So I'm in the middle of a little trip and I rented a Yukon SLT and I thought I'd give some of my impressions on the differences between my Denali and this truck for anyone who might be considering both versions of the Yukon, a Tahoe, or an Escalade.
- First thing that jumped right me is how quiet the 5.3 is compared to the 6.2. Granted I have deleted the resonator on my Denali, but even with it, the 6.2 is much louder both at idle and whilst driving.
- The 5.3, when stopped with the gear in Drive, is much stiller than the 6.2. You can feel the engine on the seat of your pants in the Denali whereas in the SLT you basically feel nothing ... it is as quiet and still as any sedan.
- Much better mpg in the 5.3, especially when left in 2wd. Drove from Phoenix to Sedona (115 miles) and 75 miles since and I've got about half a tank left.
- The 6.2 is much stronger than the 5.3. I know this seems obvious but it deserves noting that the extra .9 makes a lot more difference than one would think ... it's very noticeable from a stop but the real difference in the power band is when accelerating to pass. Plus the 6.2 down shifts a lot less to hold speed.
- The SLT, although not the lowest trim in the Yukon line, basically comparable to a Tahoe LT, really lacks options. It comes with leather heated seats, bose, and that's about it from a luxury pov. No nav, no sunroof, no auto lift gate, no chrome anywhere, 17" rims, and a strange mix of faux wood and aluminum finishes inside.
Those are my first impressions, obviously the Denali is a lot more expensive, but hopefully this will be of some assistance to those trying to choose between the two.
- First thing that jumped right me is how quiet the 5.3 is compared to the 6.2. Granted I have deleted the resonator on my Denali, but even with it, the 6.2 is much louder both at idle and whilst driving.
- The 5.3, when stopped with the gear in Drive, is much stiller than the 6.2. You can feel the engine on the seat of your pants in the Denali whereas in the SLT you basically feel nothing ... it is as quiet and still as any sedan.
- Much better mpg in the 5.3, especially when left in 2wd. Drove from Phoenix to Sedona (115 miles) and 75 miles since and I've got about half a tank left.
- The 6.2 is much stronger than the 5.3. I know this seems obvious but it deserves noting that the extra .9 makes a lot more difference than one would think ... it's very noticeable from a stop but the real difference in the power band is when accelerating to pass. Plus the 6.2 down shifts a lot less to hold speed.
- The SLT, although not the lowest trim in the Yukon line, basically comparable to a Tahoe LT, really lacks options. It comes with leather heated seats, bose, and that's about it from a luxury pov. No nav, no sunroof, no auto lift gate, no chrome anywhere, 17" rims, and a strange mix of faux wood and aluminum finishes inside.
Those are my first impressions, obviously the Denali is a lot more expensive, but hopefully this will be of some assistance to those trying to choose between the two.
I'm sure that's an SLT1 as opposed to an SLT3 or whatever GMC does comparable to LT1,2,3 
