GMC and their flagship Yukon brings all-around excellence with this week’s tester: the 2026 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate

This cousin to the Chevrolet Tahoe provides all of the space, comfort, style and luxury anyone could want.

In 2026, the GM brand worked wonders on their existing fleet and added nice trim levels to keep the competition always thinking about what they’re doing next.

Our Glacier White Tricoat tester was flawless and completely destroys the competition in the American Luxury market.

Known for its high MSRP and resale values, the Yukon Denali Ultimate has a base price of $103K and is powered by a 6.2L ECOTEC3 V8 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. With 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, our weeklong tester had a 8,400 pound towing capacity.

The Yukon Denali Ultimate had a slew of standard features including a 16.8-inch premium infotainment system, 24-inch wheels and a 15-inch head-up display. Upgrades include second-row captains seats, BOSE performance sound system with 22-speakers and Night Vision – all totaling an additional $7,090. Boasting a Woodland Mahogany interior, the Yukon Denali Ultimate is certainly classy for all consumers and exemplifies the American Luxury that GMC provides.

In Grasso’s Garage, the Flagship GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate is the real deal. It looks stellar, rides good, and has good values. Although pricey for most consumers, the usage in this category is second to none. I was able to fit six adults on our way to dinner and heard a ton of compliments on its comfort and style, in addition to its spaciousness.

The GMC Yukon has a long-lasting history in the fleet, and in my opinion, having the Denali Ultimate package added is just the way it has to be to experience its full offerings.

Grasso’s Garage is here for you! Looking for more auto reviews or are you in the market for a new car? Head to https://www.bostonherald.com/tag/automotive/. Also, for honest input, reach out to me directly: marc.grasso@bostonherald.com.

2026 GMC Yukon 4WD Denali Ultimate

MSRP: $103,900

MPG: 14 city / 18 highway / 16.2 as tested

As Tested: $113,785

In a stunning, franchise-shaking move, the Celtics reached an agreement Wednesday to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

In return, Boston reportedly will receive nine-time All-Star wing Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Brown had been the subject of rampant trade rumors in recent weeks, with Charania reporting earlier Wednesday that the Celtics were “strongly shopping” their longest-tenured player following a failed attempt to trade him and two draft picks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But the 76ers, who ended the Celtics’ 2022-26 season by upsetting them in the first round of the NBA playoffs, had not been mentioned as a potential suitor for Brown. He’ll now join the likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe on a talented Philadelphia roster, while the oft-injured George heads to Boston.

Shipping out Brown splits up one of the NBA’s most talented and successful duos. The tandem of Jayson Tatum and Brown led Boston to five Eastern Conference finals, two NBA Finals and one championship since they joined forces in 2017.

Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, played most of this season without his longtime co-star, and he thrived, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists — a stat line matched in Celtics history only by Larry Bird and John Havlicek — while Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery. Brown made second-team All-NBA and finished sixth in MVP voting, and the underdog Celtics far exceeded preseason expectations, posting the second-best record in the East (56-26) and the league’s fourth-best net rating.

But questions about Brown’s future began swirling after Boston blew a 3-1 series lead against seventh-seeded Philly, losing three straight — including Game 7 at home, which Tatum missed due to knee stiffness — to suffer their earliest postseason exit since 2021.

Brown, who was a minus-57 over the final three losses, made headlines after the series when he insisted that this was his “favorite season” despite Boston’s poor finish. Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, a mentor of Brown’s, did the same when he said on his podcast that Brown had “frustration (that) lies deeply within the (Celtics) organization.”

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in his end-of-season news conference that Brown had expressed no such feelings to him. But Stevens admitted Boston needed to improve its roster to compete with the NBA’s elite teams (New York, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, etc.). A month later, after the Milwaukee Bucks rejected Boston’s bid for Antetokounmpo, Stevens said he wouldn’t “predict the future” when asked whether Brown would remain with the Celtics.

“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said last Tuesday. “I’m never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? So obviously, you never know.

“But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires, or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship, an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future.”

George has enjoyed a long and decorated career across stints with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and 76ers. Over his 16 seasons, he’s averaged 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.

The 36-year-old is well past his prime, however, and has struggled to stay on the court, suiting up for more than 60 games just once in the last seven seasons. He played in 37 games this season, missing time for both injuries and a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

George did give the Sixers strong minutes during their playoff series against Boston, making 55.0% of his 3-pointers across the seven games. Still, he’s a substantial downgrade from both the Celtics’ original target, two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo, and Brown, who is six years younger.

The Celtics will inherit the final two years of George’s contract. He’s set to make $54.1 million this coming season, then has a $56.6 million player option for 2026-27. It was not immediately clear whether Boston plans to move forward with George or flip him in a subsequent trade.

This trade marks the third time in the last four offseasons that the Celtics made major changes to their roster. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, they shipped out Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon in trades for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday — deals that helped push their Tatum/Brown-led core over the championship hump after years of near misses. Last summer, the Celtics traded Porzingis and Holiday and lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency to escape the prohibitive second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. (A subsequent series of in-season trades pushed Boston out of the tax entirely.)

Parting ways with Brown is the boldest swing yet for Stevens.

The 29-year-old (30 in October) was Boston’s longest-tenured player, having joined the C’s as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He ranks 10th on the franchise’s all-time scoring list — one spot behind Tatum and two behind Bill Russell — and is coming off the best season of his career. Among active players, only Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Devin Booker, Nikola Jokic and Antetokounmpo have appeared in more games without changing teams.

