ROCKRUNNER said:
... the highest limit of 9100k lbs of all the suvs. .
No.
The Armada will tow just as much, and has a helluva lot more power.
A 3/4 ton 'Burb/Yukon XL will tow 12,000.
An Excursion will tow 11,000.
Personally, I've ridden in a few Suburbans while towing, and I have to agree with the comments about stability and power. I've ridden in 496 powered 'Burbs and the older 454 powered models. They were quiet, exceptionally roomy and comfortable, and rock solid. Mileage sucked while towing and wasn't a lot better when empty, but damn they pulled well. 75+ mph up 10% grades with a 7,000 lb trailer is pretty damned impressive in my book. I've also ridden in a 6.0 'Burb. It did well, but it was pulling a lot of revs on the inclines. If you don't tow very often though, it's probably a lot better choice since fuel is only going to get more expensive.
Armadas are sweet, but I've heard of problems with the Titan rattling apart due to the uneducated rednecks who build them not tightening bolts to specs. I would imagine the Armada would probably have some of the same problems, but then again, if you're comparing it to other American cars, it's probably not a big deal.
I can't stand either generation of Durango, or the Hemi. I've ridden in a Hemi pickup, and it had a lot of power, but it's all top end. I forsee a lot of Hemi's and accompanying trannies worn out after 100,000 miles if they're subjected to a lot of towing since the engine has to pull 4,000+ revs to make any power. It's a smooth, powerful engine, but at those kind of revs, your fuel economy is gonna go to ****, and I think in the long run, it's going to wear the engine out sooner.
I don't care for Ford's SUV's in general, as none of them have any off-roading in mind at all (Independent all the way around on new Expeditions, and Excursions are too big for the highway almost, much less a trail). I've heard a lot of good things about the Expedition, and I would imagine it'd be very, very quiet and comfortable inside, and it's probably the safest of all the rigs mentioned, but with a vehicle this size, safety is usually down on the list, as the safety comes with the sheer mass of the vehicle. I've heard multiple accounts of Excursions being absolutely terrifying tow vehicles. I've heard they're comfortable and get good mileage, and of course they're huge inside, but I dunno...I've never liked them, at all. As for the engines, I've heard good things about Ford's V10, and great things about the 7.3 Powerstroke. However, if you plan on modifying the engine, I've heard the 6.0 has a tendancy to blow up when pushed, whereas the 7.3 is rock solid.
The Sequoia is above all else, a 'Yota, which means it'll drive like a car, last forever, and hold its value. The V8 is small, and the specs aren't impressive, but the Tundra has almost identical 0-60 and 1/4 mile times as the "300 horse" '04 F-150, so obviously it does pretty well. I've heard nothing but good things from every Tundra and Sequoia owner I've talked to, but if you plan on towing 6,000+ lbs frequently, it'd probably be hard on it. It can handle it, but I would think it'd be like a 6.0 'Burb or a Hemi Durango, lotza revs on the inclines, which is hard on engines, trannies, and fuel (all of which are very hard on your wallet). If you don't tow that much, the Sequoia would probably be the best balance of family/gear hauler, daily driver duties, and weekened workhorse. If you tow a lot, you'd probably be better off with something designed to be a towed with a lot, like an 8.1 'Burb or an Armada.
Personally, for tons of towing, I'd buy the 8.1 'Burb or Armada. For occassional towing, or light duty (under 5,000 lbs) towing, I'd buy the Sequoia.
