Recommended Yukon configuration for family of 5

[HAbul]

Thanks for all the input. Good stuff. But I want to hear more. My kids are 9 years old, 7 years old and an infant. I also have a small dog that will be coming with us on road trips. I live in Southern California where gas prices are very high so fuel efficiency is also a concern, if there's much of a difference between the XL and standard.

 

[B520044]

I have the standard size AT4, captains and 3 kids. It has enough space for vacations, but you have to be really good at packing. I always fold down the 40 (of the 60/40) side of the 3rd row and it works. You can fit 4-5 carry on sized suitcases behind the 3rd row, so folding the one side down really increases space. Do I sometimes wish I had the XL? Yes, but could not find one at the time. We only take 2 long distance trips per year, so having the shorter version is nice for everyday commutes.

 

[JestersHK]

I just went from a 2016 Tahoe to a 2021 Yukon XL. I'm also a fam of 5 with 16, 13, and 9, plus a dog. Just buy the XL. Don't look back, don't question or worry about it, just buy it. With or without the captain chairs, although we do like our kids separated and easy access to the back.

Every time we road tripped the Tahoe I ended up frustrated, pissed, swearing, and sweaty as I played tetris loading all our stuff in the cramped storage of our Tahoe.

I loved the Tahoe but with captains chairs and 3 kids that 3rd row is always going to be up... our poor 3rd child usually ended up in a cave of luggage buried underneath our stuff shoe horned into the tiny spot in the back of the Tahoe.

Now we no longer have to worry and couldn't be happier. So much more space and leg room as well in this new model, but I'd still opt for the XL or suburban. The cost difference is minimal, the fuel economy is about the same, and nobody I've ever come across has ever said they wish they had more space.

Oh and one more thing, get the powered seat downs if you can find it. I test drove a suburban that was all manual and climbing into the back everytime to adjust seats would get old. Much easier to just hit the fold down buttons.

Good luck and hope you find one.

 

[91RS]

Thanks for all the input. Good stuff. But I want to hear more. My kids are 9 years old, 7 years old and an infant. I also have a small dog that will be coming with us on road trips. I live in Southern California where gas prices are very high so fuel efficiency is also a concern, if there's much of a difference between the XL and standard.

Definitely get the XL. You're going to have very little room for luggage, you're going to be frustrated every trip unless you're an expert packer and take it as a challenge. That's the only hope I have of keeping our short wheel base. We will probably not take any trips in the first year after the new baby comes so I have at least that long but I have a feeling we're going to wind up with a long wheel base.

 

[CMoore711]

I'm surprised this thread has made it 2 pages without anyone asking OP the ages of the kids? That's a huge factor IMO.
Are they in car seats? Convertible, Booster, or Rear Facing?

For us the Yukon XL with 2nd Row Captains works best and is what we wanted. We are a family of 5, our kids are 4, 6, & 7, and we have a 80 lb. dog. All kids are currently in convertible (toddler) car seats. The car seats alone was a reason for us to get the XL and captains.

1. Having 3 convertible car seats all side by side in a 2nd row bench would have been a tight fit.
2. This would have also allowed all 3 kids to be able to touch each other in some way; hit, smack, pinch, etc.
3. Getting into the 3rd row would have been next to impossible, and we weren't about to be removing and installing a car seat every time someone needed to get into the 3rd row.
4. With the SWB and the 3rd row up there is almost zero usable cargo space behind the 3rd row. This is in the K2XX, and I know the cargo area behind the 3rd row on the T1XX '21+ is a little larger, but not by a lot.

As mentioned above and previously; Get the XL.

 

[Stbentoak]

Of course when you are coming from an MDX, Grand Cherokee, Explorer type of vehicle... you think a normal SWB is absolutely cavernous.... Its all relative... I mean you could also buy a sprinter van too....

 

[swathdiver]

I live in Southern California where gas prices are very high so fuel efficiency is also a concern, if there's much of a difference between the XL and standard.

With my generation truck extensive study was done on this and the difference between long and short was about a quarter mile per gallon difference. That's a lot of extra space at little cost. GM and the EPA assign them the same mileage ratings and yours too.

As someone else noted, this new generation is a lot larger than the previous generations, the wheelbase on both is 4 inches longer and the third row can accommodate adults more comfortably now. Having said that, I would still go for the larger truck and get the 2nd row captain's chairs. We haul more than just children and want my adult relatives to be comfortable too.

 

[SSGUNNER]

This thread is hilarious. Ok my turn.

Fam of four here with 2 kids 7 and soon to be 6. My Tahoe has the bench seats and wouldn’t want to have it any other way. Why? I like to have the 8 passenger capability hauling the local family along with mine when necessary. Unfortunately with the captain chairs lose a seat. I’ve had captain chairs on my wife’s previous ride and never really cared for them, where nice at first but again you lose a seat. IMHO, the sub or the XL are overkill if you won’t be hauling big parties or for frequent road trips. I’ve done a few trips in n out of state with no lack of space so never had the feeling oh the burb or xl would have been a better option.

 

[Skud]

I compared the XL vs non-XL and I was really surprised at how little space there was behind the 3rd row. It looks like they prioritized 3rd row legroom. I'm 5-11', 200lbs and I could sit comfortably crosswise in the SWB Yukon with my shoulders just touching the back of the 3rd row and rear hatch. In the XL, probably two of me could do the same. My wife had a 2017 Explorer and as far as depth is concerned, I felt it was very comparable to the explorer.

If you can drop one of the 3rd for seats then there should be plenty of cargo room. However, if you're reliant on actually using all the seats for passengers then the SWB will probably leave you wanting the extra room.

Myself, I ordered an XL. It's still shorter than the vehicle I'm driving right now.

 

[garymyman]

We only take 2 long distance trips per year, so having the shorter version is nice for everyday commutes.

Adding one of these gets you into Suburban territory for ~$200.00.


Of course when my twins are 10 years old, rather than 5, they might be hauling around 2 sets of golf clubs or playing travel baseball (hopefully not!), and we will get an XL. For now, the short one fits our mission profile.