2015 Ford Expedition...?

[Nitrousbird]

Glad this topic came up... Both price and engine choice.

PRICE - the Denali 4WD with all the goodies is actually $75k mspr, and deals are hard to come by. Mind you that's $20k more than I paid for our current Denali XL. The Tahoe LTZ or Yukon SLT are $65k on the sticker. That is actually $25m more than I paid for my Suburban LTZ just 6 years ago. What's next...? A $100k American SUV?? This is very hard for me to swallow which is the main reason I'm looking else where.

One thing I've considered just to keep the price down is just getting a Tahoe or Yukon "LT" in black. MSPR is mid $50's but I've seen dealers start to advertise them at $50k. Then I'd put some aftermarket 22s on it, tint the windows, and call it a day. That brings me to my next dilemma...

ENGINES: the entire reason I upgraded from the Sub to the Denali in 2010 was to get the 6.2. I was super disappointed in the 5.3 as a tow vehicle, especially on long road trips over mountain passes. And back then I was towing a 21' MB. The Denali has been so much better (not diesel, but still noticeably better than the old 5.3). So I'm a little hesitant to go back to a 5.3 (albeit a redesigned one) for fear that I'll get to "relearn" that same lesson. Keep in mind, my boat has grown considerably since then. The new 5.3 would be better as my wife's daily driver, and I'm sure it would be fine for 95% of my towing (local). But could it hack the trek to Shasta (once a year)? Lately I've been of the mindset that I shouldn't optimize for something we do once a year... get the 5.3, save the money, put a tranny cooler on it (if necessary), get over to the right lane in the mountains, and just take it slow.

What are your thoughts on the GM's new 5.3 towing the LSV? Especially interested in hearing BlknYlwT22's take.

Price of trucks/SUV's has went up a lot over the last several years, across the board. It's the way it is. I bought my Avalanche when it was 3 years old. For me to buy a 2011 Avalanche now, with the exact same options / mileage / condition AND calculating for inflation, I'd pay ~9k more for the exact same truck I previously purchased.

As for the 5.3L, I think GM's biggest mistake was keeping in a 5.3. Should have made it a 5.2, 5.4, or anything like that to get rid of that stigma, as this new L83 is a whole new engine, making 355HP/383TQ on 87 (significantly more if running E85). That's up 35HP and almost 50 ft/lb of torque over the previous best 5.3 utilized.

The 2015 Yukon has tow ratings ranging from 7900 - 8500 depending on trim and drive type. You can also get it with 3.08 or 3.42 gears (obviously you would want the optional 3.42 for towing). I'd say it shouldn't have any issue towing an LSV. Of course the 6.2L version would be even better.

[jk13]

I need to pull Shawn's move and buy a little commuter car to keep miles off the Ex so I can make it last a lot longer. I put too many miles on a year!

Didn't you have turbo Escort (or something) sitting in your garage?

I am getting the Accord wagon back out after 6 years for this reason. May boost it this winter.

[martinarcher]

I did and like a dummy I sold it because it broke my heart to let it sit. Some kid bought it for a third of the money I had under the hood. I miss that little thing. It was a fun project and taught me a lot about turbocharging and fuel/timing management. It would have been perfect to run back and forth to work when the roads aren't bad.

[shawndoggy]

The 2015 Yukon has tow ratings ranging from 7900 - 8500 depending on trim and drive type. You can also get it with 3.08 or 3.42 gears (obviously you would want the optional 3.42 for towing). I'd say it shouldn't have any issue towing an LSV. Of course the 6.2L version would be even better.

loaded for a week's vacation and with a truckload of kids and their friends, that tow capacity will be exceeded in a heartbeat with an LSV.

[BlknYlwT22]

IXFE - unfortunately I have no personal experience towing with the new 5.3. I owned a '14 Sierra SLT with the 5.3 for a few months but never towed with it (I didn't sell because I didn't like it). Based on what you describe as your towing situation I would go with the 5.3. I don't see the sense in paying for the extra gas/cost of upgrade for one or two trips a year and I feel the new motor has plenty of power. The old 5.3 in my parents '13 Sierra does just fine with our T22 for the couple 100 mile treks a summer we make to the dealer and we all know the complaints about that motor.

