Some readers may accuse us of preaching to the choir, but Edward Hsu's Yukon XL is a perfect example of why we're so faithful to fullsize SUVs. While we realize you probably don't need any convincing on the value of a nicely outfitted SUV, we still feel a need to trumpet our enthusiasm. You never know who might be listening, especially considering all the anti-SUV owner sentiment circulating - you'd think we were wearing fur coats to a "Save the Mink" convention or something. There are a whole lot worse things in life than burning a few more gallons of fuel than a diesel VW Rabbit.
Hsu had utterly good intentions when he decided to unload his BMW 540 for an SUV. You see, Hsu likes to go on long trips with his wife Cindy and 5-year-old daughter Catherine. To keep them entertained on the way to Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, he needs a first-rate audio/video system, which just wouldn't fit in the Beemer. So, he just wanted to keep his family happy.
Before turning this '01 Yukon XL into a rolling Surround Sound theater, Hsu first threw on a set of premium-grade rims. Getting access to some good wheels wasn't real difficult, since he's a sales manager for CEC, which handles a wide range of wheels and other upgrades for sport and luxury vehicles.
Actually, deciding on which design to use may have been a bit of challenge, since he could pick just about anything, like a kid in a candy store. He has already swapped out the wheels more than once in the last few months. The latest ones are 22x10-inch Antera Type 301 SUV/Truck silver alloys, with a patented center-cap design that conceals the air valve.
When Hsu displays his Yukon at shows, a lot of people ask him, "Hey, where's the valve stem? How do you put air in these tires?" He just smiles and carefully removes the machined hex screws for the center cap, which has a special mounting bracket. The air channel to fill the tires runs through one of those finely sculpted spokes. Incidentally, for this application, the wheel offset is only 5 mm, instead of the stock 25 mm, in order to fit them flush with the GM factory flares.