Compare me: early-teens Sequioa vs. Suburban vs. Expedition

So as many of you know, I currently have a 2005 Sequioa that we use mostly for towing the racecar and occasional family trips. Mechanically it's been mostly great (and only has 135k miles) but rust is starting to catch up to things and I hate rust with a passion and think it's time to look for something less rusty. The thought has crossed my mind to find a non-rusty similar rig, but if I'm going to get something new, might as well get something that's also an upgrade in the towing/modernity department. 

So...been reading/researching quite a bit and I've narrowed it down to a few things. My price rance is around $15k (give or take) and would prefer to get something with under 150k miles. I tow about 5k lbs in general, so any of the big SUVs will do it fine. 

Things I've eliminated:

- Pickups. I don't want a pickup and don't need one. A full SUV suits my purposes entirely, so don't suggest a pickup ;)

- Nissan Armada. The ones in my price rance are the 1st gen, and I just think they're ugly as sin, so can't get over that even though they have lots of power.

- Durango and Grand Cherokee. Just not interested in either of them. 

- LX570. I'd get one, but they're not really in my price range yet. 

- Things pre-2010. I want something 10ish years old at most, just because. If I did, I'd find a 2006 Land Cruiser and call it a day, because I love them, but that is not an upgrade to my Sequoia in the towing or utility department. 

Item of note: Don't care about 3rd row seat style (foldaway or take-out). I'll remove it either way, permanently, so it's not a factor in considerations. 

Things I'm considering:

2010-2013 Sequoia, preferably SR5 because I don't need all the fancy stuff and don't want the 20" wheels. I have a Sequoia, and I like Toyota trucks aside from rust, and I know most of what to know about these. The 2nd gen Sequoias don't seem to have rust issues (except the early 08s), and they check all the boxes for the most part:

- Pluses: Toyota reliability. 5.7 is strong. IRS for better ride quality (not offroading it other than gravel roads). Good interior.

- Minuses: Higher mileage, older year, and limited selection in my price range (so probably looking at 2010-2012 models for the most part). Lousy fuel mileage. I've heard 9mpg is typical when towing....IRS camber (but I will airbag, so shouldn't be an issue). Air pump (same issue as my 05, but there's a workaround). 

2010-2015ish Expedition, preferably not the XL, but the regular-length one.

- Pluses: Triton V8 seems to be a known quality and fairly reliable, and with good power. Huge inside. Interior seems decent. In my price range they seem to be fairly well available with 100k-ish miles. IRS suspension for better ride and interior space.

- Minuses: You tell me. I've never owned a Ford (except my wife's CX-9, which is mostly Ford underneath). Do the drivetrains hold up well to heavy use?  IRS rear (same as previous, I'd airbag it). I don't know these well at all. I see some sites rate them mediocre for reliability, but without much detail into "why". I hear the audio system sucks, but I'd likely upgrade anyhow. 

- Alternative: Spend more and get a 2015+ with the 3.5 Ecoboost. Is it worth it vs the V8? MPGs isn't really a big concern here. 

2010-2015ish Suburban . I thought about Tahoe as well, but they only come with the 5.3 which doesn't seem like much of a towing upgrade, really. 

- Pluses: A million of them out there with reasonable mileage in my price range, it seems. They seem to be pretty bulletproof. Huge. I like square things. They look pretty good in black.  Would be looking for one with the 6.0.

- Minuses: Seems I read about transmission issues a lot. Are there particular years better than others? Solid rear axle not a minus per se, but a step down in the ride department vs the other two, I imagine. Said to drive more "trucky" than the other two.  I hear the seats aren't great. 

- Alternative: Escalade? Seem to be similar in price to the Suburban - mechanically, how do they compare?

So, what do I need to know about these - in particular the Ford and Chevy? Not real concerned with driving/interior opinions that much (i'll certainly test-drive plenty and decide on my own) but more interested in reliability, especially in the drivetrain area. I don't want something I have to constantly drop a lot of money on or spend a long time wrenching on.

