downlow411 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 If you have or want to share thoughts on which way you would go and why, please share. I am open to all thoughts. Want comfort, reliability, long haul travel with and with out an RV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I had an Excursion with the V10. A also had that same motor in a 31' class C RV. I ran the piss out of that RV...pretty much foot on the floor for almost all of the 40-50K miles I put on it without ever having a single problem. I had the Excursion for less time, but still never had a single problem with the engine. I've never had a Suburban, but the ones I've driven handled and rode better than the Excursion. The Excursion felt vague and wandered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACKAL Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 If you can find a Excursion with the 7.3L Diesel I would get that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 If you plan to do any towing at all a Diesel Excursion would be the way to go. Fuel economy sucks when towing with a gas powered 'Burb or Excursion. The Suburban is the best riding of the two, but it's also not as beefy in the chassis department. The gas Excursion will be thirstier at the pump but engine reliabilty is better especially after 75k miles. Either way both would make a great IPSC bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Have ridden to a number of matches in a diesel Excursion that Chuck Hill owns. 6.0 with a tune and the good exhaust. 18+ on the highway and runs like a big block gas motor - that is to say, well indeed! We (the riders/back seat driver section) all love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 2003 Ford PU 4 Dr Diesel 23 mpg. That year gets the best milage, research it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireant Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Have ridden to a number of matches in a diesel Excursion that Chuck Hill owns. 6.0 with a tune and the good exhaust. 18+ on the highway and runs like a big block gas motor - that is to say, well indeed! We (the riders/back seat driver section) all love it. This and the fact that the 3 kids are still growing are the reasons I am looking for a clean 2004/2005 diesel excursion. I want something that 4 adults can take to a 3 gun match in comfort. Oh, and take the family on vacations in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halogrinder Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 buddy has a 2000 7.3 excursion 2wd with chip exhaust and intake and gets an honest 28 mpg on the freeway. gets almost 1000 miles out of 1 tank! :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 Stay away from any and all '03 thru '05 Ex's with the 6.0 diesel. I had that engine in two different trucks from that time period. In 18 months I had two trucks with 4 motors and after the 2nd motor in the 2nd truck I gave up. If you can find a 7.3 in the Ex with low miles you'll be pretty happy, that engine is bullet proof. The Suburban is a nice truck but you won't find the towing capacity that the Ex has. Inside you'll find nicer amenities and more features. That's pretty common with Chevy, they always seem to be ahead of Ford in the feature curve. Before you buy take a look at the Expedition. That is built on an independent rear axle so you get a smoother ride, more leg room in the 3rd row and a better cargo area. The 3rd row seats on an Expedition fold into the floor to give you a flat platform. To accomplish the same task in a Suburban you have to remove the seats and leave them home. The Expedition XL will give you similar seating and storage as the other two with a better ride. The 5.8l engine is plenty strong for occasional towing I think it matches any engine available in a Suburban. You won't even get close to the power of the 7.3 but with diesel prices higher then they used to be it's still a whole lot cheaper to have a gas engine these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avezorak Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 +1 on staying away from 6.0 PS Suburban will be much smoother. Excursion will be much better for towing. If getting a 4wd get the ford, it has the solid front axle vs. Chevys IFS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotshot101 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 ford has problems with the diesel engines you should google and see all of the problems and ford's inability to correct most.....v10 engine is a gas hog..had one thank god it's gone......tahoe/suburban ride great....air suspension option works great....mileage is what it is can't expect more but averages 14-15 18-20 on highway.... good luck on your search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 mileage is what it is can't expect more but averages 14-15 18-20 on highway.... good luck on your search More of my $0.02: Right now I have a Silverado with a 5.? engine and an automoatic transimission that gets 16 mpg around town and over 20 mpg on the highway. My wife drives an Expedition with the 5.4 and an auto transmission and she gets 14 mpg around town and 17 mpg on the highway. Her car feels like it has tons more power then my truck which is all about the gearing. If you drive one then the other it gives the sensation that the Ford has more power but in reality the Chevy is geared better for mileage and gets out of it's own way just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I originally was looking for a diesel Excursion when I ran across a 3/4 ton Suburban with the 8.1l (502) big block. +'s...great ride and handling, mine has the Delco electro magnetic shocks and it is a world of difference better than any other big "truck" out there. If you haven't driven and Excursion on the highway the front end leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the Chev. Good power from the 8.1, not diesel class towing but I can't think of anything I have done where I needed more power (driven the V10 ford a couple of times and this motor kicks its ass). Great reliability, 125k right now with nothing but regular oil changes. Decent mileage for a big block, 12 around town and 14 when you can let the motor run steady for a while. Plenty of room with the third row seat gone for most anything you can think of. -'s....not as great as mileage as some diesels, but by the time you factor in the $5k premium for the diesel motor, a chip etc you can buy a whole helluva lot of gas. Not as much legroom in the back seat compared to the Excursion, however I haven't had any complaints from back seat passengers either. So in summation the comfort level, ride and handling in my Sub far outweighs the Excursion. The Ex has the option of the diesel and little more room, but at the end of the day even though I wanted the Excursion I am actually happier that