If I get a job closer to home we are toying witht he idea of getting something big since the wife and I will be able to carpool. A pickup truck is out because it wont hold us and our 3 dogs as well as a friend or two so we're looking at some bigger SUV's. My wife doesn't really want to drive a Suburban around so that is too big, but we were looking at the Durango or Expedition. Both pull within pounds of each other as far as towing goes. Does anybody have pros or cons to them? Please no "ford sucks" "dodge sucks" comments. Well ok a few, but to a minimum . Looking for some input.
thanks!
-c
Are you certain about their towing capacity being similar? In 2003 an Expedition set up for towing was given a rating of 8,950 lbs. by Ford. I was not aware of Durangos having that much towing capacity; and we shopped all SUVs at that time....
Maybe capacities have changed.
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Kistler wrote: Are you certain about their towing capacity being similar? In 2003 an Expedition set up for towing was given a rating of 8,950 lbs. by Ford. I was not aware of Durangos having that much towing capacity; and we shopped all SUVs at that time....
Maybe capacities have changed.
Yes, they have. Dodge re-designed the Durango, I believe it was in either '04 or '05. Gave it the Hemi engine, redesigned the entire body, suspension, etc. With the more powerful Hemi engine, came much higher tow ratings for the Durango, 8900 I believe. Sooo, yes, a newer Expedition and Durango are very close when it comes to towing capacity.
Anyway, back to the subject: Tough call there, both are good trucks. I think I'd go with the Durango, though. Mainly 'cause the hemi has that cylinder de-activation/MDS (whatever Dodge calls it). Ought to give you a little better solo mileage, which would be important since you say it will be a commuter vehicle. Don't believe Ford offers anything like MDS in the Expy's 5.4 V8. I think the hemi would have a slight power advantage for towing, too.
(And, this coming from a Ford owner, haha..)
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Because it would be nice to have two tow vehicles instead of just my Jeep. Plus if we wanna go bigger or get a boat, we can bring both camping, etc. I'm not having a debt problem, I didn't think I gave that impression. I think my wife is leaning towards a Durango, but again all this depends on me leaving my job that currently offers a 120 mile round trip every day
-c
I have on 05 Durango I custom ordered from factory. 3 yrs and I still love it and admire it when I walk up to it.
Personally its perfect size. My mechanic friend says its the ideal size, not too long and not a mid-size or compact either. Combined with engine and less weight, gets up and goes. Rides nice, quiet ride for most part. Had rented an 07 Honda Civic couple months ago, wow the road noise, so made me appreciate my Durango.
Expedition I thought comes in diesel and if so no contest.. Expedition wins with the Torque over HP. I have the FULL time Hemi.. Just missed the modified Hemi by months. Get on average 14-16 mpg but I know the newer ones do even better. Body style, Durango wins! Curves, windows give it nice look. Expedition is still an over grown Explorer box. My only fault I find with fords, ugly body style. Still boxy..
Great-Dane wrote: Expedition I thought comes in diesel and if so no contest.. Expedition wins with the Torque over HP.
that would be the excursion, which is no longer produced, and is actually larger than the suburban. the expedition comes with the 5.4 triton, or smaller engines available. i'm not sure what the new expeditions come with, but i have not heard of a deisel.
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Either the Expedition or the Durango will handle your present trailer fine. Just remember that if you go with an Expedition, and you buy the EXT model, your wife WILL be driving a Suburban-sized vehicle. (My wife, thin and short, had the same fears. But she drove Suburbans from 1984 to 2007, and loved them, once we got our first. Kids gone, we no longer need a large people mover).
Also, remember that the Tahoe is comparable in size to a standard sized Expedition, as are the largest SUVs from Nissan and Toyota. Unless you spend a lot of time in parking garages (which we never did), driving a Suburban-sized vehicle doesn't cause many inconveniences (The Suburban has a wheelbase and overall length almost identical to a GM short-bed, extended cab pickup. We used to have one of each parked side-by-side.)
I won't try to persuade you to buy either the Ford or the Dodge, which is a personal decision. While admiring the original Durango, and having owned some Chrysler Corp. trucks and cars, I do not like the redesigned Durango because to me it looks like a failed attempt to build a crossover between an SUV and a minivan, whose nose was abruptly cut off or has collided with a wall. Thankfully, we all have choices, and if you are seriously considering a Durango, then I'm sure the styling agrees with your tastes.
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I won't try to persuade you to buy either the Ford or the Dodge, which is a personal decision. While admiring the original Durango, and having owned some Chrysler Corp. trucks and cars, I do not like the redesigned Durango because to me it looks like a failed attempt to build a crossover between an SUV and a minivan, whose nose was abruptly cut off or has collided with a wall. Thankfully, we all have choices, and if you are seriously considering a Durango, then I'm sure the styling agrees with your tastes.
I agree. I thought the previous generation Durango was a nice looking SUV. The current Durango I don't find nearly as attractive, though the latest grill refresh does look a little better. I think the Chrysler Aspen is a much better looking SUV, and is the basically the same mechanically as the Durango.
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Just moved from a 1999 Durango to 2003 Expedition last winter. Went with the Expy due to better mileage, larger engine and more towing capacity. Keeping in mind that I was comparing '03 Ford to '03 Dodge which was before they upped the size in the Dodge. I have been either Ford or Chrysler guy so don't have preference over either. It just seemed the Expy had more to offer in that year range. Now getting 20+ mpg (on the truck's computer) with 5.4 Triton. One other concern. Ford says change the plugs at 100K. I work on classic cars as a hobby. This is not something you want to do in your own shop. Just checked with dealer, $450 to change the plugs. Something to consider! If you are not trading in an SUV this is an excellent time to buy, they can't give these things away right now.
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. Looking for some input.
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Something to consider! If you are not trading in an SUV this is an excellent time to buy, they can't give these things away right now.