Given your Metro DC location, I'd be looking for a decommissioned, all black, Suburban 2500 HD

In 2015 Ford started putting the Ecoboost 3.5 liter in the Expedition. I was shopping Chevies and couldn't find one with the 6.2 liter. The 5.3 doesn't really have the Moxie for serious towing. And the cylinder deactivation is troublesome on that engine.

I am really happy with the Expedition so far. So comfortable to drive.

As for short or long wheelbase, it depends on what you need. I went short wheelbase because they are a bit cheaper and they are much easier to remove in a parking lot. You need to long one to carry a 4x8" sheet of plywood with the hatch closed.

One last tip, most have second row buckets. Unless you have a compelling reason to have them, I would recommend the bench seats. You can carry one more person when they are up and land a plane in the back when they are done.

One more thing, the second gen Tahoes have removable seats. Fold flat are so much better. my 2015 Expedition has that as do third gen Tahoes (started in 2015 I think). Hope this helps. Just did a whole lot of research in all this. Maybe we should do a story or video, although there are good YouTube videos already out there on this.

In reply to John Welsh :

There are literally 300 of them brand new sitting in a lot at Bolling Air Force Base. They've all been sitting there for like a year or more since I doubt anybody was getting company rides during covid....

In reply to Tim Suddard :

Thanks Tim. I am mostly set on a Sequoia but I want to look hard into other alternatives just in case there's something better out there! I will definitely at least get a test drive and EcoBoost one although most of them seem to be out of my price range.

Loved my suburban. Yes it finally ate a trans but only near 200k. Couple of hub bearings and one rear end. I already did a cam/lifter/spring upgrade years ago at like 75k miles. Beyond that mostly just oil changes, tires, and brakes.

Early Teens Expedition makes me think of this:

But that doesn't mean I'm getting old or anything.  Just sayin'

1)  I hate rust.

2) I swore I would never buy a car from 'up north' again

3)  Tell me if you are selling your Sequoia

ProDarwin said:

1)  I hate rust.

2) I swore I would never buy a car from 'up north' again

3)  Tell me if you are selling your Sequoia

lol....there's a local guy who has wanted to buy the Sequoia for 3 years since he bought an impact gun off me on craigslist. I let him know last week I was on the hunt for something new and he already said he'd buy mine lol. 

I'll be honest, as rust goes this isn't the worst - and I already cut and patched the two worst areas. But I've blow out two rusty rear hard brake lines in the last year (not enjoyable, luckily wasn't towing) and most everything under there is likely to shear bolts if I attempt to replace it at this point. It's a great truck, but most of my driving with it are long-distance towing and when I'm doing that I like things to be reliable and safe. 

I'm basically gonna keep it until I find EXACTLY what I want (i.e. color, interior, options etc), which in this category and price range I'm looking in, may take a while for the right one to pop up. 

Uncle David (Forum Supporter) said:

Early Teens Expedition makes me think of this:

But that doesn't mean I'm getting old or anything.  Just sayin'

 

I have an Uncle David. When I was a kid in the 80s, I remember he owned a hot NYC nightclub and drove a Guards Red 911 Turbo.

He's still cool these days, but he drives a crossover now and doesn't date actresses and models any more :D 

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

ProDarwin said:

1)  I hate rust.

2) I swore I would never buy a car from 'up north' again

3)  Tell me if you are selling your Sequoia

lol....there's a local guy who has wanted to buy the Sequoia for 3 years since he bought an impact gun off me on craigslist. I let him know last week I was on the hunt for something new and he already said he'd buy mine lol. 

*phew*

I'm casually looking for one for a mid life crisis project, but haven't pulled the trigger. 

ProDarwin said:

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

ProDarwin said:

1)  I hate rust.

2) I swore I would never buy a car from 'up north' again

3)  Tell me if you are selling your Sequoia

lol....there's a local guy who has wanted to buy the Sequoia for 3 years since he bought an impact gun off me on craigslist. I let him know last week I was on the hunt for something new and he already said he'd buy mine lol. 

*phew*

I'm casually looking for one for a mid life crisis project, but haven't pulled the trigger. 

