Anyone make the switch from the 360 to full size SUV?

[GeoGoGo]

Hi Everyone,

I am a proud 2007 Trailblazer 4x4 owner and I am looking to get some input. My fiancée just purchased a 2015 Acadia SLT and I really like the vehicle. I like the way it rides and drives but its lack of any low range grunt is a deal breaker for me.

I am ready for something newer. Something smooth and powerful, with lots of options and tech. I naturally thought about the Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade families. I would love to get some ideas and experiences by any members who have made the switch from the Trailblazer to the Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalades.

Are you pleased with the change? How would you compare the drive and ride quality between the two? What do you like? What don’t you like? Are there any must have mods? Is there much of a difference between the three?

Specific areas of interest.
How are the factory headlights?
Which model has the best retrofit options?
Are any particular ones easier to retrofit the others?
Any must have mods?

Thank you all for the time and replies! Have a great day!

Respectfully,
George D.

 

[djthumper]

I still have my TB and also drive a 2014 Silverado full time. The wife is driving the TB until we can fix the AC in the van.

 

[Sparky]

I went to an 07 Silverado extended cab 4x4.
I like the truck. I've logged 64k in 3 years on it (I put 11k first year on it, 16k the second year, and 37k the third... yikes).
I really miss the tight turning radius of the TB. But a Tahoe would be a lot better than a 19 foot pickup truck.

 

[littleblazer]

I had a rental 17 Tahoe over the weekend. Other than it being gutless I got 23mpg on a 400 something mile trip doing about 75-80 mph. Something I could never do in the trailblazer. Turning radius is almost identical. Frankly I think the TB rides better, it just seemed a little bouncy on the freeway... not uncontrollable but a little more. I may also be used to the bilsteins in my truck being well planted. Since there is no real midsized SUV I like I'd go full of I could afford it...

 

[BrianF]

My wife and I have been mulling this over. I would love a new large SUV but... our family is not getting any bigger, no dogs or other random pets to fit into the vehicle so our Tb has been perfectly sized and I still love how nimble it is. Hopefully I can get a few more years out of it.

As opposed to a SUV, look at trucks. January last year we got rid of the 1500 with its pathetic quad cab and run a 2017 Ram 3500 megacab, CTD, Aisin and SRW. I think a large SUV can fit inside the cab. This thing is a beast and vehicle of choice on long highway trips but not so much in bumper to bumper in the city...

Edit: While not as nimble or smooth riding as a SUV, the 3500 costs as much as a loaded SUV somewhere in the mid 70's Canadian. But with a tonneau cover and storage bins I can do almost as much. There is plenty of space for the kids and baggage inside. My cost of ownership is double sided as it is used with my wife's horse business as well. I have my oil changes down to 70 bucks every 24,000km with another 135$ for fuel filters at this interval and with 12,000 of that towing so throw in a few jugs of DEF. E rated 18" tires are bit more expensive but not crazy over some 20+ inch tires on some SUV's or sport trucks. I recently put Goodyear Duratracs on for 1460$ Canadian all in. My expected brake life will be well beyond what any gas vehicle can do. I use the exhaust brake almost exclusively and only engage the service brakes creeping up to lights or signs. My fuel economy is not bad either. Unloaded I am around same highway MPG as my Tb but diesel being cheaper at the pumps. My wife had taken it and the 5 horse trailer on a 3,000km round trip from the prairies to the coast, through the rockies with a 10,000lb load and the thing never missed a beat up and down those grades. Oh and my insurance is cheaper per year than the Tb, even with added weight tagged on and being 11 years newer.

Just food for thought. While a HD truck is not for everyone, they offer a lot of value and capability for the money with similar costs to a large and loaded SUV. Even so, there are some nice half ton trucks out there that might fit the bill better. Plus when you pile on the throttle, get a couple gears in, the turbo is lit and the stupid torque management is gone, that 900ftlb of torque really makes that thing haul.