I am starting to look for a 3/4 ton Suburban or Yukon XL. It will be used 85% of the time as a family hauler, 10% as a highway tourer and 5% towing a 10k lb rated car trailer with my Land Cruiser on it.

I'm looking at the larger engines: 7.4 or 8.1 but my primary criteria will be mileage and overall condition - I would consider a 6.0 if everything else was great)

(Note: I prefer cloth seats so I will be swapping out the leather seats if the truck I end up with has them - so "leather" is not a "pro" for me in this case)

My questions (with an "all things being equal" perspective - similar mileage and condition - in stock form)

Does one ride better?

Is one significantly quieter inside?

Does one have more "good stuff" that would be appreciated for a family on a long road trip?

Does one have a "better" interior?

Sound system: I will want a high quality sound system. I am not adverse to installing one (note: I'm 57 yrs old so "high quality" doesn't mean REALLY LOUD or 8 12" woofers with 10k watts of amp - it means well balanced, powerful enough to deliver a good listening environment and to rock out on occasion (I'm middle aged, not dead))

Is one of these gen/engine combinations "easier" to tune/tweak for better mileage/performance?

Any insights would be appreciated.

mark

 

I almost bought a 99 Burb quite a few years back, but that's the extent of my experience with the GMT400. My general impression is the the GMT800 was just about an improvement in every way over the GMT400. Better ride, quieter, better/newer options.

I can say that my 08 3/4 ton rides great for having a leaf-sprung solid rear axle and no anti-roll bar. My '08 front suspension is torsion bar, just like the 800 trucks.

Comparing 800 to 400, I can speak better to the 800, since I have an 01 half-ton. The bodies are identical between the half and 3/4 ton trucks.

A Bose system was an option, and has decent sound for a factory-installed system. It has 9 speakers including a subwoofer. The seats are great, especially the third row. I have three kids, and the '01 was our family/vacation hauler for 7 years. My daughter was very happy in the third row on 10+ hour road trips. She even prefers the third row of the '01 over the newer 08.

I seem to recall reading that, on paper, the GMT400 actually had more interior room. However, if I were looking, I'd be leaning towards the 800s, since I could find one in better shape with lower miles.

More likely than not, the ones you find will be fully decked out with leather, DVD, sunroof, etc. The base LS trucks you find are most likely government-procured trucks, and might have a bench for 9-passenger seating.

 

Can anyone chime in on the 2nd and 3rd row seat fold-down/removal options of these 2 generations of Suburbans? I am interested in being able to transform the rear into an open sleeping/storage area easily...

 

On the GMT800, the middle row seat bottoms tumble forward, and then the seatbacks fold down. Remove the third row bench and you have a 4' x 8' mostly flat cargo area.

If you're really tall, like me (6' 2"), you'll likely have to move the front seat(s) forward a bit to allow the middle row seat bottoms to fold fully forward to allow the seatbacks to fold all the way down.

If you just need a little extra cargo room, once you've folded the third row seatback down, instead of removing it, you can just tumble the whole thing forward, giving you ~5 feet of cargo space. You then lock in a small prop rod to keep it tumbled forward.

 

Thanks.
I'm 6' tall and would like 7'+ of space...

Is it feasible on the 800s to remove the middle row seats altogether to achieve a longer flat space? In my 1986 FJ60 Land Cruiser I replaced the 2nd row bench seat bottom simple hinge pin with a removeable pin so i can get the seat bottom out in less than a minute.

What are the options in the GMT400 series?