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Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       10-30-2007, 5:08 AM Reply   
I am considering purchasing a new Suburban. I was wondering how they tow. I would be coming from a PSD, so I know I'll be somewhat disappointed, but will I be able to tow my boat at 70? I ask because I couldn't do that with my previous F-150, or Expedition. Any concerns regarding the new Suburban?
Old     (lovin_the_wake)      Join Date: Jul 2007       10-30-2007, 6:38 AM Reply   
You should be fine I've towed with an 03 Tahoe and no problems towing at 70
Old     (chris_tige_20v)      Join Date: Oct 2007       10-30-2007, 6:47 AM Reply   
I have a 07 Tahoe and a 06 PSD and the difference is noticiable. For being gas though I think the tahoes/suburbans tow really well. Plus you cannot beat the ride of the new chevys. Go buy it, just remember in no way is it going to pull like any diesel
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       10-30-2007, 7:28 AM Reply   
I would be coming from a PSD, so I know I'll be somewhat disappointed,
just remember in no way is it going to pull like any diesel

Old     (sangerlover)      Join Date: Sep 2005       10-30-2007, 8:08 AM Reply   
I went from an 03 PSD Excursion to a 07 3/4 ton suburban with the 6.0 liter. It does fine but going from a diesel to a gasser is a shocking difference.
Old     (surf22)      Join Date: Oct 2007       10-30-2007, 8:17 AM Reply   
ya i went from a '00 psd to a new f-150, wow does it suck towing, but i only tow my boat maybe 3 times a year since i live on the lake. is the suburban you are looking at the 5.3 or 6.0? that will make a big difference except with the 6.0 you dont get that active fuel management cylinder cutoff system. i looked at new chevy silverados and i wanted the active fuel thing but i thought i might need the vortex max (6.0) pulling my boat, but the mileage is horrible with the 6.0
Old     (sangerlover)      Join Date: Sep 2005       10-30-2007, 8:57 AM Reply   
In town MPG for 6.0 is 11.5 and open highway is 14-15 mpg with a tail wind.
Old     (davez71)      Join Date: Oct 2007       10-30-2007, 9:01 AM Reply   
I have a an O7 Tahoe and i pull a Wakesetter VLX just fine and its pulls at 70 well. The ride is really smooth.
Old     (peter_c)      Join Date: Sep 2001       10-30-2007, 9:31 AM Reply   
"In town MPG for 6.0 is 11.5 and open highway is 14-15 mpg with a tail wind"

Same mileage as the 8.1L. Except when towing a load the 8.1L will get better mileage. I have not found a hill yet, that my Suburban will not accelerate up. I have an oldy though as it is a 2001 with 66K on it.
Old     (rio_sanger)      Join Date: Apr 2007       10-30-2007, 10:11 AM Reply   
I would suggest the 3/4 ton suburban if your'e towing much. I've had them since the '70s and swear by them. My 2001 8.1L has over 150,000 miles on it now , and it's still going strong. They discontinued the big block but the 6.0 liter should do the job.
Old     (fast355)      Join Date: Aug 2006       10-30-2007, 10:11 PM Reply   
I have an 07 LTZ 4x4 and just towed my X-star down from MI to NC. Not really too impressed. I too have owned a few 350 PSD's and an 07 Expedition EL, 06 F-150.

