If you need a large, all-American family SUV in the U.S. today, the top two models on your list are probably the Chevy Suburban and the Ford Expedition. Which one deserves your hard-earned money? In this article, we’ll explore these two options to see which one is right for you.
History of the Suburban and Expedition
The Chevy Suburban is commonly considered the first SUV, with the first Suburban being launched in 1934. Through the years, Chevy has maintained the Suburban as their largest SUV, even though it’s built on the same platform as the Chevy Silverado. The 2021-year model adds to this formula with its new independent rear suspension.
The Ford Expedition was launched in 1996 to replace the two-door Ford Bronco. The vehicle is built on the same platform as the popular Ford F-150, and thus they share some mechanical and electrical components. Ford has had four generations of the Expedition, with the current generation launching in 2018 with a more luxurious interior.
Both the Suburban and the Expedition went through major redesigns over the last decade. However, the 2021 Suburban still has some box-style design touches that are a bit more classic. This is understandable coming from the model with the longest continuously used automobile nameplate in production. The latest Expedition offers a slightly more modern design, especially its front grille and headlights.
Price and Value Comparison
The Chevy Suburban and Ford Expedition have very similar base prices. While the Suburban starts at $51,995, the Expedition is slightly cheaper at $51,800. However, the Suburban’s highest trim, the High Country, is quite pricey at $83,270 compared to the highest trim on the Expedition, the MAX Platinum, which costs a slightly more palatable $77,470.
In terms of fuel economy, Car and Driver found in its testing that the Ford Expedition was more economical than the Chevy Suburban. The Expedition gets 17 mpg city, 24 highway, and 20 combined in its standard body. With the 5.3-liter engine, the Suburban falls just below at 15 mpg city, 22 highway, and 18 combined. The fuel economy for the Suburban with the 6.2-liter engine drops to 14 mpg city, 23 highway, and 17 combined. The Expedition has a twin-turbo V6 while the Suburban has a V8; although, they both produced similar horsepower and torque.
The Differences in Size and Comfort
Both SUVs are very large with generous cabin space and cargo room. The Chevy Suburban can seat between seven and nine people comfortably, depending on the configuration. The standard configuration offers eight seats with plenty of knee room and headroom in the second and third row.
The second row has 38.9 inches of headroom and 42 inches of legroom. In the third row, the headroom is 38.2 inches while the legroom is less than the second row at 36.7 inches. This SUV has a large wheelbase of 134.1 inches and a height of 75.7 inches. The Chevy Suburban has a ground clearance of 7.9 inches.
Due to the independent rear dampers and the optional air suspension, the Suburban has a very smooth ride. The leather seats are soft and do offer lumbar support. However, some reviewers claim they can be flat and thus slightly uncomfortable.
On the other hand, the Ford Expedition can seat either seven or eight people comfortably, depending on the configuration. The standard configuration offers eight seats and is slightly more spacious than the Suburban.
While the second row has 40 inches of headroom and 42.6 inches of legroom, the third row has 37.3 inches of headroom and 40.9 inches of legroom. This vehicle has a large wheelbase of 131.6 inches and a height of 76.4 inches. The Ford Expedition has a ground clearance of 9.8 inches.
Reviewers generally compliment the Expedition for having a smooth ride quality. Its seating offers multiple zones of lumbar support in the front row, with the higher trim variants featuring a massage function with heating and cooling.
Safety
If you’re looking for a family SUV that will likely carry young children, safety is one of the most important categories. In this regard, the Ford Expedition fairs better scoring five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s testing compared to the Chevy Suburbans’ four stars.
Where the Suburban fell short was in the roll-over and frontal collision tests, where it scored three and four stars, respectively. On the other hand, the Expedition managed to score an impressive four stars in the roll-over testing and a full five stars in the frontal collision testing.
Both vehicles feature the latest safety technologies. You’ll find features such as Auto Emergency Breaking and Tire Pressure Monitoring coming standard on the Suburban and Expedition. The Chevy Suburban adds daytime running lights, blind-spot monitoring, a Forward Collision Alert system, Lane Keeping Assist, Stability Control, and a 360-degree surround-view system using nine cameras.
As for the Ford Expedition, it features a Pre-Collision Assistant with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, roll stability control, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trim models also get Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Departure Warning systems.
Reliability and Durability Ratings
Both the Suburban and Expedition are built to be tough SUVs that can handle any terrain. However, they only have an average record of reliability, according to J.D. Power Quality and Reliability ratings. The Chevy Suburban and the Ford Expedition both scored a three out of five in reliability. However, J.D. Power users did give the edge in reliability to the Suburban with 83 out of 100 while the Ford Expedition scored 76 out of 100.
Utility and Capacity Specifications
Family SUVs have to offer superior utility and practicality. The Chevy Suburban has a cargo capacity of 41.5 cubic feet with all the seats in place. With the seats down, the vehicle gets a maximum cargo capacity of 144.7 cubic feet with a maximum payload of 2,017 pounds. The vehicle can also tow a trailer with a maximum weight of 7,600 pounds.
On the other hand, the Ford Expedition has a larger cargo capacity of 57.5 cubic feet with all the seats in place. However, with the seats down, the Expedition has a maximum cargo capacity of only 104.6 cubic feet with a maximum payload of 1,757 pounds. The vehicle can also tow a conventional trailer with a maximum weight of 6,600 pounds.
Chevy Suburban vs. Ford Expedition: Which One Wins?
In conclusion, both these vehicles are very similar in terms of practicality, performance, and cost. The Ford In conclusion, both these vehicles are very similar in terms of practicality, performance, and cost. The Ford Expedition does edge out the Chevy Suburban in safety, fuel economy, and affordability. However, the Chevy Suburban wins in towing capacity and total cargo space. Furthermore, it has been reported to be slightly more reliable, according to J. D. Power users.
Ultimately, the winner comes down to how you plan to use your SUV. Altogether, both vehicles are solid and will fit the role of a large, practical family SUV perfectly.