Feel free to ask away with any questions about the vehicle or pricing. I can tell you whether you are getting a good deal on any GM product you buy new.

Edited July 4, 2014 by BlknYlwT22

[Nitrousbird]

loaded for a week's vacation and with a truckload of kids and their friends, that tow capacity will be exceeded in a heartbeat with an LSV.

What CURRENTLY SOLD NEW SUV wouldn't be?

[shawndoggy]

What CURRENTLY SOLD NEW SUV wouldn't be?

Good point. I guess the armada is the current king. Really surprised at how low the sequoia is rated.

[Nitrousbird]

Good point. I guess the armada is the current king. Really surprised at how low the sequoia is rated.

Armada is 9000 max if optioned correctly. Not a lot more.

[ajive]

I'm voting expedition.

I had a '13 Explorer for a year and it was by far the best car I've ever owned (2 toyotas, a VW, a Volvo, and a couple other later model fords). Well thought out, functional, and classy in every way. I hated that I had to get rid of it, but the new boat this year meant I had to go with a bigger rig.

I went with a '12 Tahoe because they are so easy to find in my area. It's just OK. It still has that hint of GM a la 2006-2009... just feels loose and under-engineered overall. I know they can build an engine and a tranny just fine, so I'm sure I'll keep it for a few years. But I don't have any real love for it, just a light truck to tow the boat 4 or 5 miles to the launch.

The redesigned Denali will almost certainly shake off a little more of the last decade of GM garbage-cars, though, so you are probably rock solid in either choice! For my money though, if I was in the market for a new full-sized, I'd already have my expy on order and wouldn't even glance at chevy/GMC. (IMHO, of course!)

[Sixball]

The Eco was detuned a little in the Explorer. I don't think it will be in the Expedition I would think it had to do with the transmission.

[That Guy]

My dad has a 2015 Suburban LTZ and it is pretty sweet for a $70k SUV. I borrowed it a couple weekends ago to go out of town with the boat and it towed just fine, mainly staying in 6th and cruising an 70-72. This was with 4 adults and all our gear. Granted our boat is a lot lighter than the newer ones but still, my biggest issue with it are the TINY mirrors that come standard now, they look like they belong on a small sedan! Hard to see the boat and while backing, and much different than my F-150 mirrors. All the bells and whistles are nice if you want to spend that much money. He traded in his 2009 Suburban LTZ and has driven only Suburbans since the 1980's with the exception of a Ford conversion van in the mid 90's. The 5.3 has always suited him. He also tows a 24' enclosed trailer with his cobra inside and doesn't complain about that either.

Edited July 9, 2014 by That Guy

[toddj]

Last week took the family to OBX. Did not take the boat, but stay tuned.... I have nothing to compare this to, but wanted to share my thoughts on the '15 tahoe

Rented a brand new 2015 Tahoe LT, loaded, nearly every option. Heavy towing package, etc. Drove a total of 2500 miles. Averaged 21MPG for the trip. Hwy we got about 23MPG averaging 70, and going through moutains of West Virginia (that was fun!)

Around town in OBX we got about 17mpg.

Took it to out on the 4x4 beach, performed great!

Pro's

* felt very luxurious for the money

* front, rear and side monitoring systems were great

* blindspot indicator on side mirrors was very nice

* motor felt strong, flying through moutains barely dropped out of OverDrive

* very throaty sound

* turned a lot of heads and lots of compliments wherever we stopped

Con's

* dvd system was confusing

So, we got home, I had to wash it, it was really dirty.Hooked the boat to it and drove around a little. My boat is light, but compared to the Mountaineer we use today, the Tahoe didn't know it was back there. Used the 'towing' button and the transmission would downshift to help bring the thing to a stop.

A few pics to share...

l