So are the Hemi Dodge trucks.

 

Well I was just comparing apples to apples since you flamed the last guy for beating up compact imports in an Excursion.

 

I thought it was the fullsize HD vans but not the SUVs because of tranny space.

 

not according to GMcanada


http://gmca-config.autodatadirect.co...lectionChange=

 

The Duramax vans use the 4L85E, not the Allison. The same could be done in the SUVs, or they could do the 2" body lift of the 2500HD/3500 pickups and use the Allison.

 

Lets see, 8000lb SUV+15,000lb trailer+80mph. You guys are idiots, if this wasn't a public forum I'd have some choice 4 letter words for you. I see dumb azzes like this folded up on the side of the highway all the time. I got some math for you, figure out how many football fields it would take to stop your raped ape.

I think the country needs to adopt the 10,000lb trailer cdl license and enforce it for the idiots mentioned above.

 

You get blown off the road running 80 on I-85 and I-40 around here... running 75-80 is literally keeping up with traffic. In a posted 70mph limit zone, people seem intent to run 85 or better.

And FWIW, the triple-axle trailer does have incredible brakes, as does the Excursion itself... you can bring one down in surprising time.

Not flaming, but you need to know what these things are and what they can do before you make assumptions and comments. I venture a guess that you have never driven a rig like this set-up for MAJOR pulling. This ain't your average utility trailer with a 1-7/8" ball and a 4-pin pigtail connector.
These guys pull this kind of weight ALL THE TIME, and they are good at it - professionals. Race teams and offshore fishing guys are on the road EVERY WEEK with these rigs, and I am not aware of any that have CAUSED and accident, or been in any serious ones. That's saying something when you log 80-100K miles a year pulling loads like this.

It's more often the racer-wannabes that are weaving in and out of traffic like madmen, cutting you off if you leave just a single car length open between you and the guy in front that cause the accidents. Go bust their chops. IDIOT.

 

A few comments:

GuionM, the Hummer is not bigger or heavier than the Excursion, and the fuel economy numbers are about the same (except for the Powerstroke Diesel version). Loaded up H2s come in around 6400 lbs, while loaded 4x4 Excursions can top 7000 lbs. As for not taking flak, I'm not sure where you get that. The Excursion was the favorite punching bag of the Sierra Club (and the like) when it first debuted, but when the Hummer H2 came out, it sort of replaced it at the top of the tower. Not to say they forgot about the Excursion, but did you ever hear about Ford Dealerships being attacked and Excursions being vandalized/set on fire in the lots?

Threxx, the Duramax is unfortunately not available on the Suburban/Yukon. You may be thinking of the previous gen trucks (GMT400), which used the old 200 hp /440 lb-ft 6.5L turbodiesel. In those trucks, it was available on the Suburban. With the GMT800s, the engine options are 5.3/6.0/8.1 in the Suburban.

As Bryant mentioned, the full size vans use the 4L85E, not the five speed (six speed for '06) Allison. Going along with this, the vans also get a detuned version of the Duramax. Instead of the 300hp/520 lb-ft or 310hp/605 lb-ft (or the '06 360hp/650 lb-ft) version, the vans use a 250hp/460 lb-ft engine. Sounds weak next to the trucks, but it is still more power than the detuned Powerstroke available in the Ford vans (235 hp/440lb-ft), and more torque than any engine (gas or diesel) in a full size van. For the record, the Dodge Sprinter (that Mercedes van they rebadge and sell here), which is clever is some ways wrt to packaging, offers one engine: A 2.7L turbodiesel line 5 with 154hp/243 lb-ft.

Anyway, I'm not going to miss the fugly Excursion at all, though I'm sure a few legit users will miss its towing and people carrying ability. I'm hoping that the Duramax/Allison finds its way into the GMT900 Suburbans to fill that niche, but I don't know if it is going to.

WRT the Caliber replacing the Neon, I too am puzzled. I guess Dodge is hoping that enough people will want the mini-Durango crossed with a Pontiac Vibe styling theme so they can sort of have an "SUV" but get small car fuel economy. I can see the logic there, but they already offer the PT Cruiser, and I don't think the Vibe/Matrix/PT Cruiser/etc. sell in Corolla/Neon/Cobalt volumes. I'd be surprised if the Caliber is able to match the Neon level of sales, but I could be wrong... It just seems that there is still a definite market out there for small sedans (vs. a tall wagon/mini-crossover version of those sedans). Seems like a pretty big gamble to me. I'm glad Chevy offers the Cobalt for those who want the traditional compact sedan AND the HHR for those interested in small car fuel economy but more unique styling and small wagon utility.

