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Ford Excursion vs Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL - The battle of the titans

423 messages,  Last post on Sep 19, 2008 at 12:04 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Excursion, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, SUV

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#8 of 423 I use mine for groceries by groceryrun Jan 25, 2000 (11:11 pm)
Mako28---I believe it is you who is being very closed minded about the folks who choose to have a Suburban or Excursion. I am a mom, wife, gardener, camper, etc., I use my '90 Suburban for groceries, taking my kids to the doctor, gymnastics, McDonalds, Grandma's, etc. It is our family car and if my husband is home with the kids, he is home with the family car. We choose to have a larger vehicle for our family because we feel it is safer to have more room between you and someone else on the road. As far as the Excursion purposely pulling out in front of you and on coming traffic-------there are sometimes circumstances beyond thinking you are in a bus to have that happen....did you think that maybe they might have had a baby crying in one car seat and a toddler in another car seat asking for something and the mother and/or father was simply distracted. My husband and I are currently shopping for a new family vehicle and we are strongly looking at the Excursion...not for prestige but for the size and safety of the vehicle. If I wanted prestige I would buy a mercedes not a 4 x 2 truck!!!!!! We are going tonight to view and test drive the Suburban to make sure we are making the right decision...not once have we considered anything smaller as we feel the larger SUV's offer the most protection for our children. As I am the one who spends the most time with our children I will be the primary driver and I will use it to go grocery shopping, cloths shopping, plant shopping or to the convenient store at the corner of our subdivision for a gallon of milk!! BTW - my husband drives the Jeep Cherokee Wagoneer 4x4.
#9 of 423 why does it seem like I am the bad guy? by mako28 Jan 26, 2000 (1:26 am)
I read all these post, doesn't take too long thankfully , and it seems to me like I'm the bad guy. I have made every effort I can not to be offensive or personal. Not to be rude, but how can you say "closed minded"? If I was closed minded wouldn't I be ranting that everone should not get one because I don't like them ( and I DO LIKE THEM), plus I am asking questions so I can understand it better. When I understand your reasons, we can better debate the subject, if need be. If that is closed minded, I give up! Tell me how I can not be then.     I understand that my view of the person cutting me off could have been a simple "woops!". Maybe you're right. However, me being there makes me think otherwise. I guess you had to be there. I give up on that one to.       I really don't care what you drive, as long as you like it. Honestly. I am playing a debate starting role though. I want to hear more reasons, not to change your mind, but to educate mine.     Now jumping on the other side of the fence, have you seen the new Suburban? If you have been a fan, you probaly will like the new one. Personally, I feel the chevy is a much better SUV. I have had nothing but problems with my companies fords! Plus my good friend is a HUGE car fan (trucks included) and I value his opinion. He also believes Fords tend to "die" pretty quickly. Plus the Exursion is so new to this game, I think Chevy just has more experience with the large SUV.      Okay, hopefully we're all friends again! Groceryrun, I don't understand it, but oh well. I pretty much give up on it. I ask questions, they hardly get answered, but I sure do get alot of replies about how wrong I am. And I don't recall calling anyone closed minded.
#10 of 423 Size is important w/active families by groceryrun Jan 26, 2000 (5:13 am)
Mako28-- Sorry if I seemed so harsh on the "close minded" comment...just seems that most of the people who "bash" the large SUV drivers are those who don't have them. We did test drive both the 2000 Suburban and the 2000 Excursion tonight and I honestly prefer the Excursion because of the interior layout. Very kid friendly and roomy inside. There were some safety features for the kids that I really appreciated, the child locks on the sides of the doors, the back seat belts being adjustable (the shoulder harness) for those growing years, the window locks, etc. These are all standard features on the limited AND are available with the Suburban for an extra fee. I personally am not crazy about the diesel engine but my husband refuses to consider anything else---so we compromise. As far as the price of the two....they are just a couple of hundred dollars apart. Once having a family and being active outdoors, whether camping, bike riding or traveling a large automobile such as this is wonderful to own. It is much easier to go bigger than to go from big to small. Each year we travel from Texas to Florida to visit family and on the way home camp for 4 nights in Georgia. This means that we are not only bringing clothing for 10 days in Florida but camping gear too and our '90 Suburban is just the right size....the new Excursion is the closest thing to the old Suburban's interior size. Being a gardener, I love the cargo space in the rear for packing in my finds.....as far as the engine thing, that is my husbands department and he does has some concerns about it just being too much vehicle. We are trying to do our research and get folks opinions. On the way home this evening we spoke to a neighbor w/5 children who recently purchased her Excursion---she loves it!!! Says it's the closest thing to her 1988 Suburban for size and wouldn't go with anything else. She can fit it into her garage fine (standard size)and says she has had no trouble with parking garages at the Galleria or Medical Center. She too expressed how much she liked the interior set up of the Excursion over the new Suburban. So, I hope this helps you understand the reasons people like me who don't tow or work ranches prefer the larger vehicle...it is mainly for comfort.
#11 of 423 thank you by mako28 Jan 26, 2000 (7:54 am)
Great! That is what I was looking for. I have yet to see the interior of the Excursion, so I am clueless there. But like I said, I am a Chevy man, so I am biased. Hope you enjoy it!     I agree with the common beliefe of those who bash SUVers tend to be oblivious to anyone's opinions and desires. I have spent many hours rationalizing my use of my lifted Wrangler to them. I don't think I got anywhere. It is a debate that will never die.
