2020 Expedition vs 2021 Tahoe: How Do They Stack Up?
Chevy's Tahoe gets a major overhaul for 2021, but is it enough to beat out Ford's excellent large SUV?
Proper Comparison
The world of SUVs is a big-time, money-making segment for automakers. At the top of the proverbial heap lie a couple of important players, too - the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe. The latter just received a major overhaul for the 2021 model year, giving it new ammunition in this battle of large, established 'utes. Luckily, MotorTrend just so happened to have one of each at its officers recently, so they gave them a proper comparison.
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Design
Styling and design are always tough to compare because they're so subjective. The new Tahoe is especially difficult, because it's certainly polarizing, at least upfront. However, MT admittedly prefers the way the Chevy looks, though it does call the Expedition "handsome." The difference here is that GM took a chance, while Ford went the more conservative route. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing will be determined in the sales wars.
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>>Join the conversation about the new Expedition vs its Chevy rival right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Interior Design
The Tahoe benefits greatly from being brand new to market, packing a larger touchscreen, but that's really the only edge it has on the Expedition inside the cabin. Otherwise, MT notes that the Ford has a much more premium feel, with better controls that are laid out more thoughtfully and intuitively.
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>>Join the conversation about the new Expedition vs its Chevy rival right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Cabin Space
Space is also an important consideration in this class of vehicles, obviously. And in that regard, MT found it a little easier to get into the Tahoe's third row than the Expedition's, and there's a little more legroom back there, too. The Chevy also has larger second-row entertainment screens than the Ford, another benefit of being a newer product.
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>>Join the conversation about the new Expedition vs its Chevy rival right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Power
Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 makes 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque in the Expedition, and is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. GM went the old school route with the new Tahoe, installing its 5.3-liter V8 that produces 355 horsepower and 388 pound-feet of torque through the same co-developed 10-speed transmission. The Expedition Platinum also offers a stouter tune with 400 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, while the Tahoe offers an optional 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft.
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>>Join the conversation about the new Expedition vs its Chevy rival right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Big Advantage
While MT notes that the Tahoe felt faster in real-world driving (thanks to good transmission tuning), the Expedition is much quicker on paper. In fact, it does 0-60 in 6.2 seconds compared to just 7.4 for the Tahoe. The rag is certainly a big fan of the 3.5, too. "How such a small engine can propel such a big truck is unbelievable to me. And it does it well. The EcoBoost rarely feels stressed and delivers power in a very linear way."
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>>Join the conversation about the new Expedition vs its Chevy rival right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Ride and Handling
GM switched the Tahoe to an independent rear suspension configuration for 2021, and it clearly makes a big difference in ride quality, beating out the Expedition in this comparison. But at the same time, they prefer the way the Expedition handles, as well as its steering. So which one ultimately wins out this comparison? Well, it's pretty close. "I suppose I'd forgotten how damn good the current generation Ford Expedition is," MT said. "After spending a day in the larger Suburban, I suspected that the Tahoe would mop the mean streets of PV with it. That wasn't the case. The Expedition remains a fantastic big SUV. However, we're giving the win to Chevrolet."
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