The consolidated look back at our year with GMC’s award-winning full-size off-road SUV.
Throughout the course of a year, we took our 2021 Four Wheeler of the Year award-winning 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 and ran it through the proverbial wringer. We covered more than 23,000 miles across five states, towed many different types of trailers, explored some of the most beautiful trails the desert Southwest has to offer, and spent way too much time sitting in the elementary school pickup line.
Through it all, the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 was always our quiet, comfortable, and confident friend. We got compliments on its gorgeous styling everywhere we went, and there wasn't an obstacle the Yukon AT4 couldn't handle. It proved to be a confident tow vehicle, a capable off-road explorer, and a comfortable commuter. Despite being a dark-horse winner in a stacked field, the Yukon AT4 proved its worth at every turn. After spending a year with it, we can confidently say that the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 was one of the greats.
What follows is our consolidated collection of stories written about the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4, from its debut through our 2021 Four Wheeler of the Year test event and the year that followed. Pull up a seat, it's story time.
We got our first taste of GMC's newest off-road SUV in the fall of 2020. It only took 24 hours behind the wheel for us to fall in love with the all-new Yukon AT4's high-riding stance, fabulous styling, and comfortable interior. Being still in the thick of the pandemic closures, which included our local national forests (though wildfire risk was to blame as well), we didn't get to hit dirt until our 2021 Four Wheeler of the Year test event.
At this point, you may be wondering exactly what is included with the GMC Yukon AT4 package. The Yukon AT4 slots in just below the top-tier Denali package and features nearly all of the same luxury components, just with an AT4 twist. You also get a unique front fascia, special 20-inch wheels, Goodyear all-terrain tires, four-corner air suspension, magnetic ride control dampers, an electronic rear limited-slip differential, and, of course, red tow hooks.
Our annual Four Wheeler of the Year event brings together all of the new or significantly improved off-road SUVs and pits them head-to-head during a week of off-road testing. Because the 2021 GMC Yukon was all-new from the ground up and now included an impressive AT4 off-road package, it was eligible to compete.
At the end of our weeklong off-road competition, it was the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 that took the top spot. This surprised a lot of our seasoned judges, not because the GMC Yukon AT4 was undeserving, but because, as a relative newcomer to the off-road space, it was able to best industry stalwarts such as the Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro and Land Rover Defender.
When we ordered what would be our long-term test vehicle we tried to keep it as true as possible to the vehicle we tested during our Four Wheeler of the Year event. The one notable change was the color. Instead of black, we ordered the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 in Cayenne Red Tintcoat, a $645 option.
We wasted no time attempting to answer the hard questions, one of which was how well the GMC's new independent rear suspension works while towing. With fewer than 1,000 miles on the odometer, we hitched the Yukon AT4 to an 8,000-pound travel trailer, then flat-towed a '40s flatfender Jeep before loading a Polaris UTV onto a flatbed utility trailer headed for the desert.
During our first quarter with the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 we managed to accumulate nearly 6,000 miles and did a fair amount of highway driving, towing, and off-roading. This began what would be a trend of getting compliments from strangers nearly everywhere we went.
Throughout the course of the second quarter with our long-term 2021 GMC Yukon AT4, we logged another 5,000 miles, which meant it was time for our first oil change at 7,500 miles. Issues remained minor and we did a fair bit more off-roading with a few long road trips sprinkled in. It was by this point that we conceded that the Yukon AT4 wasn't going to reach its EPA rated fuel economy in the real world.
In the third quarter, we drove our long-term 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 another 5,000 miles, which resulted in us needing a second oil change at 15,000 miles. After nine months, we had also given up on trying to find a use for the sliding center console, as well as trying to get the rear-seat entertainment system to work seamlessly. Naturally, more off-roading happened, including shocking a group of Jeepers with the Yukon's water-fording ability. Things like that never get old.
In this final installment of our 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 long-term report series, we took a look back at both the final quarter with the Yukon and the year as a whole. A third oil change happened at 22,500 miles, we got our first and only flat tire, and we returned the Yukon AT4 with an impressive 23,300 miles on the odometer. We also finally managed to break through the elusive 20-mpg barrier, ending the Yukon's run on a high note.
We decided that it would only be fitting to end our year with the 2021 GMC Yukon AT4 the way we started it: by towing. In this installment, we took a detailed look back at our nearly 4,500 miles of trailering and offered all the tips, tricks, and lessons that we had learned along the way. And although we never actually ran out of gas, you'll need to read the report to see just how close we came.