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Ford Excursion vs Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL - The battle of the titans
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Comments
Now the down side - The Burb that I ordered on from park City on March 7 is not here yet! They can't make them fast enough. It is due tomorrow. While the two Ford dealers within 10 miles of my house have 15 X's on their lots. BTW, I own a very good Ford - a 1998 Expedition so this is not an emotional issue with me as I like Porsches better than any Ford or Chevy - but that is the engineer in me talking.
To each his own. I'm sure you will be as happy with your Burb as I am with my Excursion.
I drove the V10 and hated it. Drove the diesel and found it to be a whole different truck. Although still a truck.
happiness. As a colleague says big wins Ford or Chevy. I read an article concerning small cars hit by large SUVs, only accounts for 5%, the rest of the small guys creamed was at the hands of larger cars, commercial vehicles, semi's and what ever else is left. SUVs get a bad rap cause they are
considered rich guys toys and the small car owners feel slighted. I am not rich but comfortable and like the large feel of the Burb. We mainly use it for long distance travel which we do a moderate amount of. Mileage is 14 to 18, not great but good. The Excursion will not fit in my garage. But I like the look but like the Burb better. Our other car is a 2000 Honda Accord SE. If Honda built a full size SUV and I could afford it thats what I would buy. I found as I got older my tastes changed some for the better some not but I like big vehicles. What ever you want thats ok with me as long as you are happy. Weight wins unless you are hit by a semi so there always seems to be a bigger kid on the block but we don't have to pick fights just admire the other guys vehicle, compliment him on it you have made a friend. I really love original Shelby Cobras even a 289 HiPO
would be ok don't need the 427 but thats really out of my league. Happy motoring, drive responsibly, live and let live.
Which caused dealer shortage, hence absolutely no discounts, and the take the sticker price or leave it.
Explain BAD to the +90% of owners who love em and don't have any problems...
And, yes the people who bought and were LUCKY enough to get a 2000 got good ones. Just passing on comments from other sites and Suburban builders far more wise than you or me, regarding supply of the Burb. Chevy had problems,work'd on the problems delay in shipping product, thus kept price at sticker or above PERIOD.
Now you Chevy boys can get off your, my toys are better than your toys horse.
And for your info bowtiebill the Excurion was based on the F250 and that's been around HOW LONG??
professor.
My point exactly bowtie Chevy has been building "Burbs" since the cave man...you think they could get it right by now.
Now I am slamming Chevy thanks to bowties big mouth.
My Suburban experience has been the opposite. It's
been terrible, and the reason I switched from GM,
probably never to return, for example:
In less than 50,000 miles on a loaded '94 K2500
6.5L TD, the thing:
Had four injection pumps;
Several related pump wiring harnesses & black
boxes;
8-10 of those worthless Delco batteries;
A bad seal in the rear differential because it ate
grass (On a 4x4??? Can't Great Mistakes (GM) even
get that one right?);
large problem- the radiator failed. A mechanic
friend fixed it for me, but it still cost $700
The problems we
have had mechanically have made owning our suburban
a headache.First there was a problem with the
front brakes.At 33000 miles and left front rotor
needed to be replaced.A few months later, after...
Beware of transmission troubles
had a fuel pump replaced
because it was "noisy"
I have had a miserable experience with my 1996
Suburban 4WD LT and frankly I am currently looking
to replace it with something foreign....
I think people have stated the obvious here already. Both vehicles have their good points and bad points as stated, and its up to each individual to decide which "good points" are more important for them to have.
Personally: For Looks - I think the EX looks mean, and dressed up with the right accessories, would look awesome. For Driving comfort - The Sub wins hands down, it drives like a car.
I would have one of each in my garage if that was possible, (but I don't think the EX will fit...).
And where did this F250 thing come from, I thought we were talking about Burbs and EXs not pickup trucks. I don't care what platform it was based off of. That's like saying when the Caddy Evoq comes out next year (based on Corvette platform) that Caddy has been in the sports car business since 1953. Not very good logic, Professor Emeritus.
I'm sorry you had problems with your Burb, but not every vehicle is going to be perfect like the 15+ Burbs I've owned. And I agree that as long as GM has been making the Burb is should be the perfect vehicle and it isn't. That upsets me too because I think there are things on the older model that are better than this one. But the problem is that the marketing folks are asking the wrong people, not you and me. And Ford does the same thing.
A lot of us Excursion owners first went to buy Suburbans, but were horribly turned off by the attitude of GM dealers. I personally went to four local Suburban dealers to purchase a Suburban sight un-seen and prior to driving one, and the attitude was the worst I have ever seen from a dealer.
My logic on the F250 is, that the Excursion is nothing more than a F250 which has been around for a long while, and time-tested. Answering, I think your post of "how long Excursion has been around (intimating first year truck). In other words as you explained the suburban has been around a while I was explaining so has the Excursion in rationale. Yes the "Excursion" is a first year truck, but the only part that is first year is the body panels from the front seat back. The diesel engine is a hearty time tested International, delivered to
Ford., so even Ford can't screw this engine up.
Yes the Suburban does drive like a car, but I wanted and needed a truck. I drove the Burb and it felt too dumb'd down from the Burb I owned in the past. My opinion, too much car feel.
Again both trucks are great, and both companies build great trucks and lemons. I think it does come down to the particular "Feel" each driver wants. Mine being a more harsh truck feel. Others enjoy the softer car ride. When I want soft car ride, and I do mean soooooofffft. I drive my wife's Lexus.
Safe driving to all.
http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/news5.htm
http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/news9.htm
MY whole point is that “truck feel” has and will continue to be designed out of trucks because “truck feel” is the opposite of performance.