The new Sub drives fantastic, much quieter and smoother than my Expedition. You will be fine towing, but may need to run it at 75+ to keep the RPM singing for a little xtra HP. At 70, the truck wasn't pulling enough R's to hold speed... that was frustrating, but the ride is outstanding.
Old     (lionel)      Join Date: Nov 2005       10-30-2007, 11:00 PM Reply   
New hybrid 6.0L Tahoe gets 21 in the city and 22 on the highway!!
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       10-31-2007, 4:41 AM Reply   
I live on the lake, so I don't tow much. I can't justify the PSD anymore, and the Suburban looks like a good fit. What kind of mileage are you seeing with the 5.3? BTW, I live in IL, so any towing that I do would be flat.
Old     (chris_tige_20v)      Join Date: Oct 2007       10-31-2007, 6:07 AM Reply   
in my 07 city is about 14mpg and highway is about 18 mpg
Old    stillstandin            10-31-2007, 9:35 AM Reply   
I currently tow with a duramax, but still own a 03 suburban, it tows good. 70 on the flats will not be a problem. I would wait another year...next year the 3.4 ton suburban will get the 6.2, with over 400 horse, and a 6 sp tranny.
Old     (fast355)      Join Date: Aug 2006       10-31-2007, 12:19 PM Reply   
Shawn, I'm seeing 15.5 Avg(over 60 days, all driving) and 18 Hwy with no trailer.
Old     (truebeachbum)      Join Date: Oct 2006       11-01-2007, 10:21 AM Reply   
my parents tow a 23 foot bu with a 07 suburban
Old     (cbk)      Join Date: Aug 2006       11-01-2007, 2:43 PM Reply   
I have an 02 F-150 (5.4) and the wife has an 03 Suburban and my F-150 kicks the burbs a$$ at towing. I tow an Avalanche C4 frequently which weighs around 5k with o/d off and can run 70 with no problem and when I use the Suburban I have to use the tow/haul mode and keep it in third just to maintain 70. In my opinion the Chev/GMC have a hard time towing. It still will not keep me from getting the wife a new Suburban though, they are the nicest by far of the big SUV's ie Seqouia sp?, Expedition etc. I'd say if you're not towing alot then you'll be ok. I'd go test drive it and hook it to the boat.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-01-2007, 3:06 PM Reply   
IMO the Surburban is one of or is the best towing rig out there. A friend on my'n had a older Surburban and I was impressed at how smooth it towed. It was quite, smooth, with plenty of room for 6 Adults. The brakes were not the best and it was no Drag racer. IMO a tow rig just needs to get from point A to point B with as little as gas as possable and get you to the lake as relaxed as possable. Your gonna need all you marbles to deal with the wallys at the ramp. I guess the newer Surburbans have fixed the poor brake problems. And the newer 6L are pretty good.
I have the Caddy EXT that rides on the same long wheel base Surbarban chassie. Im guessing the 07 Surbaban is much the same as my Caddy EXT. I love they way my rig tow's.
Old     (h2oaddiction)      Join Date: Aug 2007       11-01-2007, 9:34 PM Reply   
Take a look at the Yukon Denali XL. Not much more than a fully loaded Suburban and you get the new 6.2L with the new six speed. This is the same motor as the Caddy without the bling and detuned a few hp but the torque is still at 417. Not bad for a stock small block gasser. With the auto ride it drives live a car and tows great (auto load leveling). We used a friends '07 to tow with and it will tow a 4-5k boat as fast as you want.
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-04-2007, 8:45 AM Reply   
Well I pulled the trigger yesterday. I ended up with an ESV, because I actually got it 16K off of window sticker. I'll upload pics when I get a chance.

Grant, I have some head unit questions for you
Old     (wakeeater)      Join Date: May 2002       11-04-2007, 5:35 PM Reply   
my parents 02 suburban with the 5.7 averages 12 mpg towing.....
Old     (bondo)      Join Date: Oct 2007       11-04-2007, 5:46 PM Reply   
Here in seattle we are creeping up to the 4 dollar a gallon mark, so its about 120 dollars to fill my 05 cummins. i can get about 18mpg. My friend has a 07 yukon XL and the are paying 3.30 a gallon but are getting 11 mpg at best and I dont think that is towing. My truck weighs in at 7200lbs and i am sure the yukon XL weighs close to the same. If i was to get a a denali/suburban/yukon I think I would setup the gears a little different and maybe a tighter converter, then maybe a gear vendor for when I am not towing to bring the rpms down even lower while in overdrive. Alot of work and money up front but it will give you the best of both worlds. just my 0.2 cents. Steve
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-05-2007, 4:54 AM Reply   
Didn't Grant say that he was seeing pretty good mileage out of his EXT? I thought I remember a thread like that. I don't know about another overdrive gear, as I have 6 speeds now. I have put 100 miles on the truck so far, and I'm still showing between 3/4 and full.
Grant, do you know if it's possible to swap out the factory head unit for a Pioneer AVIC Z-2? What happens to the CD slot if I swap head units?
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-05-2007, 7:00 AM Reply   
My EXT is getting 18-19 MPG on the freeway. The best I have ever got was 23 MPG. That was barley touching the gas trying to see what I could get.
But you should see a honest 18-19 MPG freeway.
Towing your gonna see like 10-12. And of corse it depends on how heavy your towing and the elevation your towing to/from.
Your head unit Question. Not sure. Did you get the Navagation on your ESV?
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-05-2007, 7:24 AM Reply   
No navi, so I want the Pioneer unit. I have the 6 disc stacker with a DVD unit above. The AVIC is double DIN, so I would assume that it would just replace the display portion of the radio where all of the buttons are at, but then what would happen to the dual CD slots? I want the AVIC for a few reasons, nav being one, back up camera 2, and hard drive for music 3. Do you have the navi in your EXT.

