Best Large SUV stock?

[rayra]

I have a full-sized garage (house was built in 1984) so at least that is not an issue. On the Suburban versus Tahoe front, does the Suburban have a longer drive train? Could be an issue on rough forest roads, though admittedly probably not a big deal. I have seen plenty of pickups go where I like to go.

If you mean longer wheelbase, longer than what? The Tahoe, certainly, you don't get all that extra room for nothing. My '02 Sub's wheelbase (130") is within a couple inches of my '85 standard cab longbed C-10. So that length isn't 'bad' in and of itself. High-centering over a berm or boulder is about the only concern for either. And departure angles. Both with the 12k-lb hitch / towing mackage, sucks anyway even in the Tahoe. You'll want to delete the hitch if you intend to do any real wheelin' in a Tahoe. Be better to get the 2-door version, what was the old K5 Blazer. Those were good beasts for CA offroading. like driving a fat jeep off-road. A lot more room than a jeep. But you aren't laying down in one to sleep.

Make a list of your priorities. What's important to you. What's MOST important. No full size will be best in any category except cargo capacity, towing and sleeping in it. Everything else is a compromise. You aren't joining a Jeep technical trail crawl in a Tahoe. You aren't going to a beat a midsize or import for fuel economy. You aren't going to beat a short wheelbase for navigating rough or tight terrain. But neither should you fault the full size for those things. Buy what is most appropriate to your priorities. There is no 'best' full-size. That's magazine headline fodder BS.

 

[diver110]

If you mean longer wheelbase, longer than what? The Tahoe, certainly, you don't get all that extra room for nothing. My '02 Sub's wheelbase (130") is within a couple inches of my '85 standard cab longbed C-10. So that length isn't 'bad' in and of itself. High-centering over a berm or boulder is about the only concern for either. And departure angles. Both with the 12k-lb hitch / towing mackage, sucks anyway even in the Tahoe. You'll want to delete the hitch if you intend to do any real wheelin' in a Tahoe. Be better to get the 2-door version, what was the old K5 Blazer. Those were good beasts for CA offroading. like driving a fat jeep off-road. A lot more room than a jeep. But you aren't laying down in one to sleep.

Make a list of your priorities. What's important to you. What's MOST important. No full size will be best in any category except cargo capacity, towing and sleeping in it. Everything else is a compromise. You aren't joining a Jeep technical trail crawl in a Tahoe. You aren't going to a beat a midsize or import for fuel economy. You aren't going to beat a short wheelbase for navigating rough or tight terrain. But neither should you fault the full size for those things. Buy what is most appropriate to your priorities. There is no 'best' full-size. That's magazine headline fodder BS.

Thanks. I meant wheelbase. Brain malfunction. I see pickups on most of the forest roads I travel on, so I assume the wheelbase won't be a big deal. May want to put on a small lift.

 

[rayra]

The biggest trouble I ever had was a narrow road cut in the Sierras, came around a curve and found an erosion washout that I wasn't going to try to traverse. The road was about 3' wider than my pickup, fairly steep hill on my driver side, similar angle dropoff on the other. And inclined. Had some ATCs in the back, really couldn't see behind me well. I walked back about a 100yds to look things over, my passenger got out to call warning on the dropoff side and I slowly backed about 50yds to a spot where the hill side was less steep and commenced what became about a 27-point turnaround. Wore the paint off my step bumper repeatedly jamming it into the hill, trying to keep my front end from going over the edge. in hindsight we should have unloaded the ATCs and rode them back to a decent turnaround and I could have hiked back and backed it all the way out.

That's the only sort of trouble I think you'd find with a Suburban in Ca, unless you try rock-crawling with one.


addendum to my early remarks in teh topic about the difference in trail-driving in the West vs the East. Out here, our trees are big enough to drive THRU, much less between, :ylsmoke: