Comparison Tests
From the January 2015 issue of Car and Driver
Amid the industry’s booming sales of compact wagonoids on stilts, domestic full-size SUVs stand out like the mountains of metal they are: truck-based behemoths capable of towing more than four tons while seating up to eight people. Despite their excesses, these giants remain indispensable for their vast range of capabilities. While both of the segment’s icons, the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Ford Expedition, see a significant evolution for 2015, each applies its own formula for taking an entire homestead on holiday.
The Tahoe follows the path of the latest Chevy Silverado 1500, borrowing its updated boxed frame and 5.3-liter small-block V-8 with aluminum block-and-head construction, direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation. Its 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque motivate a stylish, if conventional, rig that stands apart from the donor pickup with more of its own sheetmetal and rear coils instead of leaf springs. In a first for the ute, even its front doors are different from the Silverado’s.
There’s still a rudimentary solid axle slung under the rear, but new Magnetic Ride Control dampers (exclusive to range-topping LTZ models like our 4x4 test truck) help manage nearly three tons of SUV with commendable poise. A fresh interior design similar to the Silverado’s welcomes occupants with soft materials, vibrant digital readouts, and all-day comfort.
All that comes at a price, though, with our example starting at $64,530 before adding the $500 Max Trailering package (3.42:1 axle ratio, trailer-brake controller, upgraded Z71 suspension, and two-speed transfer case) and $400 20-inch chrome wheels. Entry-level Expeditions start a couple grand less than a base Tahoe ($44,585 versus $46,745, respectively), but the top-spec Platinum 4x4 seen here stickered at $64,365, including $2180 for massive 22-inch polished aluminum wheels.
The Expedition's turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 provides more peak torque at a lower engine speed than the Tahoe's 5.3-liter V-8.
Unlike the Tahoe, the F-150–based Expedition has changed little since its last refresh in 2007. Yet even it employs a modern independent rear suspension. And we would be remiss if we failed to mention that it gains a few new tricks for 2015: three-way adjustable dampers that come with the big rollers, as well as a standard 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 making 365 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 2500 rpm. In addition to new lighting elements and subtle exterior sculpting, there’s a revised instrument panel and steering wheel, dual 4.2-inch readouts in the cluster, and a reworked center stack housing an available eight-inch screen for MyFord Touch control.
Knowing that owners often take these trucks on fall-color treks to vacation cottages, we hit the test track and then set course for scenic Ludington, Michigan, on the sandy coast of our state’s eponymous lake. For good measure, we also contacted Four Winns Boats in Cadillac, Michigan, which lent us a gleaming-new Signature H260 ski boat and trailer ($115,976). Hauling this 26-foot-long, 7000-pound payload out of the water for the season was an ideal—and realistic—challenge for these titans. Both trucks were thoroughly engineered for the voyage and didn’t disappoint, though only one returned the winner.
