Is this vehicle TOO big?

[Stbentoak]

Close to pulling the trigger on a Yukon or an Escalade, but I’m just wondering from a current drivers, is this vehicle just too big for daily use and driving? I need the space occasionally, but for most of its life it’s going to be just me and my wife. Is this thing just too big a boat to have on a daily basis, or do you just get used to it like anything else? Just don’t want to make a mistake buying something that’s hard to park and just overly huge on a daily basis...

 

[mb1500]

Short wheelbase models are great. Extremely maneuverable, excellent turning radius, etc. Long wheelbase still drives small but is the overall size of a typical half ton truck.

Unless you’re parallel parking in tiny downtown spaces every single day the size of the truck is just something you’ll get used to and will be 2nd nature in no time.

 

[Corren]

Went from a F-150 Quad Cap 5.5 box to a Yukon XL. Feels smaller than my Pickup. Better turning radius. I'd wager the regular size are even better. You adjust quickly if you haven't driven a big vehicle.

 

[Fireman591]

It drives and feels like a smaller vehicle, turns on a dime and the surround vision cameras make it a piece of cake to get out of tight spaces.
Get the diesel and you will also have that smaller vehicle MPG LOL

 

[Thomas Schneider]

I went from a 2007 Tahoe to a 2012 Yukon to a 2016 Yukon and now to a 2021 Tahoe, so mine was a gradual move up in vehicle size to get used to. It is a big vehicle, so if you're not used to driving a large SUV or pick-up, it will take some time to get used to it. But as mentioned above, you have cameras on all 4 sides to help, and they do really help you get started. I will say though, I am a little worried about my future trips up to Chicago to visit our daughter that lives in the city.

 

[wu6fiend]

I've found our SWB Denali to be too big at times, particularly when parking (spots here are getting narrower and narrower as developers try to maximize their returns); I'm also extremely careful about underground parking (unless it is a clear 7' tall, I won't even attempt going inside). I find the 2021 model sightlines (particularly the front corners) to be even worse than the 2015-2020 models, which IMO were worse than the 2007-2014's. Yes these vehicles "drive small" (I guess) but you cannot ignore their sheer size. There are times I prefer to take my wife's new Cadillac XT4, particularly in congested downtown streets and lots. I would suggest that unless you absolutely need the XL/Suburban, the SWB should be just fine, and is a good compromise.

 

[Jason in DLH]

I find it easier to drive than our old Camry. Possibly because of the rear camera. You’ll love it!

 

[Bill 1960]

It’s all perspective, my daily is a 2500 pickup with four doors, so the Tahoe feels small. The turning radius is great. Blind spot to the RR corner is bad, though.
Conversely if I spend much time in my Jeep, the Tahoe feels bigger.

If you’re on the fence, rent one for a couple of days and spend some time with it. A ten minute test drive won’t give you enough exposure to really get a feeling for it.

 

[Northern Mi Rich]

I agree you get used to it pretty quick. We traded a 2011 Expedition for a 2021 Yukon SLT. Have had it a month. It sits higher than the Expy and is a tad longer. Drives like a dream and is very maneuverable. Yesterday drove from northern MI to Minneapolis, 650 miles with the last 100 miles in snow, wind with single lane traffic on I-94. Minneapolis got 7-8 inches and the Yukon handled great - 4 wheel drive kept us from sliding around and we were glad we had the size and weight of the Yukon.

 

[Stbentoak]

Thank you for all your replies... I'm pretty sure it will work for us. I drive a Grand Cherokee now, but with more grandchildren and more junk.. well you get the picture.

I have no garage issues, I built mine 26' sq with an 18' door on it. We plan on getting a SWB 4WD Denali diesel, Fuel economy is one of the things that attracts me to the lineup as we drive 3-400 miles at least once a month to visit my daughter and 25-3000 miles roundtrip in the winter to FL. I have spent many years with diesels and know their quirks, not afraid at all of the Duramax... We think it will be the perfect road vehicle. Our main issue is daily driving (and parking..) to stores and shopping/dining, but I plan to park as far away as necessary to stay out of the fray.

As one person mentioned above, ya , Chicago type trips are pretty scary, especially if you want to park down town. We used to take yearly trips there, but that landscape has now changed and we don't see that happening anytime in the near future. We also could drive a smaller vehicle (her vehicle..)to tight urban areas.... I'm also in the camp of the above poster of you can't really have enough metal around you, and big does = safety in my book. We used to have a late 90's Tahoe years ago, and I still miss that expansive space inside.

It would be interesting to hear what wives think about driving it, as at times we HAVE to switch vehicles for various reasons. This whole thread was prompted by my wife saying "But is this vehicle TOO big for us?" Once they get an idea in their heads, sometime its hard to dispel it !

 

[Dave Mathews]

Thank you for all your replies... I'm pretty sure it will work for us. I drive a Grand Cherokee now, but with more grandchildren and more junk.. well you get the picture.

I have no garage issues, I built mine 26' sq with an 18' door on it. We plan on getting a SWB 4WD Denali diesel, Fuel economy is one of the things that attracts me to the lineup as we drive 3-400 miles at least once a month to visit my daughter and 25-3000 miles roundtrip in the winter to FL. I have spent many years with diesels and know their quirks, not afraid at all of the Duramax... We think it will be the perfect road vehicle. Our main issue is daily driving (and parking..) to stores and shopping/dining, but I plan to park as far away as necessary to stay out of the fray.

