Ford F150 vs Gmc Yukon

What's the difference?

This update to the F-150 is long overdue and while it does a lot to address previous faults, Ford is going to have a hard time winning back the public’s trust on this vehicle.

Given the pre-update car was subject to so many recalls and stop-sales, it’s hard to shake that somewhat tarnished reputation.

In saying that, the F-150 is arguably the pick out of its rivals. It’s bold with lots of nifty features, has acres of space, plenty of towing capabilities and is surprisingly efficient.

Just be prepared for your hip pocket nerve to ache when you see the price tag, especially if you opt for the flagship Platinum trim.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is a big, comfortable, eight-seat 4WD with few rivals in the Aussie market. However, while it may occupy its own niche, it doesn't offer enough in terms of premium look and feel and towing capacity over what could be considered its rivals – and it all comes back to that price tag. 

While it lacks a competitive warranty and its price puts it way out of reach of a lot of 4WD buyers, if you are in the market for a big premium-style wagon with a V8 and eight seats – and the Nissan Patrol and Land Rover Defender 130 aren’t your cup of tea – then the Yukon Denali just might be the right choice for you.

But when all is said and done, for the price of the Denali, you could buy two Nissan Patrols – maybe not brand-new ones – and a camper trailer and a couple of cartons of beer. 

The F-150 has a very typical, American pick-up silhouette. It’s boxy, large and long, especially in long-wheelbase guise.

The fundamentals of this pick-up's overall design have carried over but the update has helped to improve the visual appeal, especially at the front. It’s great to see LED headlights now feature as standard across the line-up.

XLT and Lariat trims still feature a lot of chrome highlighting which looks somewhat tacky in 2026.

Thankfully the new Platinum gets blacked-out accents instead, along with a slightly different front fascia which is more contemporary. However, I don’t know if this flagship version of the F-150 necessarily looks like it’s worth more than $160K.

Inside the design is more unified across the line-up. Notably the entry-level XLT finally picks up the larger 12.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system which fits the expansive dashboard better.

A 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster is also standard across the line-up now. Previously the XLT had analogue dials with a small screen sandwiched between.

Although there are a range of high-end and plush touches around the cabin, it’s harder to justify on the higher-end Platinum as there is a sea of black finishes. It would be nice to have some different finishes to create some more contrast.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is 5337mm long (with a 3071mm wheelbase), 2378mm wide, 1943mm high and has a kerb weight of 2813kg.

Suffice it to say, it’s big. 

The signature Denali grille – with LED headlights and chrome accents – is the size of a house and it’s eye-catching. 

In terms of design, the rest of the Denali is standard SUV, but it's so massive it can't help but have plenty of presence on the road. 

This 4WD has 24-inch rims, which are not suited to off-roading at all, but I’ll get to that later.

The Denali’s dual exhaust system, with polished stainless-steel tips, adds to the street-cool aesthetic. 

The rest of the Denali exterior works – but it’s an in-your-face kind of success. 

Inside, the space is cavernous and with leather upholstery, wood-look trim and soft-touch surfaces you’d expect it to feel like a plush, well-appointed cabin. But it doesn’t quite hit the mark. 

Sure, all three rows of seats offer enough in terms of comfort and amenities but, for a $175,000 vehicle, the cabin lacks a distinctive premium feel, as you'd assume it should in a vehicle at this price point. That's a bit of a disappointment.

The F-150 is an incredibly practical vehicle that has inherent American touches throughout. The most obvious are the front seats which are cushy and comfortable, though they’re very broad, meaning you can slide about on winding roads.

The driver’s seat offers plenty of electric adjustment across the line-up, while the Platinum adds a massage function that not only works on the backrest, but also the seat base. This feels a little weird on the move.

Ahead of the driver is a big and chunky steering wheel that feels substantial in the hand, plus there are large and obvious buttons that are easy to interact with.

This is complimented by the 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster which is clear, high-res and easy to understand. There are a range of different layouts and menus that you’re able to cycle through.

Moving across, the 12.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is similarly high-res and has a user interface that’s clean and hard to get lost in thanks to the shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen.

There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, along with satellite navigation.

When you adjust the front-seat lumbar or turn on the massage function, it takes over the entire touchscreen display. This isn’t ideal if the driver is trying to use the screen at the same time.

Looking around the cabin, it’s great to see so many physical buttons and switches for key functions, like the climate, media and four-wheel-drive controls. So many of these are now getting integrated into the touchscreen.

