Anyone have a Tahoe, Suburban, or Yukon? (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

If so, what year, and how do you like it? Anything you don't like about it? I'm looking for a big SUV for toting around family and family stuff. I want something with room for 3 car seats and plenty of cargo space beyond that. I like the idea of buying American, and these all seem to have great reviews (2015 especially, but recent years as well).

TIA

 

[ROCKET]

I have a 2015 Tahoe LT and love it. I have only had it since July and driven it for 5K miles but it's an awesome ride. It's sitting in my garage til around May so I can't comment on how it is in the snow if that matters.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

I want something with room for 3 car seats

You poor, dumb son of a #####.

 

[Mr. Ected]

If so, what year, and how do you like it? Anything you don't like about it? I'm looking for a big SUV for toting around family and family stuff. I want something with room for 3 car seats and plenty of cargo space beyond that. I like the idea of buying American, and these all seem to have great reviews (2015 especially, but recent years as well).

TIA

I hate to say it, but look at a minivan. It seems to me to be a better use of space than a big SUV. The sliding doors make getting in and out with kids, in car seats and once they can move on their own much easier.

I know you may not look as cool, but...

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Just get a minivan Oats

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Just buy a bus

 

[Fennis]

just get a vasectomy

 

[joffer]

I looked at used Excursions, but frankly they weren't big enough.

 

[belljr]

Who's driving it primarily?

 

[avoiding injuries]

I have not owned any of them.

I have one neighbor with a Yukon and Escalade. Another neighbor with a Suburban and Escalade, and a last one with a Tahoe and Yukon. I'm close with all 3 neighbors.

The Escalades seem to be the most "luxurious", but both Yukons have well over 100k miles and no issues. The guy with the Tahoe loves it and the Suburban is the wife's and is basically a "grocery getter".

The consensus amongst this small sample seems to be:

Yukon > Escalade > Tahoe > Suburban

 

[gianmarco]

just get a vasectomy

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I want something with room for 3 car seats

You poor, dumb son of a #####.

i knew it!!

 

[Mr. Retukes]

Your transition to the dark side will not be complete until you give in and buy a minivan.

Search your feelings....you know this to be true.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

Cadillac Escalade is they way to go.

 

[ChiefD]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

 

[Zegras11]

2008 Tahoe. Bought a year ago. Love it.

Inside was like brand new. Was kept in a garage and both home and work.

 

[TheWalkmen]

You need to look into Hummer's.

 

[mr roboto]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

If your masculinity hinges on the car you drive you're a #####.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

You need to look into Hummer's.

Not gonna happen. He's a married man now.

 

[NutterButter]

Good god. 3 young kids. I'm having nervous sweats just typing this.

 

[TheGooRoo]

Bought a 2015 Tahoe LTZ for the wife, she loves it. Perfect for 2-3 car seats and hauling around family stuff. Extremely smooth, quiet ride, more features than you'd ever need. Downside is the LTZ is pricey. The LT model that Rocket has may easily satisfy your needs if you dont need to have the top of the line, all the bells and whistles model.

 

[Otis]

I have a 2015 Tahoe LT and love it. I have only had it since July and driven it for 5K miles but it's an awesome ride. It's sitting in my garage til around May so I can't comment on how it is in the snow if that matters.

Nice. I've read awesome things. You get 4WD? I read somewhere there is a AWD option, but I don't see it on the website. The wife will be driving this more than I will, want to make sure it's safe.

By the way, why the Tahoe over a Yukon?

 

[Otis]

Who's driving it primarily?

Wife on weekdays, Otis on weekends.

 

[Otis]

I want something with room for 3 car seats

You poor, dumb son of a #####.

Not yet GB. This is a precautionary measure.

 

[Otis]

If so, what year, and how do you like it? Anything you don't like about it? I'm looking for a big SUV for toting around family and family stuff. I want something with room for 3 car seats and plenty of cargo space beyond that. I like the idea of buying American, and these all seem to have great reviews (2015 especially, but recent years as well).

TIA

I hate to say it, but look at a minivan. It seems to me to be a better use of space than a big SUV. The sliding doors make getting in and out with kids, in car seats and once they can move on their own much easier.

I know you may not look as cool, but...

Wife refuses to drive one. She doesn't demand much, so I give whenever she does.

 

[Otis]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

 

[Otis]

Bought a 2015 Tahoe LTZ for the wife, she loves it. Perfect for 2-3 car seats and hauling around family stuff. Extremely smooth, quiet ride, more features than you'd ever need. Downside is the LTZ is pricey. The LT model that Rocket has may easily satisfy your needs if you dont need to have the top of the line, all the bells and whistles model.

