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If it looks like a truck, it’s supposed to act like a truck, which means you bounce on the straight-aways, and lean and sway in the curves.

So when the GMC Yukon (called Tahoe at Chevrolet) arrived, we tied a pillow to the posterior (yes, king size) before climbing into the saddle of this full-size sport-utility.

It took about 30 seconds to realize that we’ve driven vehicles with similar ride and handling, but they were called Seville or Bonneville.

Speed-sensitive power steering means little effort when turning or pulling out to pass in a vehicle that owes its heritage to the full-size Chevy C/K pickup platform.

Independent front suspension, dual stage multileaf springs, front stabilizer bar and heavy-duty shocks keep you in control by minimizing up-and-down jostling over irregular roads and preventing swing and sway into and out of sharp corners. Leave the pillow at home.

Little wonder folks are turning away from family and luxury sedans and to sport-utes when you can find one that’s as pleasant as this four-wheel-drive hauler.

We’ve driven just about all the $40,000 to $50,000 “luxury” sport-utes and found Yukon equally pleasant, if not more so.

If luxury means walnut and leather trim and a price sticker that starts on the glass but extends down to the rocker panel, Yukon fails miserably. But if luxury means room and comfort and the feeling you’re traveling in a sedan and not being tossed about in a truck, Yukon is every bit the equal of the $50,000 machines.

Comfortable and quiet. Room galore. Four-wheel-drive capability for the Snow Belt, ample towing capacity anywhere. Plenty of power from the 5.7-liter, 255-horsepower, V-8, though be prepared to watch the fuel gauge move anytime the Yukon does.

Yukon, like Tahoe, is the step up from the compact Jimmy or Blazer for those who need a little more room for people and packages and a little more towing capacity.

Yukon allows you to seat five in comfort. If you have only four, that’s better because you can flip down the center armrest in back to expose cup and tissue holders.

What it doesn’t offer, however, is a third seat like its rival Ford Expedition. Yukon sacrifices that for massive cargo capacity.

While size is an attraction, it has drawbacks. For starters, get running boards if you want to enter/exit the machine with grace and not a groin pull.

The SLT we tested came with running boards at $225. Hmm. The rig stands tall for ample four-wheel-drive clearance, making it difficult to get in the cabin without an assist, and GMC charges $225 for a step. Sound fair to you?

And when it comes to size, you just don’t wheel into the Jewel lot and take the first available space. The steering system allows you to slip quickly into a space, but Yukon’s size means you can’t slip into the same slot as a Cavalier and open your doors.

A big plus is that Yukon, unlike Blazer or Jimmy, offers dual air bags. The compacts don’t get two bags until next year.

Another plus is the anti-lock brakes, though if you haven’t driven a vehicle with ABS–or have never driven a vehicle with ABS properly before–it may scare you at first.

We drove the Yukon over snow-covered roads. At the first steep hill, we stood on the brake pedal hard to engage ABS. Some chatter and a loud groan was evidence ABS was working. The vehicle quivered, but stopped in a straight line without losing traction and skidding into the other lane or onto the sidewalk.

Yukon comes with a videotape in the glove box detailing how ABS works and how to use it.

When the snow got rather deep, we enlisted four-wheel-drive, easily done by pressing the button in the dash marked “4WD.” No transfer case to fool with, no pulling over to make sure the lever was in 4WD high rather than low. It’s a $150 option that’s worth the investment, though it would be an even nicer investment at $50.

Yukon did have some quirks, however. Dual cupholders sit in the center con sole armrest and pop out of the dash. The rubberized holders in the console come alive and refuse to let go when they contact pop cans. Better you use the dash holders and leave the console holders for tollway coins–that is, of course, if you bother with such mundane things.

In 1998 Yukon will join the crowd and offer a luxury version called Denali (which is being previewed at the Chicago Auto Show in McCormick Place through Feb. 16) along with the GMC Jimmy Envoy, a luxury version of the compact Jimmy). Both are due in calendar 1998 and could be called ’99s. Both will feature dressier interiors with leather seats and OnStar emergency communication systems. With Denali and Envoy, GMC focuses on luxury sport-utes while Chevy focuses on value.