In need of a new SUV

[Miami-Dade]

I would NOT recommend a new Tahoe to ANYONE.
Be safe out there.
Bob

I would recommend a Tahoe/Suburban to EVERYONE..When I first got my Tahoe everyone was shocked when they saw my interior..They said they had no idea how awesome it was..Everyone that rides in my Tahoe never wants to get out once I get to the destination as they are so comfy.

Whenever I get fuel and see another 15 plus Tahoe next to me on the other side of the pump I always ask them how they like it and if they have any complaints..So far all I get are happy campers.

To me they are the perfect long distance vehicles which is what MOST people [like myself and most here] buy them for.

On my trip to Key West last week I saw so many 2015 plus Tahoe,Suburban and Yukon on US 1 that I lost track how many I saw..I hardly saw any Sequoia,Expedition or Navigator.

 

[hunter991]

so it almost sounds like "don't do it" unless you trade up everytime the warranty period expires.

 

[WillCO]

so it almost sounds like "don't do it" unless you trade up everytime the warranty period expires.

Not really. If you ask on an internet forum like this, the answers you get will probably overrepresent the problems, because people with problems post more to internet forums than happy customers do. If, like the guy above said, you ask a random person driving a Tahoe how they like it, I think you get a consistently positive response. Or, do as I did and ask a couple of mechanics. They aren't seeing many 2015+ Tahoes until they are out of warranty, but the powertrains are fundamentally the same and they can tell you their opinion of Tahoes over time.

You do see a lot of old Tahoes on the road, too. So there's that. When they do break they are not expensive to fix.

 

[hunter991]

K thanks.. i have been asking people who own them but what i am finding is they bought it because its a GM and except the issues or they don't know why other than it looked cool. I asked on the forum because people here more than likely know the ins and outs and are way more in tune to the longevity and quality of the vehicle. But your right, i am soliciting opinions everywhere. I am known to research the hell out of purchases like this.

 

[adventurenali92]

@hunter991 , it's good to research a lot when you are making a big purchase like this. This is an investment and you want to make sure you're getting all the right info. I did the exact same thing 2 years when I bought my 2006 Denali xl. I had my heart set on a 2007 sequoia limited. But I couldnt find a limited with 4WD and that's a must have for me since I live in a ski town. My options were 2WD limited with the interior options I wanted or 4WD SR5 models that didn't have the interior I wanted. When I was told to look into GM, this forum had such a wealth of knowledge and settled my decision to buy a Denali.

 

[05alive]

Interior is a personal issue. Some people love it, some people hate it. I personally have another comparable vehicle or two that I prefer the interior on, but I also know people who would trade for the k2 interior.

Reliability is another issue. Modern GM trucks (and SUV's, they are built on the same platform more or less) are not well built. Many people with experience with the brand will tell you to get a late model NBS (00-06/7) with low miles. The NNBS (2007-2013) vehicles had issues related to the engines and the interiors. The newest (k2xx) trucks are just poorly built. Things like trim break off, panels are poorly aligned, and lots of electronics fail, repeatedly. The quality control in general is poor. My father's yukon denali has a bolt sticking up through the carpet where you step to get into the third row, and another is about to come through. The antennas had water intrusion issues. the displays have issues. Intellilink/mylink isn't that great of a system imo. The 8 speed transmissions have major issues. The seats on the k2 trucks are much narrower than the older ones.

However manufactures sort out issues normally. Later NNBS vehicles were a significant improvement over early ones. Hopefully in a year or two the k2 vehicles are better built, because they are at heart a great vehicle. It's a blast to drive. The suspension is great, the engine has awesome power, it pulls a trailer like nothing's there. It's fast, stylish, gets great mileage and range, and it draws attention. It's got a million cupholders and pockets in the front. Passengers would rather take the k2 over the nbs or the pickup normally.

It depends on your situation. There's a trade off with everything. It will not be the cheapest or easiest vehicle you can own but keep in mind it's a massive hunk of metal with a giant engine, seating capacity, and towing capacity that is rivaled by few passenger vehicles. And despite that, it's relatively comfortable, manageable, and more than holds it's own in almost every category, against every vehicle. It's part deville, part corvette, part gmc truck, and more.

 

[hunter991]

To me this is just unacceptable when spending 60k.

 

[05alive]

To me this is just unacceptable when spending 60k.

