After driving a Hummer H2, I wanted to see how different it was from the GMC Yukon Denali with which it shares GM’s full-size truck platform and 6.0 liter V8. I sensed that the Hummer involved substantial modifications to the standard GM platform, but wanted to confirm this. So I took a 2003 Denali for a spin. (The blue hyperlinks lead to my reviews of related vehicles.)

The Denali began as an ultra-fancy, fully optioned (and then some) Yukon back in the days when Cadillac wasn’t going to get an SUV and GMC was going to be the GM’s luxury SUV division. Well, Cadillac dealers kept screaming, and Lincoln’s first SUV, the gargantuan Navigator, did surprisingly well, so GM threw a different grille on the front of the still new Denali and different leather on the seats and called it an Escalade. It sold well. Both trucks were then redesigned and differentiated a bit more, and the new Escalade sold very, very well. But the Denali is still with us.

The 2003 had just come in. A few minor changes were made for this year. The brakes have been upgraded, even though they were substantially upgraded when GM’s large SUVs were redesigned two years ago. Stability control, power folding mirrors, and power adjustable pedals are new standard features. The climate control now has three zones. Second row captain’s chairs and a DVD-based entertainment system are new options. Supposedly the dash and center console have been redesigned, but I looked from the 2003 to a 2002 still on the lot and back again, and I couldn’t spot any large differences other than the redesigned control panel for the climate control and slightly different instrument graphics. Many of those new features for 2003 came off the Escalade. And to think that just last year stability control was a key differentiator.

Note: I initially reviewed both the Denali and Yukon in the same review. Then Epinions added a separate listing for the Denali. Quite belatedly I have split my review in two, one for the regular Yukon and one for the Denali. The review for the Yukon can be found here.

GMC Yukon Reliability

Want better reliability information? Want to really know what difference it will make if you buy a GMC Yukon rather than something else? It's coming in the form of "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats. From these you might learn that your first choice, compared to your second choice, is likely to make 2.7 extra trips to the shop in its first five years. You might decide its advantages compensate for this, or you might not. Either way, you'll be able to make a much better informed decision.

To gain access to this information you have a choice: sign up to help provide the data now or pay $24.95 later. For the details, visit my website, www.truedelta.com.

Styling

The Denali is one fancy SUV, from the tasteful cladding to the classy alloys. Of course, many buyers chuck the standard 17” alloys in favor of massive 22” chrome aftermarket wheels shod with low-profile tires. I can see what they’re getting at, as the standard tires have unfashionably tall sidewalls, but this is still a truck, right? When the similar Escalade was redesigned for 2002 it received a brasher front end in line with Cadillac’s edgy new styling direction. Most people seem to think this front end goes a long way towards justifying the Cadillac’s higher price. Those who dislike it should simply take a trip to the GMC dealer. The Denali’s front end is much more restrained. Overall, this is a conventionally styled yet handsome truck. My main issue is it looks a bit stubby given its width and height. Of course, this can be fixed by going with the XL version, based on the twenty-inch-longer Suburban.

Inside I continue to find GM’s big truck dash dated. The same basic dash is used in the most basic work trucks, and no amount of faux gray-stained wood can disguise the fact that it was designed with the work truck market in mind. GM’s premium large trucks need their own dash.

The Denali’s console does help. It flows from the bottom of the dash in a continuous curve, unlike the disjointed, blocky console found in regular Yukons. Restyle the dash in the same way and everything would be just peachy.

Both inside and outside, I prefer the more sophisticated styling of GMC’s mid-size SUV, the Envoy. The Envoy doesn’t share a platform with any work truck, and this seems to have given GM’s designers the freedom they needed to create a more stylish SUV.

Accommodations

The 10-way power front seats of the Denali are quite comfortable. They feel appropriately plush for such a pricey vehicle, yet also provide proper support, at least fore-and-aft. There’s very little lateral support, but a 5400 lbs. SUV isn’t meant for tossing through the twisties anyway. The driving position is excellent; the relatively low dash and expansive glass provide good visibility all around. (This driving position is an advantage over the smaller Envoy.)

In the second row, the 2003 had the newly optional captain’s chairs, while the 2002 in the showroom had the bench. Either is quite comfortable, with generously sized and well-shaped cushions and enough height off the floor to provide good thigh support. While the captain’s aid access to the third row, you lose a bit of utility in other areas. The bench can seat three people comfortably and includes a large armrest with storage and cupholders inside. Like the front seats, the second-row seats are heated. They also receive their own climate controls and stereo that plays through headphone jacks. (But why listen to headphones when a nicely revised Bose system is standard equipment?) I can see this would be a very good place to take a long roadtrip. Especially with the optional entertainment system and a few good movies, though the Denali I drove lacked this feature. If you have kids, you’ll want it.

The third row is not a nice place. The seat sits right on the floor, providing zero thigh support. I found myself looking at my knees. Also, there is little headroom; though I’m not tall at 5Í”, I had to scrunch to keep my head from hitting the plastic trim the borders the rear edge of the headliner. This points out another issue: the third row is all the way at the back of the vehicle. I’m not sure how safe this is. With the XL Denali, the seat is further from the rear, and a bit more comfortable (though still not a place I’d like to spend much time).

Why is the third row so cramped? I suspect because the original Yukon did not have a third row, and the second-generation vehicle, similarly laid out without a third row in mind, is actually a bit smaller. GM was forced to squeeze a third row in late in the process when the Dodge Durango and Ford Expedition were introduced with third row seats, and sold well partly for this reason.

Another problem with having the seat so far back: there is only about 10” of cargo space behind it. To cargo much stuff, the third row seats must either be flipped forward, a rather easy thing to do, or removed, which isn’t too much harder, if not very convenient. The second row folds for even more cargo space. The rear seat headrests fold automatically when the seat is folded, so there is no need to remove them.

