Leftlane has already taken a look at a couple of General Motors’ full-size hybrid SUVs – the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid – but we decided to revisit the electrified ‘utes to see how they would handle winter conditions. For the latest round of testing, GM sent over a 2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4WD. Shortly after its arrival, we were pleased to find that GMC made heated seats standard.
Our Onyx Black test truck arrived just in time for what is typically the worst stretch of winter weather in the Midwestern United States, but, as luck would have it, we didn’t see a flake of snow during our week with the Yukon. So while we can’t comment on how the Yukon Hybrid’s four-wheel drive system handles the slippery conditions of winter, we can tell you what it is like to live with the Yukon Hybrid during the frigid cold winter months.
After taking delivery of the Yukon Hybrid, we immediately reset its Average Fuel Economy gauge to zero, hoping to see that display reading 20 mpg or higher when we handed the keys back a week later. After all, the EPA rates the Yukon Hybrid 4WD at 20 mpg city and highway, so how hard could it be to top that mark with some careful driving?
As we soon found out, it is nearly impossible.
During the first part of the week, the Yukon Hybrid was put through its paces with mostly city miles – typically a hybrid’s forte. But after amassing about 100 miles of around town cruising, we quickly realized that the EPA’s rating must be missing an asterisk denoting “ratings only good in 72 degree weather”.
Our average fuel economy after the first 100 carefully driven miles? About 13 mpg. We talked those figures over with the owner of a non-hybrid Yukon and found out that the standard rig is good for about 15 to 16 mpg in mixed driving.
Frustrated with our early results, we once again zeroed out the Yukon’s fuel economy readout and decided to mix in a little more highway driving with our around town routine. The Yukon Hybrid was designed for the open road – thanks to a wind-cheating front fascia, low roll-resistant tires and a few other aerodynamic tweaks that transform this SUV into a slippery brick – so we surely thought we’d see a bump in mileage. As it turns out, we did. All the way up to 16.6 mpg before slipping back to right about 16 mpg.
So what gives?
The problem with the Yukon Hybrid – and any other hybrid for that matter – is that it simply doesn’t operate as efficiently in cold weather. With the ambient temperature at or below the freezing point, the Yukon Hybrid relies much more on its 6.0-liter gas V8 engine. Although GM has reconfigured a number of the Yukon Hybrid’s components to run independently of the engine – such as the electronic power steering – the truck’s heating system still relies on the internal combustion engine. So during periods when the gas engine would normally be turned off – such as at red lights – the V8 continued to pump in order to keep the cabin at a toasty 74 degrees. Hey, those seat heaters only do so much.
In essence, the cold weather turned the Yukon Hybrid into a gas only Yukon, but with one major downfall – more weight. The Yukon Hybrid’s hybrid system adds a few hundred pounds to the Yukon’s curb weight, but usually makes up for that penalty in electric-only operation. However, since we rarely saw the Yukon slip into electric-only mode, the gas engine was forced to haul around the weight of the Yukon and the battery pack with little help from the Two-Mode hybrid system – hence the worse-than-expected fuel economy figures.
The verdict
Even after its dismal fuel economy performance, we still appreciate the Yukon Hybrid, but we can’t really give it our official stamp of approval. If you live in a fairly warm climate that doesn’t stay too cold for too long, the Yukon Hybrid would probably make some sense over the standard model. During the summer months we averaged nearly 22 mpg in a Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 2WD drive, so it’s possible to see a 5-6 mpg improvement over the standard truck. However, if you live in a region that experiences any type of winter weather, your fuel saving will probably be negated by the colder temperatures. Throw in a several thousand dollar premium over a gas-only Yukon and the money-saving equation really starts to fall apart.
2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4WD base price, $53,730. As tested, $56,970.
Rear seat entertainment system, $1,295; Power sliding sunroof, $995; Destination, $950.
Words and photos by Drew Johnson.
Quick Spin: 2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4WD
Reviewed by
Andrew Ganz on
March 12
.
