we just bought an used Yukon...if you have one...do you love it?

[ProudGrandma]

We have been a mini-van family for about 12 years now and last year we bought a used pop up camper. Our van simply couldn't pull it well, so we had to upgrade to something with a bigger engine. So yesterday we bought a Yukon. I am sort of mourning the loss of space that the van gave us. we have 3 kids and we take a long car trip 2 times a year (14 hours of driving one way...split up into four 7 hour trips). The kids aren't used to all sitting in one bench seat, but if we don't do that, there won't be much cargo space. So I am trying to wrap my head around this vehicle. We love how it drives...but it's the space thing that I need to embrace. So, if you own one, tell me you love it and why. THANKS!!!!

[ProudGrandma]

nobody loves or loved your Yukon??? Oh, please don't tell me that!!!!

[ChristusG]

Not a Yukon, but we just did something similar and got a Suburban after having a mini van for the past 5 years. We also have a pop up camper that the van just couldn't pull that well. And with the van, we had to use the third row seat since we just had our third child....and if we did that, we couldn't fit much luggage behind the third row. Traveling would have been extremely difficult.

 

So we got a Suburban. And I have to say....I'm loving it! Sure, we don't have quite as much leg space in the back seat. And I have all three kids on the second row bench so that they can help out with the baby between them...and so that we'll have lots of cargo space. But those are pretty minor compared to what I love about it.

 

I love how much bigger it is....definitely feel safer. Love all the cargo room. Love that all three kids fit on one seat (all in car seats!). We have yet to pull the camper with it, but I'm sure it will do just great.

[ProudGrandma]

but our Yukon is MUCH smaller than a Suburban...we looked at those, but couldn't afford them...so I am really looking for someone to tell me how they make a smaller SUV vehicle work...anybody??? I know people drive these...I see them all of the time in parking lots and on the roads...but maybe they don't have 3 kids???

[Swimtaxi234]

My husband drives a Yukon and I hate driving it. (sorry - :confused:) I call his Yukon "Tank" because it drives like one.

 

On the few times a year where we need to switch cars, I hate trying to park it in a parking lot. It is like trying to drive the QEII into a tiny spot, so I park at the end of parking lots where I try to find 6 empty spots so I don't hit anything.

 

I also don't like driving it at high speeds on the interstate and I am left exhausted if it is a windy day since I have to white-knuckle drive. Our Yukon seems to be thrown around a lot on the highway if there is wind.

[melissad2]

I have a Tahoe which is the same thing and 3 kids. I don't have 3rd row seat so the all sit side by side in the back. It's a tight fit but we have a forward facing seat, booster seat and infant seat in the back. I love my Tahoe and we use it to pull our travel trailer. I do, however, also have a minivan and usually drive it daily. I much prefer the Tahoe but I drive the van because it gets better gas mileage. If I was going to buy another car I would look at Tahoes first :). It has not give us any trouble except an air compressor in 8 years.

[Alyeska]

We have a 2005 Yukon that we bought used 2 years ago. It is our only vehicle.

 

I love it! It drives great. I love the third row seats that I can roll and tumble. The passenger bucket seats lay flat to fit stuff in if I need to haul something. We've made 2 long distance moves with it and it was very comfortable. A Yukon might be big compared to some cars, but I can easily parallel park ours. I am SO glad we didn't get a suburban.

 

Downside? The gas mileage is something I try and be aware of--we get 15.5 mpg average...I combine as many errands as I can. Fortunately we are now only 4 miles from town, whereas before we moved we were about 15. So that helps a lot.

 

We thought about trading it because of fuel prices, but changed our minds. We just really like our Yukon. It is a reliable V8 with 4 wheel drive, which we need in the winter...we could not find another 4 wheel drive with cargo room that got any better mileage than what we get in the Yukon.

[Alyeska]

but our Yukon is MUCH smaller than a Suburban...we looked at those, but couldn't afford them...so I am really looking for someone to tell me how they make a smaller SUV vehicle work...anybody??? I know people drive these...I see them all of the time in parking lots and on the roads...but maybe they don't have 3 kids???

 

I have two kids...

 

I assume your Yukon has the 3rd row seating? Are they split in the middle so they can roll and tumble? Do the second row seats fold and lay flat?

 

You could either put two kiddos in the third row and lay one passenger seat flat so you have somewhere to put stuff (that is what we do). Or you could roll and tumble (or remove) half of the third row seating...

