Shopping for a BIG SUV

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
We need something with a bunch of cargo room. My requirements are a third row, lots of cargo space, AWD/4WD, and leather.

So far my short list is the Suburban and the Sequoia. I love the room in the Suburban but not the price or the fact that it's domestic. My one hang up with the Sequoia is the cargo room.

Thoughts, opinions, ideas?
 
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LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
There's also the big version of the Explorer. I actually liked the back seat area more in that than in the Suburban. We never looked at the Sequoia to compare because it didn't have the row rating we need.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
Stick with dh's no Ford decree. We drove a 2010 Expedition XL (or EL? the long version) when our car was in the shop. Holy crap, I hated it. Not only was the interior from about 2003 (seriously, my jaw dropped when the manual said 2010. I had to check the DOM), but I felt like I was driving a whale. I drive a fairly big crossover (as far as crossovers go), and have taken my sister's Yukon and a suburban on road trips. The Expedition felt twice as big and was nowhere near as maneuverable.

There's the Armada (and Infiniti clone), but even with the 2nd row bench there are only 3 TAs total. There isn't one in the 2nd row center position.
 

canadiangie

New member
There's the Armada, but as Crunchy said the number and placement of TA's is a thumbs-down, at least for me (Canada, eh? :))

Are you wanting truck based? Do you need heavy duty hauling capability? The Pilot is unibody, and pretty posh as larger SUV's go, and it isn't BIG, but it's offerings put it at the top of my list, fwiw. But I don't need rough and tumble anymore because I live in civilization now, and will never need major towing capability (tent trailer, at worst, if I actually agree to buy one, that is).

Really tho, the Seq is probably your best bet. Get a Thule if you're okay with raising your centre of gravity that much more (and can actually reach it, lol) and maybe learn to pack less? :p

I too have an Explorer now, and it will be our last Ford :)
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
We do need to tow. Not crazy amounts but DH's 20-something foot camp trailer.

A rooftop carrier would be fine for camping or road trips or what not, but not for everyday use. As long as we can stuff all the kids' hockey gear or a ton of tools or a double stroller or a Costco run's worth of groceries back there, I'd be happy.

DH likes the Pilot but it's just not big enough. We couldn't fit a Costco run back there.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Oh, and this is why we need a bigger vehicle:
308960_10150450028059225_764474224_10775394_803812583_n.jpg

;)
 

gagenivy

New member
Totally eating my words of never owning another GM, but hubby bought me a Yukon XL and it is awesome. The roominess is great. I only have 2 kids, but I use the 3rd row enough in my Durango that when I put my stroller in, I have no room for anything else. I suggest suburban or Yukon XL..
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
You just need to move out of Alaska. Wasn't that the plan? ;)

It was, yes...we might eventually move out of state, but we're committed to staying now :rolleyes:

Totally eating my words of never owning another GM, but hubby bought me a Yukon XL and it is awesome. The roominess is great. I only have 2 kids, but I use the 3rd row enough in my Durango that when I put my stroller in, I have no room for anything else. I suggest suburban or Yukon XL..

I definitely like all that room in the Suburban/Yukon XL.
 

canadiangie

New member
We do need to tow. Not crazy amounts but DH's 20-something foot camp trailer.

A rooftop carrier would be fine for camping or road trips or what not, but not for everyday use. As long as we can stuff all the kids' hockey gear or a ton of tools or a double stroller or a Costco run's worth of groceries back there, I'd be happy.

DH likes the Pilot but it's just not big enough. We couldn't fit a Costco run back there.


Uh, sounds like you need a truck. Multiple hockey bags? Double stroller, huge Costco runs, hauling a trailer? I'd want most of that junk in an enclosed (ie: separate) space if at all possible. Have you considered a truck? Or is baby #4 still on the docket? :cool:
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
Uh, sounds like you need a truck. Multiple hockey bags? Double stroller, huge Costco runs, hauling a trailer? I'd want most of that junk in an enclosed (ie: separate) space if at all possible. Have you considered a truck? Or is baby #4 still on the docket? :cool:

We will need that 3rd row, eventually ;) Plus, my kids are way too crazy to sit next to each other.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
If you need to tow, definitely a Suburban. Of the Expedition, Suburban, and Sequoia, it is definitely the best for towing. Most torque and highest horsepower. Actually, that was the 3/4-ton Suburban. I'm not sure how the regular one compared. And maybe you don't need that high a tow rating.
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
We used to tow our 30' travel trailer with our 1500 suburban (we did several trips from NJ to SC and back over a 3 year span). It would have been nicer to have the 2500 but the 1500 did get the job done. Our 'burb is going on like 12yo now and other than getting new brakes and rotors and other regular maintenance stuff it's still going strong.:)
 

Peony

Member
You can't beat the cargo room in a Suburban. We have a Suburban and a Expedition EL. DH drives the Suburban because he needs the cargo room and then the ability to fit all our kids in there. My Expedition is the people hauler since I have two bench seats in there. They are the exact same length but the Suburban has more cargo room and less room in the 3rd row. Leg space isn't the greatest back there. The Expedition has less cargo room and more 3rd row space. They also have the 3rd row that sits above the wheel well making it wider where the Suburban's 3rd row sits in it and is much narrower.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
zactayaus said:
We used to tow our 30' travel trailer with our 1500 suburban (we did several trips from NJ to SC and back over a 3 year span). It would have been nicer to have the 2500 but the 1500 did get the job done. Our 'burb is going on like 12yo now and other than getting new brakes and rotors and other regular maintenance stuff it's still going strong.:)

What's the weight of the trailer? I'm not doubting that you were able to tow, just wondering if it was technically within the 1500's tow rating. We'd need the 2500 for our 28'. (On paper, that is. Whether or not the 1500 could pull it, I don't know.)
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
What's the weight of the trailer? I'm not doubting that you were able to tow, just wondering if it was technically within the 1500's tow rating. We'd need the 2500 for our 28'. (On paper, that is. Whether or not the 1500 could pull it, I don't know.)

I don't know the weight of the trailer as we sold it and replaced it with a 5th wheel about 5 years ago (but I'm pretty certain it was not technically within the 1500's tow rating). I know my dh had installed airbags to give us more towing capacity on the 'burb before we started towing it though.
 

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