The Yukon XL Denali seem to be most plentiful. 2008 is when they began to offer 2WD, it’s uncommon but not impossible to find. 2WD will save you on maint and operating cost down the long road but not provide the glued on the road feeling on rainy days. As others have said 07-09 is the preferred year as there’s no AFM / cylinder deactivation and it potential ails to contend with.
I mentioned the Denali because they’re plentiful and they’re standard equipment level is close to the Escalade. The 6.2L motor and 6SP man trans in the Denali are tuned perfectly whereas the Escalade is a bit more spongy without a tune introduced through the ECU. The air bags are throughout the vehicle and this is by far the safest rated way to tote your family. It has mass, power, control, and side curtain air bags all the way to the back in 08 & 09.
The Denali 2nd row bench option seats 8 vs. captain’s chairs seating for 7. The leather in the 07-09 Denali is tough and cleans up with a professional cleaning back to new. The Denali is also commonly equipped with heated 1st & 2nd row seats even in the bench seat option where the outboard two seats are heated. Both the captain and bench seats have an electric tumble switch in the driver/pass overhead console so third row occupants don’t have to mess with the levers when entering.
09 Denali fully loaded will get Mom all the bells and whistles as well as the BEST year to own nomination your looking for. Options for Air conditioned front seats, blind zone indicator in side view mirrors, retractable running boards, 3row DVD screen and integrated trailer brake controls in the dash. It also gets a bump from 385 to 403 hp and fitted to run inexpensive ethanol as a flex fuel vehicle with no AFM. GM also addressed an issue in the 6SP trans seals to cure a 2nd to 3rd gear shift issue to prolong the trans life. It’s a truck that’ll go 300k mi and not blink when serviced and optioned almost at the Escalade level.
It’s only Achilles heels are a roll of the dice in the 07 & 08 with the trans seals and possible slip. Some vehicles may have already had that replaced though. All 07-14 have issues with the clear coat failing and the dash cracking after approx year 7-9 from new. Chrome clad rims may also cause a very slow leak in the tires. Either a bead seal or rim replacement is the fix.
We had an 08 AWD Denali for our family of 5 and the wife & I are 6’3”. Purchased used at 96k mi in 2014 for $19.5, it was the top of our budget but a service contract later purchased for $2.4K paid for almost $15k in serviceable maint & repairs most would never know to address. It was a keeper until I discovered I’d eventually need to fix the 08 trans issue and had spent $1.2k on paint corrections on the hood & part of the roof.
We sold the 08 Denali last Feb in its prime, private party for $11.5k after 6 years of ownership @ 140k miles. For $2.5k more and a lot of knowledge gained I drove to TX and purchased an 09 Escalade Platinum AWD for $14k @ 130k mi. With no AFM, yes on flex fuel and originally stickered at $86k, it made sense. Platinum, as I accidentally discovered, have Tehama leather covered dashboards immune from cracking and tricoat paint immune from peeling. Platinum have LED headlights superior to most of today’s trucks.
So, even spending $16 - $20k on a loaded 09 Denali or Escalade, your way ahead of the game as maint and service is based on a GM truck platform. We’re in the Escalade for another 5-7 years until we get a CPO turbo diesel or full EV Escalade. Good luck in your hunt. Post questions if you have more.
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