knee room, headroom, and/or shoulder room. The second row is now a power fold and tumble seat (one activation point is a button on the C-pillar), which makes getting into the third row so much easier.

Yukon uses a new family of V8 engines that are fitted with an active fuel management package, which means a seamless and automatic switch from 8 cylinders to four cylinders when appropriate to save on fuel consumption. The SUV employs a new fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, new rack-and-pinion steering, larger four wheel disc brakes, longer life brake pads, new anti-lock braking system, and a wider front and rear track (about 3 inches more in the front and one-inch in the rear). Yukon 4WD with the 5.3-liter V8 that produces 310 horsepower and 335 pounds-feet of torque has an estimated fuel economy of 15 city/21 highway. MSRP of the Yukon 4WD is $38,365.