From the Archive: 2000 GMC Yukon SLT Tested

From the November 1999 issue of Car and Driver.

We've gone on record in multiple road tests congratulating General Motors for advancing the cause of the full-size pickup truck with the new­-for-1999 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Aside from the unfortunately pedestrian exterior styling, it bas given us little else to complain about.

So it should come as no surprise that the truck platform and powertrains would serve as a solid basis for the corporation's full-size sport-utility vehicles—the Chev­rolet Tahoe and the Suburban, the GMC Yukon and the Yukon XL (GMC's new name for its Suburban variation), and next year, the Cadillac Escalade and the Yukon Denali.

But after a lengthy test of a 2000 GMC Yukon SLT, it's clear GM's new full-size SUV is even better than we expected. It's exceptionally well thought out and exe­cuted, both mechanically and ergonomi­cally. It's considerably faster than the vehicle it replaces, and although skidpad numbers don't confirm it, the new model feels much more nimble than the old one. Our Yukon had the 5.3-liter V-8, called the Vortec 5300, which is the middle engine in the family of new V-8s intro­duced last year on the pickups. The 4.8-liter V-8, which pumps out a potent 275 horsepower, is standard, but to get the 300-hp, 6.0-liter V-8, you have to opt for the three-quarter-ton model of the Yukon XL.

See all results for used 2000 Yukon / Yukon XL for sale near 51503

Although our Yukon SLT four-door (the two-door is history) weighed in at a very hefty 5467 pounds—that's 29 pounds more than the 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 we tested in March 1999, our most recent drive of the last-generation model—this new model is a much better performer. The 1999 Tahoe with the 5.7-liter V-8 went from 0 to 60 mph in 10.3 seconds and did the quarter-mile in 17.7 seconds at 77 mph. The new Yukon, with the 5.3-liter V-8, went from 0 to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 16.7 seconds at 85 mph. Knocking a full second off the quarter-mile time on a vehicle that has a smaller engine and actually weighs a bit more than the one it replaces is worth a tip of the Stetson.

Braking was also better from 70 mph for the new model: 213 feet for the Yukon, 248 feet for the '99 Tahoe. The new Yukon was better on the skidpad—0.70 g to the knobby-tired Chevy's 0.67 g—but it should be mentioned that a Yukon Denali we tested in August 1998 managed 0.72 g on the skidpad, so there isn't a substantial improvement noted there.

What is notable is the new Yukon's improved road feel. Steering is spot-on, with none of the tiny left-right, left-right corrections typically required during straight-line highway driving on the old model—and on the current Ford Excursion and Expedition. The Yukon's ride is smooth on all sorts of pavement, but the rigid rear axle causes the back of the Yukon to hula-dance on potholed or wash­board dirt roads.

Our Yukon SLT was a top-of­-the-line model, with leather-trimmed seats, a hitherto unavailable sunroof, and a compact-disc player that was mounted low in the console, separately from the radio. The seats were substantially better than in the pre­vious model, although they could use a little more side support. The center row of seats is comfortable for average-size adults, but the rearmost seats are best reserved for kids.

With all seats in place, there's enough cargo room in the rear for a row of grocery sacks, and little else. The rear seat is easily removable through the liftgate, but if you have the storage space and seldom carry more than five people, we'd be tempted to leave it out.

Access to that third row of seats isn't bad, but it does require some contortions. The passenger-side middle-row seat bottom tumbles forward, and the seatback folds down, making a fairly generous pas­sageway to the back. One very nice fea­ture: The seatback of the middle-row center chair folds forward, creating a nice console and cup holders for the outboard middle-row passengers.

From the driver's position, all controls and instruments are logically placed. The nine-speaker stereo sounded good from any seat, and the large sunroof, when open, made the interior seem less cave-like.

Our Yukon had four-wheel drive, which meant it had the AutoTrac system as a standard feature. Engaged by pressing a button on the dashboard, it's essentially an active transfer case that allows the Yukon to send all the power to the rear wheels until the system detects slippage, at which point power is applied to the front wheels until the slippage ceases. Of course, you can select full-time four-wheel drive or low range for stump pulling.

Despite its bulk, the Yukon works pretty well off-road. It has 8.4 inches of ground clearance, and the P265/70SR-16 Firestone Wilderness LE radials are a good all-season compromise tire, as long as you steer clear of deep mud.

Few of us at Car and Driver, especially the more militant editors who generally dislike SUVs, would want to live with a full-size sport-ute on a daily basis. But in any automotive exercise, we can appre­ciate a job well done, and the Yukon SLT is arguably the best example of a big SUV on the road today.

Specifications

2000 GMC Yukon SLTVehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 8–9-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICEBase: $35,500 (est)

ENGINEpushrod 16-valve V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection Displacement: 325 in3, 5327 cm3 Power: 285 hp @ 5200 rpm Torque: 325 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION4-speed automatic

CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axle Brakes, F/R: X12.0-in vented disc/12.6-in disc Tires: Firestone Wilderness LEP265/70SR-16

DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 116.0 in Length: 198.8 in Width: 78.8 inHeight: 76.5 in Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 63/57/35 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 105/16 ft3Curb Weight: 5467 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 8.6 sec90 mph: 19.5 sec 1/4-Mile: 16.7 sec @ 85 mph Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.9 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.1 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.6 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 97 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 213 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.70 g

Interior SoundIdle: 44 dBA Full Throttle: 72 dBA 70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA

C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 15 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMYCity/Highway: 14/17 mpg

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