I have owned primarily GM products my entire driving life(32 years). It is time for me to buy a full sized SUV to haul my travel trailer, 2 dogs, stuff and oh yea the wife. I drove the Suburban and thought it was great, extremely smooth and quiet. Plenty of power and towing capacity for what I want. Although I have never owned a Ford, I also drove an Expedition EL. The 2 SUV's are only 10hp apart and I will admit, the Ford was just as smooth and quiet. The pricing of a Ford is also much more appealing than the Chevy. I am looking for positive input to keep me from going to the dark side. Why should I spend $8K to $10K more on an LTZ Suburban over a similarly equipped Expedition EL? Thanks ahead of time, Tim C.

 

if you are looking at used vehicles; the expedition is a complete lemon according to the reliability reports.

 

Thanks. I came here for some good info. Where can I find those reports?

 

any used car buying guide can be found for free at the local library. lemon-aid is the name in Canada. Consumer reports is another. msn autos usually has a small write up that you can access on the net.

 

OK, I went to Consumer Reports and you have to buy a subscription. Also, Lemon-Aid is info you must pay for. I did, however, go to MSN and found some good info, thanks. They gave Consumer Reports rating which was high. From 2007 to 2010, no major problems. Thank you for your input, but if you don't own or drive a Suburban, please let those who do chime in so I can get what I came here, some real world info. Tim C

 

I have been a chevy man and have only bought Chevys my last 8 vehicles. I just bought our used Suburban a 2008 LTZ. It has 136k miles on it. I have been impressed with it so far. Its comfortable quiet and for its size not that bad on gas. The engine has enough power and performs flawlessly. There are a few problems I read about here mainly the dash cracking and the peeling chrome on the inside door handles which I have. My experience with Fords which has been a few years ago has been their gas mileage is worse. I had a co-worker who an Eddie Bauer Expedition that never got more than 12mpg.

 

Tim,
It might be a little difficult to get an impartial opinion here, this is a Chevy Forum

However, if you do decide to go with a Burb, I'd consider the 3/4 ton (2500). You'll appreciate their increased Towing capability over the 1/2 ton (1500). Additionally, I really like the 4WD's substantial power in Lo Range, that'd be a 4WD 2500 LS/LT. Our Burbs have the elegance to deliver you to the Opera one day, then slathering down the muddiest road you're ever seen the next.

 

I've been a Ford guy for most of my life, but I've always wanted a Suburban. My wife and I needed to get a bigger SUV to handle our 3 dogs and kids in the near future. Honestly, the Expedition was never even an option. The history, engineering and ride of a Burb is what really drew me towards it.

Having owned an F-150 in the past, I know that Ford really has done some pretty good things with their trucks, but I think the Expedition still falls short. IMHO, I'd rather have the F-150 for a truck, and a Suburban for an SUV.

BTW, I wouldn't rely on other's reviews for your final decision. Make sure you test drive them both, and you like what you're getting. Any vehicle is going to have problems. As long as you are comfortable with the price you pay and you are happy, that's all that matters.

 

Last October I was in the market for a larger SUV. I had an 09 F150 with the 5.4 Triton and 3.55 gearing, it was a decent truck. The reason for the upgrade was an expanding family. I looked at both the Expedition EL and Suburban. I went with a 2011 Suburban 2500 to avoid the issues with the AFM 5.3. The truck has been great so far, put on 14,000 miles in less than a yr. I avg 15mpg unloaded mostly highway and when towing a 14ft trailer with a pair of 4 wheelers and a can am 1000 side by side am getting between 13-14mpg. Better mileage than I was getting with the F150.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I know the info I get here will be biased and that's OK. I went to a Ford Expedition forum and posted the same questions. I want to hear all the good things and not so good. I like the Chevy for the longer powertrain warranty, but I like the Ford because the 2nd and 3rd row seats fold flat. With the Suburban, I would have to take them out. If you are an owner or someone who is real familiar with this model, please keep the facts coming. Tim C