Towing, I usually only do once in the spring, and once in the fall (put the boat in, pull the boat out). I live in IL, so elevation and hills are not issues.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-05-2007, 8:10 AM Reply   
Shawn:I have the touch screen factory Nav. Its the Bomb. How much is the Pioneer compaired to the Pioneer. I have seen a bunch of aftermarket nav units and this ones hard to beat. Im sure you could find a used factory nav that someone has taken out and is for sale. IMO that would be better than any after market nav for instalition, re-sale and user ease.
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-05-2007, 8:20 AM Reply   
G
The Pioneer unit is GPS based not DVD based. I can run music CD's, DVD's or anything else while I'm using the nav. It's touch screen also, backup camera ready, and has 10 gig worth of hard drive for music. I can get it for around 1300.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-05-2007, 10:33 AM Reply   
The stock caddy nav uses a disk in the upper DVD slot, then in the lower CD slot you can load up 6 CD Disks or DVD's or MP3's it also uses GPS along with a DVD back up for the Nav. The stock unit also has the back up cammera.

They make a touch screen I pod interface for the stock caddy head unit (I dont have that) Also I have the hack that allows you to watch movies and enter address while on the move it also has the Bluetooth interface this is a awesome add on.

So you pay $1300 for the Pioneer and then you have to get a kit to install it. Many companys make a retro fit kit for just this kind of install. Its pretty clean and is not that big of a deal.

Im just wondering if you had to pay more for a stock unit would you might make up for the extra instlation cost of the pioneer with a stock unit because it will be plug and play. Plus if anything with your Nav/DVD/Back up cammera go's wrong you will be coverd with GM's warranty. Just my 2c
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-05-2007, 11:26 AM Reply   
I just checked E-bay, and there are a few on there. If I can get one reasonable, then I'll go the factory route. For now, I'll use OnStar. Do you have the factory rear entertainment? I am having it installed, but can't decide between the twin headrest mounts or the roof mount. I only have one child, so I really only need one monitor, but on a longer road trip, I'd be tempted to let the wife drive so I can watch movies.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-05-2007, 2:39 PM Reply   
I have the Factory rear entertainment package/
It has a roof mounted screen that flops down and 2 wireless headphones. It has a AUX imput so you can watch a diffrent movie in the front and the kids can watch their movie in the rear (you need another DVD player if you wanna watch 2 diffrent movies @ once)
the costaltech.com hack is where you can get the Hack so you can watch DVD from the front screen. Its a plug and play add on you can install it yourself in about 20 mins
Old     (themxercr85)      Join Date: Jul 2007       11-05-2007, 8:35 PM Reply   
We tow with an 07 Burban LTZ with the 8.1 in it and it does fine.
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-06-2007, 5:21 AM Reply   
Twitch,

07 Burbans aren't available with the 8.1.
Old     (ryan27r)      Join Date: Oct 2006       11-11-2007, 6:40 PM Reply   
Towed with a Z71 burban at the end of the year. It had no problems rolling at 80mph with a 6000 pound load...
Old    walt            11-11-2007, 7:03 PM Reply   
I'm sure the burb will do just fine but I'm scratching my head about your 70 MPH statement.

I have a F-150 with a 5.4 and it pulls my boat over fairly steep grades 70+ with no problem. In fact I got a ticket doing 70+ a few years back while towing in one of my other 5.4 F-150's.
Congrats on your new rig.
Old    stillstandin            11-12-2007, 9:30 AM Reply   
Before I got my duramax, I had an 04 F150, with the 5.4, that thing was an absolute Dog. It would do 70 with the boat, but took about 10 minutes to get there. I had much better luck with a 5.3 suburban, and the burban got much better gas milage also.
Old     (timmy)      Join Date: Jul 2001       11-12-2007, 10:05 AM Reply   
If you are only towing once to put in, and once to put out, and you live on the lake.....why do you need to go 70mph with the boat?
Old    stillstandin            11-12-2007, 10:34 AM Reply   
U suck
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-13-2007, 2:46 PM Reply   
Once in a great while we will tow the boat to the in-laws, so I will tow the boat. Since my daughter was born, we haven't gone anywhere, but as she gets older, we'll probably make some day trips here and there. We may end up getting a pontoon boat or a cabin cruiser for day trips because skiing at home on it's worst day is most places best day. Anyways, thanks for everyone's input, and so far I'm happy with the ESV. If I can figure out how to shrink pictures, I'll post some.
Old     (tommyg)      Join Date: Apr 2002       11-14-2007, 11:56 AM Reply   
Shawn, $16k off is a tremendous deal.

My wife and I are hoping/planning to get a Denali XL. Best I'm seeing in NorCal is $11k off MSRP for those. An extra $5k off the caddy would bring it close in price I would assume. Can you give some details of the options you got & cost?