Brown, whose No. 7 likely will hang in the TD Garden rafters one day, also built a strong connection with the Boston community through his 7uice Foundation, Boston XChange initiative and other philanthropic efforts.

“I love Boston,” he said in a May 6 Twitch stream. “If it were up to me, I would play in Boston for the next 10 years.”

Brown was set to become eligible for a two-year, $140 million contract extension with the Celtics next month. His current deal, which runs through the 2028-29 season, was the richest in NBA history when he signed it in 2023 (five years, $304 million). He is set to make $57.1 million this coming season.

Afloat is an ideal option if you’ve ever had dreams of owning your own boat but have been told that boat ownership requires endless reserves of cash. Or if you’ve ever wanted to experience a houseboat, although I’d describe my houseboat as more of a floating hotel room.

I’ve made no secret of my dislike of the word “staycation,” but I’ll admit that booking at Afloat is as close as you can get to a staycation in Boston. Depending on your sea legs and your tolerance of motion, of course.

This is also one of the best lodging deals in Boston. My petite houseboat with a queen bed (although it looked more like a double) was $260 a night; two-bedroom yachts were $350. Moored at Constitution Marina in Charlestown, with views of the Zakim Bridge, the only way to get better water views would be to jump into the harbor.

There were some downsides to my houseboat, named Casita, which I believe translates into “little house with a touch of saltwater corrosion that bobs gently in a marina.” The interior was small, as in, I wouldn’t recommend this houseboat for anyone over 230 pounds or over 6 feet 2 inches, give or take. If you’re a hotel snob, it might not be a fit for your high-falutin’ tastes. The room is spartan, but it had everything I needed. There was a full bathroom, a coffee maker, a refrigerator, a hair dryer, an iron, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, heat, and a television.

Wait, but there’s more! There are plenty of moored boats and houseboats that you can rent on Airbnb or VRBO, but how many of them include a pool where you can splash your cares away? Or communal barbecues where you can BYOB (that’s bring your own beef) and grill your dinner? These are marina extras included in my stay that I was not expecting. I spent time by the pool with a soccer-crazed family from Norway. I tried to change the topic from soccer to my favorite Norwegian pop stars. The family hastily grabbed their towels and left the pool area.

There are people to escort you to your boat and carry your luggage. They also explained the room’s features. I assume if I were staying on a yacht, the orientation would be more detailed, including “do not untie this boat and start sailing to Bermuda.” There was a paper bag on the bed of my room filled with houseboat essentials: lip balm, a tin of mints, a blueberry Nutri-Grain bar, a bag of mini rice cakes, and a postcard of the marina.

Afloat has another advantage that I hadn’t anticipated. It gave me entrance to the rarified world of marina life. At one point or another, we’ve all walked by a marina and looked down as sun-kissed boat owners sipped beer on the decks of their yachts or hosed down their sailboats after a day at sea. We walk by, green in the gills with envy, trying to justify our feelings by saying that buying a boat is about as solid an investment as encasing cash in concrete and throwing it to the bottom of the ocean. But really, we want to be a part of it.

Finally, I had an entree into the marina universe. I walked around and checked out the other boats, my bare feet on the warm wooden planks. I casually waved or said, “How’s it going?” in a tone that indicated that I was also a part of marina culture, my imaginary yacht sitting nearby. I’m sure my jaunty nautical ensembles helped solidify my place there.

I generally avoid bed-and-breakfasts in the same way I avoid smiling folks on the sidewalk holding a clipboard who say, “Excuse me, sir, do you have a minute…” But Afloat is a different kind of B&B. I didn’t have to talk to other guests or sit awkwardly at a table with strangers in the morning. There’s also no hard and fast rule that breakfast ends at 9 a.m., which, coincidentally, is the time I normally wake up.

Instead, when you check in, you’re given $10 vouchers for Emmi Bakery & Cafe, which is a fish’s throw from the marina. Here, I could get whatever I liked, whenever I liked (the cafe closes at 4 p.m.), without feeling obligated to make small talk with strangers. The advantage of staying in a houseboat over a yacht is that it has a small, private deck adjacent to it, surrounded by herbs and flowers. I invited friends over, some of whom did not appreciate the charms of Casita as much as I did.

My husband was the first visitor. He entered with a look of horror and declared, “This place is terrible. I thought you only stayed at nice hotels.” Within five minutes, he grew seasick and quickly exited, never to return.

“I’m going to call you in the morning to make sure you haven’t floated out to sea,” he said as I rolled my eyes.

Other friends were kinder, but not much. I broke out a bottle of wine on the deck at sunset while my friends popped open the Dramamine. I barely noticed the sway, but the more delicate among you might blanch quickly.

Being at Constitution Marina gave me an excuse to explore Charlestown, a part of the city that I rarely see. Not because I don’t like it, but because parking can be a bear. I had dinner outside at Monument Restaurant and Tavern, looked around at Boston National Historic Park, and took the MBTA ferry from Charlestown to Long Wharf. For $3.75, I had a quick scenic spin in the harbor.

I’ll give the houseboat at Bed and Breakfast Afloat Boston a rating of four anchors out of five. I think much of my good vibes had to do with the perfect weather and the views, but I also loved the feeling of adventure and the way the water rocked me to sleep. That’s a feature you can’t find at any other B&B in the city.

28 Constitution Road, www.bedandbreakfastafloat.com. 617-241-9640.

Christopher Muther can be reached at christopher.muther@globe.com. Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.