By the way, yes, these cars are crazy expensive. With our stupid X5 lease coming to a close, I told the wife I wanted to be smart, buy something that we'll keep for years, and get something "cheap" like one of those big American SUVs. Turns out when you get one of those big American SUVs and put in the gadgets you and the wife want (backup camera, keyless entry, etc.) you end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 grand. Mindblowing.

 

[Mr. Ected]

If so, what year, and how do you like it? Anything you don't like about it? I'm looking for a big SUV for toting around family and family stuff. I want something with room for 3 car seats and plenty of cargo space beyond that. I like the idea of buying American, and these all seem to have great reviews (2015 especially, but recent years as well).

TIA

I hate to say it, but look at a minivan. It seems to me to be a better use of space than a big SUV. The sliding doors make getting in and out with kids, in car seats and once they can move on their own much easier.

I know you may not look as cool, but...

Wife refuses to drive one. She doesn't demand much, so I give whenever she does.

Too bad, better MPG, better use of space, and I tell you being able to remotely open and close doors for kids is sweet.

 

[Otis]

If so, what year, and how do you like it? Anything you don't like about it? I'm looking for a big SUV for toting around family and family stuff. I want something with room for 3 car seats and plenty of cargo space beyond that. I like the idea of buying American, and these all seem to have great reviews (2015 especially, but recent years as well).

TIA

I hate to say it, but look at a minivan. It seems to me to be a better use of space than a big SUV. The sliding doors make getting in and out with kids, in car seats and once they can move on their own much easier.

I know you may not look as cool, but...

Wife refuses to drive one. She doesn't demand much, so I give whenever she does.

Too bad, better MPG, better use of space, and I tell you being able to remotely open and close doors for kids is sweet.

For what it's worth, I'm a full-on SUV guy now. I love the ride height and love how much easier it is to get in and out. The taller the better. Every time a family member comes to stay and I have to pull their car out of the driveway, I feel like I'm climbing into and out of a cellar.

 

[ChiefD]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.

The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

Maybe this will help:

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eOifa1WrOnQ/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[Otis]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

Interesting, thanks. Captains chairs in the second row sound pretty handy. We were thinking a Yukon with a 60/40 second row split so we could pop down part of the second row to let her get to the third row, but your way sounds easier.

 

[pricklypete]

Bought my wife a brand new 2002 tahoe late in 2001.

She is still driving it. I've tried to get her a new one but she refuses. Loves it and wants to drive it until it dies.

Only maintenance has been tires and brakes, knock on wood.

Great vehicle for our family.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Close friend has a new Acura MDX and loves it. I'd recommend looking into that too.

Personally when I'm talking about the SUVs you mentioned, I think Range Rover should be mentioned too. 3rd row is fold down, but outside of that, every advantage goes to the Range. BMW X5 also has aggressive lease programs,

Anyways, I always thought the Yukon Denali was awesome.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.

The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

I have a 2005 Expedition at 113K, and it's given me no issues whatsoever other than a paint defect on the rear hatch.

They were practically giving these things away when I bought mine, and I'm a little sick at what it's going to cost me to replace it. But i don't see that I have much choice with my kids in MS and HS respectively and college-hauling trips in front of me.

Otis -- Under no circumstances should you buy one of these vehicles without at least AWD. Personally I would not consider one without 4WD but that's a function of where I live (semi-rural South Dakota). I know you live up north and therefore see some snow and ice. These things are not what you want in those conditions if you're relying on their natural rear-wheel drive capability and general top-heavy nature. If you're committed to AWD-only, I would honestly take a Subaru over a full-sized SUV in terms of safety and stability.

 

[NutterButter]

Close friend has a new Acura MDX and loves it. I'd recommend looking into that too.

Personally when I'm talking about the SUVs you mentioned, I think Range Rover should be mentioned too. 3rd row is fold down, but outside of that, every advantage goes to the Range. BMW X5 also has aggressive lease programs,

Anyways, I always thought the Yukon Denali was awesome.

Those babies are tiny compared to the yukon and suburban

 

[Otis]

Close friend has a new Acura MDX and loves it. I'd recommend looking into that too.

Personally when I'm talking about the SUVs you mentioned, I think Range Rover should be mentioned too. 3rd row is fold down, but outside of that, every advantage goes to the Range. BMW X5 also has aggressive lease programs,

Anyways, I always thought the Yukon Denali was awesome.

