Expedition Max to Yukon XL?

[DontTaseMeBro]

Thank you for posting this. My wife and I are going through the same decision. We recently sold our Expedition Max that we absolutely loved... when it wasn't in the shop. We ended up selling it after our freshly rebuilt transmission overheated pulling this pop up on our way to South Dakota and left us on the side of the highway. It was the last straw.

So now we're on the hunt and really like the Yukon's but have some concerns including the "same" transmission as our Expy.

We're really considering the 3.0 Duramax and love the Midnight Blue Color.

Must Haves:
Max Tow Package
Adaptive Cruise Control (Does this include the hands free driving?)

Wants:
Middle bench
Rear Entertainment

It's nice to hear that you're happy with your decision, hopefully we can make the jump soon.

View attachment 433886

They have the sam trans, but the programming is vastly different IMO. The 10 speed on our Yukon hasn’t seen higher than 207F on a steep grade at 100F+ while towing. The Expy has seen over 250F.

That should tell you right there which one will last longer. I believe it’s because the Yukon has an N/A engine. Also, I bet it has a low temp trans thermostat.

Dmax is a great engine to have in the Yukon. Hands free driving - are you talking about the lane keep assist + adaptive cruise or are you referring to the autonomous Super Cruise? The former comes with lane keep assist if you get adaptive. The latter is a subscription based option that can only be optioned on the Denali or Denali Ultimate.

 

[JayceeP]

The lane keeping/centering in my 2021 F150 Lariat is way better than what my 2024 Yukon XL SLT has. It wanders way too much and will go all the way to the lines. The F150 maintains center, and if it wasn’t for the steering wheel sensors, it would be 100% hands-free highway driving if staying in 1 lane.

 

[ChuckPeazy]

They have the sam trans, but the programming is vastly different IMO. The 10 speed on our Yukon hasn’t seen higher than 207F on a steep grade at 100F+ while towing. The Expy has seen over 250F.

That should tell you right there which one will last longer. I believe it’s because the Yukon has an N/A engine. Also, I bet it has a low temp trans thermostat.

Dmax is a great engine to have in the Yukon. Hands free driving - are you talking about the lane keep assist + adaptive cruise or are you referring to the autonomous Super Cruise? The former comes with lane keep assist if you get adaptive. The latter is a subscription based option that can only be optioned on the Denali or Denali Ultimate.

I think I’m curious about the Super Cruise.

This is the one I’m currently looking at. It’s a Denali Ultimate although it looks like it’s a package for MY 2022 and not a separate trim like the current ones

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

I think I’m curious about the Super Cruise.

This is the one I’m currently looking at. It’s a Denali Ultimate although it looks like it’s a package for MY 2022 and not a separate trim like the current ones

View attachment 433906

Correct. When they turned it into a trim for MY2023, they threw in a few exclusive exterior and interior things that weren’t previously offered with the Ultimate package.

 

[Polo08816]

Thank you for posting this. My wife and I are going through the same decision. We recently sold our Expedition Max that we absolutely loved... when it wasn't in the shop. We ended up selling it after our freshly rebuilt transmission overheated pulling this pop up on our way to South Dakota and left us on the side of the highway. It was the last straw.

So now we're on the hunt and really like the Yukon's but have some concerns including the "same" transmission as our Expy.

We're really considering the 3.0 Duramax and love the Midnight Blue Color.

Must Haves:
Max Tow Package
Adaptive Cruise Control (Does this include the hands free driving?)

Wants:
Middle bench
Rear Entertainment

It's nice to hear that you're happy with your decision, hopefully we can make the jump soon.

View attachment 433886

They have the sam trans, but the programming is vastly different IMO. The 10 speed on our Yukon hasn’t seen higher than 207F on a steep grade at 100F+ while towing. The Expy has seen over 250F.

That should tell you right there which one will last longer. I believe it’s because the Yukon has an N/A engine. Also, I bet it has a low temp trans thermostat.

Dmax is a great engine to have in the Yukon. Hands free driving - are you talking about the lane keep assist + adaptive cruise or are you referring to the autonomous Super Cruise? The former comes with lane keep assist if you get adaptive. The latter is a subscription based option that can only be optioned on the Denali or Denali Ultimate.

I believe the cooling system design for the Ford and GM are different for the 10 speed transmission. I believe outside of the F150 Raptor and Police Responder trims, the Ford 10R80 uses a liquid to liquid heat exchanger for the transmission oil and engine coolant. GM appears to use a air to liquid heat exchanger for the transmission:

Oil Cooler for 2022 GMC Yukon XL | GMPartsDirect.com

www.gmpartsdirect.com

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

I believe the cooling system design for the Ford and GM are different for the 10 speed transmission. I believe outside of the F150 Raptor and Police Responder trims, the Ford 10R80 uses a liquid to liquid heat exchanger for the transmission oil and engine coolant. GM appears to use a air to liquid heat exchanger for the transmission:

Oil Cooler for 2022 GMC Yukon XL | GMPartsDirect.com

www.gmpartsdirect.com

Nice, further hammers my point home.

 

[TahoeFL2017]

Alright, well I pulled the trigger and picked up a 2022 Yukon XL Denali in Midnight Blue Metallic over a Dark Walnut/Very Ash Gray interior. 43k miles on the odometer. All the options except Super Cruise and air suspension. I wanted to get one with air suspension, but this was too good of a deal to pass up.

My 2 week ownership experience may be limited but I can tell you this is one hell of a ride compared to my 2020 Expedition. Feels like a bank vault on wheels, soaks up the bumps over crappy pavement like it’s not there. Better interior, more technology, and man, the 6.2 is one fabulous engine.

Fingers crossed it gives us many years of reliability(I’m very well aware of all the engine issues, the one in ours was replaced 13k miles ago).

