[NA] 2025 Expedition or 2025 Yukon/Tahoe with baby duramax?

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Brad W

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Help me pick my next car
(I'm probably looking at platinum vs denali based on options I'd like)

the biggest con I can come up with for the GMC is the lack of lane centering with their adaptive cruise control. I've grown to love that feature in my current car, an Audi. Ping ponging down the road is nearly a show stopper for me. Can any of you talk me out of that concern?
 
I've been driving since before cars were invented and I don't recall ping-ponging being a thing
 
it's an adaptive cruise control thing.... not hands off automatic driving, but close to that. Some cars hold the center of the lane when cruise control is on, while some will just nudge you if you drift over the line...in which case it nudges you back and forth when you get lazy. Even the lane centering is just an aid, I still actively drive hands on because it's not 100% reliable but it is a very nice driving aid and safety feature backing the driver up
 
I wouldn't get the Ford of lane keeping assist ping ponging is the priority. I have a '24 Ford Bronco and it does that. I'm sure the local dealer would be happy to let you test that out on the highway, go do a test drive of each before you plop down your $80(100?)k.
 
yeah, maybe your bronco just doesn't have the hold-center feature. It's an option for some models and some trim levels, but I have no idea about what's available on the new bronco's. I had a 1966 model a long time ago, but I doubt if it compares beyond the basic outward style.
 
If those are the two choices, Yukon + duramax all day long. So quiet compared to the clack-clacks I've owned in the past. Came within an ace of buying one last year, but swerved with a last-minute mission change.

I'd do a Navigator over the Expedition. Those 30-way seats are something else.
 
No comment on Ford vs GM, but I have two cars with lane centering and turned them both off. They do some strange things at times.
 
Don’t get the 6.2 if you go GM…currently grenading left and right. Some with only a few hundred miles…

Edit…just saw the thread title with the engine choice. Apparently my reading comprehension is at an all time low this weekend…carry on
 
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Well, just like planes... What’s your mission??
 
I love my baby duramax in my Silverado. It’s been 25,000 trouble free miles so far. My Silverado has lane assist… works fine if you were to get sleepy and needed a life saver while you find the hotel, otherwise it’s turned off.
 
AA5Bman said:
Well, just like planes... What’s your mission??
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urban assault vehicle. 4x4 even though it'll only see gravel roads rarely.

Seriously, it'll be my daily driver. The same as probably 99.9% of all of these things on the road. Mostly me driving alone to work but I have a family of 5 and need seats and cargo volume and capacity for road trips. Towing 3,000#-4,000# occasionally, but I want a lot of margin above that on my tow rating. Occasional hauling stuff for the house..typical dad use, not used for heavy commercial lifting

There are smaller unibody SUV's that would do the job but I want truck a truck-based suv
 
I watched a video the other day that listed the 10 most annoying ‘features’ on late model cares, and lane centering was number one. New cars have completely lost their appeal to me with the endless nonsense they embody, and I’m not alone based one what I’ve been reading. Amazing to realize that now I have the resources to buy any new car I want, and after having bought quite a few previously, next time I’ll be looking for a low mileage 10-year old car built before most of the crap was added. The only problem with that is the number of other people doing the same thing and driving 10 year old car prices up!
 
Brad W said:
urban assault vehicle. 4x4 even though it'll only see gravel roads rarely.

Seriously, it'll be my daily driver. The same as probably 99.9% of all of these things on the road. Mostly me driving alone to work but I have a family of 5 and need seats and cargo volume and capacity for road trips. Towing 3,000#-4,000# occasionally, but I want a lot of margin above that on my tow rating. Occasional hauling stuff for the house..typical dad use, not used for heavy commercial lifting

There are smaller unibody SUV's that would do the job but I want truck a truck-based suv
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Do you need to tow?
 
