I wasn’t in the market for one pre-Covid so I don’t really have a ‘normal’ view of full-size SUV dynamics. But life circumstances have changed and I recently hired a Yukon XL and a Wagoneer Series III and, to my surprise, was impressed by both.
I’m a car-guy and traditionally a Japanese car-guy so my natural preference is to go with the Sequoia, but the rear seating, storage and lack of full-time ‘auto’ 4WD/AWD has made me pause.
Who here owns or has owned a full-size SUV? What’s your experience, recommendations and take on pricing? They’re so expensive these days.
The marginal utility over a larger unibody like a Lexus TX doesn’t justify the huge price delta. The larger BOF only make sense for specific use-cases, such as towing more than the unibodies.
Plus reliability becomes a concern: CJDR is usually dead last in this regard and GM’s trucks are only slightly better.
@max_g Thank you and agreed. I know ‘Mini-van’ and extended unibody (Highlander, TX etc.) are probably smarter money but the Australian in me makes me yearn for something with a transfer case, even if it’s rarely going to get used.
Despite enjoying the drive in both the Yukon on the Wagoneer, it would be very, very unlikely that I’d end up with one. I have had bad experiences with GM vehicles and constantly hear negatives about Jeep reliability. I’ve joined both the Yukon/Tahoe/Suburban group and the Wagoneer group on Facebook and it hasn’t alleviated those concerns - constant issues and Lemon Law questions.
Not sure what other full size BOF SUVs are out there besides GM/Chevy/Jeep/Toyota. As far as ‘deals’ go, I would target the Wagoneer first since these seem to be sitting on lots and aren’t moving as fast as the other BOF SUVs are.
You’re right, there’s not a whole lot. I would generally say the below are ‘full-size’. My budget would probably be the 60K - 80K mark, preferably on the lower side.
I’m not sure where you live, but @aronchi has a SMOKIN 21 month lease deal on a QX80. What are you going to be using the SUV for? Kids? Skiing? Vacations? Hockey tournaments?
@nyccarguy Thanks for letting me know. QX80s isn’t something I really considered, but I’m open to everything. Any chance you have a link to that deal?
It’s for convenience of young kids & grandparents - carting then around, road trips etc. Captains chairs is a must because we’ll have two kids seats in the second row and need easy access to the third. How times have changed - once upon a time it was all about 0-60 and peak torque and now I’m subscribing to the Car Mom and basing my decisions on Captains chairs and safety ratings.
Third row access is terrible in the QX80 and Armada.
It’s pretty bad in general across this BOF class due to how high the floor is off the ground. The kind of agility you take for granted becomes a lot more challenging on older knees and hips.
Yeah, the Yukon XL was the first vehicle I’ve been in where I was like, “Ok, now I see the attraction of the third row”
The Sequoia TRD Pro seemed like the answer to my prayers - Landcruiser distant-relation, off-road fun stuff, Toyota quality - but the BOF + hybrid battery system makes for a compromised third row. I’ll have to check it out in person.
The other one that caught my eye was the Expedition Timberline, but I’m concerned about Ford build quality over the past few years (it’s never been great, but seems to be really bad since 2020) and they’re due for a new model.
