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Originally Posted by farwest
Looking at tow vehicles and I'm curious to get people's thoughts on the 2500 Suburban vs. Ford Expedition (not EL).
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If not the long version of the Expedition, then why the long version of the GM? GM makes the short version of the Suburban, called the Yukon or Tahoe. Then comparing the Ford to the GM would be on level ground. The Tahoe, Yukon and Expedition are all half-ton SUVs. If you would settle for the short Expedition, why not the short version of the GM SUVs. Probably because GM didn't sell a Yukon or Tahoe 2500?
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Properly equipped, each can tow approx. 9000 lbs. How might they compare in power, fuel mileage, safety, towing performance, etc.?
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That's like comparing an F-150 to an F-250. Not a fair comparison. The Expedition is a half-ton SUV, so the limiter is GVWR, which determines payload capacity. You can make an Expedition powerful enough to
PULL a TT that grosses around 6,000 to 6,500 pounds, by choosing the right engine and tune and rear axle ratio. But you cannot beef up the suspension enough to
HAUL the 800 to 900 pounds of hitch weight plus your family and stuff without exceeding the GVWR of the tow vehicle.
The GM 2500, on the other hand, is a three-quarter-ton SUV, that has a higher GVWR than the Expedition. I'm a Ford man, so I would prefer a Ford. But the last three-quarter-ton Ford SUV was the Excursion, and the newest one is now over 10 years old.
But you're talking used SUVs, because GM ceased production of the 2500 SUV a few years ago. So a three or four year old GM compared to a 10-year-old Excursion would be a fair comparison.
If my choice is limited to the Expedition or used GM 2500 SUVs, then I'm going to choose the GM because of the higher payload capacity. But I probably wouldn't choose either one. Instead I'd buy a GM 3500 window van. Or maybe the new Ford Transit 350 window van. My wife had no problem piloting our F-250 diesel for over 10 years, so I'm sure she could live with a one-ton van. Current passenger vans with towing package are not equipped for towing more than a rowboat, so I'd want a commercial van with diesel engine and short legs for towing, and that was customized to add the interior of my choice.
For a new van, order the "one ton" commercial van with windows all around and the drivetrain of your choice. My choice would be diesel and the fanciest trim package, then I'd add a carpeted floor and whatever seats I needed from a bond yard. (I did that 39 years ago to build a travel van for my family. Worked out great. Remember the custom "hippie" vans from the 1970s? That's sorta what I built, but is was for family travel while towing our camper trailer, not getting laid.)
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