Room for people is respectable and competitive with other full-size SUVs. In all but the second-row seats, there's more headroom, legroom and hiproom than in the 2006 Yukon, and the shortfalls in the second-row seat are measured in fractions of an inch. Comparisons with the 2006 Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia are mixed.

In the front seat, the 2007 Yukon bests the Expedition and the Armada by several inches in all three dimensions, while equaling the Sequoia in headroom and bettering it in the other two.

In the second row, the new Yukon trails the Expedition in headroom and legroom and betters it in hiproom, but by less than an inch in all regards; the same holds for the Armada, again in all three measures; and the Sequoia tops it in headroom but comes up short in legroom and hiproom. As for second-row access, the new Yukon still suffers from small-feet syndrome, where the clearance between the base of the second row seat and the doorframe is so cramped, it's impossible to step in or out without turning your feet sideways.

Third-row legroom is limited in the Yukon where we found little space for our feet and our knees wound up at chest level. The Expedition, Sequoia and Armada offer more legroom for third-row passengers. The bench-like third row seat is minimally cushioned. On the upside, climbing in and out of that rearmost seat is surprisingly easy in the Yukon. The second-row seat folds up out of the way with the release of a lever on the outboard pivot, or even better, at the press of a button with the optional power-fold feature. Unfolding the seat is done manually, however. Make sure it's securely latched.

Cargo space behind the third row is limited, with just 17 cubic feet, less than any of the three competitors. With the second- and third-row seats folded, the Yukon offer comparable cargo space for the class, squeaking by the Expedition, exceeding the Armada's space by more than 10 cubic feet, but losing to the Sequoia by almost 20 cubic feet.

Cubby storage includes a compact glove box; fixed map pockets with molded-in bottle holders on the front doors; and pouches on the backs of the front seatbacks. A large bin with removable double cup holder is provided between the front seats. In the Yukon Denali, this feature is separated into a storage bin and twin cup holders, both with hinged covers and surrounded in woodgrain. Ordering the front bench seat elminates the center console, of course.

Driving Impressions

When it comes to trucks, numbers matter, arguably more than they do with cars. The most popular engine for the GMC Yukon is the 5.3-liter V8, which produces 320 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. Our test Yukon was listed at 5537 pounds.

Examining these numbers should give a good idea of how a 5.3-liter Yukon will perform against the competition. By comparison, the 2006 Ford Expedition puts up a 5.4-liter V8 making 300 hp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque with a six-speed automatic and tips the scales at 5805 pounds. The 2006 Nissan Armada's 5.6-liter V8 makes 305 hp and 385 lb.-ft. of torque, mates to a five-speed automatic and carries a curb weight of 5623 pounds. Toyota's 2006 Sequoia comes with a 4.7-liter V8 making 273 hp and 314 lb.-ft. of torque with a five-speed automatic and weighs 5025 pounds.

Note, however, that the Yukon's 5.3-liter engine comes with a four-speed automatic transmission, while many full-size SUVs now come with five-, six-, and seven-speed automatics. More gears generally means smoother operation, better fuel economy, quicker acceleration performance or all three. The Yukon's four-speed automatic negates any power advantage the Yukon might otherwise have enjoyed at least as far as outright acceleration is concerned. Put another way, while it'll easily hold its own on the interstates, the Yukon isn't going to win many stoplight grands prix.

Not so, though, the Yukon Denali, which would leave its lesser sibling and all the others in the dust were its driver so inclined. The Denali packs a 380-hp 6.2-liter V8 and six-speed automatic.

Fuel economy is a much better story for the new Yukon. The 2WD and 4WD versions each earn an EPA combined City/Highway estimate of 18 mpg. That's not exactly Toyota Prius territory, but the Yukon's Active Fuel Management system, which shuts down half of the engine's cylinders under light load, puts the 2007 Yukon at head of the class in the fuel economy competition. Both the 2WD and 4WD Yukons best all of the competition in EPA Highway estimates by as much as four miles per gallon.

In towing, the Yukon's 7700-pound rating beats the Toyota's 6500-pound rating, while Ford and Nissan rate their entries at a maximum of 9100 pounds.

From the driver's seat, much of this is not noticed. Power comes on smoothly, with no surges or hiccups and accompanied by a pleasant, dual exhaust-like tone. Transitions effected by the fuel-management system are invisible, with the only indication a telltale in the information display in the tachometer. The four-speed automatic selects gears with little fanfare. The six-speed automatic in the Yukon Denali is even smoother; the new six-speed automatic also has a manual shift function managed by a rocker switch in the handgrip on the column shift lever.