Long-Term Road Tests

A note on SUV's vs minivans. We traded a 2005 T&C for our 2007 Tahoe; we experienced around a 15% drop in overall fuel economy, say maybe $500/yr. The longevity, reliability and resale value will more than compensate for the fuel econ loss. The Tahoe is a far more satisfying vehicle that the T&C - let alone better build and far more comfortable. I would feel comfortable putting 200K miles on my Tahoe, I wouldn't dream of owning a minivan past 75k.

Why dont InsideLine have a long term test on a 07 Dodge Nitro?

For years I've tried & often succeeded in talking folks out of buying SUVs that didn't need them for towing etc. A year ago my wife landed a new job that allows her to work from home everyday. Our Volvo XC70 was due for replacement & she had her heart set on getting a Suburban. We do tow a small boat twice a year, but my 01 Ranger and even that Volvo was plenty strong enough to do so. We went to a Chevy dealer, test drove & compromised on leasing her a 07 Tahoe LT.
  
13k miles later I'm absolutely smitten by this big truck. Here's why:
1) Demographic flexibility - you can roll up anywhere in this behometh & never been under/over dressed - it's actually the opposite of "ego" here in NYC metro where Lexi & BMWs abound
  
Wedding at a country club, fits right in; Weekend fishing upstate at your buddies lake cabin, fits right in; Going to a union job site for work, no problem; Headed into NYC for a charity event, valet doesn't judge it one way or another
  
2) Comfort, comfort, comfort - we rack up most our mileage shuttling several adults, a toddler in car seat & a 100 lb black lab back & forth to the Shore every weekend; the space is awesome & it loves cruising the parkway (it makes the frequently bumper-to-bumper crawl bearable)
  
3) Fuel economy relative to comfort - we drive to optimize the v4/v8 function & have averaged 16.4mpg over the first year; it's 2008 EPA rating is 12/16 & the much ballyhooed GMC Acadia only earns 18 combined (less than 10% better than what we're experiencing)
  
Our other car is a Mazda6 wagon (3.0L/5M) - it only averages 21mpg (~30% better) but IMHO it is definitely 30% less comfortable to travel any distance in with company or kids
  
4) Social stigma be damned - sure reducing fossil fuel consumption is a good thing, but the CO2 footprint angle is bogus; can my truck really be that evil if I can completely offset its CO2 footprint for $70/yr - that's less than $6/month over the life of my lease; what's the monthly premium to lease a non-CO2 neutral Prius over a standard issue Corolla? what's the environmental impact of dumping all those hybrid batteries in the landfill 10 years from now?
  
I grew up in a family that drove Japanese & European cars. I always said competition was good for Detroit & as soon as the General started stepping up to offer competitive vehicles that I'd buy one. The Tahoe is just one of the very competitive vehicles GM has in their showrooms today. Maybe it's time for Tahoe critics to go see what's on offer for yourself especially if you live on one of the Coasts like me where Toyota, Honda, etc. dealers seem to take their customers for granted!

GMguy111's list needs one more: perceived safety.
 
I've talked to my wife's Tahoe and Expedition-driving friends, and they all talk about safety. Never mind the fact that these larger vehicles handle like a, well, truck and have big rollover warning labels on their sun visors. Parking lot jockeying can be rather humourous to watch at my daughter's elementary school.
 
They are focusing solely on the "bigger is better" passive safety aspects of crash dynamics, in which the heavier vehicle will come out better. And the higher seating position factors in the equation too. It is hard to argue with either one.
 
Yet years of crash-test-results marketing has blinded folks to the benefits of "active" safety. A bit less weight and a lower center of gravity goes a long way towards crash avoidance, shorter stopping distances and a lower propensity to flip over. Its hard to tickle this out of the safety statistics, which only record hits, not misses. But the benefits of "active" safety are real, and are probably a larger factor than crash safety.
 
On the other hand, the very prevalence of other super-sized vehicles on the road has it hard to talk people out of buying one themselves. A sort of mass and height "arms race" has existed. It is harder to see around them unless you're in one yourself.

echobravo- "afontanelle" is a spammer. The post is only there to get you to click on the link.

"-Squeaks and rattles in door panels and seats
  
-Poor accelerator pedal placement
  
-Ground clearance lacking
  
-Unspecified annoyances with stereo, navigation, key fob, etc.
  
These problems are standard with this type of vehicle?"
 
squeaks and rattles are a problem, but it doesnt seem like others have mentioned this. Ground clearance is lacking in most family use SUVS, not just the Tahoe. Very few people are doing off roading in a Tahoe- lets be realistc. I have no idea what "unspecified" annoyances are since they are "unspecified". If they are major issues they should be outlined. Accelerator pedal location could just be a matter of taste? Have other staffers mentioned this problem?