If your dealer still has some '07's, it still might be worth the drive....
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-15-2007, 9:01 AM Reply   
Tommy,

I have the last ESV that Heritage Cadillac had. I was only seeing 5-6K off MSRP on a Denali here.
Two Cadillac dealers told me that Heritage was losing money on the deal, so I don't know how repeatable the deal is. Basically, they sold it as if it were a demo, but it wasn't.
Options wise, I have everything but the nav., plus the upcharge for the premium paint.
If you start at 11K off, you may be able to work the deal down. I ended up better than 16K off, but it took some work.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       11-15-2007, 9:07 AM Reply   
Shawn: The picks of your ESV look great. Thanks for sharing them with us LOL
Old     (tommyg)      Join Date: Apr 2002       11-15-2007, 11:46 AM Reply   
Shawn, maybe I'll have you do my negotiating for me...

We're really a few months away from being in the market (and I'd really like to see the new Sequoia and Tahoe Hybrid before making a decision).

Don't think the deals will be as good in March or so, but that's ok. 16k off though would definitely cause me to consider jumping in early.

Nice job on the negotiating, you got yourself a great deal.
Old     (phatboypimp)      Join Date: Apr 2005       11-15-2007, 12:04 PM Reply   
Tommy - take a look

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - General Motors Corp's (GM.N) sport utility vehicle, the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, was named "Green Car of the Year" at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tahoe Hybrid represents the first model from GM to use a hybrid system the automaker developed jointly with BMW (BMWG.DE), Daimler's (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz, and Chrysler.

"They've proven that they can make beautiful cars, strong cars, keep the size, keep the safety, and all those kinds of things, and at the same time be more fuel efficient," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who toured the show after the presentation of the award.

"I think because we in California have been out there so strong, forcing the manufacturers to come in with clean vehicles, that is why they are coming in with clean vehicles."

The "Green Car of the Year" award is presented by the trade magazine Green Car Journal, based in California.

(Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, writing by Mary Milliken, editing by Phil Berlowitz)
Old     (tommyg)      Join Date: Apr 2002       11-15-2007, 1:10 PM Reply   
saw that. Interesting thing is that the hybrid actually uses the 6 liter motor, not the 5.3. The tow rating is not that high (i believe it's 6k pounds), but i understand that's because they needed to put in a smaller size radiator due to difficulties in fitting everything under the hood.

looking forward to checking it out. 20+ mpg is nice for a full size 'ute. Just wished they made it in the Suburban size.
Old     (02wakesettervlx)      Join Date: Jun 2001       11-15-2007, 2:34 PM Reply   
I'll try this again just for Grant:
Upload
Upload
Upload
Old     (themxercr85)      Join Date: Jul 2007       12-21-2007, 10:09 PM Reply   
We tow with an 07 ltz 8.1 and were towing an 07 x-star. It does just fine, we got down to 1 mpg on the way back from Lake Chelan last summer =]
Old     (tonality)      Join Date: Mar 2005       12-24-2007, 9:29 AM Reply   
hahaha!

Sorry man, they *still* don't sell the 07 with an 8.1 :-)

Got a custom job there, or just a really good salesman?
Old     (rio_sanger)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-24-2007, 9:38 AM Reply   
GM also never offered the 8.1 in a half ton, which is the only way an LTZ is available.

Must have been a really, really, good salesman...

Twitch, have you opened the hood yet?
Old     (themxercr85)      Join Date: Jul 2007       01-03-2008, 10:23 PM Reply   
Wow i have no idea what i was saying, for some reason i have this idea that we have an 8.1 and I cant get it outta my noggin, maybe I'm loosing it, wow i feel like an idiot, haha well i will say it in 8 year old talk, we have the big motor in our suburban and it does fine. When we bought it last winter it was the only one besides one of the Mariners(spelling) players owned but it is well worth it. Thanks for the poke in the head with a stick, I needed it
Old     (themxercr85)      Join Date: Jul 2007       01-03-2008, 10:29 PM Reply   
I get boat motor and tow motor mixed up, burb is an ly6
Old     (sailing216)      Join Date: Oct 2007       01-04-2008, 1:39 PM Reply   
When can you get the 6.2l on the burb that the GMC Yukon XL Denali has? Even more, I just want a 6-speed over only 4 gears presently.
Old     (tommyg)      Join Date: Apr 2002       01-04-2008, 1:51 PM Reply   
Joe, supposedly the '08 Suburban LTZ will start shipping with the 6.2l/6 speed option shortly. Not sure about the Tahoe, but I would guess it will have the option as well..

I did pick up an '07 Denali XL last month, the motor/tranny combo is nice. My neighbor gave me grief for adding Flowmasters...I had to let him know that it's stock exhaust...just how a nice beefy motor sounds...lol.
Old     (themxercr85)      Join Date: Jul 2007       01-04-2008, 3:54 PM Reply   
Yeah the stock exhausts on 07's are ugly and look like they were just stuck under the truck, we have a dual side exit Corsa and it sounds great, not too loud but it has a nice throaty sound and no droane.

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