Chevrolet Tahoe LT vs Ford Expedition XLT

Imagine leaving behind workaday concerns and city congestion to tackle the mountain wilderness with your new full-size sport/utility vehicle. Picture switching into four-wheel drive to confidently cross a stream in the predawn darkness. As you wheel into Utah's Kodachrome Basin State Park, a covey of chukars flush and spook some mule deer. The sun's first rays turn sailing clouds flamingo pink against the increasingly blue sky and the park's towering red rock spires. The agenda for the rest of the newborn day: In the leather-swathed comfort of your spacious SUV, the megawatt CD player blasting, you're to leisurely tour the area surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park in search of the grandest vista. You again select four-wheel drive to bounce through some fresh powder at the base of 11,307-foot-tall, Matterhorn-esque Brian Head peak. As the day wanes you stumble upon the postcard-perfect view: the snow-dusted, jagged magenta bluffs of Cedar Breaks National Monument, which climbs straight up out of the aspen and ponderosa pines.

This is how many owners of sport/utility vehicles fantasize about using their trucks, so we decided to conduct our comparison test by pitting the Chevrolet Tahoe LT against the Ford Expedition XLT in picturesque Utah.

Both competitors boasted a wealth of features, including four-wheel drive; cowhide-clad interiors; air conditioning; power windows, door, and just about everything else; trailering packages; anti-lock brakes; aluminum wheels; and more. The Chevy contained virtually every option offered, while the Ford was the brand's upper-midlevel offering. Both window stickers surpassed $35,000.

The Tahoe is the modern descendant of the classic workhorse '69 Blazer, one of the original SUVs. For '96, the Tahoe got its long-awaited four-door option, helping it earn Motor Trend's '96 Truck of the Year honor. Similarly, the Expedition traces its genealogy back to the F-Series pickup-based full-size Bronco, which never had more than two doors. To build the Expedition, introduced last fall as a '97, Ford grafted the front half of the superb new F-150 onto a dedicated sport/utility rear complete with a boxed-section frame (for greater stiffness) and its own coil-spring rear suspension. After the sales success of the four-door Tahoe and Expedition, each division's marketers must be kicking themselves that they didn't add the extra openings a decade ago.

The all-new Expedition is still in its initial season, so call it a leading rookie challenger. For '97, the Tahoe gets some mild updates including a passenger-side airbag to join the existing driver's bag. A less visible highlight: an electronically controlled power steering system that reduces low-speed steering effort. This setup is part of a package that cuts turning diameter from 42.9 to 40.7 feet-though still 0.3 foot larger than the Expedition.

As we found throughout the trip, potent engines are a must for 70- to 75-mph highways and steep grades-especially at power-sapping altitudes-and both sport/utes offer plenty of brawn. The only powerplant available in the four-door Tahoe is the 5.7-liter OHV "L31" Vortec V-8, which makes an impressive 255 horsepower at 4600 rpm and a stump-snatching 330 pound-feet of torque at a lowly 2800 rpm. For the 500-pound-heavier Expedition, a welcome option is the 5.4-liter/230-horse SOHC Triton V-8. The 5.4 makes 15 additional horsepower over the base 4.6-liter Triton and comes within five pound-feet of the Chevy's torque. Both come standard with electronically controlled four-speed automatics. At sea level, the Tahoe's power edge and lighter weight gave it a useful full-second advantage in the 0-60-mph sprint: 8.8 seconds to the Expedition's 9.8-second run. We also conducted an impromptu acceleration test at 5900 feet. The Tahoe's 0-60 time rose to a leisurely 12.4 seconds, while the Expedition fell even farther back with a 13.6-second run.