The 2009 GMC Yukon is a tank, but a handsome one, inside and out. There is seating for up to nine people, with comfortable seating for five adults. You just can't make a grown person comfortable in the front middle of any car, and the rear seat is too low for adults. Still, the Yukon is a big vehicle with plenty of head and leg room. There is adequate cargo space even with the rear seat up, and the extra 30 cubic feet or so on the XL models makes them better than adequate. Top towing capacity is almost 10,000 pounds.

What does it take to haul the GMC Yukon around? A range of V8 engines starting with a 295 horsepower, 4.8 liter and progressing through the 310 horsepower, 5.3 liter flex-fuel and 366 horsepower, 6.0 liter. And there is the very respectable 332 horsepower, 6.0 liter hybrid engine. These power plants are assisted by a four or six speed automatic transmission or, in the case of the hybrid, a continuous variable automatic transmission. Also available is a four-wheel drive system that includes a full-time on road four-wheel drive option.

The big SUVs are, quite possibly, the safest all around passenger vehicles on the road, and the Yukon is part of the reason why. High seating gives great distance and all around vision, allowing you to spot potential trouble you just can't see in a sedan. While the Yukon, like most vehicles in its class, has some rollover risks, their structural strength minimizes this issue and otherwise they receive a bevy of fives (out of five) in NHTSA crash-test results. There are some problems seeing close in objects, but the optional rearview camera can help with this.

The Yukon comes in three sizes with the XL being the longer and the 2500 being a three-quarter ton version. There are also three models; the SLE, SLT and the luxury Denali. All of them have great headroom, seat room and leg room. Adding to the comfort of these vehicles is power tilt wheel and power adjustable pedals available on some models. An SUV is an SUV, not a sports car, but the braking, acceleration and handling of the Yukon all get good reviews. Any way you slice it, this is a comfortable, versatile family vehicle.

There is a cost for all that space and power, of course. The two wheel drive Yukon SLE starts at $36,455. Hybrid and Denali models all start over fifty grand. Even with the hybrid, you will only get about twenty miles per gallon, compared to 34 mpg city and 30 mpg highway in the Ford Escape Hybrid. The best you can expect with a gasoline engine is 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway, and that is with flex fuel. The smallest V8 gets 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway.

Still, you're buying more of a vehicle and, if you can afford the costs, you should find the benefits of the 2009 GMC Yukon well worth the price.