Compare the2023 Lexus GXVS 2023 GMC Yukon

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Yukon doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The GX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Yukon doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Lexus GX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GX has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Yukon doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GX. But it costs extra on the Yukon.

The GX has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GX has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Yukon.

The GX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Yukon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GX and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The GX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Yukon’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the GX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Yukon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Yukon ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GX’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Yukon runs out after 100,000 miles.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the GX has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the GX’s reliability 98 points higher than the Yukon.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. GMC is ranked 16th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lexus GX is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

On the EPA test cycle the GX gets better fuel mileage than the Yukon 6.2 OHV V8 4x4 (15 city/19 hwy vs. 14 city/18 hwy).

The GX stops much shorter than the Yukon:

The GX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Yukon SLE’s standard 65 series tires.

The GX has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Yukon doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The GX handles at .74 G’s, while the Yukon Denali 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 4x4 (28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the GX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lexus GX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 750 pounds less than the GMC Yukon.

The GX is 1 foot, 5.9 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the GX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GX is 6.8 inches narrower than the Yukon, making the GX easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GX’s middle seats and third row seats (except Base/Black Line Edition) recline. The Yukon’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the GX is 1.5 inches lower than the Yukon (21.7” vs. 23.2”). The GX’s rear step up height is 1.5 inches lower than the Yukon’s (22” vs. 23.5”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GX easier. The GX’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 33.8 inches, while the Yukon’s liftover is 37 inches.

The GX has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Yukon doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than GMC. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 44% lower rating, GMC is ranked 15th.

The GX’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Yukon’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the GX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Yukon can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GX has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Yukon doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The GX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Yukon doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GX offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Yukon doesn’t offer cornering lights.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GX is less expensive to operate than the Yukon because it costs $464 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the GX than the Yukon, including $42 less for a water pump, $359 less for a muffler, $62 less for front brake pads, $54 less for a fuel pump and $86 less for front struts.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus GX, based on reliability, safety and performance.