[curlylocks]

We have a Suburban...LOVE it!! (We bought a mini van for better gas mileage and ended up selling it. I couldn't stand it...)

 

We looked at Yukons with third row seating, but you lost most of the cargo area.

 

Honestly, I don't think a Suburban is that much bigger than a Yukon -- maybe a foot longer, but I don't think it is even that much.

[ProudGrandma]

thank you. We have a third row seat, but on a long car trip, I don't know how we can use it and have enough cargo space for all of our luggage. The van had about twice as much space behind that thrid row of seats than the Yukon has...sigh....I don't know what to think. The third row bench seat doesn't split in the middle. The front bench does and lays flat. I don't think the 3rd row bench lays flat...but I will need to look into that.

Edited May 15, 2012 by NEprairemom

[StaceyinLA]

They definitely have more than a foot of extra cargo room.

 

That said, my niece has 3 kids and a Tahoe. She has bucket seats in the middle, and her son sits in the back. They fold one seat down in the back and use the rest for cargo space.

 

I think you'll love the Tahoe.

[ProudGrandma]

I looked more at our Yukon. The 3rd seat does split (we looked at many cars yesterday...I forgot which vehicle did what)...but the leg room in the third row seating is not great...your feet don't go down very far. My husband thinks we can keep the full 3rd row seat up and put down the 60% seat in the front...put one child in the 40% seat in the front and 2 in the back. Use the way back for some of our luggage...and use the space behind the driver for the rest...maybe I pack too much for our trips...but I try not too. We are on the Feindgold Diet for my son and so bringing extra food is important to me, we also need 3 air matresses, plus the kids like thier own pillows. Summer isn't as bad as when we go in the winter...clothes are bulkier, plus winter coats, Christmas presents (both giving and then when we receive)...I guess, I don't like to be packed in the car like sardines for 7 hours (x 4 trips). Maybe I am being selfish...and I just need to deal with it. Thanks for the responses.

 

Kathy

[KatieJ]

We have had suburbans for hmm..20 years, love them!

However, a Yukon is shorter.

 

I think you said you bought it to tow a camper..so on those trips you will have some storage in the camper and it won't all have to be in your vehicle.

 

GIve it time, you will adapt and figure things out. You can put stuff next to the kids if they are in one seat, or on the floor next to whoever is sitting alone. Use duffle bags instead of hard suitcases as they are easier to pack.

[Tap]

Since most of the items you are talking about carrying are not needed along the way, just at the destination.....why not look into a roof rack and cargo box? We use one on our VW Golf and it really makes a big difference for hauling items. Throw a small step ladder in the back of the Yukon and toss everything else up above, out of the way.

 

We bought our Thule rack on Craigslist.

[LucyStoner]

Personally I am on the mind that if you need to haul a camper trailer 2 times a year you are better off continuing to drive a vehicle that makes sense for the other 48-50 weeks a year. You can always rent an SUV 2 times a year and in most cases still come out ahead on operating costs.

 

There is way less space in those huge SUVs than you would think with the third row in use. More than a few times we have rented a minivan for vacations. It used to be that almost always when we requested a minivan we were given a huge huge SUV instead. The first time this happened I was shocked at how very little cargo space there was when the third row was in use. I have found this the case with the Yukon, the biggest model Ford had (don't recall but it was taller than all of us and as long as some busses I have seen) and other SUVs. The rear cargo space in the monster Ford was such that I could not fit a cooler there when we were going to the beach with 7. :confused: Thankfully, it was when my kids and nieces and nephews were little and we could put the cooler and tons of other stuff under the feet of kids in carseats. Now? No way it would work and we either borrow my dad's minivan or make it clear to the rental company that it needs to be a minivan, not an SUV.

[curlylocks]

We have a Suburban...LOVE it!! (We bought a mini van for better gas mileage and ended up selling it. I couldn't stand it...)

 

We looked at Yukons with third row seating, but you lost most of the cargo area.

 

Honestly, I don't think a Suburban is that much bigger than a Yukon -- maybe a foot longer, but I don't think it is even that much.

 

Ok..so I was bored and looked up some numbers for you.

 

2010 Chevy Suburban vs. 2010 GMC Yukon

 

Suburban Wheelbase: 130 in - total vehicle length is 222.4 in

 

GMC Yukon Wheelbase: 116 in - total length is 202 in

 

So...I was off a little on my estimates. I just went out and measured my Suburban: I have 9 sq feet of cargo room behind the third row seat. (3 feet wide, 3 feet long)

 

Honestly, it doesn't drive any differently than my Aunt's Tahoe.

