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Maybe this is it. The limit. The point where shoppers glance behind at the 200-plus spread of sedans, wagons, and minivans they deemed inadequate transportation, then glance ahead at the Suburban and Excursion, and finally feel content to say "enough." An Excursion's great for hauling home an entire Costco, but sometimes, Safeway will do. Why put up with an Excursion's atrocious 10 MPG when the Expedition can manage 12? Whatever the reasons, regular full-size SUVs, as a class, outsell their larger-than-life counterparts and have been the ones to attract competition in recent years.
Just as Chevy's Suburban was the founder of its segment, so too was the closely related Tahoe. Born in 1995 as Suburban Jr., the Tahoe had all the same hardware pulling around much less real estate. Both were redesigned for 2000 (again based on the Silverado pickup), and both will charge on with the current design for a few more years.
Like their similarities, their differences carry over. Compared to the Suburban, the Tahoe contracts by 14 inches in wheelbase, 20 in length, and one in width. Its fuel tank holds 26 gallons instead of 31. One major hardware difference is the engine: the Tahoe LS ($35,540) starts off with a 4.8-liter V8 possessing horsepower and torque ratings of 285 and 295. Getting a hold of the Suburban's 5.3 (295/330) requires a step up to the Tahoe LT or Tahoe Z71. As the upscale Tahoe, the LT adds a standard third-row seat, automatic climate control, heated power front captain's chairs, leather, center console, rear audio controls, CD changer with Bose speakers, heated side mirrors with ground lights and turn signals (an idea borrowed from Ford), adjustable pedals, steering wheel controls, OnStar, and a trailer package. An exclusive option to LT models is the AutoRide suspension, which continuously varies the amount of shock damping to suit conditions and can pump up the rear shocks under heavy loads to keep the body level. The Z71 is the off-road Tahoe, set apart by high-pressure shocks, a locking rear differential, and 17-inch wheels. Z71s can be spotted as the ones with tubular assist steps, round fog lamps, a protective skid plate underneath, and the least chrome showing.
Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes stop every Tahoe. All models have truck-style recirculating ball steering; 4WD models feature a faster ratio of 12.7:1 instead of 14.1:1. Either is faster than the Suburban's 15.8:1, and combined with two fewer feet separating the front and rear axles, the Tahoe should feel agile in comparison. Even an entry-level 2WD Tahoe LS can tow 5,700 pounds, while a model with 4WD, the bigger engine, and optional 4.1 axle ratio can pull 7,800 pounds. Payload never strays far from 1,500 pounds (roughly 150 less than Suburban), ensuring an easy swallowing of a full load of passengers.
Tahoes are known for their punchy acceleration (at least with the 5.3 engine), a happy marriage between engine and transmission, and a cushy on-road ride. That should do it for most people. On the other hand, Tahoes aren't known for their interior quality or for putting any fun in the driving. Steering is widely criticized as being vague, and, in spite of those ratio numbers, some call it slow as well. No surprise, really, since at this point, the Tahoe is the only remaining one with a recirculating-ball system. Accompanying the steering is plenty of body roll and "spongy" brakes. The Tahoe is also the only one besides the Expedition with a mere 4-speed automatic. Partly as the result of being the most mini of the max-sized SUVs, its third seat is known to be nearly useless to adults. Finally, as the oldest design, its monopoly on speed has vanished in light of 2004's new Nissan Armada and Dodge Durango. It would seem that four years is too long a time to sit still in today's market.
Like big brother Excursion, the Ford Expedition is a tad longer than its Chevy rival: its 119-inch wheelbase is up by three inches and its 206-inch length is up six. With the 2003 redesign, Ford let the Expedition evolve on its own terms instead of simply attaching a trunk to the F-150 again. The redesign surprised many with the addition of rack-and-pinion power steering and an independent rear suspension. Neither one a Tahoe option, both go a long way in familiarizing the driving experience to people stepping out of cars.
The rest of its equipment is a bit of a maze, as the Expedition is now up to five trim lines. The base XLS ($33,295) starts with three rows of folding seats, adjustable pedals, power everything, cruise control, keyless entry, and cassette and CD players. Next up is XLT adding rear air conditioning, alloy wheels, roof rack, running boards, and the 5.4-liter engine option. XLT Sport adds nothing meaningful: different-color bumpers and body cladding, sparkle silver grille, tubular running boards. The NBX is the off-roader, adding the larger engine and 4WD standard, along with skid plates, tow hooks, and Bilstein shocks. Topping the range is, as usual for Ford, an Eddie Bauer model, adding automatic climate control, leather, front captain's chairs, center console, steering wheel radio controls, rear radio controls, memory system (mirrors, driver seat, pedals), power rear quarter windows, CD changer, auto-tilt-down rearview mirrors with turn signals, and a trip computer.