Pardon me but you'd shit yourself in a rover then, or really any vehicle with an MSRP over 50 grand. Almost any "luxury" vehicle has lots of problems and huge repairs bills. There's a reason no one dd's a Rolls Royce.
The older Rovers had insane reliability issues, parts are astronomical, and systems were complicated. But when everything was working, it was a like a dream. So smooth, planted, and comfortable. And to top it off the rovers just had a solidness to them. The door has a distinctive secure thud, and everything just was so well thought out. The newer ones are lighter and more money was spent on reliability, so it lost it's former charm and turned some former owners away. I worked for a guy who owned them for years, and dumped the brand new one as soon as he got it because it had lost it's roverness. He didn't care if things broke, it was an autobiography, if he could afford one he could afford 3 to rotate lol. He wanted the classic range rover luxury. My uncle owned a brand new A8L. Always in the shop. But it was a like a bullet train on the highway. Infiniti, same way. Lot of down time, expensive parts.

You could do a lot worse on an unreliable vehicle, and pay much more, and have much higher repair bills. You could also get a toyota, but it's not the same beast as a Tahoe, doesn't pull as much, and burns more dinos.

My point is this: You can complain all day about reliability, and maybe if you get a particularly bad one it isn't the vehicle for you. If you can stomach/overlook some issues, the K2 suv's are the best around. Maybe a tahoe isn't for you but this is TahoeYukonForum, and not "SUV forum."


Ultimately your choice will based on your own biases and budget. Asking a body of people with a mass of experience in a narrow selection of vehicles is not the way to find your next vehicle. Ask in person what people think of their vehicles, test drive them, borrow them from your friends.
Truly honest advice about any vehicle will send you running for the hills. Everything has a fatal flaw, or there would be a total of one vehicle for sale.

 

[Burby]

I traded a very clean Toyo 4runner that I had maintained to over 105K mostly trouble free miles. I am sad that I never drove it the zilloin miles I could have. But it was too small for my frame, my family size and did not tow well. I was looking at used Sequoias and they had great options but feel like a big truck, squat when towing, have lousy gas mileage and look long in the tooth. For me it was a splurge and a nervous one to jump into a new 2016 GM Suburban from a Toyo option. But I have history putting 70K on two Equinox fleet cars for work and those had zero issues for the duration I drove them. I've had the Burban for a year and it has been awesome with no issues (14K miles). Road trips are a dream. It looks gorgeous. Fits all our gear. If and when I tow I am not limited. I can't speak to the snow 4X4 handling because we didn't get much this year. You sound like you are looking for a purpose built vehicle. Of the two I wouldn't hesitate to jump into one of GM's over the old looking Sequoias with their horrible gas milage.

Also, if you have boats and toys I'd go for the suburban for the extra storage and longer wheelbase.

 

[sillyyankee]

I have a love / hate relationship with my Denali Yukon XL. Every time I get frustrated that something is wrong I remember that I drive the best people and crap mover on the road. I almost always love driving it, and I can even tow the family 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailer without breaking a sweat, take ALL the gear and bring 8 people.
For me, it's a no brainer. Plus it's like driving your couch.
I looked at the Sequoia when I purchased this 2013. The Toyota was 5-10K more with worse gas mileage and less cargo and passenger area.

 

[b4z]

We rented a 2016 in January to go to Florida. Very nice truck. Very comfortable and quiet. Had a tire balance issue and at 80 mph it started vibrating at 83 mph it was unacceptable to go at the speed. Afm kicked in at light throttle positions and it felt like it was lugging which would vibrate the truck. Mpg was impressive. 20.7 mpg for the whole trip. Including traffic jams. 23 mpg steady state.

 

[WillCO]

Opinions are all over the place here, which would tell me this is an internet forum with lots of passionate people on either side of the issue. I read between the lines on a few posts and wonder whether the trucks have been put away wet a few times, though I concede the best-built trucks are more tolerant of that than the worst.

There's not a ton of powertrain evolution between the last 2 generations on the 5.3, so I'd discount any advice that sounds like "what you really need is one of the older ones" unless you're after a 6.2 or you are concerned about the 3rd row seat mechanism. The issue with the steering is unfortunate; I'm happy mine doesn't seem to be afflicted.

The Consumer Reports study is suspect because they list the Tahoe/Yukon, the Suburban/Yukon XL, and the Escalade as three separate vehicles each making its own poor showing and each occupying its own space on the bad list. It seems like any rigorous testing organization would conclude that all of those are mechanically equivalent or near enough, and combine them for results purposes. The treatment they did provide smacks of quid-pro-quo.

You have to go in with your eyes open. If you set aside the recent CR article, the reviews of these trucks are widely positive - particularly from JD Power. Here's the 2016 Tahoe page - all scores pegged to the wall.