Omalley1537 said:
Don’t get the 6.2 if you go GM…currently grenading left and right. Some with only a few hundred miles…

Edit…just saw the thread title with the engine choice. Apparently my reading comprehension is at an all time low this weekend…carry on
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I will second that suggestion, even if it wasn't on the menu, lol. GM is having 6.2L (and some 5.3L) failures left and right on their Denali/Escalde/Tahoe RST stuff. There's been some headaches with the 3.0L diesel, but nothing that appears to be systemic. You just won't win any races with it. I think the Expedition/Navigator is a solid choice as well, with the EB V6 being about as well sorted as can be by now.
 
I honestly think it's dealer's choice on this one. Both of the options will be decent full-size SUVs. Just go with the one you like the best in terms of looks/ride comfort. They both use the same 10-speed transmission that Ford & GM co-developed. It had some hang-ups early on, mostly related to programming, but it's been in use since 2018 so they have a lot of data/miles on them now and they've proven pretty reliable. I don't personally love the new Expedition interior dash for 2025, but that's just me. Both Ford and GM have softened the lines of those SUVs which makes them look more like a minivan. I prefer the 2024 models for both of them.
 
I have a 2024 High Country Silverado with the baby Duramax and GM's supercruise. I also own a Tesla model Y. I prefer the Supercruise on the highway over the Tesla. Driving to California recently I got onto I10 in W Phoenix and didn't touch the steering wheel until Indio. I can also get close to 30MPG in the baby Dmax if I can keep the speed reasonable. I'm very impressed with the Silverado.
 
Yeah, I understand that the supercruise is pretty great. My concern is how it operates on unmapped roads or if I let the subscription run out...

At the suggestion of my 19-year-old son, I did a deep dive asking questions and follow-up questions to chatgpt. Taking everything with a grain of salt of course, but I had already done enough research to be able to fact check it and correct errors as it went along. The expedition won in almost every category except for cargo volume. Suprised me that even the cost of operation edged out to the expedition as the winner due to the def and the maintenance on the diesel, and depreciation. The GM seems to come out on top with higher end things like adaptive air suspension and apparently has a more comfortable cab, etc..

This brings another question to mind that I need to research... what functionality will be lost when the subscription runs out? On my Audi when the subscription ran out I lost some cool features in the onboard nav and infotainment display options. (one reason that I'm interested/hopeful about learning what these new google based infotainment systems have to offer)
 
FYI I asked gpt to show me all vehicles with the baby duramax. it listed a few and I knew that wasn't the full list. I went to the chevy website and for each vehicle the "default" engine was something other than the duramax. you had to manually select it, and gpt wasn't capable of doing that. I'm going to push it a little harder, see if it'll figure it out.
 
might have to specify the 3.0L displacement or GM's designator for the latest version "LZO"
to differentiate the search from the big brother Duramax they put in the heavy duty trucks
 
My 2019 Yukon Denali has the 6.2L and the only mechanical problem I have had was the water pump imploding on a -35F day. Is GM already shipping their anti-CarPlay stereos? That’s something I would look into. I am afraid to upgrade because of the infotainment system. Not that I am the kind of person who ever buys a new car. But the Yukon AT4 is a tempting concept.

I have been talking to ChatGPT at length about what kind of vehicle I should add for hunting and boat-ramp duties. This is great because it is supporting my usual indecision cycle: start with the bare minimums, get greedy on features, get cheap on price, and repeat. If anyone has a low-mileage Sierra 1500 AT4X for sale at low-end 2003 4Runner prices, please send me a PM.
 
Brad W said:
so they don't play well with apple? i hadn't seen that in my research so far....
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I believe GM initially said they were going with their own solution to avoid integration with CarPlay and AndroidAuto. They caught enough flak over it that they walked back that idea and caved to the masses who said they'd skip a GM vehicle that didn't support those softwares.
 
iamtheari said:
My 2019 Yukon Denali has the 6.2L and the only mechanical problem I have had was the water pump imploding on a -35F day. Is GM already shipping their anti-CarPlay stereos? That’s something I would look into. I am afraid to upgrade because of the infotainment system. Not that I am the kind of person who ever buys a new car. But the Yukon AT4 is a tempting concept.

