On the 5 to San Francisco

In retrospect, in terms of fuel, it would have made much more sense to go up in the Prius tested here last week, but in terms of comfort and overall satisfaction, it was difficult to beat the heavily reworked 2007 Yukon.

Wraparound front facia

Deft touches that really minimise size issues in a mammoth vehicle such as this include the electronically operated tail lift, as lifting up or closing that giant rear-door can be a pain especially when holding luggage, shopping or a purse in one or both hands.

On a similar theme, shoehorning this baby into a narrow Geary Street car park can be a nightmare, so why not give it a reverse-sensing system and camera on the central console, which comes standard across the range? Parking on-street is aided by a side-mirror which angles downward when you stick the shift in reverse, givinig a great view of the curb to aid that tricky reverse line-up..

Details, details. All of them which are attempting to arrest a sales slide in SUVs as a result of brutal gas prices. The Yukon isn't, you might be surprised, as bad as it once was for fuel consumption. Driving a low revs, you can see but not feel the car electronically shifting  down a cylinder, which helps it toward a 21 mpg highway consumption, which is not too bad considering this was quite an achievement for a mid-size German sedan a few years back. It also comes in a flexifuel variant that can run on 85% ethanol.

And you might have thought a former gas-guzzler wouldn't have been too welcome among San Fran's noted environmental squad, but you can bet that a fair proportion of country dwellers inland to the Sierra Nevada are lining up one in the showroom right now, Sierra Club member or not.

Reworked headlights and front grille

Because those 20-inch polished aluminum rims and 10 inches of ground clearance and all the other dibbings of a serious off-road competitor also work outstandingly well wherever you drive it, as demonstrated in its sister model Tahoe that we ripped around the Arizona desert six months or so back.

It's got both low-down pulling power and a massive 5.3 liter Vortec engine, one a residual product of the other but which combine for some serious oomph in tricky maneuvers in the rough and when overtaking on the smooth. Remember, this beast at its most powerful can tow over 12,000 pounds.

Handling is assured through all manner of stability controls and an all-new stronger and stiffer GMT-900 platform, It's ultra-safe in terms of NCAAP ratings and driver security both in terms of  impressive safety equipment and also through GM's On-star vehicle maintanence system, which through the wonders of technolody keeps and eye on all engine/tyre maintenance, emails you the results monthly, and can also track down on unlock your vehicle should you get stranded anywhere on road or off.

Superbly convenient fold-down seats inside

Which is unlikely unless you're going through some seriously rough stuff, or you run out of gas in non-stop traffic following the closure of one of the Bay bridges.

But you'd probably very comfortably relish the view in such an occasion, the foam-filled pillars keeping out the worst of the freeway bustle and noise, and a booming bass-filled stereo to complement, made even better by XM Satellite Radio for when you run out of CDs, or your Ipod's acting up - the stereo is also Apple compatible. And if you're really stuck, you can put on a DVD in the back, if you feel the need to step out of the dual-heated superbly comfortable front seats.

Ultimate in comfort

DVD to keep the kids happy

Outside it's all upgraded with lines that aren't too far away from the Toyota Sequoia's, especially the B-pillars, and a stronger front facia with a reworked fender which makes the shape softer overall and, of course, those massive rims.  Top of the line will set you back a cool 50k, but well-equipped models start at under $35,000. And

So in about 1,000 miles covered over a week with the Yukon, it becomes pretty obvious that this is car can do everything you ask of it, and more, and you don't need to drive all the way to Canada to appreciate it.

Perfect day for a drive