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Help Rich choose an SUV

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N9JIG

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I am going to be in the market this fall for a new 2016 SUV. One of the most important things of course is how the radios will work in it...

I would like suggestions as to what your experiences and opinions are regarding them. I have a few months to go before the 16's are out so I plan on researching it all before then.

I have been a Honda buyer for the last 10 years (and 6 vehicles) and was a Ford guy before that. Only bought 1 Chevy in my life, back in the 80's...

I am looking at the following vehicles this time around:

The new Honda Pilot Touring (The 2016 is redesigned inside and out...)
GMC Yukon Denali/Chevy Tahoe LTZ
Ford Expedition Platinum
I might look at others such as the Toyota SUV or a smaller car like the Explorer but kind of like the bigguns.

I will likely end up with the premium version of whatever vehicle I get since I need (well want really) the Nav system, cooled seats and other amenities. This usually reduces the room in the center consoles but with Remote Heads i will not need them as much.

The radios inside will likely include 2 996XT's with RH96's, a 996P2, an Icom IC7000 with remote head as well as an Alnico DR638 with remote head. I would use 5 NMO mounts, with 4 to the rear and 1 to the front. The HF will likely use a tailgate mount.

The Pilot, even though it is smaller, might be the most radio friendly. The 2016 appears to retain the cargo area in the rear like the prior models (including the one I had in 2009 Pilot Radio). While there may be some challenges for control heads the shelf units have a ready home...

On the larger SUV's there is less (or no) room in the covered cargo areas which means a box of radios someplace. There might however be more room for the control heads.

I really have no idea where the 996P2 is going to go, since it doesn't support a control head it has to go in front someplace.

I have had great results with ProClips and will likely use them again for this car.

Suggestions, comments and jokes are welcome!
 

AK9R

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One of my criteria when vehicle shopping is how I'm going to mount radios inside the vehicle. I prefer the modular steel consoles from Havis, Jotto, Troy, etc., as I think they offer the most flexibility. Some of the console vendors have vehicle-specific consoles which helps me narrow down my decision making.

In general, I like the "bigguns", too.

I'm planning to replace my 2011 Ford F-150 SuperCrew later this spring. I was thinking along the lines of a Ford Explorer, but I have some concerns about that vehicle as it is now car-based rather than truck-based. My thinking changed when I learned of the updates Ford made to the Expedition for 2015. I had a 2002 Expedition that I really liked. For how I use a vehicle, I find SUVs to be more useful than trucks, even crew-cab trucks. In 2011 when I was vehicle shopping, I thought about replacing the '02 Expedition with a 2011 version, but was disappointed that Ford really hadn't done much to upgrade it. So, I bought the F-150. For the 2015 Expedition, Ford has replaced the gas-hog 5.4 liter V-8 with the same 3.5 EcoBoost V-6 that's used in the F-150. They also upgraded the chassis to use the same transmission and electric power steering that the F-150 has. And, they've modernized the interior. So, to make a long story short, I'm probably going to replace my 2011 F-150 with a 2015 Expedition. Note that Havis has a console for the civilian Expedition that retains the stock console transmission shifter.

I don't think the 2016 Expedition will be much different from the 2015. I also don't think we'll see a complete redesign of the Expedition until the 2017 or 2018 model year. If you buy in the fall, the incentives won't be as good as in the spring. So, if the Expedition is your final choice, you might want to move up your purchase plans.
 

N9JIG

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Broke down...

Well, it is a moot point now. I went out and bought a 2015 Pilot. The price was right (some 15K less than the Expedition and 20K less than the Yukon) and there are better radio mounting opportunities.

Now I gotta find a good installer here, but that is for another thread.
 

W9WSS

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Well, it is a moot point now. I went out and bought a 2015 Pilot. The price was right (some 15K less than the Expedition and 20K less than the Yukon) and there are better radio mounting opportunities.

Now I gotta find a good installer here, but that is for another thread.

You will find some good resources, Rich. Have you dropped by the local PD / Sheriff's office / State Police barracks and introduced yourself? With your people skills, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a reputable vendor hopefully in your immediate area.
 

cmdrwill

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Check with your local collision repair place. They usually have a "headliner specialist" that can tell you where is is safe to install an antenna mount. Avoiding the side airbags.

Another tip I heard, use a mag mount temporally to see if you get 'feedback or noise, ect, in your goodtime radio.
 
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