large SUV- which is best?

[Houndoc]

A new family hauler is on the distant edges of my radar screen. Would be looking for lots of seating (3 kids plus the carpool factor), strong towing (upto 22 ft boat) and room for dogs and camping gear. Not the main off-roader of course, but reasonable capicity is always good.

Any thoughts on 'burban vs Expedition vs anything else out there?

Pirce, off-road, fuel use (ha ha) and reliability are factors on my mind.

Do share.

 

[Tacoma]

I had the distinct pleasure of driving a Suburban with the 454 up to Bear Lake towing a friggin' huge boat because the guy's wife was too scared to do it.. and he was towing a even friggin' huger camper with his own truck...

anyway, it flew up the canyons quite nicely, loaded with camping gear and all the seats full. Based on that experience I am suitably impressed with them. I believe that's a 99 Suburban..

 

[MOODY]

I too have had an experience with a quite new, though relatively stock Suburban. we were going up HWY 6 to Moab, towing a fairly large camper(~25'), and it was if it wasn't even there. the driver offered me the opportunity to drive, which I did, though on the open road sections just before the I-70 turnoff. It was stable, solid, and even with a tad bit of wind, it held firm. Being a passenger, I was comfortable, plenty of room, though I think theere was a seat in the back they had taken out. Just my half-a-cent worth... Oh, in regards to the expedition, the older ones seem to have issues towing,(kicking in and out of gear too much) I don't know about the new ones though, they are supposedly better...

 

[mbryson]

Here's my opinions on full-size SUV from my recent vehicle courting spree, ranked how I'd buy them---

1-Turbo diesel Excursion (awesome tow rig/family truckster--drawbacks price)--cheapest I've seen was around $18k for a 2000 model on e-bay--roughly 15-18 mpg--heavy towing about 10-12ish

**---V10 is pretty cheap (down around $12k-18k) for some decent trucks with 70kish miles. There's lots of high mile V10 engines out there, but I'm a little nervous about them. I've not heard anything terrible (aside from some spark plug-head issues in '99-01 models), but would feel better with the 460 roughly 12-15 mpg--heavy towing about 8-10ish

2-8.1L Suburban/Yukon XL (solid tow rig/family truckster--drawbacks, fuel consumption and I don't care for the IFS 'feel') roughly 12-15 mpg--heavy towing about 10-12ish

3-6.0L Suburban/Yukon XL (solid tow rig/family truckster--better fuel economy than the 8.1L and still adequete power--drawbacks, fuel consumption and I don't care for the IFS 'feel') roughly 15-18 mpg--heavy towing about 10-12ish

4-7.4L Vortec Sub '96-'99 (solid tow rig/family truckster----drawbacks, fuel consumption and I don't care for the IFS 'feel' {newer '00 design feels better, IMHO})--VERY REASONABLY priced---$8000-13,000------ roughly 13-10 mpg--heavy towing about 8-10ish

5-7.4L TBI IFS Sub '92-95 (solid tow rig/family truckster----drawbacks, fuel consumption and I don't care for the IFS 'feel'--less power than the Vortec {newer '00 design feels better, IMHO})----can be found for CHEAP in decent shape $3500-8000-----roughly 13-10 mpg--heavy towing about 8-10ish


I don't care for the Expedition for a tow rig. They just don't seem to have enough power/grunt (5.4L) and they've got the IFS Ford thing....... If I'm going IFS, it'll be a GM. With your 22 ft. boat, I'm thinking you're wanting the diesel Excursion (that's gotta weigh 6000-7000 lbs headed to the lake). That's more than I want to tow with a 1/2 ton chassis/springs/brakes of any kind.

Off-road...... They're almost all equivilent for off-road use. They're HUGE and won't fit into spots that you might want to go, but are probably OK for their size. If you want to lift it, the solid axle Ford wins again.....(d@mn GM)...... price of lift, ease of installation and breakover angle.


That said, I have a '89 TBI 5.7L 4x4 2500 Sub that 'does the job' (climbing hills is not it's forte, but it's not bad other than that). I think we'll end up with a 7.3L Excursion in the next year or two (or if I can convince the wife, a Cummins or 7.3L crewcab pickup)

 

[richpblaze]

I personally went with the Suburban 99' 454 and I'm very happy with it. Seats eight comfortably. The power is great, I haven' towed any thing large yet. I thing the Expeditions ARE UGLY. My .02

 

[gijohn40]

My .02 worth

I have a 98 Expedition that I have a 4 inch lift and 35 inch tires on and wheel it all over the place... I changed the gears to 4.56 to get the gearing back to normal... around town I get 13 mpg and on the road I can get it up to 16 mpg... I recently pulled a 34 foot travel trailer fully loaded from Evanston Wyoming to Elko Nevada and averaged 14 mpg pulling it... I do have the 5.4 in it and the only thing I have done to the engine is put a k&n filter on it... It has 180,000 miles on it and still runs strong...

I don't have the third row seat so I can only haul 5-6 people which is plenty for me.