On the Road

The Denali costs a good deal more than a regular Yukon, and although standard leather, Bose sound system, electronically controlled shocks, and Stabilitrak explain some of the premium, all of this stuff is available on the vanilla Yukon, you just have to pay extra for it. What truly distinguishes the Denali aside from the fancy cladding and alloys is a 320 horsepower 6.0 liter V8 hooked up to a full-time all-wheel-drive system. Regular Yukons must make do with either a 275-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 or a 285-horsepower 5.3-liter V8. (The Escalade one-ups the Denali with a 345-horsepower 6.0-V8, but then premium fuel is recommended for that one; it can burn regular, but then I suspect it loses much if not all of its power advantage.) Regular Yukons also come with a more versatile but less sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with settings for two-wheel-drive, auto, four high, and four low. There is no such control in the Denali, and no low range. Its all-wheel-drive system was designed to enhance on-road performance, putting all of that V8 power down evenly, somewhat like Audi’s quattro system. If you have thoughts of taking your mega-SUV off-road, you want the regular Yukon, not the snazzy one.

Three hundred twenty horsepower might seem like a lot, especially when it comes at only 5000 RPM, but these horses have to push 5400 lbs. of truck. So instead of being very quick, the Denali is just quick. When given its marching orders, the V8 makes that roar typical of good old American V8s. Perhaps a bit too coarse for such a fancy truck, but I suspect that it gives most people the warm fuzzies. The transmission shifted fairly smoothly, if not seamlessly, although quickly lifting off the throttle made it lose its composure. The all-wheel-drive system puts down the V8s prodigious torque effortlessly through the meaty 265/70R17 radials. No burning rubber here. Maybe if I’d revved the engine then popped the shifter into D, but I’m not sadistic. Besides, Stabilitrak would almost certainly have killed the joy.

Things get a bit hairy in the handling department. The steering is a bit light in effort, but made the Denali feel more nimble than a vehicle this large has any right to be. I felt I could place this truck quite precisely with just a light touch on the wheel. Unfortunately, a soft suspension complicates matters. In even moderately aggressive maneuvers the rear end starts to sway back and forth. Though in a somewhat twisted fashion this made the Denali fun to drive, as the truck thus seemed more tossable, it was far from confidence inspiring. Sure, the Stabilitrak stability control should save you from fairly stupid maneuvers, but I still didn’t like the feeling that the rear of the truck was wobbling all over the place when I started playing with the wheel. All in all I would have appreciated a more tied-down rear end. This was achieved with the Hummer H2, so it should also be possible here without sacrificing much in the way of comfort.

Ah, comfort. The Denali’s ride is surprisingly plush for a vehicle based on GM’s work trucks. Sadly, this plushness seems to have been accomplished the good old fashioned way, via soft springs. This leads to the handling quirks noted above. Personally, I’d willingly trade some road isolation for better body control. Maybe this is just a sign that the Denali isn’t the best big truck for me? Hard to imagine that the Hummer H2 is, but I found that truck much more enjoyable to drive, partly because of its better ride/handling balance.

Pricing

For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.

The rest of this section dates from when the review was written.

The Denali’s base price is $50,125 (up a grand since last fall). Add $490 for second row captain’s, $1,000 for a sunroof, or $1,295 for the DVD entertainment system (the last two cannot both be ordered). As none of these options are necessary for comparison purposes, I’ll go with the very well equipped base truck. The sticker suggests that the more interesting Hummer H2 can be had for just a bit more cash, but Edmunds suggests that the typical dealer discount brings the price to around $44,400, while the H2 should sell near sticker for a while. A $3,000 rebate brings the final price to around $41,400.

How much more will the very similar Cadillac cost you? The sticker is $54,770, and the typical dealer discount brings the price to around $50,600. No rebates, though low interest rates are available.

The Lincoln Navigator has been redesigned for 2003, and it now has a number of advantages over the Denali, most notably a much roomier rear seat and more composed chassis. A base Navigator, which is equipped much like the Denali, stickers for $52,775, and dealer discounts bring the price to around $46,900. Unlike the Escalade, a $3,000 rebate is available, bringing the final price to about $43,900.

So among large luxury SUVs, the Denali seems to be the bargain of the bunch at thousands less out the door than the others.

But what is the price of luxury? A Yukon SLT with the third seat and the pricey 1SD option package still runs “only” $43,680. Dealer discounts and the rebate bring the actual price to around $35,800. Even after adding the $1,120 adjustable shocks to the mix, the Denali is still costing a serious chunk of additional cash, about $4,000. Worth it? Seems like a lot for a few more horses, a few more amenities, and fancy cladding.

Also note that the Ford Expedition, with nearly all of the advantages of the Navigator, costs even less than a similarly equipped Yukon.

Last Words

At one time the Denali looked quite tough, with its large alloys and thick lower-body cladding. However, everything is relative. With the advent of the Hummer H2, however, the Denali suddenly seems more fancy than it does tough. It’s a strange combination, a fancy large truck, somewhat like an elephant in a sequined tutu that can actually dance a few steps. What’s the market? People who want a vehicle wide enough to be extremely roomy (in the first two rows at least) yet short enough in length to be maneuverable, and who also want the most luxurious vehicle they can get their hands on? I imagine that must be it.

Ultimately, the Denali is more about the sheer joy of excess than any practical considerations. If you take this truck for a drive and it truly gives you joy, I’m not going to cast judgment. I can only say that from a practical standpoint the Denali represents an odd mix of strengths and weaknesses and that even with so much content the price seems high.

To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Amount Paid (US$): 50,125