MDX is too small. Our current X5 is small, uncomfortable, and overpriced German garbage. Range Rover I would consider but they are expensive. I'm not trying to impress anyone.

 

[Otis]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

I have a 2005 Expedition at 113K, and it's given me no issues whatsoever other than a paint defect on the rear hatch.

They were practically giving these things away when I bought mine, and I'm a little sick at what it's going to cost me to replace it. But i don't see that I have much choice with my kids in MS and HS respectively and college-hauling trips in front of me.

Otis -- Under no circumstances should you buy one of these vehicles without at least AWD. Personally I would not consider one without 4WD but that's a function of where I live (semi-rural South Dakota). I know you live up north and therefore see some snow and ice. These things are not what you want in those conditions if you're relying on their natural rear-wheel drive capability and general top-heavy nature. If you're committed to AWD-only, I would honestly take a Subaru over a full-sized SUV in terms of safety and stability.

I'm planning to get one with 4WD. But is that full time 4WD? Or like I have to flick a switch to turn it on? If it's the latter I'm not sure how it helps for safety purposes? (Or do you just turn it on when it snows etc?)

 

[TLEF316]

3rd kid on the way already? Really should have spaced them out more.

That one year when they'll all be in college will be ROUGH.

 

[flranger]

If you learn nothing from this thread:

Make sure to get second row bucket seats. They are a godsend. With two or three young kids, the ability to have them in their clearly defined spot so they cannot touch each other is worth the price in itself. Much easier to move around as well.

 

[chet]

Can someone opine on the differences between the three?

 

[ROCKET]

I have a 2015 Tahoe LT and love it. I have only had it since July and driven it for 5K miles but it's an awesome ride. It's sitting in my garage til around May so I can't comment on how it is in the snow if that matters.

Nice. I've read awesome things. You get 4WD? I read somewhere there is a AWD option, but I don't see it on the website. The wife will be driving this more than I will, want to make sure it's safe.

By the way, why the Tahoe over a Yukon?

I got the Tahoe over the Yukon purely because I like the aesthetics better. They are basically the same vehicle. Safety is one of the main reasons why I bought the vehicle. I also have a 2005 MDX, biggest pos I ever owned. My wife drives it as our second/winter car but I've had nothing but problems with it from day one. I have a 2000 GMC truck that I drive every day for work that has been bullet proof.

I have nothing against other makes but GM has treated me well in the past. I paid 52K for the Tahoe and think it was a solid value considering the market. I put down 25K for a business write off that didn't hurt either. Also I wouldn't be caught dead driving a minivan regardless of their practicality.

 

[bentley]

How do the Yukon and Tahoe ride? May be driving a lot more for work this year and I think I'm going to have to get rid of the truck.

 

[pollardsvision]

Sucks OJ ruined the full size Bronco brand. Those were awesome.

 

[Otis]

Can someone opine on the differences between the three?

Tahoe and Yukon are basically the same car and can be had with all the same equipment, but the latter is the GMC offering and supposedly is slightly more upscale (the 2k sticker or so difference). Suburban is in essence just a longer Tahoe; the Yukon comes in an XL model that is he GMC equivalent of the Suburban. They're all similar. Get great reviews, seem like great big SUVs, but they're not cheap.

 

[Judge Smails]

I have not owned any of them.

I have one neighbor with a Yukon and Escalade. Another neighbor with a Suburban and Escalade, and a last one with a Tahoe and Yukon. I'm close with all 3 neighbors.

The Escalades seem to be the most "luxurious", but both Yukons have well over 100k miles and no issues. The guy with the Tahoe loves it and the Suburban is the wife's and is basically a "grocery getter".

The consensus amongst this small sample seems to be:

Yukon > Escalade > Tahoe > Suburban

We have a 2005 Yukon Denali. 117K, still looks and runs great. Wife's. We'll drive it into the ground, just like my car. That being said, still ranks up there with one of the worst purchases of my life. Bought it new. Hefty price tag.

 

[mr roboto]

Have you looked at the mid sized SUVs with 3 rows like Highlander? Smaller than the full sized ones. Unless you are towing or hauling huge amounts of stuff.

 

[ChiefD]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

I have a 2005 Expedition at 113K, and it's given me no issues whatsoever other than a paint defect on the rear hatch.

They were practically giving these things away when I bought mine, and I'm a little sick at what it's going to cost me to replace it. But i don't see that I have much choice with my kids in MS and HS respectively and college-hauling trips in front of me.

