Road test: 2008 GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid

It's easy to knock full-size SUVs and their voracious appetite for fuel ... it's easy to criticize (from a distance) folks who drive them on a daily basis ... it's easy to say that the big Utes are the bane of society and should be eliminated from our self-indulgent culture, but the fact of the matter is, they've earned a place on America's roadways as useful high-utility and high-capacity passenger/cargo movers.

That said, they certainly are a prime target for fuel efficiency improvements. It's absolutely unconscionable to exclude them from fuel mileage improvements just because they are big and require copious amounts of power--they can be, and should be, made more efficient. Enter the GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid. General Motors has kept the powerful engine for utility, but has added a fuel "appetite suppressant" in the form of a companion dual electric motor hybrid transmission. Does the system truly return the fuel economy increases that GM has claimed? Take a stroll through our 2008 GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid test drive and review--see for yourself.

One of the Yukon Two-Mode's many hybrid badges - photo © Scott Gable