Just curious, which is best SUV? Ford Explorer, Dodge Durrango, Chevy Tahoe,

04-14-2009, 02:22 PM

Nissan Xterra? all around the same year
can you give a comparison such as Tahoe>Durango>Explorer like that?

thanks

04-14-2009, 02:22 PM

I have driven an '08 Tahoe, Pathfinder (very similar to the Xterra in my opinion), and the Explorer. All were rental vehicles that my company kept for an extended amount of time.

Tahoe:
Strong V8 and still got good economy with the dual-displacement motor. 20+ was common on the highway in hilly terrain. It was very comfortable, quiet interior, handled well for its size. I did not like the low front bumper (catches crap easily) and the fact that it is all plastic (but most vehicles are anymore). The sound system was very nice. The suspension was a bit too soft in my opinion, but I drive a truck as a DD so it could just be me. It was loaded with nifty little options like trans temperature reading, run hours since last reset, fuel consumed (in gallons) since last reset, and a few others. Seats were nice with a good range of adjustment. Only fullsize SUV, I consider the other 2 below to be more compact in size.

Pathfinder:
Yeah I know, but aren't they really close to the Xterra? It was fast, very fast. The V6 made good low-end torque, and the 5spd trans was not harsh or clunky. The back seat is a pain to get in and out of because of the hump for the rear tire. The IRS (independent rear suspension) handles rough terrain well, but does not have a lot of travel. When you hammer on it, the rear squats down a lot; just an odd feeling. Stereo sucked, hard to read and didn't sound good. In fact, I didn't like anything about the interior. The seats were uncomfortable, controls felt cheap. Didn't even get as good a mileage as the Tahoe, it was fast though.

Explorer:
If you even think you will take this thing in a dirt parking lot, get the 4wd version. The independent suspension all the way around has a very limited amount of travel. I've driven cars with more suspension travel! The suspension is stiff (because there isn't much travel). It handled well on-road though. It had a noisy interior, limited head room (I'm 6'2"). The V6 was strong, and the 5spd auto worked well. Mileage was comparable to the Tahoe. Interior was nice, but this was the only vehicle out of many that I've had on a mine site (dusty conditions) that the interior filled with dust easily, like it had poor filtering or bad seals. The traction control is a pain, even after I hold the stupid button down for 5 seconds, it still doesn't completely deactivate and if I go above 35mph, it turns itself back on... Absolutely sucked in rough terrain.

**rainkissed** · 04-14-2009, 02:23 PM

anything General Motors. Ford would be your second choice, but stay away from Toyota. Toyota is the reason why places such as Detroit are dying. Please support American cars.