The Yukon Denali is a spacious three-row SUV for people, but that's it. If there are six people and no cargo, the Yukon is a terrific place to be. If you have a lot of cargo — you know, like luggage — that rear row has to be removed, and by removed we mean taken out. The popular fold-flat seats we're seeing in most other SUVs didn't make their way into this design, which makes the Yukon's overall usefulness suffer. The third row of seats does flip forward to add some room, but it won't impress owners of smaller five-passenger SUVs. Then you're back to carrying four people.

We also performed the dog test with the Denali, and our 2-year-old boxer didn't like either the second-row captain's chairs or the small amount of flat floor space that could be created in the second-row area. The chairs were too high for her when we took a turn, causing her to fall off, and the flat floor was too cramped even with the second-row seats flipped forward. While this isn't a must for all buyers, dog lovers can definitely cross this vehicle off their list.

The Yukon Denali is rated to tow 7,100 pounds — a decent amount, but nothing that gives it a decided advantage over the competition. More serious haulers will likely stick to four-door pickups that can handle larger loads.