I mean, 1st gen Sequoias are pretty cheap and generally good/easy to work on. Just get one that isn't rusty. From the South.

Ours came from New Jersey and the place we bought it from did a great job disguising the rust with undercoating. Now I'm more careful when I inspect cars I'm buying. 

The 2nd-gen Sequoia interior is lousy. I cannot believe they designed it to follow the still-looks-stylish 1st-gen Sequoia and are still selling it new today. Otherwise... they're pretty stout. They tow well. 

On the Expedition - I would pony up and get the 3.5 EcoBoost variant that came out in 2015. It's such a good engine for towing AND will do decent on unloaded highway MPG compared to the old Ford 5.4. The very early 3.5 EcoBoosts had some teething pains, but by the time they saw duty in Expedition, those were worked out.

I have nothing nice to say about GMT900-era Suburbans and their plethora of siblings. They were a massive disappointment in design and ergonomics following the GMT800, and age has not treated them well. I sliced my finger open on a friend's Sierra's interior door handle because the plastichrome crumbled apart into sharp pieces. If you do get one, get a 6.2L because that era of 5.3 had Displacement on Demand and allegedly they go boom pretty easily.

Of what you listed, I'd pick the Expedition, though I'd prefer to stretch my budget and get the EcoBoost over the 5.4.

Very happy longtime 2015 Expedition owner here. That thing does everything, and does it well. I compared it very closely to the GMT900 Suburbans before we bought it in 2015. The Expedition (ours has the 3.5EB) had similar power, more torque, better unloaded MPG, more towing capacity, and they were cheaper on the used market. Also, the IRS not only gives a better ride, it means you can fold the third seat flat with a lower load floor. As Tim mentioned, 4x8 sheets fit fine with the hatch closed on the long-wheelbase model. 

Just last weekend, we loaded it up with my wife and I, our two adult kids, two 60-lb dogs, put a kayak on the roof, and pulled our 30' travel trailer across the state. Yes, we got 9 mpg towing, but the thing is rock solid with a WDH at 68 mph towing, and the temp gauge never moved from the middle even though it was close to 90 outside.

Downsides are, well the towing mileage sucks. The unladen mileage is good, better than a 5.4, but not spectacular. Oil changes are the biggest PITA of any vehicle I've ever owned. The power running boards like to go on strike when it gets really cold outside. The platform dates back to 2003, so it's not the most refined compared to more modern ones like the new-for-2018 model.

Overall, the thing is a rock star. It's done everything we've asked of it and more for 5+ years and 72k miles, and I can't imagine what we'd replace it with except another one.

So I have a 2007 expedition. Short wheelbase, 2wd, 5.4

Only gotcha I have had is a bit of rust that I didn't catch inspecting it for purchase. Check below the door and over the running boards closely. I need to patch mine there.

I had a coil pack go out at 160k and decided to get plugs done and farm it out. Do some reading on 5.4 plugs and you will understand farming that out due to risks. I have kids and that job gone wrong on my primary vehicle wasn't worth the risk.

Other work is all normal 150k+ stuff like brake soft lines/caliper, recharge the aircon, etc 

I don't have a 3rd row in mine, I get a large smugglers cubby in the floor where 3rd row footspace would be. 

It does the job well, I keep adding miles (178k now) and it hasn't skipped a beat. 

I tow a single axle enclosed trailer with it (think like a landscaping trailer) for the f500. Somewhere around 3k lbs, it doesn't really know it's back there. 

According to the dash I am averaging 17mpg in mixed and largely local service.

Brake_L8 (Forum Supporter) said:

The 2nd-gen Sequoia interior is lousy. I cannot believe they designed it to follow the still-looks-stylish 1st-gen Sequoia and are still selling it new today. Otherwise... they're pretty stout. They tow well. 

On the Expedition - I would pony up and get the 3.5 EcoBoost variant that came out in 2015. It's such a good engine for towing AND will do decent on unloaded highway MPG compared to the old Ford 5.4. The very early 3.5 EcoBoosts had some teething pains, but by the time they saw duty in Expedition, those were worked out.

