We are a 5-person military family that packs up kids/pets and travels quite a bit for vacation,sports, hunting, fishing, camping etc. I don't own a boat or RV but do regularly end up towing a trailer/uhaul around the country.

My wife and I both have vehicles (Pathfinder & Traverse) with 3rd row seating but neither provides good cargo space. We make due with luggage bag on the roof and hitch cargo carrier. I'm in the market for something that gives us 3rd row seating, cargo space, and decent gas mileage in the $15-20k range.

The wife wants a Suburban but they seem to be outside our price point. We owned a Toyota Sienna previously and liked it. I'd be happy to get the Sienna as a the family vehicle and keep one of ours to use for hunting/fishing adventures.

A gear head friend of mine suggested looking into the 2000-2002 Ford Excursions. I did a fair amount of internet perusing and it seems the 7.3l diesel is held in high regard. The general consensus seems to be a well-maintained 7.3l Excursion's powertrain can run well into 500k miles (understandably the trim, interior, electronics are a different story). I've also read that with performance intake/exhaust and tuning the 7.3L can get ~20 MPG on the highway if driven conservatively. I was cautioned that even standard maintenance on a diesel is much more expensive than gas vehicles. I'm by no stretch a mechanic but am capable of doing most basic maintenance and can follow a youtube video. I saw the vehicle below (it's 4WD but I don't really need that) and was looking for thoughts and advice on how well a 7.3l Excursion meets my family needs and if my internet education on its performance and longevity is correct. Thanks in advance.

2001 Excursion

.

I wouldn't count on getting more than 17-18 mpg on the highway.

Thanks. MPG discussions were all over the place with some claiming 23 MPG and others 16-17 MPG on the highway.

I think you would be very happy with that Excursion. Just budget for the higher maintenance costs because of 1) diesel and 2) miles

GarlandAg2012 said:

---

In my opinion a $15-20k minivan will be equally reliable, safer, more efficient, and nicer (more creature comforts/tech) than a 2001 Excursion.

---

This

Sequoia

We have 4 kids and eventually ended up in the same boat when our 2007 Tahoe just didn't have the cargo space.

A Yukon XL (same as suburban) was the only thing we found that my wife felt met our needs. Gas mileage is poor, but we've had it 4 years now without any problems and it's comfortable and has tons of room. My wife loves driving it too (for some reason).

I guess you can look at excursion, sequoia, expedition, and the Nissan/Infinity ones. Not sure if they offer models with the same kid of cargo space a Suburban/Yukon XL has. That cargo space is really the defining thing for the GMC IMO.

One thing to look for in the non-GMC alternatives with a true fold-flat back row. The GMC flavor does not offer that, and the rear seats are a pain in butt to fold down and take out. People also steal them in broad daylight. This is my only gripe on our Yukon XL.

Maybe you can find a gently used GMC one that meets your price goals.

I've heard people say that the Mazda SUV that's the biggest (I forget the name, maybe CX-9) is much roomier than one would think. Probably want to at least check that out. Surely it's cheaper than the others I mentioned.

I love our Sequoia but it doesn't have much room for cargo with the back seats in use.

bmeaggie said:

---

One thing to look for in the non-GMC alternatives with a true fold-flat back row. The GMC flavor does not offer that, and the rear seats are a pain in butt to fold down and take out

---

False.

Our 2015 yukon has power folding second and third row seats that fold flat.

EskimoJoe said:

---

bmeaggie said:

---

One thing to look for in the non-GMC alternatives with a true fold-flat back row. The GMC flavor does not offer that, and the rear seats are a pain in butt to fold down and take out

---

False.

Our 2015 yukon has power folding second and third row seats that fold flat.

---

That was new with the 2015 redesign. Prior to that they were removable.

Minivan.

But if hauling a trailer, stay away from older odysseys. Transmission issues.

Duraburb Conversion?


All kidding aside, I love excursions, but you need to consider while the engine will go 500K miles with no issues, however, everything else has aged. Bushings, seals, suspension components, rubber, interior plastics etc.

The 2018 Expedition is coming out, which means 2017 rebates are healthy. I may have skimmed over your budget, but maybe a EL expedition is a good idea.

AgCPA95 said:

---

EskimoJoe said:

---

bmeaggie said:

---

One thing to look for in the non-GMC alternatives with a true fold-flat back row. The GMC flavor does not offer that, and the rear seats are a pain in butt to fold down and take out

---

False.

Our 2015 yukon has power folding second and third row seats that fold flat.

---

That was new with the 2015 redesign. Prior to that they were removable.

---

But the gm does have them. We had an 07 tahoe with the removable seats that popped in and out easily enough that my wife could do it by herself. With them out and the second row flat you had a good amount of flat cargo space. We hauled the jacuzzi bathtub home 80 miles in the 07 when we did the bathroom remodel in our old house.

Used Suburban/Yukons or Expedition ELs would be my go-to's in this field.

Thanks for all the input. Seems like it is either Sienna or save for a bigger budget.

Own a 2003 Excirsion and love it but it's not the primary family vehicle (3 kids as well).

Echoing others the engine is awesome but take into consideration the age of everything else. For example I've got to deal with the AC only blowing through the defrost vent this eeekebd (straightforward fix) hopefully).

Point is I love it but was ok with the age/Maine going in and bought it from my dad who is particular about maintenance. Hat being said I'll probably pull the trigger on s new truck in 2018.

Pretty much in the same boat as OP. The wife has an older Tahoe with the 3rd row seat and it's fine as long as we're not hauling too much. The seats come out which opens the back up quite a bit. But, with the impending arrival of our 3rd little one, we're gonna need more space now that one of the seats is gonn a have to go back in full time. It gets tight with all the kids, 2 dogs and luggage as it is.

I've been looking at the new Expedition EL and really really like it. What I don't like, however is the price tag. Depending on what kind, if any, rebates are offered mid-end of next year, we may just look at a used Yukon XL.

We are also in the same boat. Right now I have a Yukon XL and we can fill that sucker up for weekend hunting and fishing trips with the kids and dogs. I keep looking at minivans but I seriously have no clue where the larger bulkier items and the dogs would all go. I think it would be great for kids and suitcases. 3 labs, hunting gear and a few huge ice chests-not happening. I love the look of the new expedition EL but the price tag makes me cry. I'm just gonna hold onto my 05 for as long as possible.

If you're not utilizing storage capabilities on the roof rack (cargo box of basket) and a hitch cargo carrier then you are doing it wrong. It makes a world of difference.

I have a '17 expedition EL and still have my '04 suburban. The Expy is bigger inside than the suburban. The suburban won't die so I keep it around as my farm truck. For $20k, you might look for a used one in good shape. Properly cared for, they can last.

There's simply nothing better as a people hauler today than minivans. If you have tow, that changes things, but if you're just hauling people and your gear, you can't go wrong with an Odyssey or Sienna.

Soemthing like this at this price point would be great for your family.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/707503949/overview/

In your situation, I would keep an SUV for towing and outdoors stuff, and get a good minivan for stuff and people hauling.

1agswitchin4lanes said:

---

Duraburb Conversion?


All kidding aside, I love excursions, but you need to consider while the engine will go 500K miles with no issues, however, everything else has aged. Bushings, seals, suspension components, rubber, interior plastics etc.

The 2018 Expedition is coming out, which means 2017 rebates are healthy. I may have skimmed over your budget, but maybe a EL expedition is a good idea.

---

Family rented a Expedition EL for a road trip from SA to Taos NM. We had the option of a Suburban as well. At 7,000 feet elevation, the 3.5L ecoboost had NO issues at all getting 7 of us around.