Last but not least, the seats. Dunno why everyone keeps bagging on them, they feel fantastic. Even my buddy commented on how they felt better to him compared to the Expeditions. Back when I had the 2022 HC Silverado, I thought those seats were too firm. These don’t feel the same as those seats at all.

Anyways, thanks all for the feedback. Here are some pics.

View attachment 429153

View attachment 429154

I'm looking for the same thing for the wife, do you mind sharing how much you paid?

I'm trying to be in the 50k range with the 6.2, so wondering how realistic that is.

Out the door under 60k is the goal.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

I'm looking for the same thing for the wife, do you mind sharing how much you paid?

I'm trying to be in the 50k range with the 6.2, so wondering how realistic that is.

Out the door under 60k is the goal.

I paid $54k out the door. But I bought the vehicle at a dealer auction. Comparable ones(year/mileage/trim/xl) were selling for around $68k otd at nearby dealerships.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

So took out this rig to the same spot that made me decide to dump our Expedition 2 years ago. It was 102F at the time of towing(vs 90F last time). Max trans temp that I hit was 230F for about a minute right before I hit the summit of the grade.

Compared to the Expedition, transmission ran 24 degrees cooler despite it being 12 degrees hotter outside vs the previous time. Not to mention I had an extra 400lbs of weight in the trailer since I decided to bring water with me vs filling it at the site.

All in all, just proved my assumptions that I had made 2 years ago. Super happy that we dumped the Ford.

That all being said, I am changing the trans fluid here soon as I just hit 50k. Figured that’s a good interval for a rig that tows approx 3-4x a year.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... changing the trans fluid here soon as I just hit 50k. Figured that’s a good interval

I get that I'm a pessimist who still uses the Dexron3 ATF chart

176°F / 80°C ....... 64,000-96,000 Miles ... Ideal Automatic Transmission Fluid Temp
194°F / 90°C ....... 32,000-48,000 Miles ... Max Recommended Sustained Temp
212°F / 100°C ..... 16,000-24,000 Miles ... Pressure Drops, MpG increases, longevity / durability decreases
Between 213F & 230F is where automakers want ATF to live for better MpG, NOT for longer ATF life
230°F / 110°C ........ 8,000-12,000 Miles ... Varnishes Form
257°F / 125°C .......... 4,000-6,000 Miles ... Seals Harden
275°F / 135°C .......... 2,000-3,000 Miles ... Clutches Slip
293°F / 145°C .......... 1,000-1,500 Miles ... Oil forms carbon, seals and clutches burn
320°F / 160°C ... ... ... transmission line sensor triggers pcm's Hot Transmission Mode

but I change the ATF any/every time it hits 230F.
ATF temp is NOT measured at the hottest possible place in the transmission (torque converter?),
so best believe that while YOU saw 230F (in the pan?), some portion of the ATF was well over 239F.

Otherwise, changing Dex6 every 50k is pretty good.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

I get that I'm a pessimist who still uses the Dexron3 ATF chart

176°F / 80°C ....... 64,000-96,000 Miles ... Ideal Automatic Transmission Fluid Temp
194°F / 90°C ....... 32,000-48,000 Miles ... Max Recommended Sustained Temp
212°F / 100°C ..... 16,000-24,000 Miles ... Pressure Drops, MpG increases, longevity / durability decreases
Between 213F & 230F is where automakers want ATF to live for better MpG, NOT for longer ATF life
230°F / 110°C ........ 8,000-12,000 Miles ... Varnishes Form
257°F / 125°C .......... 4,000-6,000 Miles ... Seals Harden
275°F / 135°C .......... 2,000-3,000 Miles ... Clutches Slip
293°F / 145°C .......... 1,000-1,500 Miles ... Oil forms carbon, seals and clutches burn
320°F / 160°C ... ... ... transmission line sensor triggers pcm's Hot Transmission Mode

but I change the ATF any/every time it hits 230F.
ATF temp is NOT measured at the hottest possible place in the transmission (torque converter?),
so best believe that while YOU saw 230F (in the pan?), some portion of the ATF was well over 239F.

Otherwise, changing Dex6 every 50k is pretty good.

I had a feeling someone would reply with that chart lol. I've seen that chart many times and I respectfully don't agree with it when it comes to the 10L80. The high temp warning on these transmissions doesn't appear until something like 270F. Ya ya, I know I know, the mfg doesn't care about longevity etc. Hence why I'm replacing the fluid. But one tow a year where the trans temps reach past the 200's isn't going to do anything.

 

[intheburbs]

Multiple excursions to 230-240° on my Suburban. All-time high was a summer run up the Ike Gauntlet with an 8600-lb trailer where I hit 243°.

Truck has 265k miles, original trans and torque converter. Frequent fluid changes are the key, IMHO.

This was my most-recent Ike Gauntlet run, September of last year:

 

[Marky Dissod]

... seen that chart many times, and I respectfully don't agree with it when it comes to the 10L80.

It's more the 10L80-specific ATF (superior to Dex6 if 100% true synthetic) than the 10L80 itself.

The high temp warning on these transmissions doesn't appear until something like 270F. Ya ya, I know I know, the mfg doesn't care about longevity etc.
Hence why I'm replacing the fluid. But one tow a year where the trans temps reach past 200F isn't going to do anything.

200F is nothing. 248F, I'd change the 10L80-ATF every time.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

It's more the 10L80-specific ATF (superior to Dex6 if 100% true synthetic) than the 10L80 itself.

200F is nothing. 248F, I'd change the 10L80-ATF every time.

Funny enough, I was going to mention Dexron ULV but instead chose to mention the transmission model itself since a perfect example is the normal operating temp in the Expedition(as you know, same tranny) is 205-215F. Yet on the Yukon, it takes a lot to hit those temps.