Need your opinion on Tahoe lt vs Escalade dilemma!

[kanulilewa]

Dear members, first post on this forum, I would really like to hear your opinions on what to choose:
I am in the market for GMT800 Tahoe LT or Escalade of later years (2004-2006). I will be looking at a relatively unmolested specimen to haul my wife and 2 kids. Occasional trips to the great outdoors,
maybe once in a while haul a rented camper trailer for the weekend. It does not snow at all where I will be driving it (SoCal).
Hence 2 dilemmas:

I have read the sticky for new owners/members and found this:

"In general the escalade/denali will be much more expensive to maintain vs the tahoe/yukon."

I have bought an original sales brochure and as far as I can see Tahoes with LT trim and pretty much all base Escalades have imho almost exactly the same options (I am particularly interested in:
sunroof
dvd player on the ceiling
AWD
leather)
and from what I could see they both have a variation of AUTORIDE suspension.

1) So how come Escalades will be more expensive to maintain if they are the same (or not)?

2) This guy called Scotty Kilmer on youtube says AWD is more likely to break (front diff) and that is the reason why RWD is better. Is it really this expensive to fix and how likely is it to break if I don't drive off-road/ in snow often?

I do apologize if I am asking something trivial - I looked but did not find any thread like this.
All opinions would be much appreciated!

 

[Big Mama]

Welcome to the forum from Virginia. The first question I’d ask is would you need AWD/4WD? Would a 6.0 suit you better than a 5.3 for towing or just having fun? Bottom line is any rig of that era does, or will need, repairs at some point. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to cost more. The Esky comes with more goodies you won’t need to add. I wouldn’t let the thought of potential repairs sway me from an Esky in great shape. Of course have it inspected by a good mechanic before buying any rig. Others with these rigs will chime in. Good luck.

 

[BatsTDK]

An Escalade is (mostly) extra interior fancies and body panels. The truck itself is still more or less the same as a regular Tahoe/Yukon aside from the engine. A well optioned Tahoe can potentially be just as expensive to repair.

 

[Bill 1960]

You’re extrapolating a general statement about luxury vehicles being more costly (which is true) to a specific comparison between similarly equipped vehicles where it’s not true. In general Caddies will have more options/ complexity/ repair cost. But specifically comparing a highly optioned Chevy/GMC to a base model Caddy with the same features.... it’s the same vehicle.

Scotty Kilmer basically advises people “don’t buy what you don’t need”. Excellent advice BTW, not that *I* follow it.
It’s just common sense. Four wheel drive isn’t necessarily inherently unreliable, but those extra components NEVER fail in 2WD because they don’t exist. Just like the window switches will never go bad in a vehicle with hand crank windows. So buy more options = spend more on maintenance.

 

[treehan77]

Some things will be more expensive for AWD/4WD than 2WD. For example, changing the oil pan in a 2WD, you don’t need to deal with a transfer case that’s in the way.

 

[BG1988]

Dear members, first post on this forum, I would really like to hear your opinions on what to choose:
I am in the market for GMT800 Tahoe LT or Escalade of later years (2004-2006). I will be looking at a relatively unmolested specimen to haul my wife and 2 kids. Occasional trips to the great outdoors,
maybe once in a while haul a rented camper trailer for the weekend. It does not snow at all where I will be driving it (SoCal).
Hence 2 dilemmas:

I have read the sticky for new owners/members and found this:

"In general the escalade/denali will be much more expensive to maintain vs the tahoe/yukon."

I have bought an original sales brochure and as far as I can see Tahoes with LT trim and pretty much all base Escalades have imho almost exactly the same options (I am particularly interested in:
sunroof
dvd player on the ceiling
AWD
leather)
and from what I could see they both have a variation of AUTORIDE suspension.

1) So how come Escalades will be more expensive to maintain if they are the same (or not)?

2) This guy called Scotty Kilmer on youtube says AWD is more likely to break (front diff) and that is the reason why RWD is better. Is it really this expensive to fix and how likely is it to break if I don't drive off-road/ in snow often?

I do apologize if I am asking something trivial - I looked but did not find any thread like this.
All opinions would be much appreciated!

it's called the cadillac tax

 

[wildcatgoal]

Get the Tahoe. The old Escalades didn't age well and those extra tacked on panels... I see them missing or falling off of old Escalades all the time. Otherwise they aren't really any different except different interior and a fancier engine cover.

The 4WD variants have of course more than can break. It's relatively robust, but the transfer case isn't the greatest for longevity if the prior owner regularly used Auto 4WD (the clutches will get burnt up in it if they did) and getting a reman front differential costs a fortune.

If you do not need 4WD, do not buy 4WD... it's hundreds of pounds of extra weight that you'll never use. Also costs more to replace the transmission or do a rear main seal if you ever need to. And there's more potential for clunks in the driveline with the 4WD.

 

[Teamiez]

Tahoe = selectable 4 wheel drive
Escalade = awd no choice (harder on front differential and will probably kill it faster$
Tahoe = 4.8 / 5.3 engine
Escalade = 6.0 (more power unless 2wd then 5.3 is a choice)
I personally would stay away from auto ride if possible, I have the ‘premium smooth ride suspension’ and have no complaints at all. If more power and awd is liked I personally would choose a Yukon Denali over a Escalade. Wish I had the 6 liter.

 

[Hobert]

I live in the midwest and even in the snow I have one my 4wd in the last 2 years. And i really didn't need to it was just a large patch of ice in front of the driveway. These vehicles are heavy and with the Locking rear differential never had an issue in 2wd. I bought 4wd for insurance and it really is overkill in my case, all streets are maintained well around here. My last yukon I did the same thing, ran in 2wd almost 100% for 276,000 miles

 

[BatsTDK]

I wouldn't bother much with trying to persuade this guy one way or another... looks like he made this one post and bailed.