I got the Suburban. Good Luck, Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I have had a Tahoe, a Denali and a Suburban over the last 10 years. totaled about 350,000 miles in them. Mileage SUCKED in all of them 14 or so was about it. And that is NOT towing anything heavy, a small utility trailer weighing 1500 pounds and that only rarely. If I were to buy today, I would seriously consider a Ford Flex unless I was planning on towing a big trailer. Decide your usage first. If it was only me and a bud or two traveling to local matches or even a decent distance, teh Flex fits the bil. It actually has more interior room than the Suburban. Certainly more headroom. Now, if you are looking to tow a fiver, the big diesel is probably the way to go. Although you need to look at the initial cost plus the additional maintenance costs vs the actual miles you expect to travel and run the better MPG with the higher cost of fuel and maintenance against teh lower MPG of the gasser. You might be surprised that the 5 year costs for the gasser might be less. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I am on my 3rd Suburban. The latest is an 07....nicest vehicle I have ever had, period. The engine, however, burns a quart of oil every 3K.....WTF? They say that is "within specs" now...... Everyone I talk to with 2-3 year old GMs has the same problem.....be forewarned. The previous 02 and 04 didnt have that problem..... I have an 02 F250 with a 7.3L Diesel. If you could find an Expedition with a 7.3 in it I would buy it on the spot. If you end up with a 6.0 liter make sure it has been given the upgrades, and use a fuel additive to keep the EGR valve/sensor from Carboning up and loosing your turbo. I will not own another GM vehicle, period, given it's current ownership situation, but that is just me..... Good luck, DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hello: The 2 big vehicles I'm looking at are a Excursion with the 7.3 Power Stroke and a 2006 Dodge Mega Cab diesel. The Excursions are nice for long trips with 5 people but the Mega cab is good for camping trips. I am leaning more towards the Mega cab since I could put a camper on the back or a 5th wheel. With 2 growing boys the back seat is huge in the Mega cab. Besides everyone needs a pickup truck Just to let you know I had a 1997 Ford F250 crew cab 4x4 7.3 diesel and put over 285,000 miles on it. It still ran great when I sold it. It used to get 14mpg towing a 24ft enclosed car hauler(about 5000 pounds) at 80mph. Hope this helps and good luck. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I am on my 3rd Suburban. The latest is an 07....nicest vehicle I have ever had, period. The engine, however, burns a quart of oil every 3K.....WTF? They say that is "within specs" now...... Everyone I talk to with 2-3 year old GMs has the same problem.....be forewarned. The previous 02 and 04 didnt have that problem..... I have an 02 F250 with a 7.3L Diesel. If you could find an Expedition with a 7.3 in it I would buy it on the spot. If you end up with a 6.0 liter make sure it has been given the upgrades, and use a fuel additive to keep the EGR valve/sensor from Carboning up and loosing your turbo. I will not own another GM vehicle, period, given it's current ownership situation, but that is just me..... Good luck, DougC Doug, Bought my Burb with about 30k on the clock, sitting at 125k now. I have burned the aforementioned quart every 3k since I have owned it. No more no less. I was worried initially about it increasing as well, however it never has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Craig, thanks for the heads up.....I still dont have to like it though ...specially when my other half doesnt know where she is in the 3K when I ask her periodically..... DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Craig, thanks for the heads up.....I still dont have to like it though ...specially when my other half doesnt know where she is in the 3K when I ask her periodically..... DougC Got a Garage? Hang a dry-erase board. Use it to note the mileage when oil changes are performed and when oil is added to the 'Burban. Then you can look over, and have an idea of what it should be when checking the oil level..... That was how a mechanic friend of mine kept track of his four cars --- especially the ones he didn't drive weekly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickpony Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Tough decision downlow411... My Family has had just about every big vehicle you can imagine that fits in a residential neighborhood (No RV's) and I'd have to tell ya that the Excursion with a 7.3 is the way to go if you plan to pull a trailer and want to haul folks and gear in the cab. My Dad had a Suburban with the 6.3 in it for years, got decent mileage but that little diesel wouldn't tow to save it's life. He traded it for a used Expo with the 7.3 and can't believe he didn't do it sooner. My Wife drives it's little brother, the Expedition XLT EL with a 5.4 and all the crazy things Wives and Kids need to be comfortable and I have to say I'd take it anyday over a Suburban. We drove them all trying to find the perfect family hauler. I haul a race car trailer behind it and a 3200 pound car but wouldn't want to do it all the time - 16 MPG highway best towing. 20 highway at 72MPH filled up no trailer. Go with a 2007 or newer for that 6-Speed trans if you consider a Expedition. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carharttfarmer Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 i drive an 06 mega cab and they cant be beat big enough for 5 more comfortable for 4 on long trips put a shell on it and you got alot of space 14 to 20 miles to the gallon 12 sometimes but thats with a 30ft trailer and in a hurry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3GunF1Guy Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I have a 2000 Excursion with the V10. The Chevey does ride better but the Ex is WAY more comfy with 7 people in it. It has real leg room even in the 3rd seat. A full size guy could sit in the 3rd row for 6 hours with no problem. This week we are taking 6 people and one dog to Phoenix for turkey day. Oh.. thats about 12 hrs each direction. The engines are great and the tranies are tough. I have 160,000 on mine and all I have done is normal maintenance plus front brakes 5 or 6 times (but thats just me, have been a SCCA race car drive I love to brake HARD.) and a set of rear brakes, a set of front wheel berings and plugs twice. Just this week I put a rear pinion seal in it cuz it was leaking a little. You can go the the ford-trucks.com forums and read all about the Ex. You will find that they are reliable with few problems compared to most other big SUV's. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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