Leftlane has already taken a look at a couple of General Motors’ full-size hybrid SUVs – the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid – but we decided to revisit the electrified ‘utes to see how they would handle winter conditions. For the latest round of testing, GM sent over a 2009 GMC Yukon [...]
Leftlane has already taken a look at a couple of General Motors’ full-size hybrid SUVs – the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid – but we decided to revisit the electrified ‘utes to see how they would handle winter conditions. For the latest round of testing, GM sent over a 2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4WD. Shortly after its arrival, we were pleased to find that GMC made heated seats standard.
Our Onyx Black test truck arrived just in time for what is typically the worst stretch of winter weather in the Midwestern United States, but, as luck would have it, we didn’t see a flake of snow during our week with the Yukon. So while we can’t comment on how the Yukon Hybrid’s four-wheel drive system handles the slippery conditions of winter, we can tell you what it is like to live with the Yukon Hybrid during the frigid cold winter months.
After taking delivery of the Yukon Hybrid, we immediately reset its Average Fuel Economy gauge to zero, hoping to see that display reading 20 mpg or higher when we handed the keys back a week later. After all, the EPA rates the Yukon Hybrid 4WD at 20 mpg city and highway, so how hard could it be to top that mark with some careful driving?
As we soon found out, it is nearly impossible.
During the first part of the week, the Yukon Hybrid was put through its paces with mostly city miles – typically a hybrid’s forte. But after amassing about 100 miles of around town cruising, we quickly realized that the EPA’s rating must be missing an asterisk denoting “ratings only good in 72 degree weather”.
Our average fuel economy after the first 100 carefully driven miles? About 13 mpg. We talked those figures over with the owner of a non-hybrid Yukon and found out that the standard rig is good for about 15 to 16 mpg in mixed driving.
Frustrated with our early results, we once again zeroed out the Yukon’s fuel economy readout and decided to mix in a little more highway driving with our around town routine. The Yukon Hybrid was designed for the open road – thanks to a wind-cheating front fascia, low roll-resistant tires and a few other aerodynamic tweaks that transform this SUV into a slippery brick – so we surely thought we’d see a bump in mileage. As it turns out, we did. All the way up to 16.6 mpg before slipping back to right about 16 mpg.
So what gives?
The problem with the Yukon Hybrid – and any other hybrid for that matter – is that it simply doesn’t operate as efficiently in cold weather. With the ambient temperature at or below the freezing point, the Yukon Hybrid relies much more on its 6.0-liter gas V8 engine. Although GM has reconfigured a number of the Yukon Hybrid’s components to run independently of the engine – such as the electronic power steering – the truck’s heating system still relies on the internal combustion engine. So during periods when the gas engine would normally be turned off – such as at red lights – the V8 continued to pump in order to keep the cabin at a toasty 74 degrees. Hey, those seat heaters only do so much.
In essence, the cold weather turned the Yukon Hybrid into a gas only Yukon, but with one major downfall – more weight. The Yukon Hybrid’s hybrid system adds a few hundred pounds to the Yukon’s curb weight, but usually makes up for that penalty in electric-only operation. However, since we rarely saw the Yukon slip into electric-only mode, the gas engine was forced to haul around the weight of the Yukon and the battery pack with little help from the Two-Mode hybrid system – hence the worse-than-expected fuel economy figures.
The verdict
Even after its dismal fuel economy performance, we still appreciate the Yukon Hybrid, but we can’t really give it our official stamp of approval. If you live in a fairly warm climate that doesn’t stay too cold for too long, the Yukon Hybrid would probably make some sense over the standard model. During the summer months we averaged nearly 22 mpg in a Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 2WD drive, so it’s possible to see a 5-6 mpg improvement over the standard truck. However, if you live in a region that experiences any type of winter weather, your fuel saving will probably be negated by the colder temperatures. Throw in a several thousand dollar premium over a gas-only Yukon and the money-saving equation really starts to fall apart.
2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid 4WD base price, $53,730. As tested, $56,970.
Rear seat entertainment system, $1,295; Power sliding sunroof, $995; Destination, $950.
Words and photos by Drew Johnson.
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