 

From your entire post, I can tell with most certainty that you have NEVER even been in one of these, much less one that was WORKING the way it was intended by the designers. Do us both a favor... go get someone to share the experience of serious towing with you, or at least stop posting about something you have no experience with. I'm talking about a vehicle that will tow both the big Nissan truck AND it's 9000# payload combined effortlessly. Don't try to send me off looking for towing ratings on Rangers, Colorados, Frontiers, and Tacomas.

The bottom line is that this vehicle will be missed by a few select people who do major hauling/towing on a regular basis like RV/Camping, Racing families, and offshore fishermen to name a few. And THAT is what this vehicle was designed to do, which also lends to what an SUV was intended for as well.

 

I'll readily concede that the Hummer H2 is the target of choice of eco-terrorist. But alot of those same retards used to vandalize BMWs in San Fran, so it's as much of a "class" issue with them more than one of fuel consumption. For some odd reason or another, they seem to leave mainline vehicles that some people actually bought for work alone. Only the military buys Hummers for practical purposes.

Far more people living in the "real" world have been piling on Excursions. Ditto journalists. The only time I read anything negative about Hummer is when it's attached to a status symbol. Read about Excursions, and it's always related to the SUV craze gone wild.

Caliber isn't the last word in Neon's replacement just as Magnum wasn't the last word on Intrepid's. There is certainly another car coming built on the same chassis as the Caliber.

Chrysler held back the Charger a year so it wouldn't take attention from the 300, and was part of the lineup from the very start (there was also a redesign involved since the "Super Hemi 8" concept didn't go over well (a stylized version of what Chrysler was planning for Dodge.

 

ProudPony, I'm not going to bother to get in depth with this arguement because the majority of your statements are shallow and childish revolving around the fact that a 50-55k dollar 3/4-ton diesel vehicle can out-tow a bunch of compact trucks. It may make you giddy but it makes for a very poor apples to oranges argument - one that's about as pointless as can be.

I will say, though, that adding fake wood grain trim heated seats and a DVD screen for the kids doesn't make the interior any more posh IMO. It just gives it a higher feature content and adds some corny trim. When I think of posh I think of the actual design and materials used inside the interior, not the buttons you can push to do neat things. I can take a 1974 Ford Pinto and add all of the above things to the interior. Nobody in their right mind would consider it posh. They'd laugh at it.

Funny you mention this... my wife's step brother's H2 just got keyed like hell while parked on campus at Vanderbilt. Not a coincidence or somebody out to get him because that same day they had a report of 4 other H2s parked on campus getting keyed in the exact same manner.

 

Thank heavens.

 

I just got back from our vacation.. and I had a 2005 Neon SXT rental car with 10k miles from Enterprise for about a week.. (I was too exhausted from the past week and the flight, and didn't think of asking for other options.. I just wanted to get moving)


Well, I have to say, my wife and I will not be missing the Neon.. Ugly and not that comfortable interior(maybe the people before me slightly damaged the seat's back cushion?) , transmitted alot of road noise, noisy slow engine... ugly on the outside.. and a clown horn too.. hehe.. Thought the steering wheel felt very numb. Honestly, I thought the Aveo I rented before was a nicer overall ride, for thousands less.


The only positives I'll give, was it felt competant weaving thru crazy Cali traffic, going thru the on and off ramps, and various turns and u turns. (wasn't really gong _that_ crazy on it though) Powering out of turns in FWD reminded me why I don't like FWD..


Oh I also had a 2005 Impala (not the newest one) for 4 days.. I can see why these sell to the masses.. Its roomy and resonably quiet (excpet for this wierd noise we heard one morning that followed us for like 5 mins) and whatever V6 engine they gave was fast enough. Very boring though.. and the dash was ugly.. Good thing they impoved the interior on the new vers.

 

Idiots. The amount of spoiled brats who think they can save the world nowadays is appauling.

They'll work their asses off to find H2's and key them because we're saving the world. I bet if you got one of these brats to come down to Indiana and try to bail hay for 10 hours straight, they wouldn't last 10 MINUTES.

 

Threxx does have a point though. You specifically brought up the fact that an Expedition will seriously out-tow any of the import trucks, but they sell nothing that would make a good comparison to an Expedition at all. It is not a far statement to make in the slightest. What if I blew the doors off of some Camry in my Camaro? Would that make the Camry trash? Doubtful, as they an entirely different segment of car.

You could compare an E55 AMG to a CTS-V, since they are both luxury cars, but I am willing to bet everyone would cry foul here if someone tried to make a serious comparison between the two, as there is a huge void between the two cars.