Like before, the F-150 XLT has a column-mounted gear selector, while the Lariat (and now the Platinum) gets an electronically folding gear selector. When folded, this allows you to fold out the centre console lid to create a desk-like space to work on.

In terms of storage, there is acres of it. Under the centre console is one of the biggest spaces I’ve ever seen in a new vehicle, plus there are two cupholders, large door bins, as well as dual gloveboxes on the passenger side. You’ll definitely find a place for all of your stuff.

The second row of the F-150 is incredibly spacious, even for adults, and regardless of which wheelbase option you choose, it stays the same. This is because the extra wheelbase length is specifically for the tub area.

At 182cm tall, I have oodles of legroom behind my own driving position, though headroom is a little tight in the F-150 Lariat and Platinum due to the panoramic glass sunroof.

You’ll easily fit three people across the rear bench seat, plus the floor is completely flat.

In terms of amenities, there are air vents on the back of the centre console, heated outboard seats (Lariat and Platinum only), a 12V socket, USB outlets, as well as cupholders galore on the centre console, door pockets and fold-down centre armrest.

At the back, the F-150 XLT retains a manual tailgate with a fold-out step ladder and while the Lariat and Platinum still have a power tailgate, they also pick up a new party trick.

There’s a new central section that’s side-hinging, allowing you to more easily access the tub from ground level. It’s a similar set-up to what GWM offers on the Cannon Alpha.

In the SWB, the tub measures 1700mm long, 1650mm wide (1285mm between the arches) and 543mm tall. The LWB gains 300mm of length, bringing the total tub length to 2000mm.

Payload varies depending on the wheelbase length and trim level. It has received a slight bump compared to the pre-update model, however it’s still only between 704kg and 878kg. The smaller Ranger, for example, overlooking the beefy Super Duty, has higher payload figures.

Where the regular Ranger can’t match the F-150 though is with its 4500kg braked towing capacity. This is something that has been addressed with the Ranger Super Duty.

The Denali has retractable sidesteps, which is a big help to hobbits, such as me, and it also has big grab handles, again a welcome addition for the purposes of easier ingress for those on the wrong side of tall.

Once you climb inside, it’s easy to appreciate the fact that this wagon’s interior is vast, functional and comfortable, with plenty of storage spaces for everything – glove box, centre console, sunglasses case, door pockets etc – and plenty of charge points for your array of smart devices, even a wireless charge pad. 

It’s a well-designed cabin but, as mentioned earlier, the Denali lacks the prestige fit and finish and even build quality usually showcased in something at this price-point.

Instead, there are expanses of hard plastic throughout, storage receptacles with flimsy lids, and lacklustre fit and finish here and there.

The vertically-oriented 16.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple enough to use, even when the road gets bumpy, although it sometimes took a few stabs of my finger to get the system to register a command.

Climate control switches and the like are located under the screen.

The three rows of seats offer more than adequate levels of comfort – the front seats are heated and ventilated and the second row’s outboard seats are heated – and each row also has the appropriate amount of amenity to suit its occupants, including cupholders, USB-C sockets, map pockets and the like.

The second-row seats even have 12.6-inch HD colour touchscreens – one on the back of each front-row headrest – with which to enjoy… whatever. Those units also have wireless headphones so everyone else in the vehicle doesn’t have to listen to… whatever.

Those in the third row get air vents, a USB-C plug and two cupholders on both sides. 

Rear cargo volume with all seats up is 722 litres. With the second row folded that number expands to 2056 litres, and with only the front seats left standing you have a 'yuge' 3480 litres to play with.

The boot area has tie-down points, a shallow section of underfloor storage and plenty of packing potential. The tailgate door is power-assisted with remote open and close.

As I mentioned, the Denali’s interior is very functional and very comfortable and that includes the second and third row, which offer plenty of space. 

Overall, my thoughts on the Denali’s cabin interior boil down to “massive”, “comfortable” and “feels cheap”.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is a top-shelf, eight-seat, 4WD V8-powered wagon with a price-tag of $174,990, before on-road costs. 

The standard equipment list is a comprehensive and its more notable features include a 16.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - but no sat-nav), a 14-speaker Bose sound system, power-adjustable heated and ventilated leather-accented seats, a head-up display, 12.6-inch rear HD touchscreens for the second-row passengers, a panoramic sunroof and an auto-sense power rear door.