#12 of 423 Downsizing to a suburban by krademacher Jan 27, 2000 (5:06 pm)
Being the former owner of an '86 Dodge 15 passenger 1-ton van, and the current owner of a '93 Ford E-150 Conversion Van, I see the exclamations about the size of SUVs as kind of funny. But size is a liability, once you get to a certain point. Trust me on this. Try parking a big van or SUV in any major metro area. Try getting an adrenaline rush from stomping on the pedal (pffft! yeah, right). Try stuffing one into a regular garage. Yes, roomy = good in my book, but it can go too far. I've got three kids to tote around , not three pro basketball players. I need a 4x4 (mainly for snow and sand) that can fit in a garage (again, for snow) with passing power at 80 MPH ( ) decent handling (not overly sensitive to cross winds at highway speeds) excellent torque (for said boat and potently pulling an 8000 pound 'dozer), shovel options (there's that snow again) that can comfortably haul a family of five and their associated gear for frequent trips to the outback. Oh, and did I mention that 13 MPG on the higway is unacceptable, and that I absolutely hate my current Ford? Hmmm, I wonder if I actually need two vehicles?
#13 of 423 krademacher by joelis Jan 27, 2000 (6:19 pm)
One thing is for sure, you won't get PFFFT from the new Suburban. The 5.3L engine is great. I assume you've already driven one. It must really seem like a luxury car drive compared to those big old vans...
#14 of 423 Suburban beats Excursion - hands down by bowtiebill Jan 30, 2000 (11:03 pm)
If you want a F-350 with extra seats and a roof on the back, get the Ford. If you want a versatile vehicle that will haul just about anything with a comfortable ride, get the Chevy. Oh, and for mako28, the reason I have one is I can't haul my family and boat with my Corvette. And BTW, no flame but you are very long-winded.
#15 of 423 Get a Life by zsem03 Jan 31, 2000 (1:36 am)
Believe it or not, our marketplace is driven by supply and demand. This means that if I demand a certain type of vehicle, the manufacturers will supply it. Nobody has to explain to you why they want a certain vehicle. If you (and a signifant portion of other people} don't want it, it won't be produced). This whole "I can't afford a giant SUV so therefore nobody else can have one" is riduculous. The currently popular idea that SUV's are unfair because they are safer than the traditional autos is bullsh..t. It's like dumbing down of America...if you want safety, buy it. Don't complain apout it.
#16 of 423 what can I do by mako28 Jan 31, 2000 (8:25 am)
As I said before, I give up! How many times do I need to say that I DON'T CARE what you drive! I happen to like the big suv's. I like to here peoples reasons for certain purchases. And those reasons don't need to be understood by me to be okay. If you say you own one simply because it is easier for you to scratch your groin while driving than it is in a smaller car, then so be it. You have no problems from me. I'm just trying to get an interesting topic going here.      Maybe I am long winded, sorry, but it seems like my point has never been understood correctly. I am just tierd of people thinking I am one of those a-holes who hate SUV's.     Zsem03, was that directed at me? If so, I'm sorry. Maybe reread what I said, you'll see that I agree with you.      I am happy to see that the majority of the replies on this topic are in support of SUV's ( all of them actually!) and even further impressed that you all are making use of them, even if it is a family transportator. Maybe I have the bad luck of seeing the "ugly" side of this. Like it or not, people in my area do own these things for status. ( before you blow your lid....and that is fine with me!) I would, however, like to hear from one. Not to discorage them, but to understand it more. So no more replies on how wrong I am please. How can I be wrong when I do not have a solid stance on the subject?
#17 of 423 Neither is by ralphinnj Jan 31, 2000 (1:53 pm)
Having never owned either (but did own a 97' F150, have driven both, and have read all of Edmunds 600+ responses), it seems that there are some basic differences that will appeal to different folks (based on the messages I have read). I'm interested in any "real-life" experiences that are not consistent with: * The Excursion drives more like a truck than the 2000 Suburban; some folks like the Suburbans mushy soft car-like ride, others like the stiff truck-like Excursion's ride. If the ride characteristic is important, it will probably drive the decision. * Roughly speaking, they have similar engines and performance. That is, if you compare apples to apples. Of course a 1500 Sub can outrun an Excursion. How about a 2500 Sub with the large diesel, full towing package and all the goodies that make it comparable? Probably a close call with the edge to the slightly lighter Sub. Neither will significantly out tow the other. * Cost: Equally equipped, they are not much different in cost. However, I have seen lower numbers for the Suburbans in terms of entry level models. * Looks: this is mostly opinion, but I have heard a lot of Suburban folks saying they are tired of the look and that the Excursion offers a new rugged look for them. Yes, I have seen an occasional negative on Excursion looks, but basically, most people like the Excursion's looks. * Interior Space: Edge goes to Excursion, especially behind 3rd row. The corollary is that it requires more external volume and is therefore a little harder to park (just a little). * Mileage: Equally equipped, there should not be a lot of difference. If this is a real factor, the low-end Suburbans with small motors should give best results. * Safety: I really haven't seen any proof that one is better than the other; mostly a lot of small car owners complaining that they'll get creamed by a large SUV driver. One thing that was mentioned in one report is braking distance (167 ft for 60-0 for the Excursion, 140ft for a 1500 Suburban). I guess the question is, would a fully loaded Suburban 2500 require about 167ft also? Probably. Is blocker beam really going to make a difference in a 40mph head on with a car? Theoretically, if the large SUV does not end up on top, you could imagine that getting crushed to death is less likely. Now you have to deal with a 40-0 stop almost instantly; it's gonna hurt. At the end, if you compare the 2 vehicles on an equal basis, there is not much besides (1) ride stiffness, (2) space behind 3rd row, (3) outside dimensions and (4) looks that separate them. I ordered a Satin Green 4x4 Limited Excursion on Dec 3rd. RNL

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