 

[cardude2000]

Opinions are all over the place here, which would tell me this is an internet forum with lots of passionate people on either side of the issue. I read between the lines on a few posts and wonder whether the trucks have been put away wet a few times, though I concede the best-built trucks are more tolerant of that than the worst.

There's not a ton of powertrain evolution between the last 2 generations on the 5.3, so I'd discount any advice that sounds like "what you really need is one of the older ones" unless you're after a 6.2 or you are concerned about the 3rd row seat mechanism. The issue with the steering is unfortunate; I'm happy mine doesn't seem to be afflicted.

The Consumer Reports study is suspect because they list the Tahoe/Yukon, the Suburban/Yukon XL, and the Escalade as three separate vehicles each making its own poor showing and each occupying its own space on the bad list. It seems like any rigorous testing organization would conclude that all of those are mechanically equivalent or near enough, and combine them for results purposes. The treatment they did provide smacks of quid-pro-quo.

You have to go in with your eyes open. If you set aside the recent CR article, the reviews of these trucks are widely positive - particularly from JD Power. Here's the 2016 Tahoe page - all scores pegged to the wall.

Consumer reports test all platform variants of all cars/trucks. Not sure why that's fishy to you...

Either way, both organizations work in very different ways. It's important to understand how each organization works for sure. Eyes wide open is important.

https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/why-consumer-reports-and-j-d-power-are-so-different/




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[bgsntth]

I rented two Yukons XL's before I purchased my current Z71, and they all vibrate(d) at about 80 - 85mph. I've had my Z71 road forced balanced (Hunter) at a speed shop, which only made it a bit better. I do not think it is a tire balance issue. The only time I go 85mph is on the I5 between NorCal and SoCal, so I have learned to live with it (i.e., drive 82mph). If I was driving over 80mph on a consistent basis, I would probably get the new Discovery 5. Every Land Rover product I have owned cruises at a 100+ mph with (HR rated) AT tires smooth and effortlessly. Better offroad too, but the Suburban has tons of space.

 

[BK76]

So is the 2018 Sequoia changing? I looked online...it was hard to believe its still the same since 2008...but it is. I have seen 2 images for 2018 Sequoia but one looks like the 2017 (and 2008) and another looks like a bigger version of the 4Runner but wasn't sure if it was just a "dream design" or actual design.

Both of these images are for 2018 Sequoia

 

[WillCO]

Consumer reports test all platform variants of all cars/trucks. Not sure why that's fishy to you...

It's not fishy to me that they test them all. It's odd that they report them as separate models when they really aren't. If you have a top 10 list of least reliable cars and 3 of the spaces are occupied by vehicles mechanically identical to each other, you're making a statement, either on purpose or inadvertently. I am not sure which it is. It would seem more reasonable to group them all together, except maybe the Cadillac that has more electronics differences.

Either way, both organizations work in very different ways. It's important to understand how each organization works for sure. Eyes wide open is important.

https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/why-consumer-reports-and-j-d-power-are-so-different/

Very good article, thanks for posting. To sum it up - Consumer Reports is predicted reliability based on previous performance. JD Power is measured reliability based on aggregated tests of vehicles, either for initial quality or 3-year quality depending on which test. It is a different methodology indeed.

 

[cardude2000]

It's not fishy to me that they test them all. It's odd that they report them as separate models when they really aren't. If you have a top 10 list of least reliable cars and 3 of the spaces are occupied by vehicles mechanically identical to each other, you're making a statement, either on purpose or inadvertently. I am not sure which it is. It would seem more reasonable to group them all together, except maybe the Cadillac that has more electronics differences.

Very good article, thanks for posting. To sum it up - Consumer Reports is predicted reliability based on previous performance. JD Power is measured reliability based on aggregated tests of vehicles, either for initial quality or 3-year quality depending on which test. It is a different methodology indeed.

Electronics/interfaces have a lot do with cars these days so it seems reasonable to list them separately. If they had tested and surveyed amazingly nobody would be complaining.

I'd also add that all Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti variants were rated individually.

As for the tests...CR tests AND does independent surveys to the tune of 200-400 surveys per vehicle.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/10/consumer-reports-car-reliability-faq/index.htm




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[nj16yukon]

BK76 - This is the 2018 Sequoia from the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. I believe this is the TRD trim. Looks more like your first pic.

 

[WillCO]

^ It's a carryover. Rock solid vehicle, but the interior was dated the day it came out in 2009. The vehicle was a non-starter for me because I didn't want to stare at all that hard, gray plastic whenever I drove it..

 

[hunter991]

Thats correct. They are making no changes to the sequioa.. 2018 will be the same as my 2010. Not interested. Especially when they can't get gas mileage over 17 on the hwy.