It also has a 360-degree high-definition camera system (with up to 11 camera views), power-retractable sidesteps, 24-inch machined and painted 'pearl nickel' alloy wheels (on Bridgestone all-season tyres), all-around adaptive air suspension and a maximum braked towing capacity of 3628kg (when it has a 70mm ball and weight-distribution hitch).

Exterior paint choices include 'Onyx Black', 'Summit White', 'Titanium Rush Metallic', 'Volcanic Red Tintcoat' (on the test vehicle and costs $2000), 'Downpour Metallic', 'White Frost Tricoat' and 'Sterling Metallic'.

Although there are a wide range of other engine options available in the US, including hybrid and V8s, the sole engine available in Australia continues to be a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol. It produces 298kW and 678Nm which is competitive among its rivals.

This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard with drive sent through a four-wheel-drive system The XLT gets a part-time system with a shift-on-the-fly function, whereas the Lariat and Platinum get a full-time system which allows for ‘4A’ functionality on sealed surfaces.

The GMC Yukon Denali has a naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine – producing 313kW and 624Nm – and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is an impressive set-up – the Denali is punchy off the mark, smooth and refined at highway speeds and overall it offers a composed and comfortable driving experience.

The Denali has a full-time 4WD system, selectable driving modes include 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Off-road' and 'Tow' and an electronic limited-slip differential is standard.

Ford claims the F-150 consumes an average of 13.4L/100km, according to ADR 81/02 testing. During our testing on regional and rural roads at the launch we recorded between 11-12.5/100km, which is surprisingly good for a ute this big.

There’s a mammoth 136L fuel tank as standard. Using the claimed fuel consumption this means the F-150 can theoretically travel more than 1000km on a tank.

A minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol is required.

Obviously, with such a big vehicle – almost three tons – driven by such a big V8 engine, fuel consumption is a concern. The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali has a listed fuel consumption figure of 12.8L/100km (on a combined, urban/extra-urban cycle).

I recorded 16.2L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing and this wagon was never working hard.

The Denali has a 91L fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 560km from a full tank. 

Although the F-150 retains the same 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine as the pre-update model, this is no bad thing as it’s a sweet and perky unit with plenty of rolling acceleration.

It gets this large, lumbering pick-up moving with no problems and makes you wonder why you wanted a V8 engine in the first place.

In the Lariat and Platinum some fake engine noise is pumped into the cabin through the speakers. I don’t hate it as it adds an almost V8-like gargle to the note.

Like before there’s a 10-speed automatic transmission which has a lot of ratios to choose from and sometimes can take a beat to kick down if you punch the accelerator harder.

It also feels like the transmission is constantly changing gears when you’re accelerating and as a result it almost sounds like a vehicle equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

In saying this though, the transmission is just keeping the engine within its torque band so acceleration is punchier.

With this update Ford was required to change the steering rack fitted to the locally converted F-150. Previously it was a Ranger unit and while Ford hasn’t detailed what the new steering rack is, it said it’s an amalgamation of existing Ford parts.

It’s hard to say definitively how different the steering feels from the pre-update model without driving them back to back, however, it does feel just a touch heavier than before. This isn’t bad as the F-150 is a big unit and it makes steering feel more substantial.

While you may be lulled at times into thinking this is just an overgrown Ranger on the open road, if you start driving with more intent and on twisty roads, this is far from a dynamic car. It also fills the lane quite generously, leaving minimal space between the painted lines.

The suspension, especially at the front end, is rather American and feels floaty, taking multiple movements to settle over bumps or undulations.

Thankfully this is where the flagship F-150 Platinum’s adaptive dampers come to save the day. In the Tow/Haul and Sport drive modes, the dampers are stiffened to create a more compliant ride and in reality they do iron out road imperfections better.

I particularly like how the ride in the Sport drive mode feels from behind the wheel, however there’s no way to split out the Sport suspension from the Sport engine calibration. This means you’re always driving around with the revs flared.

I wish there was a custom drive mode where you could pick and choose the engine, transmission and suspension calibrations. This would be a game changer for F-150 Platinum buyers.

In terms of towing, it’s the F-150’s bread and butter. With a 4500kg braked towing capacity, you can tow virtually anything without the pick-up breaking a sweat.

The Tow/Haul drive mode makes it feel even easier, plus having the Pro Trailer back-up assist takes the hard work out of reversing with a trailer.

