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SUVs Chevrolet Suburban & Tahoe Chevy Suburban
939 messages, Last post on Nov 03, 2009 at 4:44 AM
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We have 3 small boys, a dog and seem to always have a bunch of gear on trips. We have never been SUV people, always foreign wagons. We rented a Suburban last summer on a trip and I love it. The gas mileage was better than expected, managing the right foot and the cylinder de activation on the highway makes a huge difference. Now our lease on our volvo wagon is close to coming to an end. I am thinking Suburban/Yukon XL. What should we truly be paying? Is a 2009 better than a 2008? The 2009 do have the 6 speed, that has to help highway miles. Any advice to a SUV rookie would be appreciated. |
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Replying to: murphy4 (Jan 11, 2009 8:00 pm) Suburban vs.Yukon/XL, is basically trim levels and logo. Just cross shop to compare. Seat selection is important, buckets vs. bench. You'll get as many people for one way vs. the other. Personally, we prefer the benches for two reasons. Firstly when we travel on trips, each of my girls gets a row and they lay across the seat, with pillows propped up when they want to sit. Makes for a very comfortable travel setup, able to travel great distances in comfort. Secondly, when you're hauling the kids and their friends, or family, or whomever, it's nice to be able to seat 8. I'm sure others will prefer the buckets for their own set of reasons. Having all of the storage space in the 'way back' for vacation suitcases and mantoys, is also key. There's a couple nice features that I didn't want to buy but came with my trim package (LTZ), and now that I've had them I like them: - electric tilt in mirrors. You push a button and the outside mirrors pivot inwards, so you can pull into the garage without scraping the mirrors. Also good to use in tight parking situations in parking lots, makes it easier for people to walk buy, or cars to get by without clipping your mirrors. - auto-leveling shocks. The weight that the vehicle carries in my case varies widely. I could be pulling a trailer one day, driving empty myself the next, and 8 people with luggage and bikes hanging off the back the following day. This feature keeps the vehicle level no matter which load I'm carrying. My girls are heading into the college era soon, so I'm sure it will come in handy hauling their 'stuff' back and forth. It's a great family vehicle, very practical and versatile, assuming you have a place where you can park it. |
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We have an 04 Suburban,a nd we're looking to trade it in. We'd like a new one, but it might be too pricey. Does anyone have any ideas of a replacement vehicle that might be less expensive without a huge dropoff in space and cargo room? We're thinking about the new Chevy Traverse, but we're not sure. Our Suburban has about 60,000 miles, and is out of the warranty. That's wht makes us nervous. Thanks so much for any and all advice.
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Replying to: murphy4 (Jan 11, 2009 8:00 pm) Of course, we obviously use ours for the purposes it was designed; if you use it like you did your Volvo, you may be less happy on a day-to-day basis. I grew up driving them, so I don't even notice the size. My wife did not, and still gets a little nervous in tight parking lots. Be careful and analyze your needs. I can't comment on prices, ect, for new ones, but have a couple of observations. My bro-in-law has an '08 w/ 6.0l engine and 4:10 gears, and his uses a lot more gas than my '04 w/ 5.3l (also w/ 4:10 gears), cylinder deactivation notwithstanding. For instance, we took a 500 mile trip together, obviously driving identical speeds and conditions, and we got 2 mpg better for the trip than he did (17 mpg vs. 19 mpg). His '08 does not have the 6 spd transmission. But I'd go with the 5.3l engine regardless -- there are three trucks w/ the GM 5.3l in my "family," and all have performed very well. Depending on your needs (towing, ect), the standard 3.42 gears would be fine. If you tow anywhere near the max, 4:10s are essential. I like our bench middle row, but with 2 kids, we don't use the rear seat on a daily basis. If we did, I would definitely go with the middle row captains chairs for ease of access to the rear seats. Speaking of rear seats, if you plan to make any use of them, don't go with a Tahoe/Yukon. The design of the floor makes that seat practically useless IMO. Plus, there is absolutely no cargo space behind it when upright. With the Suburban/YXL, the rear seat is nearly as comfortable as the middle, and there is plenty of storage behind; we have taken a weekend trip w/ 6 adults and necessary luggage with plenty of space for all. Good luck! |