I have been talking to ChatGPT at length about what kind of vehicle I should add for hunting and boat-ramp duties. This is great because it is supporting my usual indecision cycle: start with the bare minimums, get greedy on features, get cheap on price, and repeat. If anyone has a low-mileage Sierra 1500 AT4X for sale at low-end 2003 4Runner prices, please send me a PM.
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The issues on the 6.2L mostly started in 2023 or so and many have blamed post-Covid sourcing on crank bearings and such. Lots of infant mortality with SUVs and trucks while on dealer test drives.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I believe GM initially said they were going with their own solution to avoid integration with CarPlay and AndroidAuto. They caught enough flak over it that they walked back that idea and caved to the masses who said they'd skip a GM vehicle that didn't support those softwares.
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Thank you for that update. I kind of tuned the brand out when they announced the move away from CarPlay. Their stated reason for it was to improve driver safety by reducing distractions. I’m sure that the subscription fees and pop-up ads would have kept me safe, even while I and millions of others resorted to using our phones directly to get around a clunky infotainment UI that works poorly with Phone and Music and not at all with other apps like my off-road map or audiobook apps. I never saw what they had in mind in action but I’m glad they had the sense to back down from it.
 
Wifemobile is a 2023 Suburban with the 3.0 duramax. 27 mpg is easy to pull off, tows a 34' travel trailer, dogs bikes kids etc very well at 14 mpg. Uses more DEF when towing, but I'll do a delete when the warranty is up. No lane centering gizmo but we usually keep it between the lines okay. Worst part about it is the auto stop-start if i forget to turn it off. It also beeps and fusses if you get close to other vehicles. Sometimes one has to drive assertively, but these new cars do not approve!
 
Brad W said:
Help me pick my next car
(I'm probably looking at platinum vs denali based on options I'd like)

the biggest con I can come up with for the GMC is the lack of lane centering with their adaptive cruise control. I've grown to love that feature in my current car, an Audi. Ping ponging down the road is nearly a show stopper for me. Can any of you talk me out of that concern?
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I'm either getting the denali turbodiesel with supercruise or a cadillac electric with supercruise, really leaning towards the denali.
my actual must have feature is the supercruise, it's really that nice.
 
IIRC the baby duramax has a oil pump BELT not a chain. It's prone to failure and is prudent to be changed every 30k miles which is a very labor intensive and involved process.

 
Mtns2Skies said:
Manufacturer recommendation != prudent change interval on an item that will grenade your engine with known premature failures
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Tell me you believe everything you see in YouTube videos without telling me you believe everything you see in videos. Also every aspen fails and all G5’s/275’s/g3x’s/gfc500’s are 100% problem free.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Manufacturer recommendation != prudent change interval on an item that will grenade your engine with known premature failures
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In one of Dave’s other videos he gives a different interval. I can’t remember what it was, but I do recall that there was an inspection at one interval, followed by a replacement at the next. However, there was essentially the same process to inspect (big labor $$$) leading to the theory that it would be ridiculous to not go ahead and replace it while you’re in there.

With regard to the 6.2, they initially said the issue started with the 2019 MY, but they quickly walked it back to later years. I think they initially went with all years that used that version of the 6.2 (2019-later), but realized it was a build issue affecting several years rather than a design issue affecting all.

Unfortunately, it still has AFM lifters (now called something else and using all 8 cylinders rather than just 4). My dad has a 2019, I have an 18 with the older 6.2. Mine ate the cam and a lifter at around 40K. The dealer replaced everything under warranty. If it happens again I’m doing the non-AFM cam/lifter/valley plate swap.
 
