Long-Term Road Tests

It seemed fitting that, on the cusp of popular culture deciding to hate SUVs, I take our long-term 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe on a 2,000-mile trip from Los Angeles to Denver and back. And rather than just load it up with myself and a couple bags of Dorritos from the local AM/PM (the manner in which for too many SUVs travel our roadways) I decided to bring the wife, both kids, a couple hundred pounds of payload and three tons of muscle car and U-Haul trailer. 

And, well...yes, a couple bags of Dorritos.

This was really my first experience towing any substantial load any substantial distance. The wife loved hearing that as we pulled out of the U-Haul store in Ventura, and when I realized the weight I was towing (approximately 6,000 lbs) eclipsed that of the Tahoe (5,500 lbs --without passengers or cargo) I got a little worried myself. Did I really want to start my towing education by piloting six tons of American iron?

The Chevy's power and handling seemed up to the task overall, but I did notice some sway from the car's rear end while braking or going over certain types of bumps at highway speeds. Initially this kept me from going much over 50 mph, even on the open stretches of freeway between L.A. and Vegas. But over time I realized these minor vehicle motions were just that, and the Tahoe never actually felt out of control in any way. The vehicle's maximum towing capacity is listed at 8,200 lbs, so what could go wrong, right? By the time we cleared Barstow I was regularly hitting 60-65 mph with no issues; obviously every input (steering, braking, throttle) was executed as smoothly as possible while keeping a large cushion of space around both vehicles at all times.

While climbing the long grades in the high desert outside of Baker, California the exterior temperature read 107 degrees, yet the Tahoe's engine temp gauge rarely moved off midway. This was with the tri-zone air conditioning cranked up and at least 600 pounds (four passengers and cargo) inside the vehicle itself. Braking was similarly worry-free, though this car transporter was equipped with hydraulic brakes that tapped into the Tahoe's via a $15 adapter I bought at the U-Haul store.

Originally I planned to drop the trailer in St. George, Utah and drive the GTX behind the Tahoe the remaining 600 miles. It was really just the desert heat I wanted to avoid in the non-air-conditioned GTX (and those triple-digit temps confirmed my decision). But everything was going so well I kept on truckin'  (after checking in with the friendly St. George U-Haul folks) all the way to Grand Junction. This shot was taken near the Utah/Colorado border on I-70.

Over the 747.5 miles spent towing the GTX the Tahoe managed 13.8 mpg, though the initial tank (when I was too scared to go over 55 mph) saw an impressive 15.01 mpg. The cost of renting the trailer was $360, and the 54.148 gallons used would be $162.44 at $3 a gallon (the Tahoe requires only regular fuel).

That's roughly $525, which probably would have gotten the GTX shipped to Grand Junction if I wanted to deal with (and trust) a shipping company. But remember, that amount shipped both the car and my family (and all their stuff) 750 miles -- much of it spent watching Pixar movies in the back seat while listening to Big Tracks on XM 49 up front. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. Maybe this whole SUV thing has some merit.

More on the Denver to Los Angeles return trip in our Long-Term Tahoe coming up.

Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com