For example: The F150 line was ahead of the GM offerings up until the recent redesign now the 1500 burb/silverado/yukon/xl is one generation ahead of the F150 in this respect. The super duty line of trucks from Ford is in a class by itself as it is not a variant of the F150 line. The GM Truck 2500's are variants of the 1500's. My 2000 4x4 suburban with autoride stays put better than the current generations (as they are several years old now) of the super duty trucks (and F150’s) but I would suspect that the truckieness would diminish in the next generation of Fords as well.
If I want a soft ride, I drive my wife's expedition 4x2.
The ford dealers bent over backwards working with me...even after I got the price way under what they were asking. I have to say that I was very impressed with them. I do a lot of towing and needed a heavy duty tow vehicle that can also hold a herd of kids. But as I said at the start....it doesn't amount to a hill of beans and I know that a lot of people will have just as many bad experiences with ford.......YOU JUST GOTTA LOVE THOSE DEALERS.
retract if you really, really want a smooth ride on your Expedition, get a set of Eddlebrock shocks. I did for my 97 and you will NOT believe the difference in the ride. Some guys have installed the shocks the same day they brought home the Expedition. I called Eddlebrock and they will have a set for the Excursions in two months.
I agree about the tracking on washboards, but I knew I would eliminate that with the Eddlebrocks.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/may2000/nf00518e.htm
http://www.msnbc.com/news/409067.asp?bt=pu&btu=http://www.msnbc.com/m/olk2k/msnbc_o_install.asp
I also have owned Ford cars not the Trucks and I am a Ford fan as well. I was always happy with every Ford product I owned. I am going to buy a 2001 Excursion with the Powerstroke diesel. I am a little concerned about the diesel tho, smell, noise, getting diesel fuel at the diesel pump with all the spills. If this gets on the soles of your shoes and u track it into your Pride and Joy and it starts stinking from diesel fuel, not a very pleasant thought. Also, diesels do take more TLC than a gas engine overall.I have read about the cavitation issue and the need for an additive in the coolant that must be checked regularly for strength, etc.. I would love to hear comments on these points convincing me I have nothing to fear but fear itself
You may want to go over to the "Excursion Owners Forum" and read my post concerning my Excursion with the Power Stroke Diesel. I am Mr. Fussy when it comes to cleanliness and my vehicles. If you buy fuel at the "truck stops" it can sometimes get a bit messy. I carry a pair of glove under the seat for my hands and you just have to watch where you step. I have yet (in 12,000 miles) caught a wiff of diesel fuel or fumes from inside the vehicle and the scheduled maintenance is not a big thing. Good luck. Travel safe.
I am not at all familiar with Diesels, but 235 Turbocharged horsepower for a nearly 8000 lb vehicle seems to me to be pretty "anemic". 2500 lb cars have engines that are more powerful than that and I would not call them fast. If u, or someone out there could explain i would appreciate it.. Thanks
Take a look at engines in tractor-trailers and fire engines for further examples. I drive a fire engine with a GVW of about 36000 lbs. It has a Detroit Diesel 6 cylinder turbo diesel, rated at 350 horsepower and about 1,100 ft/lbs torque. It is capable of running at 72 mph, (limited by gear ratio) and it accelerates quite well for a vehicle of that size. As far a fuel economy, we get about 5 mpg!!! (should fire trucks get hit with a gas guzzler tax??)
Anyway, check out the diesel and decide for yourself.
I test drove the Excursion with the diesel and didn't like it at all. It was too noisy and smelly and the Ex rode like a truck. Now, I know, it is a truck...but if Ford wants to sell these vehicles they are going to have make it more like a car. I could handle the diesel on a part time basis, but not full time. I will wait to reconsider buying until next year and hope Ford will make some changes. Now this is just my opinion, I like the looks and size of the Excursion I am just looking for a smoother riding and better handling vehicle.
As for the noise issue, they do make quiet Diesels, I have heard Big Rigs that were quiet. Isuzu makes a quiet Diesel, why can't Navistar?
This is just my opinion but I am getting so used to this diesel that I would never buy another gas if a diesel is offered. All my salesmen drive Suburbans and Tahoes (9). A bunch of us went out to dinner the other night in my Excursion (now the Black Sheep) and none could believe the performance and did not think the "noise" was objectionable. I've had 3 gas Suburbans and if this Excursion hadn't come along would have a Yukon XL now. Just got 21.16 MPG on this last trip to PA. I must have got a good one! Travel safe.
My transportation needs do not require the capabilities of a "real" truck, so I'll stick to comfortable, quiet, gasoline powered cars!
Purchases boil down to personal choice, sometimes after careful investigation but still a choice. The Excursion looks good to me but my choice was a 00 burb. Eat other vehicles pure lunacy. Small cars driven by over enthuiastic people account for more eaten vehicles vs wolf packs of blood thirsty SUVs. Readers Digest had an article a month or so ago concerning this myth of predator SUVs. Most small vehicles fall victim to other small vehicles, large vehicles other than SUVs (Crown Vics, Buicks, ETC) large commercial vehicles. SUVs account for 5% or less of small vehicle comsumption. We just have a vocal minority that can find problems or create a cause over most anything on this earth. I respect their right to speak, all I ask is become informed before you bash something due to unbridled emotion. Maybe the FED will take some lessons from Ford and save some of our tax dollars.........NAH.
features than gm doesnt ride like a car but its not any rougher than my sub .its a truck not a van or station wagon.since both trucks have good features and bad features. i think the excursion
has the least bad features.
Thanks in advance.
Read it and weep boys...Ford 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th.
Again,
Thanks.