2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate A Luxury Contender

Recently I had to opportunity to test drive the 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate, and I have to say I was blown away by the price and how luxurious it is compared to other SUV contenders in the market today. So let’s take a look at some comparable features that other GM SUVs have and where the Denali Ultimate stands.

Now which SUVs would I compare the Denali to? I’m comparing it to the Cadillac Escalade, and Chevrolet Tahoe both great family SUVs that offer a sense of luxury.

Luxury Thats Hidden

Full-grain leather seats are covered in some of the nicest leather found in a mass-produced GM product today. The center console, dashboard, and doors all feature warm Paldao wood trim. Cross-stitching on the seats and door panels really shows the effort GMC put into the Yukon Denali Ultimate’s cabin. It even has an easter egg. A topographical map of Mount Denali is embossed on the seat backs, and those seats have 16-way power adjustments, heating, cooling, and a massaging function. They put the Yukon Denali Ultimate in Escalade territory and far from the Chevy Tahoe.

Super Cruise

The Yukon Denali Ultimate was equipped with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system. This $2,200 option was recently updated with the latest software that increased the map data from 200,000 to 400,000 miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada and enabled the system to be used on some non-divided highways. In my highway testing, Super Cruise is still the best hands-free driver-assist system money can buy. GM’s system is the most aware of its surroundings, location, and own abilities given the current conditions. When it couldn’t properly read the lane markings on the highway, it warned me and shut down super cruise. It also had no issue staying centered in its lane on a two-lane undivided highway with sweeping curves, and it changed lanes all on it’s own.

GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate drives better than the Cadillac Escalade

A 3.0-liter turbodiesel-6 with 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque comes standard in the Yukon Denali Ultimate, the V-8 is buttery smooth although this V-8 soaked up a lot of fuel on the highway. I roadtripped in this bad boy to Miami and have to say for a 6 hour road trip I paid about $150 at the gas pump.

The tuning is the same as what’s found in the Cadillac Escalade, which explains a lot of why bumps and potholes are relegated to the background. The Yukon Denali Ultimate is a body-on-frame vehicle. However, the big SUV doesn’t feel as heavy as the Cadillac Escalade.

Is the Yukon Denali Ultimate worth six figures?

The 2023 Yukon Denali Ultimate cost around $97,300. At about $9,000 more than a comparably equipped Yukon Denali, the Denali Ultimate bundles most of GM’s best features into an under-the-radar luxury family hauler. To me it has a better interior than the Cadillac Escalade. This SUV is great for families of seven and has the cargo comparable to the Chevy Tahoe, so when it comes to a luxury the Yukon Denali Ultimate beats out most luxury SUVs.