Whenever I approach a vehicle this large I bring along the expectation that it will be hard to maneuver. In the Yukon I was surprisingly sure of myself, even on the tightest city streets. Not only was the girth manageable, but I immediately discovered where the corners were, and the rear-mounted camera helped when I backed up. The Yukon was more intuitive to park than many midsize SUVs I've tested.

That same good sense of space kept me properly inside lanes on the highway and confident when moving in traffic. Still, the Yukon is extremely top heavy — as are most players in this segment — and there was considerable body roll on off-ramps.

As comfortable as the thick leather seats were, the ride itself could have been a bit cushier and quieter. Joints in the highway were extremely noticeable; the Yukon was much better at absorbing bumps and other road abnormalities at lower speeds. The rough highway ride was surprising because of the Yukon Denali's very fancy variable shock dampening system. There's a noticeable improvement in ride and road noise when you move to the Escalade.