@afontanelle,
 
I'm glad you like your Tahoe. I think I like mine, too, so far. But no vehicle is an "investment."
______________
 
On topic, it's my wife who insisted on a full-size SUV. I would've preferred a CX-9, in fact, the big Mazda was my first choice. I like the looks of the Edge, too, but have yet to read anything really good about it. In the here and now, I'm getting to know my Tahoe and trying to appreciate what it does well. At the same time, I'm trying to not think about its shortcomings.
 
Compromises & trade-offs... That's life!

I really love this car! I've had it about 2 months, and I am soo glad I picked it over a cobalt together with my cousin he also picked the Chevy pick up and hed like to have some mods on its Chevrolet Pickup Flex Fan. This is very good investment, wonderful features, rides very nice and beautiful car land lots of standard features.

Because people LIKE them? We can call people stupid and assign whatever motives we want, but it's THEIR money. Just like almost any other car purchase, they come as close to meeting the needs and DESIRES of the buyer. It's not like the General is shoving these down people's throats, cor crying out loud. I drive a 95 Mazda Protege ES. It meets my needs of 4 doors, fuel economy, and low insurance and repair costs (same engine as the Miata - nearly bulletproof). It meets my desires of good horsepower and handling at the same time. And it's a stick. We thought about a large SUV for my big family, but settled on a minivan after we both decided that there wasn't enough room or fuel mileage in an SUV. If we need to haul something, we'll get a truck. But that minivan has carried everything I need, including a full size lawn tractor.

Squeaks and rattles seem to be a standard Chevy feature. My '06 Impala, at 14,400 miles, has its fair share of squeaks, creaks, and rattles coming from the dash, doors and seats. Visually the fit and finish looks good.
 
Every vehicle I have ever owned (2 Chryslers, 2 Fords, 5 GMs, 1 VW) has had such problems, some sooner than others.

I think the Tahoe SHOULD be compared with other types of vehicles, when looking at people vs. cargo vs. towing. People who dont need to tow would benefit from comapring a big body on frame to a minivan etc.

"Its pointless to criticize the Tahoe for faults that come standard with this type of vehicle."
 
-Squeaks and rattles in door panels and seats
 
-Poor accelerator pedal placement
 
-Ground clearance lacking
 
-Unspecified annoyances with stereo, navigation, key fob, etc.
 
These problems are standard with this type of vehicle?

the comments above could be applied to almost any large SUV. Its pointless to criticize the Tahoe for faults that come standard with this type of vehicle. Its kind of like complaining about mileage when you knew it guzzled gas from day one. As for the steering, other publications have said the steering feel is far better than the old truck and near best in class.
 
Minivans are more efficient when it comes to packaging than SUVs, this is true now and always has been. The Tahoe is hardly the only SUV (regardless of type) that makes less sense than a van as a people/cargo carrier. I mean that is what you call beating a dead horse. As for efficiency and space in crossovers, most crossovers are smaller than the Tahoe inside and get only SLIGHTLY better mileage. A quick qlance at the curb weights of most large crossovers explains why they are barely more efficient than the body on frame Tahoe. Sure you can get an Edge or CX-9 but they are only going to get you 15mpg in real world driving.
 
It sounds like Mr. Macgrath doesnt like large SUVS period (neither do I) but that shouldnt take away from his ability to evaluate the Tahoe vs its competition. Its ridiculous to criticize a large V8 SUV as being inferior to much smaller wagons and crossovers when the reality is no one looking at a Tahoe is going to consider a Mazda6 wagon or Outback as an alternative. The Tahoe is to be compared to its peers.

The Tahoe doesn't have that much passenger or cargo room.

many of the buyers are soccer moms. Now before I go on there are people that actually tow things with their Tahoe's and suburbans ( i have a 26 ft long travel trailer myself and use a 02 suburban to tow it ). Soccer moms really don't care about that there are three factors that go into their decision
 
1. Ego- they want to outdo the other soccermoms in the unforgiving world of the car pool. I mean what better way to achieve said goal than a gigantic tank that dwarfs all of those town and country owners and eats minivans for lunch with its gigantic size and powerful V8
 
2. passenger room- they want to be comfortable knowing that they can safely transport little billy and his posse in comfort or if little billy starts a kindergarten mafia then plenty of backup
 
3. cargo room- with kids come all of the typical kid stuff. Toys, books, various bratz dolls (or prostidolls as i like to call them) and various bratz related bratphenalia for those with daughters and of course athletic equipment mainly soccer items for their little soccer player. Of course as I said earlier there are more serious buyers such as trailer and boat owners that need something to tow their boats or trailers across the country but unfortunately the majority of buyers are soccermoms hopefully that answers your question about how they sell a million or so Tahoes a year