We know it's not so politically correct to tout the virtues of large SUVs anymore. With high gas prices and environmental concerns, these vehicles are, to some people, as popular as that holiday fruitcake that keeps getting passed around. But the large SUV still has some fans, and some people have a genuine need for that kind of size in their vehicle. So here we present three biggies, love 'em or hate 'em.

Photo by Ford (ENLARGE) Ford Expedition

Photo by GM (ENLARGE) Yukon Denali

Photo by GM (ENLARGE) Hummer H2

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FORD EXPEDITION

If you were riding blindfolded in an Expedition, you might have trouble recognizing that you were in an SUV, thanks to its smoothness. It handles almost like a limousine. The six-speed automatic transmission is quite efficient.

Seating is comfortable throughout. You can get the middle row with a 40/20/40 split bench or with captain's chairs. The third row seating is surprisingly roomy and comfortable enough for adults. It folds down easily to provide cargo space.

Interior design is somewhat less than impressive. All the stuff you need is right where you would expect it to be, but Ford's designers seemed uninterested in dressing up the features to give them a little snazz.

Safety features are abundant. A stability system that can sense rollover, a ton of air bags and rear-parking assist are all available. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the Expedition a five-star rating in driver and front passenger impact.

A 5.4-liter V-8 engine is standard, and it produces 300 horsepower and 365 pounds-feet of torque.

The Expedition's EPA numbers are 12 mpg city and 18 highway.

Its price ranges from $30,620 to $42,865.

GMC YUKON DENALI

The elegant interior touches on this SUV bring to mind its cousin in the General Motors family, the Cadillac Escalade. The leather seating in the test model couldn't have been more comfortable.

The neatness of the interior panels, the backlighting for the instruments and the chrome accents found throughout give the Yukon a delightful luxury flavor.

Headroom and legroom are very good, as you might expect in an SUV of this size.

But despite its refined qualities, you can be sure that the Yukon is no wimp. Its exterior design is athletic and powerful.

The 6.2-liter V-8 engine is formidable, producing 380 horsepower and 417 pounds-feet of torque.

Yukon comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, and there's an autoride suspension that helps smooth out ride quality. Its EPA numbers are 13 and 19.

Pricing ranges from $38,185 to $52,650.

HUMMER H2

What can you say about the Hummer? It's about as subtle as combat boots at a cocktail party, but that's presumably part of its appeal.

For rock climbing, there might be no better vehicle on the market. But most people don't do much rock climbing, so that leaves most of these vehicles to serve the purpose of drawing attention to their owners.

On road, the ride is not particularly smooth, especially when compared with the other two machines in this review.

The interior design is very handsome. The controls are intuitively placed, the leather seating has a rich look and the visibility is more than adequate.

There is a bit more engine noise than you get in the Yukon or Expedition. The 6.2-liter V-8 engine makes 393 horsepower and 415 pounds-feet of torque.

While the engine is large and powerful, we were a bit disappointed with its get-up-and-go at key moments, such as in trying to gain some separation from a rush-hour traffic pack on I-75. It takes a while to really get up to highway speed.

It takes a while to fill its gas tank, too. The H2's EPA numbers are 13 and 16.

The test model was $62,820.