When it comes to taking care of families, there’s a lot that a 3 row SUV is required to do. Parents want to know if it can keep the kids safe. Drivers want to know if it has enough power. The family number-cruncher wants to make a cost-value analysis. Even the kids want to have a say in which one is right for their family.

How Many Seats?

Only the Suburban is offering 9 seats. Unfortunately, test drivers suggest that the 9-seat Suburban is too crowded and recommend cutting back to the 7- or 8-seat Suburban.

Tahoes, Expeditions, and Expedition Max SUVs offer 7 or 8 seats. The only exception is the Expedition XL STX which is strictly a two-row model.  



What are the Trim Levels?

The standard Expedition and Expedition Max XLT may be upgraded to Limited, King Ranch or Platinum models. The Expedition Timberline isn’t offered in the Max size.

Tahoes and Suburbans start out as LS models. Trims include LT, RST, Premier and High Country trim levels. Both models offer a Z71 off-road equipment model, which is slotted between the RST and Premier.  

Which One is More Spacious?

The Suburban continues to be the most spacious of these four. However, the Ford Expedition Max comes close. Plus the regular Expedition has a more spacious third row than the Chevy Tahoe.

By about a half inch, the 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban claim more front row legroom. However, the Expeditions have some 42 inches of front legroom. It really is hard to call a winner when the numbers are so high for both brands. 

 On the second row, there’s another tie with the Ford Expeditions having more headroom while the Chevrolet 3 row SUVs have a half-inch more legroom. At 41.5 inches, the Expedition and Expedition Max certainly have the legroom adults need.

On the third row, the 2024 Tahoe drops behind. The Expedition and Expedition Max have about 1.5 extra inches of legroom on the row where it counts the most. The Suburban has about a fraction of an inch more than that.  

In terms of cargo space, the Expedition has 20 cubes, lagging behind the Tahoe by about 5 cubes. However the Expedition has standard power-fold third row seats to make expanding that area fast and easy.

The Expedition Max has a spacious 36-cubic foot cargo hold while the Suburban rules this category with some 40 cubes in its hold.  

What are the Safety Scores?

The 2024 Ford Explorer recently achieved the all-important 5-star safety score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The rear-wheel and four-wheel drive models earned two 5s and a 4 in the three crash testing segments.

Meanwhile the 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe got an overall score of 4 due to a 3 in one crash testing segment. The 2024 Chevrolet Suburban got a 4 rating due to its individual scores of 3, 4, and 5 in the three categories.  

When it comes to driver assistance, the Ford and Chevys are well-stocked. They have forward collision warnings, emergency autobrake response, lane keeping, and other top tech tools. However, the Ford includes a standard blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert while Chevy asks for an extra fee at the entry level.  



Will the Family Driver Be Happy?

Of course, the family driver deserves some benefits. In the case of the Expedition, the driver enjoys a power-adjustable driver’s chair as a reward. These lucky drivers command a more powerful engine with the entry level Expedition or Expedition Max than they do with the Tahoe.

The Expedition is powered by a twin-turbo that produces 380, outgunning the Tahoe by 35 horses. It kicks out 470 lb-ft of torque, beating the Tahoe by a whopping 87 lb-ft.  

If you step up to the turbodiesel, the Suburban and Tahoe have a lower horsepower rate, but they produce torque more like the top Expedition engine.  

A second Ford twin turbo generates 400 horsepower while the Suburban engine produces 420 horses. Balancing that, the Ford Expedition benefits from 480 lb-ft of torque while the Suburban engine produces 460 lb-ft. Get information about Ford Expedition Max prices here.  

Unless you invest big bucks in the Chevy turbo diesel, the Expedition has the best fuel economy. This is due to the use of turbo V6 gas engines instead of the more old-fashioned gas V8s favored by the Chevrolet 3 row SUVs.  

The top tow rating belongs to the Expedition. When properly equipped, it can pull up to 9,300 pounds.  

What’s the Final Verdict on the Expedition Max vs Suburban?

Therefore, making the choice comes down to a few factors. The Ford interior is more upmarket than the Chevy. The larger touchscreen and driver’s power chair are just two ways that the Expedition Max proves its superiority.

From a purely subjective standpoint, Suburban top choices just don’t match the expression of style in the Expedition Limited, King Ranch and Platinum. By starting with a higher quality product from the beginning, Ford manages to craft truly remarkable cabins in its top trims. To get more information about Expedition trims, check out this new Expedition overview.  



What’s the Final Word on the Expedition vs Chevrolet Tahoe?

The Chevrolet Tahoe is spacious, but the third row legroom pushes smart shoppers toward the Expedition. It’s worth having more room for passengers when you expect to fill that many seats.

Plus, if you are worried about cargo space, it’s logical just to leapfrog from the Tahoe to the Expedition Max. Then you have an extra 16 cubes and the bigger third row.  

If you are looking for the best tech tools for your entertainment or safety, the Expedition piles on more. Its pretty significant when the largest Tahoe touchscreen is almost two inches smaller than the standard one on the Ford. Quality materials and a smoother ride quality help the Expedition clinch the deal. To learn more about Expedition prices, click here.  

Conclusion

The best research is to get your hands on the steering wheel. To do that, schedule a test drive of the Expedition or Expedition Max. Rodeo Ford is your Phoenix metro Expedition dealer.