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moparrob66 said:
Wifemobile is a 2023 Suburban with the 3.0 duramax. 27 mpg is easy to pull off, tows a 34' travel trailer, dogs bikes kids etc very well at 14 mpg. Uses more DEF when towing, but I'll do a delete when the warranty is up. No lane centering gizmo but we usually keep it between the lines okay. Worst part about it is the auto stop-start if i forget to turn it off. It also beeps and fusses if you get close to other vehicles. Sometimes one has to drive assertively, but these new cars do not approve
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There's a solution for that.

www.autostopeliminator.com

GM / Chevy Auto Stop Disabler From Autostop Eliminator

Autostop Eliminator is designed to safely disable the start-stop feature on your GM or Chevy vehicle. Just plug it in. Disable your GM / Chevy auto stop today
www.autostopeliminator.com www.autostopeliminator.com
 
Mtns2Skies said:
IIRC the baby duramax has a oil pump BELT not a chain. It's prone to failure and is prudent to be changed every 30k miles which is a very labor intensive and involved process.

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yeah, I don't think it's 30k...something more in the ballpark of 120k from what I recall, but I haven't gotten into the weeds of it. It is a silly desgn for the truck though, gotta drop the tranny to get to it!
I'd actually watched that video in my research a few weeks ago. That guy kept harping and harping on it...to the point that I didn't finish the video. He was saying in that video that it's something like 70k for an inspection and the 120K for replacement

I read somewhere that the reason for the stupid placement was that the engine was a joint development with another company ( I think Izuzu), and it was designed for use in a cabover truck... so stuff on the back of the engine make more sense there.
He kept saying "Why?". I wanted to yell through the screen that such a well-informed car expert as he claims to be should know why!
 
Belts over gears is silly for critical parts like oil pumps, I agree and don't care for it.

That said, the GMC manual claims 240k (kilometers -- 150k mi) replacement interval. Page 44.


But nobody is stopping anyone from doing it every 30k I suppose. Hell do it every oil change and learn about maintenance-induced failure. That belt will seem like the least of your worries after having a line of young knuckle-draggers throwing wrenches inside your motor :D

(Edit -- trolled myself, it's 150k mi / 240k km)
 
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Brad W said:
Help me pick my next car
(I'm probably looking at platinum vs denali based on options I'd like)

the biggest con I can come up with for the GMC is the lack of lane centering with their adaptive cruise control. I've grown to love that feature in my current car, an Audi. Ping ponging down the road is nearly a show stopper for me. Can any of you talk me out of that concern?
Click to expand...
Resurrecting the thread ... did you end up getting a Ford or GMC? I'm thinking about trading in my 2019 Yukon Denali with the 6.2L for an AT4 or a Sierra, and wondering what you ended up with and how you are liking it. Happy new year!
 
I bought a 2025 Ford Expedition MAX Platium. It has the Driver's package and doesn't have the high-dollar ultimate package.
I was torn because there are actually a few things on the lower-end Active trim that I would prefer but of course there are some nice things in the platinum that I like, and I got what seemed like a decent deal for what it is, but ended up with a lot of "upgrades" that I view as "downgrades"

regardless
I like the truck a lot! Big enough to haul 4x8 sheets of plywood inside, and it's a great road trip vehicle for the family. I haven't towed a lot with it but it's very capable, comfortable. Great range on the highway..I've seen 600 miles on the guess-o-meter, but the range drops quick if you do much idling. My average daily commute brings around 18.5MPG. Had it on several long road trips now, some solo and some with my family of 5 + dog. Bought it in late June and have 11,777 miles on the odometer

I don't love the soft-keys on the steering wheel. I guess the idea is that they can be mult-function but in practice each one seems to do one job.... and it's not easy to find. Almost have to look to increase or decrease the cruise speed set-point, for example. I think the layout of the 'widgets' on the wide primary instrument cluster display could be changed to be a lot better. Would be a simple software update, but I doubt that'll ever happen

Ford Bluecruise is awesome for road trips!
 
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