[LMA]

but our Yukon is MUCH smaller than a Suburban...we looked at those, but couldn't afford them...so I am really looking for someone to tell me how they make a smaller SUV vehicle work...anybody??? I know people drive these...I see them all of the time in parking lots and on the roads...but maybe they don't have 3 kids???

 

The Yukon is the same vehicle as the Suburban. There are two versions of the Yukon - a shorter one which is the same as the Chevy Tahoe and the longer one, Yukon XL, is the same as the Suburban.

 

We have 5 kids in a Suburban and we carry all the hockey and skating equipment.

[curlylocks]

The Yukon is the same vehicle as the Suburban. There are two versions of the Yukon - a shorter one which is the same as the Chevy Tahoe and the longer one, Yukon XL, is the same as the Suburban.

 

We have 5 kids in a Suburban and we carry all the hockey and skating equipment.

 

That's true...I forgot there was an XL model...I wonder if kfeusse got the smaller version?

[nukeswife]

Well I don't have a Yukon, but have an 07 ford expedition, so pretty much the same thing. I traded in a town and country mini van for it. I have about the same amount of cargo space behind the third seat. I'm not sure what mini-van you had but I've never seen one that had a whole lot of space behind the third seat. If I put the 3rd row down in mine I was able to fit a dishwasher back there behind my kids. My kids love being all in one row and they fit with much more elbow room than they had in the van if they had to all sit in the back.

 

I love the way it drives too, it's much easier to maneuver than my mini van was. The mileage is really about the same. If I'm on the open highway I get about 24mph which is only 2mph less than the van got on it's best days.

 

I've never loved a vehicle as much as I love my truck.

[melmichigan]

I have a 2006 Suburban Z71 and I have much more room than friends of ours that have the same year Yukon, they did not get the XL/Denali edition and have always regretted it. My kids do sit three across in the middle row.

 

I think it will take some time but you will get used to packing the cargo area very tightly. I would not pack in front of your children or higher than the height of the seat in the back. An accident, or even an emergency stop, will send everything at your child. We always use the cargo cover to keep things contained in the back. (It means the kids don't come with me when I do the Sam's Club run each month. ;)) If you need more room and can't pack in your camper then look into car covers.

Edited May 15, 2012 by melmichigan

[ProudGrandma]

That's true...I forgot there was an XL model...I wonder if kfeusse got the smaller version?

 

yes, ours is the shorter model.

 

I am getting used to the idea....sometimes it justs takes me a while.

 

thanks for all of the input.

 

Kathy

[misidawnrn]

We have a Yukon XL (the GMC version of the Chevy Suburban). We love it!! (well, all except the fuel bill that is!) I love that I can take my kids plus my sister and her kids. Before, we didn't have enough room in my car to take more than 5 people. My sister and I do things together and so we either had to take 2 cars or take my DH's truck which seats 6.

 

I love it!!!

[Kertie]

We have been a mini-van family for about 12 years now and last year we bought a used pop up camper. Our van simply couldn't pull it well, so we had to upgrade to something with a bigger engine. So yesterday we bought a Yukon. I am sort of mourning the loss of space that the van gave us. we have 3 kids and we take a long car trip 2 times a year (14 hours of driving one way...split up into four 7 hour trips). The kids aren't used to all sitting in one bench seat, but if we don't do that, there won't be much cargo space. So I am trying to wrap my head around this vehicle. We love how it drives...but it's the space thing that I need to embrace. So, if you own one, tell me you love it and why. THANKS!!!!

 

I love, love, love our Yukon! Except for the gas issue, of course;). I'm really surprised about your comment about space--we had a Toyota Sienna prior to this, and we have way more space now than in that minivan! We do put all 3 kids on one bench seat, but haven't always. With both bench seats, the space in back is still wider than the minivan was. And there's just so much more elbow room!! Love it. I personally think having all the kids on one seat makes things easier, and it ended me trying to decipher what one was saying from the back of the van. But I imagine that would depend on the age of the kids, too:).

[ProudGrandma]

we just did a mock packing of the vehicle...I feel better now. I think we will be able to comfortably make our trips. Now I just have to get used to the way it is different than the mini van. Thanks for all of the responses.

Edited May 15, 2012 by NEprairemom