I have nothing nice to say about GMT900-era Suburbans and their plethora of siblings. They were a massive disappointment in design and ergonomics following the GMT800, and age has not treated them well. I sliced my finger open on a friend's Sierra's interior door handle because the plastichrome crumbled apart into sharp pieces. If you do get one, get a 6.2L because that era of 5.3 had Displacement on Demand and allegedly they go boom pretty easily.

Of what you listed, I'd pick the Expedition, though I'd prefer to stretch my budget and get the EcoBoost over the 5.4.

yeah after more reading I'd lean toward a 2015, probably worth the budget stretch for my purposes. I agree, don't love the new Sequoia interior or exterior much, but I do love the powertrain. That said, in my budget I'm mostly looking at '08s that will be somewhat rusty. 

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Very happy longtime 2015 Expedition owner here. That thing does everything, and does it well. I compared it very closely to the GMT900 Suburbans before we bought it in 2015. The Expedition (ours has the 3.5EB) had similar power, more torque, better unloaded MPG, more towing capacity, and they were cheaper on the used market. Also, the IRS not only gives a better ride, it means you can fold the third seat flat with a lower load floor. As Tim mentioned, 4x8 sheets fit fine with the hatch closed on the long-wheelbase model. 

Just last weekend, we loaded it up with my wife and I, our two adult kids, two 60-lb dogs, put a kayak on the roof, and pulled our 30' travel trailer across the state. Yes, we got 9 mpg towing, but the thing is rock solid with a WDH at 68 mph towing, and the temp gauge never moved from the middle even though it was close to 90 outside.

Downsides are, well the towing mileage sucks. The unladen mileage is good, better than a 5.4, but not spectacular. Oil changes are the biggest PITA of any vehicle I've ever owned. The power running boards like to go on strike when it gets really cold outside. The platform dates back to 2003, so it's not the most refined compared to more modern ones like the new-for-2018 model.

Overall, the thing is a rock star. It's done everything we've asked of it and more for 5+ years and 72k miles, and I can't imagine what we'd replace it with except another one.

since you're in Michigan, it's worth asking - how is it looking rust-wise in a salt state?

Also, looks like the stereo system is totally integrated, so no way to put an aftermarket head unit on it? TI hate that about new cars...

Plug for the Suburban option here. I just got back from towing a 6000 lb camper on a road trip and it did it with ease. You want a 2500 model, and a later one with the 6 speed automatic. 

my 2008 tows great. 

The suburban does have much more interior room and the last model was pretty great. I just really like that Toyota reliability. Mine has 207k

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

Its going to take about $25,000 to get into an EcoBoost. I found 10 year old GMs to be in about the same price range. The Gen 1 Tahoes (ended in 2006) are cheaper and well rated, but will be mostly pretty thrashed at this point. The Excursions are well loved and while high priced, are in the $10,000-20,000 range.

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

One of my best friends has a 2011 Tahoe and co-drove my Expedition to Carlisle last week. He couldn't believe how much better the 2015 Expedition drove over his Tahoe. He loved the independent rear suspension. 

Fly and drive! I still can't believe the 2006 Tundra I purchased in Georgia in 2019 still had visible grease pencil markings on the frame.. the only rust was on the brake rotors. 

2015 Expedition EL owner here. Love it. Lots of power and features.

The used car market is crazy right now. A 2015 Suburban or Yukon will cost you nearly 30k right now. The early teens, like 2010ish are good vehicles and ride really well. Try to find an Escalade or Yukon Denali with the 6.2, they ride excellent and have power for days. 

My recommendation, if you're not getting a 2015+ Expedition then get an older GM 6.2 SUV.

Owner of a 2008 Lincoln Navigator, same family as the Expedition.  135,000 miles, have it for about 7 years.  Ours didn't come with the air suspension.  Have used it for light towing, long distance travel, etc.  Other than basic maintenance, has been trouble free(knock on wood).  Older than what you want, but the platform hasn't changed all that much.