As one person mentioned above, ya , Chicago type trips are pretty scary, especially if you want to park down town. We used to take yearly trips there, but that landscape has now changed and we don't see that happening anytime in the near future. We also could drive a smaller vehicle (her vehicle..)to tight urban areas.... I'm also in the camp of the above poster of you can't really have enough metal around you, and big does = safety in my book. We used to have a late 90's Tahoe years ago, and I still miss that expansive space inside.

It would be interesting to hear what wives think about driving it, as at times we HAVE to switch vehicles for various reasons. This whole thread was prompted by my wife saying "But is this vehicle TOO big for us?" Once they get an idea in their heads, sometime its hard to dispel it !

My wife drives ours and says to look at it,it’s huge but once behind the wheel the mass disappears. She really likes it. Well except for parking garages. Lol

 

[Thunder22]

It "drives small", you'll get used to it.

 

[Larryjb]

What are the blind spots like? I know the 2021 has the surround view, but that won't help during lane changes.

1) My wife used to drive a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis, a large 4 door sedan. We had a Toyota Corolla for a week as a loaner once, and the blind spots were so bad it was worse to drive than the Mercury.l

2) We now have a 2002 Tahoe and 2008 Explorer. The blind spots in the Explorer are terrible, mainly because of the headrests, but the windows also feel smaller in the back. When we first had the Explorer, my wife has bumped a couple of parked cars because she forgot to check the mirrors when backing up. I know the surround views will help with this. However, lane changes could still be a danger.

3) The A pillar has also been a great problem. There have been a couple of times a pedestrian has been hidden by the A pillar and we honestly didn't see anything until he was right in front of us. For some reason, this has been worse in the Explorer.

 

[swathdiver]

The new Tahoe and Yukon are longer than their predecessors and now have the same wheelbase a GMs defunct minivans, 120 inches. Lots more usable space. The turning radius is about the same as the aforementioned GM minivans, quite maneuverable for their size.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I've had both the Yukon and Yukon XL sizes, and both are quite drivable. As already stated, you have to be careful with underground parking garages, as some may not have a tall enough clear height to allow your truck to comfortably navigate within them, but other underground garages are fine.

For me, the Yukon XL is preferred, as the extra interior space can be valuable, when you have a house project that requires 4x8 sheets of plywood, or sheet rock, or simply long pieces of lumber. Also, there is significantly more usable space behind the seats, with the XL and this is very helpful on trips where you need to carry additional stuff, or have pets that drive with you.

 

[Dave Mathews]

What are the blind spots like? I know the 2021 has the surround view, but that won't help during lane changes.

1) My wife used to drive a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis, a large 4 door sedan. We had a Toyota Corolla for a week as a loaner once, and the blind spots were so bad it was worse to drive than the Mercury.l

2) We now have a 2002 Tahoe and 2008 Explorer. The blind spots in the Explorer are terrible, mainly because of the headrests, but the windows also feel smaller in the back. When we first had the Explorer, my wife has bumped a couple of parked cars because she forgot to check the mirrors when backing up. I know the surround views will help with this. However, lane changes could still be a danger.

3) The A pillar has also been a great problem. There have been a couple of times a pedestrian has been hidden by the A pillar and we honestly didn't see anything until he was right in front of us. For some reason, this has been worse in the Explorer.

Mine has the lane cage feature on both outside mirrors. If lit you’re going to hit another vehicle. If not lit it’s safe to change lanes.

 

[Larryjb]

Mine has the lane cage feature on both outside mirrors. If lit you’re going to hit another vehicle. If not lit it’s safe to change lanes.

I don't care about the technology where blind spots are concerned. Our Explorer has those sensors to warn you when you are approaching another vehicle when backing up. She trusted that technology and that's how she bumped another vehicle. As far as I'm concerned, absolutely nothing replaces a direct visual check. It concerns me greatly to see more and more blind spots creeping in and being replaced with technology. This was the concern regarding that Corolla I mentioned earlier. The rear was so high you couldn't see much of anything immediately behind you. Even in our huge Grand Marquis which was bigger than the Explorer, you could easily judge how close you were to an object directly behind you. Yes, there were blind spots, but if you knew how to adjust the mirrors correctly you could see everything directly.

As for technology and blind spots, I'm not completely against it because it does serve as one additional alert system. But I insist on that direct visual check as well.

 

[bigdog9191999]

we have suburban, Yukon xl, and had an avalanche ( all the same 130" wheelbase) and have had an eclb dually so for me driving the Tahoe is short in comparison. much like driving my old 95 4 dr s10 blazer just the width I am used to.


honestly the width of parking spaces is about the only real issue we have as it is a full size truck, but you learn to get use to it pretty easy.

 

[Larryjb]

The width of the Tahoe hasn't changed much over the last 20 years at least.

I kind of wish that Chevy kept the Blazer on the BOF and RWD/4WD platform. It will be tough finding a vehicle for my wife in the future. I've had FWD and I'm down with FWD. Maybe now that Ford has returned the Explorer to RWD/4WD, Chevy will consider the same for the Blazer, but I'd want a V8 in it.

While there are a lot of things I like the length of the new Tahoe, it has grown long enough I'd have to actually renovate my garage to get it to fit inside. My 2002 Tahoe is about the perfect size for me.

 

[lee.solorzano]

Any one here know what this is for found it today cut and wonder if for the second battery. Connection


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