While crossover SUVs, which have exploded in popularity in recent years, provide an excellent compromise between the practicality of an SUV and the versatility of a smaller hatchback, sometimes they’re simply too small. If you have a larger family, or perhaps prefer the luxury lifestyle and crave more cabin space, a full-size SUV provides a better platform to keep you happy. One of the most obvious choices for American SUV buyers is the trusty Chevrolet Tahoe, which has been around for over 30 years now.
A brand-new example can be picked up for less than $60,000, though this will leave you with the base-spec offering. If you’re after a bit more plushness with your SUV, we reckon you may be better off instead trawling the used market for one of its posher siblings; the GMC Yukon. Pre-loved specimens can be found with a much higher spec, but at a similar kind of outlay to a new Tahoe. Do your homework properly, and this approach acts as a bit of a cheat code.
You Can Get A High-End Used Yukon For Base Tahoe Prices
2021 GMC Yukon Denali front 3/4 angle in black while parked on snowGMC
With so many examples of GMC Yukon out there to search through, it can be difficult to narrow down the sort of specification you can secure for the same outlay as a new Tahoe. Well, we’ve done the hard work for you, and you’ll be pleased to learn that you can have a tidy Yukon Denali for the same price as a base rear-wheel drive Tahoe. The RWD LS Chevy will set you back $59,000, whereas the Denali would have cost well over $70k when it was new.
The Denali is the range-topping version of the Yukon, though there are a few different types of this particular trim level. The standard Denali is the one you can pick up for the same sort of money as the Tahoe, but without having to buy with plenty of years on it. If you can spend a fair chunk more, the Denali Ultimate is available, but a few-year-old example demands closer to $70k. For the same sort of outlay as a Tahoe, you can have a 2023 example of the Yukon Denali, illustrating the sort of depreciation at play here.
The Yukon Denali Provides Plenty Of Extra Luxury
2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali Interior Finished In BlackBringATrailer
2023 GMC Yukon Denali 2WD
Engine
6.2L NA V8
Transmission
Ten-speed Auto
Power
420 hp
Torque
460 lb-ft
0-60 mph
6.1 seconds
Average Used Value
$58,829
There are some pretty important differences between the two vehicles, which should help tempt you to pivot towards the used machine rather than the brand-new one. Firstly, the Yukon gets a more powerful L87 6.2-liter V8 engine as standard, while the Chevy only gets a 5.3-liter unit. With a difference of over 50 horsepower and just shy of 80 pound feet of torque, you’ll be able to get up to speed more effortlessly and quickly when riding in the GMC.
In addition, the cabin of the Yukon Denali is much nicer than that of the Tahoe LS. It’s decorated with more upmarket and expensive-feeling materials than its General Motors sibling, with the vehicle coming with more comfortable leather seats, wood trim, and extras like heated middle row seating as standard. It also rides much better than the Tahoe, seeing as it gets GM’s Magneride adaptive suspension setup, which can alter the stiffness of the suspension to best deal with whatever conditions you’re tackling.
As the cherry on the cake, the GMC also looks more upmarket than the Chevy. Its exterior styling is geared towards being classier than the Tahoe, as illustrated by its less rugged grille design versus its sibling, while the GMC badge has a higher-end flavor than the Chevrolet. You’ll not only feel like you’re riding in a higher-class SUV with the Yukon, you’ll look like it, too.
Used Denalis Can Be Found At A Tempting Price
2024 GMC Yukon Denali rear 3/4 angle in black while parkedGMC
If you’ve been converted to buying a used Yukon Denali over a new Tahoe LS, you’ll probably be curious about the sort of cash you’ll need to part with. According to The CarBuzz Marketplace, the average used price of a 2023 Yukon Denali currently stands at $58,829, which is just shy of $200 cheaper than a base Tahoe retails for. While it may seem a bit of a bummer having to inherit someone else’s vehicle rather than have one built precisely for you, the level of Yukon Denalis available for the price may well change your mind.
For $58k, there are plenty of 2023 examples around with ultra-low miles on the clock. Finding a Yukon with between 30,000 and 40,000 miles on the clock is common at this price point, while some specimens even sport comfortably less than 30,000 if you head closer to $60k. This is a barely run-in three-year-old car, meaning any vehicle you purchase will likely feel pretty new still, unless you opt for one that’s been treated with the grace of a swan on narcotics.
Depreciation Has Worked Its Magic
2023 GMC Yukon XL Denali Exterior Rear Close-UpBringATrailer
Whichever way you look at it, spending less than $60k on a low-mileage Yukon Denali is a strong deal when you bear in mind how much it would have cost from the factory. Its original owner would have handed over $74,305, and likely some extra cash to cover the destination costs and other varied fees, to secure the privilege of owning one just three years ago. That means the vehicle has lost over $15k of its total value during that period, which is a lot of capital to give away, given how new the machine still is.
Quite frankly, as long as you find one that’s been well-looked-after by its owner, it’s unlikely you’ll notice that much difference opting for a used one versus a brand-new specimen.
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The GMC Yukon Denali Performs Better On The Road
2024 GMC Yukon Denali UltimateGMC
When spending your hard-earned cash on a luxury-geared full-size SUV, you’re likely going to want it to feel like a palace on wheels. The Yukon Denali certainly feels more like one than the Tahoe LS, primarily due to the Magneride suspension setup. It provides a more supple and softer ride than the Tahoe’s more traditional independent suspension arrangement, which makes for a more refined experience when cruising along. When twinned with the Yukon’s classier cabin, the air of luxury is much stronger with the GMC.
That extra grunt is useful too, as you won’t have to work the vehicle as hard to reach the same speeds. This ensures the driver can keep revs lower in the Yukon to gather pace, which reduces noise pollution and harshness within the cockpit.
That said, you’ll have to accept slightly less fuel efficiency due to the larger and more powerful powerplant. Whereas the Tahoe LS can average 17 MPG, the Yukon Denali can only muster up 16 MPG.
Let’s be real here, though: neither option can exactly be described as frugal. Versatility and comfort are likely to be the main elements you’ll be considering in large SUVs such as these, and in that case, the Yukon Denali is the comfortably superior option of the duo. Especially given you can have a tidy used one for the same price as a new, but base-spec Tahoe.
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The Yukon’s Powertrain Can Be Troublesome
Black 2023 GMC Yukon Denali nose shotGMC
Of course, nothing in life is free. Before you pull the trigger on the used Yukon Denali of your choice, you’ll have to bear in mind that its 6.2-liter V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission have suffered their fair share of issues. The V8 has tended to suffer from a range of problems at low mileage and some owners have reported faulty rod bearings, a dodgy crankshaft, or even failing cam lifters.
GMC has already issued a recall for the former two issues, so make sure that any vehicle you’re looking at has had the remedial work already carried out. The gearbox has also suffered from being harsh and unrefined, though various software updates have been issued by GMC to help cure any problems that arise.
In addition, you’ll have to anticipate that you’ll run into general maintenance issues faster with a used specimen than a new one, simply because the car has already been used for several years. Be sure to thoroughly inspect the vehicle’s service history to make sure the fluids have been flushed frequently, and that any small problems have been rectified swiftly.
Should this be the case, you can rest assured that the car you’re buying is in as good condition as possible, and should last longer without large issues as a result.
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A used GMC Yukon Denali offers plenty of advantages over a standard new Tahoe, but you’ll just have to do a bit of extra legwork to ensure you get one that’ll last the distance. We reckon this work is more than worth it, given how much of a step-up the Yukon Denali cuts it as a luxury family bus.
Sources: Chevrolet, GMC.