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Replying to: murphy4 (Jan 11, 2009 8:00 pm) If money were no object, I'd get a new YXL Denali fully loaded and be done with it. But it is.. so here are my present thoughts regarding: -gears - I'll go with the 3.42 again. With our 4-speed, I do wish we had the 4.10 as it tends to be indecisive (3rd vs. 4th) at higher speeds when towing. It doesn't lack for power, but occasionally likes to drop into passing gear for very moderate inclines. But with the new 6-speed transmission, I wouldn't expect that to be an issue, and would like the better fuel economy for the majority of trips we take without a trailer. (We rent a camper every few months, and may eventually buy one.) -Autoride air suspension - I wouldn't say I need it, but everyone who has it seems to like it a lot. I have never seen our rear end sag, even when towing, and I am very satisfied with the ride comfort. But I would like to try it out and see if it's worth $1100 to me. -2WD vs 4WD - We have no need for 4WD. No offroading expected, very little snow in our area. As long as you get the locking rear differential and good quality tires, 2WD with the standard traction control is just fine for wet and occasional ice, and gets slightly better mpg. -engine - The 6.0 is a beast, and not much more expensive. But, the 5.3 has never wanted for power in my experience, and again with the 6-speed tranny, I imagine it's very responsive and great for towing. I'd rather have the better gas mileage. -bench vs buckets - we have buckets now and it's been great. We have three small kids in booster seats. It's really nice having two of them in the back seat and able to walk through the middle row without having to flip and fold anything. However, as they get older and are able to handle it, it would be nice to have the 8th seat on occasion, or to remove the 3rd row entirely and have that much more space for camping gear and luggage. We have managed just fine with all three rows in place and the hitch haul platform for coolers, gear boxes, folding chairs, etc., but I can envision scenarios where removing the third row and still seating the five of us would be very convenient. Also, we may add to the family at some point and the more seats the merrier. -gadgets - We have the power pedals and they are great. I'm 6'3", my wife is 5'2". Wouldn't go without them on the next vehicle. I do wish we had sprung for the top trim level (SLT2, I think) because while we have power seats, mirrors, and pedals, we do not have the memory function. It only takes a moment to get set when we switch drivers, but it would sure be convenient to press just one button, or better yet, be identified and automatically reset from my key fob. Also wish we had the power folding mirrors as we have "grazed" the side of the garage a few times... Also would like remote start and bluetooth next time around, I believe those are standard on all but the base models these day. I don't need navigation or satellite radio, but I would like a USB port for the iPod. That may require an upgraded stereo.
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Replying to: aggie10 (Jan 12, 2009 1:40 pm)
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Replying to: ahightower (Jan 12, 2009 6:04 pm) |
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Replying to: ahightower (Jan 12, 2009 6:04 pm) Also second that when you go to trade it in, you will be disappointed at what they offer you. Unless you really don't like the vehicle or are aware of specific potential problems, I'd say it makes financial sense to hold on to it as well. Btw, you won't save much, if any, on gas in an awd Traverse. Certainly not enough to eat a bunch of money trading the Suburban in.
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Replying to: tsf7 (Jan 13, 2009 8:34 am) |
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Replying to: aggie10 (Jan 12, 2009 1:40 pm) In the same company another guy has a Sub with over 250 000 miles and all he had to fix on it was intake "carburetor" assembly and the drive shaft went out just last week...$139 fix at dealer. Buying a new vehicle involves using a lot of money. Your sub has almost zero trade in value or trying to sell it is very difficult other than when some people hear about it having only 60 000 miles they will get it. It just is hard to get a good pay for it. Another way to think about all this is to replace the engine and transmission on it both for 36 000 miles warranty and it can be done for $7000 - 8000 with factory parts. You will spend way more for any new car with trade in. If your truck is in good condition inside and out don't worry. If it breaks you can get it back to almost as new condition for much less than buying anything new. But there always is that "new car bug bite"... Arrie
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