Yukon Denali Hybrid - Research & Review Friday
I’ve lived in Portland two separate times. The first time, 13 years ago, was for a year and a half and this time around I’ve been her seven years. Linda and I had originally moved from New York City for a new job with Adidas. Like most people living in New York we didn’t own cars so upon arriving in Portland we needed two. Since budgets were tight back then we decided on a new-ish car for Linda and our brand new baby girl Gretchen which meant the options for my commuter car were limited. We drove back and forth across Portland 15 times looking for the perfect deal. At one dealership we ran into a man I’ll call Juan. He was short and wore a deep red satin shirt under a blazer I guessed was cut in the mid 70’s. His black hair was slicked back and upon seeing us he nearly sprinted to our car. “What can kind of car can I put you into today,” he asked?
When car shopping I like to keep things surface believing if I remain aloof I’ll be able to shop in peace. In truth, it never works out this way and Juan was intent on proving me wrong. I mentioned I was looking for something small, “Just a commuter to get back and forth to work. I’m not looking for anything special,” I added. He suggested we take a look at a small import on the far side of the lot. It’s my experience that car salesmen will generally make small talk if there’s any dead air time but not Juan, he smoked. And he moved so fast Linda and I had to jog walk to keep up.
“What d’you think of this one,” he asked when we arrived. It was one of those really, really tiny Honda’s, I think. This one was a pale metallic blue and had a mismatched driver’s side door. He suggested I take a seat and when he opened the door I was welcomed by the unmistakable trace of a heavy smoker. Not a smoker myself this in and of itself was a deal breaker but there were so many more reasons I didn’t like the car. Being the shrewd salesman that he was, Juan picked up on my distaste and asked, “What’s wrong with this car?” And then he kind of leaned in a way that suggested, “Don’t make me ask twice.”
“I don’t smoke.”
“So. We can clean that up no problem. This is a good car, buddy. I’ve got a list of people who want a car like this.”
“Really,” I asked? I pointed out that it had over 200,000 miles on it and he reminded me it was a Honda. “But there’s a cigarette burn hole in the seat.”
And this is where Juan got really pushy wondering what my problem was. There were lots of other cars on the lot but in Juan’s mind this was the jewel of the dealership. There was an uncomfortable pause where Juan took a few long drags on his cigarette then added, “Listen, if you don’t like this car then I don’t think I can show you anything else. This car is perfect for you and if you can’t see that then maybe you should go.”
I agreed and Linda and I began walking back to our car. I thought he might chase us down, try another tactic but he didn’t.
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I’ve had lots of requests for reviews so let me know early if you have something in mind so I can give it plenty of attention.
Today I’m going to give you the facts on GMC’s Yukon Denali Hybrid. This request came from a mother of 5 who currently drives an Infinity QX56 and is tired of filling the tank. While the Infinity is a well made, reliable car it’s not my favorite for styling and it only gets 12/18 in the two-wheel drive version and 12/17 in the four. It was also requested that I not include mini vans in my research which leads me to the Denali Hybrid.
As a general rule I don’t recommend American made cars because I think they lack heavily in the styling department and don’t seem as reliable. But when it comes to the larger truck class, I think American manufacturers lead the pack. The Denali Hybrid is well styled and well equipped with 12 way heated and cooled front seats, standard Bose® sound system and a multimedia navigation system. The big news though is the hybrid factor which pulls in an impressive 21 city/ 22 hwy mpg. And apparently if you’re so inclined, you can fold both rows of back seats down flat and pack your entire patio in the back. I’d suggest a test drive.
I give the GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid 4 out of 5 stars
5 comments:
A friend emailed me the following:
"the one thing you haven't mentioned is price, is it worth the money spent to buy this suv?"
and here's my response:
It is VERY expensive but is on par with the current car driven by the person requesting the review. The Infiniti QX56 is actually a bit MORE expensive so I figured this was in the same class. Yes, there are plenty of less expensive cars on the market that would do nicely - including a couple mini vans. But the Denali Hybrid has 'Bling' no question.
Seems like an uncomfortable back seat for long trips - what is that? Wood slats? Where are the seatbelts? I like the use of landscaping in the back though. Very outdoorsy feeling.
Here is the problem. From Edmunds.com:
"Fortunately we have our own fuel economy routine, and our 1,000 miles of driving in the Escalade Hybrid returned a real-world fuel economy average of 16.9 mpg. Our worst fill-up produced 14.1 mpg"
From Car and Driver' test of the two wheel drive version - I suspect the AWD would be worse:
"In the real world, we returned 18 mpg"
Trying to understand the point of these vehicles.
I just wish everyone understood how crazy "Juan" was. That is one of my best memories every. Makes me laugh just thinking about it.
David,
Here's the problem - I LIVE IN PORTLAND OREGON. And as such have a very skewed perspective of the hybrid vehicle. At times, when I escape this rainy prison, my head clears and I come to my senses and realize what you're saying is true. But most of the time I only see that every other car on the road here is a hybrid and wonder to myself, "What am I missing?"
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