The Expedition XLS is limited to the smaller V8; the NBX gets the larger one. All models come in 2WD or 4WD except the NBX (4WD only) and the 4.6-liter Eddie Bauer (2WD). Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake assist is standard on all. Ford's omittance of payload capacity on its website is curious, since it's mostly competitive: 1,481 pounds, according to one source. Less competitive are Ford's engines. The first of Ford's two 16-valve SOHC V8s (GM's are 16-valve pushrod engines) only manages 232 horsepower and 291 pounds-feet of torque compared to the base Tahoe's 285/295. Even in land yachts like these, 53 horses is a big loss to the stable, especially with the Expedition's slightly greater weight to pull. Ford's optional 5.4 V8 ups the ante to 260/350 - still down 35 horses from the high-end Tahoe. It's only natural, then, that a base Expedition can only tow 5,000 pounds, though that leaps to a competitive 8,950 for a 5.4 model.
The Ford's case improves in the comfort department. Compared to others, the Expedition's interior is classy, its third-row seat is far roomier (than anyone's, though the Tahoe's especially), and it disappears into the floor with one simple fold, Honda Odyssey style. The space-saving independent rear suspension is given credit for that one, although reportedly, it didn't do as much for ride quality as the technology might promise. The Tahoe's dead rear axle suspension may be clunky, but Ford's setup is usually thought of as giving an overly firm ride. Steering and handling, on the other hand, are clearly in Ford's favor.
It seems that the Tahoe makes the better truck while the Expedition makes the more convincing surrogate car. As long as consumers keep buying one to use as the other, that points to a clear choice in this round of the Ford vs. Chevy duel.
But it's hardly a duel anymore. As the first of the new challengers, Toyota crashed the party in 2001 with the Sequoia just as it had done in the full-size truck scene with the Tundra a year earlier. Those who recognize the same face on both aren't seeing double: ahead of the driver's seat, Tundra and Sequoia are identical. Same V8, hidden beneath the same body parts, assembled by the same Indianians.
Like the Tundra, the Sequoia entered the field - and remains - at the bottom, in a way. The Tundra is often called the "seven-eighths full-size truck," and however true that is, it's just as true for the Sequoia when speaking of SUVs. It's in the lower half of the group in external dimensions and wheelbase. Its V8, at 4.7 liters, is one of the smallest, and unlike all the others, it has no optional step-up engine. On the other hand, its 240 horsepower isn't the weakest (especially considering the Sequoia's relatively light weight) and it's responsible for best overall fuel economy: 16 MPG.
These numbers will undergo some revisions for 2005. No doubt tired of being the slow poke, Toyota is adding its VVTi valve timing to the engine, raising horsepower to 282 while giving the automatic a fifth gear. Other 2005 changes include upgrading the 4WD system from a locking center differential to a torque-sensing Torsen limited-slip unit, and adding an optional air suspension.
Torque won't change from the current 315 pounds-feet, which inevitably puts a glass ceiling on towing capacity: 6,500 for 2WD models, 6,200 for 4WD models. That's still enough to tow a pretty hefty boat, though. The Sequoia's payload actually stands above the Tahoe and Expedition, ranging from 1,495 pounds (4WD Limited) to 1,725 (2WD SR5).
The list of what the Limited model adds to the $32,165 SR5 is a long one: leather, power driver seat, steering wheel radio controls, heated front seats, heated mirrors, keyless entry, power sunroof, automatic day/night rearview mirror, compass, trip computer, universal garage-door opener, illuminated visor mirrors, JBL sound system, automatic headlights, running boards, roof rack, fog lights, towing hitch, 7-pin wiring harness, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Lots of stuff commands lots of bucks: the Limited adds $9,275 to the bottom line.
What sets the Sequoia apart? It has the quietest ride, the most refined interior, and it's the only one with proven reliability. Sound familiar for a Toyota? It may not be the fastest, but its smooth, acclaimed engine has Lexus roots. Knowing the qualities the designers chose to emphasize with the Sequoia, think of it as the SUV Lexus might have gladly accepted as one of its own.