Otis -- Under no circumstances should you buy one of these vehicles without at least AWD. Personally I would not consider one without 4WD but that's a function of where I live (semi-rural South Dakota). I know you live up north and therefore see some snow and ice. These things are not what you want in those conditions if you're relying on their natural rear-wheel drive capability and general top-heavy nature. If you're committed to AWD-only, I would honestly take a Subaru over a full-sized SUV in terms of safety and stability.

I'm planning to get one with 4WD. But is that full time 4WD? Or like I have to flick a switch to turn it on? If it's the latter I'm not sure how it helps for safety purposes? (Or do you just turn it on when it snows etc?)

Ours has auto 4WD, so it will engage 4WD when the tires start slipping. I can turn it to 4h and 4l by flipping a switch.

 

[Otis]

We have 3 kids, and all three were in car seats. We bought a 2005 suburban 4 years ago. We were looking for:

4WD. Check.

3rd Row Seats. Check.

For the second row, bucket seats instead of a row. Easy for kid 3 to walk himself to the back and strap himself in. Check.

Extended storage in the back for camping trips and vacations. Check.

Towing package for our boat.

I would prefer a Ford Expedition, but at the time they didn't make the second row with bucket seats. A deal breaker, especially with 3 kids in car seats. The Expedition EL now has those bucket seats, so that will be the next one I buy. But it's been a good vehicle.

And I don't feel like a #### like the rest of these guys whose wives made them buy a minivan.

Why will you switch to the Expedition out of curiosity? I see that typically ranked considerably lower than these GM cars.

I've owned mostly Fords. I've had an F150 and several Explorers. My car right now is an Explorer actually - wife drives the Suburban.The only reason I bought the Suburban was because of the 2nd row bucket seats. At the time, we had three kids 5 and under. The five year old could walk back and strap himself in, so that was a huge deal for us.

So I just prefer the Fords. I've also had more issues with the Suburban that I ever did with the three Fords I've owned. One issue with the Suburbans that I didn't know when I bought it was they use the same transmission on the big Suburbans as they do on the smaller Tahoes. This may have changed, but the additional weight makes it tough on the transmission. Consequently, I had to replace the transmission at 75,000 miles. You may search this out with the newer Suburbans.

Also, it just seems like minor issues crop up more with this vehicle. Not engine related - it's been solid. But electrical issues - the heated seats went out. One of my instrument clusters went out. I'm having an issue right now where something is drawing power on the battery when the car is off. So I've been fighting dead battery issues.

And I'm only just north of 100000 miles. To be honest, I would probably never buy this car again. To me, it just doesn't feel as put together as my Fords. I've had literally NO issues with them. The Suburban has been a good car for the most part, but it definitely is not aging as well as my Fords.

I have a 2005 Expedition at 113K, and it's given me no issues whatsoever other than a paint defect on the rear hatch.

They were practically giving these things away when I bought mine, and I'm a little sick at what it's going to cost me to replace it. But i don't see that I have much choice with my kids in MS and HS respectively and college-hauling trips in front of me.

Otis -- Under no circumstances should you buy one of these vehicles without at least AWD. Personally I would not consider one without 4WD but that's a function of where I live (semi-rural South Dakota). I know you live up north and therefore see some snow and ice. These things are not what you want in those conditions if you're relying on their natural rear-wheel drive capability and general top-heavy nature. If you're committed to AWD-only, I would honestly take a Subaru over a full-sized SUV in terms of safety and stability.

I'm planning to get one with 4WD. But is that full time 4WD? Or like I have to flick a switch to turn it on? If it's the latter I'm not sure how it helps for safety purposes? (Or do you just turn it on when it snows etc?)

Ours has auto 4WD, so it will engage 4WD when the tires start slipping. I can turn it to 4h and 4l by flipping a switch.

Ah ok. Good. I'll go 4WD then, sounds worth it for the winter weather. Thanks.

 

[Nugget]

If you need to have three car seats plus a ton of cargo area, you may consider going with the bench seat. That is the only way you can seat three in the 2nd row and lay down the third for storage. Captains chairs are great and give better access to the third row.

We love our 2014 Flex, and also have owned a new body style Explorer- works great for 2 kids plus carpool requirements. I have driven the 15 Expedition - good vehicle but not as many technology features and cool toys. Expedition platform is only sold in North America and the Middle East- not as much investment in the platform. The 3.5L EcoBoost is available in the Expedition for the first time for 2015.

The GM full size SUVs are very nice. Neighbor has two Escalades and she loves them.