My suggestion would be the turbo diesel Excursion... but I'm a ford man... If I could get a diesel into my expedition I would be in heaven!!! when the engine runs out I am going to get the 5.4 supercharged out of a F150 lightning truck... that should be a sweet install!

John

 

[JF1]

Drove a new Nissan Armada. Loved it.

Joe

 

[KToy]

i love towing my rockcrawler with my sequioa

 

[Jay5.9L]

I test drove the Hemi Durango, Tahoe Z71, and the Armada back to back to back and the Armada beat the piss out of all of them! For being the biggest SUV of the lot it had the most "OOMPH"
But I heard quality for the fist year was not so hot.

 

[thenag]

My suggestion would be the turbo diesel Excursion... but I'm a ford man... If I could get a diesel into my expedition I would be in heaven!!!

John

Oh come on I have 460 in my bronco and I have seen a 7.3L diesel in a bronco

I am sure you could "get a diesel" into your Ex. we would prabably have to do something about the front "axle" and suspension.

I actually love the Ford 5.4L I haven't driven one with the new varible cam timming but it is a great motor for an once in a while hauler. my dad has 130k on his f250, It is just cool to rev a v8 to 7000 rpms. I bet if you slap a small super charger on it that thing will run really well.

hijack over lol

nathan
-no cool sig

 

[toys4rocks]

Be VERY VERY careful of the earlier deisel excursions. I was driving my uncles from one marina to another with an EMPTY 24' boat trailer.

I hit a whoop in the road at about 58MPh, speed limit was 55, that SOB literally jumped 4 feet into the other lane (oncoming traffic). I have driven a lot of vehicles big and small and have never been so scared in my life.

When I asked him about it, I got "O yea I forgot about that, the dealer says 2 out of 3 of the PSD Excursions do that"

HOLY S%^$, I don't know if they were just blowing smoke, but he got rid of it in a hurry.

PS, he laughed and said, "you should try that when the boat is on the trailer"

(big mofo larsen)

Just my .02, this is the only one I have driven.

 

[mbryson]

Be VERY VERY careful of the earlier deisel excursions. I was driving my uncles from one marina to another with an EMPTY 24' boat trailer.

I hit a whoop in the road at about 58MPh, speed limit was 55, that SOB literally jumped 4 feet into the other lane (oncoming traffic). I have driven a lot of vehicles big and small and have never been so scared in my life.

When I asked him about it, I got "O yea I forgot about that, the dealer says 2 out of 3 of the PSD Excursions do that"

HOLY S%^$, I don't know if they were just blowing smoke, but he got rid of it in a hurry.

PS, he laughed and said, "you should try that when the boat is on the trailer"

(big mofo larsen)

Just my .02, this is the only one I have driven.

What??..... I've driven at least 6 or 8 and have not had that happen at all. (additionally, I've driven probably 20 PSD crewcabs which is the same design-----still no jumping of lanes)

 

[toys4rocks]

Like I said, I only drove the one but thats what his dealer told him. This was also on the first year production. I do know it was huge inside though!

EDIT: I have driven that road in many different vehicles and have never had that happen.

 

[Bud]

I talked to one of the salesmen at Young Chev and he said they are hoping that late in 2006 the Suburban will have the Duramax in it! But it is still IFS...
I just wish Dodge would put out something a little bigger than the Durango with a solid axle front and the Cummings in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mbryson]

.............I just wish Dodge would put out something a little bigger than the Durango with a solid axle front and the Cummings in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH! {but I want the Cummins }

 

[Greg]

Recently I've been dreaming of taking a 2WD, mid-90's Suburban and swapping in a GM 60 & 14 Bolt, then a CTD. That would be my ideal tow/family rig.

 

[red97tj]

I have 2004 Suburban and love it. I get 17 mpg in city and 19 hwy (about 14 towing my TJ on a trailer). I have had many vehicles and this is the best driving, easiest to turn, most comfortable vehicle I have had. My boss's wife drives a Excursion (v10) and it sucks for towing. Just my 2 cents.

 

[mbryson]

Recently I've been dreaming of taking a 2WD, mid-90's Suburban and swapping in a GM 60 & 14 Bolt, then a CTD. That would be my ideal tow/family rig.

YEAH!!!!!!

............ My boss's wife drives a Excursion (v10) and it sucks for towing. Just my 2 cents.

Learn me..... What were you towing, why did it "suck", where did it "suck", etc.

 

[Caleb]

Learn me..... What were you towing, why did it "suck", where did it "suck", etc.

I'm curious too considering the Excursion is just a F250/350 with an SUV body...


my vote is totally for the Powerstroke Excursion...I have never heard of the jumping problem, I think the dealer was just saying that to get him out of his hair (it seemed to have worked). I will say I know the last body design of dodges (96-98???) dodges are known to do that, I know it has happened to me several times and I know there are several others on here it has happened to as well.

 

[red97tj]

My boss and I towed his CJ 7 to Fort Scott, Kansas We averaged 8 miles to gallon and could not pass on a incline (I'm not talking a steep hill, I mean just a incline). He's a Ford man and he was very disappointed with the performance.