Around town and even out on the highway, the F-150 is an incredibly quiet and serene car to drive, despite its heft. The transmission usually opts for the highest gear possible and you can barely hear it whirring away under the bonnet.

Surprisingly there’s barely any wind or tyre noise present in the cabin. Ford seems to have done an excellent job at insulating the F-150.

The only note I’ll make is the lack of noise makes you pick up on minor interior creaks and rattles more obviously. This isn’t ideal in a brand-new car.

The Denali is imported to Australia as a left-hand drive vehicle and then Walkinshaw's subsidiary company Premoso remanufactures the US 4WD wagons to right-hand drive at their facility in Clayton, Victoria. 

And that mob has done a commendable job.

Firstly, the Denali is very impressive on general driving duties – settled and composed, that V8 just rumbles along. It’s pretty close to flawless on the open road - smooth and refined. 

But off-road is a different story – especially in low-speed technical low-range 4WDing – and a lot of that has to do with the Denali’s sheer bulk and its 24-inch wheels.

The big pizza plate rims and paper-thin Bridgestone all-season tyres (285/40) aren't suited to four-wheel driving as they don’t offer the grip of a decent all-terrain and you can’t drop air pressures because there isn’t enough tyre there. Worth noting the spare is a Maxxis Bravo HT-750 (265/70R17).

In its favour, though, the Denali has a range of drive modes – one of which is Off-road and that seems well calibrated for a variety of 4WD situations – as well as high- and low-range gearing and an electronic limited slip diff.

Steering has a nice balance to it at low speeds, throttle response is quite impressive and controlled. And you can call on that 624Nm from the big 6.2-litre V8 pretty much as you see fit, and it delivers it smoothly and in a controlled fashion. 

This top-shelf variant has air suspension – that does some levelling out of even major imperfections in the road or track surface – and it does have a special damper system also working away to even out ride and handling. 

In terms of off-road measurements, the Denali offers approach, departure and rampover angles of 24.8 degrees, 20.5 degrees and 22.5 degrees, respectively.

Ground clearance is listed as 205mm, wading depth is not quoted, but likely a guesstimated 700-800mm, and turning circle is 12.4m.

And again, this is a big vehicle – 2813kg – so it requires more consideration, more patience, more skill and probably more experience than perhaps some smaller four-wheel drives do. 

The Denali's payload is listed as 634kg, which is not a lot for a massive vehicle like this. Its towing capacities are 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg braked.

If you do, however, put a 70mm tow ball and a weight-distribution hitch on the Denali, you can tow as much as 3628kg legally (braked).

That's not a lot more than something like the Nissan Patrol, which is 3500kg, or the equivalent 4WD wagon or ute available in Australia already. So the extra towing capacity in the Denali is not that big of a selling point. GVM is 3447kg and GCM is 6577kg.

Ultimately, even though the Denali has sound four-wheel drive mechanicals and reasonable off-road traction control, it's hampered by its gargantuan dimensions and let down by its 24-inch wheels and paper-thin tyres.

If you got rid of the standard wheel-and-tyre combination and replaced it with a set of decent, aggressive all-terrain tyres on 17 inch or 18 inch, or even (if you had to) 20 inch wheels, those changes would go a long way to making this over-sized 4WD capable in some off-road scenarios.

In its current state, however, the Denali is a tow vehicle playing at 4WDing rather than the other way around.

The GMC Yukon Denali does not have an ANCAP safety rating because it has not been tested.

Standard safety features include six airbags (including full-length curtain airbags for all three rows) and a full suite of driver-assist tech includes AEB (with pedestrian detection), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, tyre-pressure monitoring, a surround-view camera, trailer sway control, trailer hitch guidance with hitch view and more.

The F-150 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is fairly average now for mainstream brands, however in the world of American pick-ups this is still generous.

There’s also 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance which gets extended every time you service the car when required.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. 

You can purchase a five-year pre-paid service package for $1968, which averages out to just under $400 per service.

This is considerably better than its rivals which typically don’t offer any form of capped-price servicing.

Ford has an expansive dealer network across urban, regional and rural Australia. It currently has around 180 sites.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali has a three-year/100,000km warranty – which is on the wrong side of ordinary in this day and age.

Roadside assistance is available for three years but check with your dealership for more details on that.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 12,000km. The first three workshop visits come in at $398.33, $420.33 and $506.48, including GST. Not outrageous for such a hefty beast.