But you, of all people here, must be thrilled that GM "made it"? Don't you want a V8 Denali, lol? GM's "mismanagement" in 2008 that brought them to the brink of destruction, was that they made the mistake to keep building lots and lots of big trucks/SUV's with huge V8s when gas was $5/gallon, lol.
'18 Expedition Platinum vs '18 Yukon Denali
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But you, of all people here, must be thrilled that GM "made it"? Don't you want a V8 Denali, lol? GM's "mismanagement" in 2008 that brought them to the brink of destruction, was that they made the mistake to keep building lots and lots of big trucks/SUV's with huge V8s when gas was $5/gallon, lol.
JExpedition07
That One Member
Again argueable. In 08 GM made big trucks with V8s that half the cylindersshut down and had active fuel management. Ford still offered full bore unscathed V8s like the Triton line in all SUVs and pickups and we all still love them. People wanted big V8s and still do. What brought GM to bankruptcy was decades of mismanagement not building trucks. I know many people who worked within GMs walls in middle management and have heard plenty of horror stories on how badly it was being run. People bought Fords big motors through the whole recession and they didn’t have an issue. Your options were a 4.6 V8, 5.4 V8, or a 6.8 V10.
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ExpeditionAndy
Full Access Members
That was the primary reason that I started looking at ford. My dad was a GM guy. When I decided to buy a large SUV I decided to go Ford for that reason, and that fact that I really liked the Expedition.
If you are towing the only choices are Ford or GM. Toyota or Nissan are not in the same size class in my opinion. I’d love to see Ford and GM offer a diesel option. But until then they both offer great engine choices. GM has done great things with their V8 engines and Ford has done great things with their dual turbo charged V6. The Ford has unmatched torque. I was worried at first about durability but the V6 durability has now become proven by the test of time ( and mileage). If your looking for maximum room, towing and power there’s only two lines in the game. If you’re going to use the 3rd row I’d suggest sitting back there. The Ford has a much more usable third row due to their multi link independent suspension. GM is still using a solid rear axle. Personally I think you’ll be happy with either.
Mike Wolfe
Full Access Members
Lots of interesting opinions here
One comment though
If you drive in the mountains the gm 6.2l will lose about 3% hp & torque for each 1000ft above sea level, whereas the turbo 3.5l will produce the same hp & torque at 14k ft as it does at sea level.
That makes the expy my only option.
One comment though
If you drive in the mountains the gm 6.2l will lose about 3% hp & torque for each 1000ft above sea level, whereas the turbo 3.5l will produce the same hp & torque at 14k ft as it does at sea level.
That makes the expy my only option.
1HeliCFI
Member
When I bought my 2004 Expy over a Denali it was largely do to the IRS and the room it gave the 3rd seat. 14 years later the same holds true. GM finally has a fold flat rear seat but did it by raising the load floor.
deweysmith
Full Access Members
I have lots of family that are GM-only kind of folks and they often ask me why I didn't get a Suburban or a Yukon Denali XL, and this is my reason. I fit in the 3rd row of my Expedition. I'm not a huge guy, but I'm not small either.
I have chauffeured 6 teenagers around in mine on long road trips and none of them found it to be too tight. Kids in the Yukon that was on the same trip with us couldn't say the same.
JExpedition07
That One Member
Lots of interesting opinions here
One comment though
If you drive in the mountains the gm 6.2l will lose about 3% hp & torque for each 1000ft above sea level, whereas the turbo 3.5l will produce the same hp & torque at 14k ft as it does at sea level.
That makes the expy my only option.
Plenty of towing tests in the mountains by TFL and the 3.5 loses PLENTY of power. In fact the 6.2 keeps right up with it at elevation, difference is so minuscule it’s negligeable. In fact the 6.2 is noticeably more fuel efficient whilst towing over the 3.5 in their tests as well even at elevation. At the end of the day the argument can continue on forever, it’s all in what you prefer.
Clemson82
Full Access Members
Just curious, why is the Nissan not a choice? I suppose if you're towing a heavy trailer on a regular basis, but I don't see why the Nissan would not be a choice. To compare, the 2018 Expedition has 375 HP and 480lbft torque. The Nissan Armada has 390HP and 394 lb-ft of torque. (Side note, I don't know much about the Toyota, but the exterior looks a bit dated to me)
We test drove a 2018 Armada Platinum this week and a 2018 Expedition Limited (no Platinum to be seen on the lot!). Honestly, I think our 2014 Expedition still meets ours needs, so I'm not really enthusiastic about buying either of them. I'm honestly indifferent at this point, but it's my wife's daily driver, so you know how that goes...
My wife thought they were both equally nice, but preferred the exterior look of the Armada. It's also significantly less, with virtually all of the same options. I hadn't thought too much about the towing aspect because I only occasionally pull a utility trailer to get things like mulch at Lowes. The 3rd row of the Expedition is bigger / roomier . Both seem to have fairly limited room behind the 3rd row (as does our current Expedition). We're not interested in the Max though, tooooooo big, but they are cool.
Last comment- both have a 36k mile warranty, that seems really short. Right off the bat you're looking at the cost of an extended warranty.
Thoughts?
JExpedition07
That One Member
Nissan Armada is based on the patrol (legendary vehicle) it’s a great platform. Only problem for me is...... it’s not a American brand, couldn’t buy one for that reason alone in my case. My 07 still fits me perfectly and I just fix things when they come along, I don’t mind working on my vehicles so tooling around on it is kind of fun for me, but it’s been and still is a great truck. The 5.6 Nissan is a great motor, my observation with Nissan is good powertrain, not the best body and electrical components.
Clemson82
Full Access Members
That's definitely something to think about. The sales guy said he "thinks" it's made in America. There is a big Nissan plant in TN, but I don't know what they make there.
JExpedition07
That One Member
Even when made here like the Tundra I still think about where the profits go... yea I’m a built in America nut. I like that when I purchase OEM parts for my Fords, they are usually made in USA, that makes me take pride in owning it. I’d rather support ford by buying their vehicles and parts that are made here than the imports. To each their own, again the patrol platform is great, and looks great, and has a great motor under the hood.
From 2003 to 2015 the Armada was assembled in Canton, Mississippi. From mid-2016 onwards, the Armada is currently built in Yukuhashi, Kyushu, Japan and share the same platform as the Patrol, with American-specific modifications, and went on sale in late Summer 2016 as a 2017 model
JExpedition07
That One Member
You’re correct. That’s a turn off.
Don Leslie
Member
Do the GM products in the Denali class have an independent suspension yet? The Expy out handles the GM products hands down according to the reviewers.
Garrett
Full Access Members
Nope. Which makes the third row unusable for anyone but petite lady friends and kids.
shane_th_ee
Full Access Members
If we'd have been willing to go for a shorter wheelbase, I'd have bought the Nissan (provided I could convince myself to do without CarPlay).
deweysmith
Full Access Members
Just got access to car play for the first time but haven’t had a chance to really mess with it. What do you like about it over the sync 3? I am an iPhone user btw but prefer the google map over Apple map. I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this since you use it. I should add I also used Waze as well but as I understand it there isn’t any car play option for that at the moment.
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