If the first law of the global marketplace is that Toyota will dive into any vehicle segment, the second law might be "where Toyota goes, Nissan will follow." And one of Nissan's own laws of recent years has been to attack with the biggest weapon. That explains why the Armada stomped in on the longest, tied-for-widest body, riding on the most stretched-out wheelbase. Who'd have guessed that Nissan would aim for the Tahoe and hit the Suburban!
The Armada has one engine. At 5.6 liters, it's bigger than both Tahoe engines, and than both Expedition engines, and especially the Sequoia's. 305 horsepower is competitive, and torque is at the top: 385 pounds-feet. The Armada is nothing if not consistent.
New for this year and based on the also-new Titan truck, it was first assigned the name "Pathfinder Armada" to create familiarity, which was quickly revoked after about a month, probably to eliminate confusion. Armada is its official name. Like the Sequoia, there are two models, both available in 2WD and 4WD, all sharing the same engine and transmission. In Nissan's case, neither the price or equipment gap is as vast.
The Armada starts with the $33,950 SE. The SE Off-Road adds a numerically higher final-drive ratio, Rancho shocks, 17x7 alloy wheels (down an inch in diameter and width from other Armadas), skid plates, fog lights, leather, power passenger seat, 10-speaker Bose CD changer, Radio Data System, and side-impact airbags. The LE tops the range with a chrome grille, puddle lights, footwell lights, rear quarter windows, second-row console, memory for driver's seat, mirrors, and pedals, heated front seats, and second-row captain's chairs.
The Armada features the group's only other independent rear suspension, robbing the Expedition of its uniqueness. Like Ford, Nissan's goal seems to have been to create the three-ton sports car. Ride quality is said to be firm, noise levels high, steering and throttle response quick. Standard towing capacity is average at 6,500 pounds, but the optional towing package (standard on LE models, optional on others) boosts that number to a highest-in-class 9,100, partly thanks to a different final-drive ratio. Not too shabby for a foreigner, eh?
Strange that Chrysler didn't jump into the game sooner, isn't it? You'd think that with the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee taking care of business at the low and middle end, they would have built a Dodge Ram-class SUV to hit Ford and Chevy where it hurts a long time ago. Better late than never.
The new, larger-in-every-way Durango comes in ST, SLT, and Limited form. SLT adds rear air conditioning, power driver's seat, a third-row seat, roof rails, and fog lights. On top of that, Limited adds dual-zone climate control, leather, power passenger seat, adjustable pedals, memory for seats/mirrors/pedals, steering wheel radio controls, MP3 CD changer, heated mirrors, automatic mirrors and headlights, and alloy wheels.
The SUV market's latest choice offers the most choice when it comes to powertrains. The Durango's three engines include a 3.7-liter V6 (215/235), a 4.7 V8 (235/295), and a 5.7 HEMI V8 (335/370). The V6 is paired to a 4-speed automatic; the V8s, to a 5-speed. Choice is nice, but this isn't one of the most useful ones. Tolerating the sluggishness of the V6 would surely prove a challenge by today's speed standards, though it does allow a Durango purchase of $27,055. The $2,980 4.7 V8 makes a much better match to the Durango's weight; consider the superior transmission that comes with it a free bonus. The 5.7-liter HEMI is the only engine larger than the Armada's, which it doesn't quite match in torque but does beat in horsepower. ST and SLT Durangos come with the V6 or smaller V8; Limited Durangos start with that V8 and open the gates to the HEMI.
Compared to the first Durango, the new one's engineering leans much closer to the car end than the truck end. Drum brakes gave way to discs, recirculating ball steering gave way to rack-and-pinion, and leaf springs gave way to coils. But this is the standard layout nowadays, meaning the Durango has only been brought up to par. Still, when stacking the two V8 models up against the others, the Durango's plenty competitive. Payload reaches a whopping 1,780 pounds and towing goes up to 8,950 with the HEMI engine - just barely under the Armada's limit.
Attitude-wise, Dodge aimed for the more luxurious feel more common to the Tahoe and Sequoia. The ride is set to soft and cushy and the steering was given the light-effort treatment; it was also given a slower ratio than before. The only clear disadvantage is that the Durango can only seat up to seven - an issue that will matter to few people. Perhaps more importantly, all of the passengers who do fit in a Durango will reportedly be comfortable - not something that's often said about the Tahoe.
Compared to the driving behavior of the Expedition and Tahoe, the Durango seems to walk the middle ground, and compared to the single-sided hardware options of the Sequoia and Armada, the Durango covers both grounds. In the isolated universe of jumbo SUVs, the Durango seems to come closest to being all things to all people.
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