2019 Chevrolet Tahoe vs. 2019 Ford Expedition: Which Is Best?

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST hero ・ Photo by General Motors

The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe and 2019 Ford Expedition are full-size SUVs with seating for up to eight passengers, ample room for cargo, and plenty of capability. There are times when a crossover or smaller SUV will do just fine, but these vehicles are unabashedly big for those who simply cannot make do with less.

These competitors offer similar features, but they’re not completely equal. Let’s take a closer look at the 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe and 2019 Ford Expedition to see which of these full-size SUVs is the best.

Pricing and Trims

The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe is available in three trims, with a choice of rear-wheel or four-wheel drive across the lineup. Pricing for the base LS with rear-wheel drive starts at $49,195, while the top Premier trim begins at $63,895. Add four-wheel drive to any trim for $3,000. A 5.3-liter V8 is standard, while a 6.2-liter V8 is also available exclusively on the Premier.

Pricing on the 2019 Ford Expedition starts at $52,130 for the XLT, while the top Platinum trim is priced from $73,365. Chevrolet wins this round.

 Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by General Motors

Safety

Neither the 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe nor the 2019 Ford Expedition has been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. However, there are crash-test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both vehicles.

The Ford Expedition received an overall five-star rating with an individual three-star rollover-resistance rating for rear-wheel drive models and a four-star rollover-resistance rating for four-wheel drive models. The Chevrolet Tahoe received an overall four-star rating with an individual three-star rating for rollover risk across the model lineup. It’s a small difference, but rollovers are a concern with big vehicles, and the Expedition manages to come out ahead of the Tahoe.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Seating

There’s room for up to eight passengers in both of these full-size SUVs with varying amounts of space, depending on which one you pick and where you choose to sit. The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe has 38.7 inches of headroom and 39.0 inches of legroom in the second row. Third-row passengers get 38.1 inches of headroom and 24.8 inches of legroom.

The 2019 Ford Expedition offers 40.0 inches of headroom and 41.5 inches of legroom in the second row, along with 37.3 inches of headroom and 36.1 inches of legroom in the third row. The Expedition offers more space in both the second and third rows, with exceptional third-row legroom that makes those seats more useable for adults.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Cargo Capacity

It’s important to have plenty of room for passengers in a full-size SUV, but there also needs to be room for cargo. The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe offers 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 51.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 94.7 cubic feet behind the front seats.

The 2019 Ford Expedition bests those numbers on every front. There’s 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 104.6 cubic feet behind the front seats. No matter the combination of people and cargo you need to carry, the Expedition offers greater flexibility with more room behind every row.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Towing

Even though these are big vehicles with plenty of interior room for cargo, sometimes you need that room for passengers or have something to bring along that’s simply too large to fit inside. That’s when you need something that can tow, and both the Expedition and Tahoe are plenty capable.

Tow ratings vary depending on each vehicle’s configuration with the Chevrolet Tahoe rated at up to 8,400 pounds when properly equipped. The Ford Expedition comes in significantly higher with a maximum tow rating of up to 9,300 pounds. If your plans call for regular towing of heavier loads, then the Expedition is a better choice.

Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Performance

The Chevrolet Tahoe is powered by a 5.3-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission that’s standard across the lineup. The top Premier also has an available 6.2-liter V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque paired to a 10-speed automatic.

The Ford Expedition also has a choice of engines, with a base 3.5-liter V6 with 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The top Platinum trim offers a more powerful version of this engine with 400 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. The wider availability of a more powerful engine and the standard 10-speed automatic give Ford the win.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Fuel Efficiency

The Tahoe with the base 5.3-liter engine gets an EPA-estimated 15 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 18 mpg combined with rear wheel drive or 15 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg combined with four-wheel drive.

The Expedition with the base 3.5-liter engine gets an EPA-estimated 17 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive or 17 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined with four-wheel drive. Comparing the base engines, which is what most buyers will drive, the Expedition comes out ahead in either configuration.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Infotainment

Connectivity in the Chevrolet Tahoe includes a standard 8-inch color touchscreen, a built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with connectivity for up to seven devices, Bluetooth streaming audio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system. Upgrades include a premium Bose audio system with up to 10 speakers, rear-seat entertainment with a 9-inch screen and wireless headphones, and navigation.

The Ford Expedition also comes with a fully-featured infotainment system that includes a standard 8-inch color touchscreen and built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with connectivity for up to 10 devices, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not standard. Optional features include a dual-headrest rear-seat entertainment system, navigation, and a 12-speaker B&O Play audio system.

 Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by General Motors

Long Wheelbase

As if these two full-size SUVs aren’t big enough, there is also a long wheelbase version of the Expedition called the Expedition Max. While it has a smaller maximum tow rating of 9,000 pounds versus 9,300 in the standard-wheelbase Expedition, it has a lot more cargo room.

The Expedition Max boasts 34.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 73.3 cubic feet behind the second row, and 121.5 cubic feet behind the first row. Even fully loaded with passengers, there’s plenty of room for cargo. The Tahoe doesn’t offer this option (Chevrolet instead sells a separate long-wheelbase SUV called the Suburban), so if you need room for eight and lots of luggage, the Expedition Max is the clear choice over the Tahoe.

 Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford

Verdict

The 2019 Ford Expedition comes out ahead of the 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe in all but a few areas. It has more passenger room, more cargo room, and a higher tow rating. It also offers a more powerful base engine with superior fuel efficiency. Finally, there’s the Expedition Max for those who anticipate carrying a full load of passengers and still need room for lots of cargo.

Where the Tahoe comes out ahead is on the availability of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto even on the base trim, and its lower pricing. While base trims are priced closely, the top trims are separated by roughly $10,000, making the Expedition the more expensive choice. Despite those drawbacks, the Expedition wins.

Ford Expedition

Photo by Ford