November 8, 2007
Say good bye to our long-term Chevrolet Tahoe. It's hard to believe 12 months have passed since it was first introduced to the fleet. Keep an eye out for the wrap-up.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Coordinator @ 21,507
November 6, 2007
Our year with our long term 2007 Chevy Tahoe is winding down, but I still have time for one last jab. The worth of this truck's range feature ranges from completely useless to almost useless.
As you can see the computer computes down to 40 miles worth of gas. But soon after that, just as the feature gets really useful, it stops giving you numbers and just reads "Fuel Range Low." No kidding? Thanks for the information Captain Obvious, but the big analog fuel gauge with the needle pointing to the big E told me that much...
August 24, 2007
After 2,000 miles in our long-term Chevrolet Tahoe it's clear that GM got most of this vehicle right. The combination of ride and handling characteristics is impressive for a 5,500-pound, truck-based SUV. Both the wife and I agreed on the confident handling, even over the high-speed hilly and twisty sections of Interstate 70 as it crosses the Rockies.
August 23, 2007
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.
August 9, 2007
This is not a feature unique to the Tahoe, but I really appreciate the ability to fold in the side mirrors with the touch of a button.
Sometimes, maneuvering around California's beach town roads can be a bit difficult. There is a two-lane stretch along Vista Del Mar that is more like a lane and three-quarters. The right lane is very narrow and lined with dry brush...
August 6, 2007
Recently I praised the Tahoe's performance during a recent Oldham family road trip, but I forgot to mention something. The Tahoe's navigation system, while it got us to a Big Bear Lake, was adamant that the particular address we were heading for did not exist. The street was in there, but the house number was not.
I dismissed this as the norm, after all Big Bear Lake is a tiny town in the middle of the mountains...
August 2, 2007
The other day I noticed this sticker in the driver's door jamb of our Chevy Tahoe. My father always told me to take pride in my work and the people that built the SUV obviously do. The fact that our Tahoe has proven to be bulletproof after almost 17,000 miles in just eight months is further proof.
Sadly they're probably Ranger fans...
August 1, 2007
After almost a week and several hundred miles of life with our Chevy Tahoe, I'm sold. This is a great vehicle. And I owe it an apology.
You see I've never really spent any time in the Tahoe...
July 30, 2007
A family road trip to Big Bear Lake 115 miles northeast of Los Angeles seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try out our Chevy Tahoe. Regular readers of this blog know I usually commandeer the Audi Q7 for such duties, and the Mercedes R500 before that.
But the Tahoe deserved a shot, so this Saturday I packed it up and it swallowed luggage, wife, kids and dog like the full-size SUV that it is. Of course I had to utilize Chevy's innovative Hernia N' Go third-row-seat system first...
July 16, 2007
The Big Tahoe LT and I are at a crossroads. After a disappointing first drive on Thursday that left me wondering how The General could sell some million of these things annually, I requested a weekend of quality time just me, the Tahoe and a few hundred miles of open road, to try to answer that very question…
July 9, 2007
Last week, in a Chevy Silverado post, I mentioned how OnStar's personal calling just doesn't work as a substitute for Bluetooth.
But OnStar's other features may make it worth the $17 per month it costs to maintain the Safe and Sound plan.
I recently signed up for OnStar's Vehicle Diagnostic service for our Long Term Tahoe. Singing up was easy, I did it by pressing the blue button inside the car and giving the operator my email address. Within 48 hours, I received an update on the mechanical and electrical systems of the Tahoe...
July 2, 2007
This was my first time driving the Tahoe, and as someone who drove a little roadster for a couple of years, I felt like I had hopped onto an aircraft carrier on wheels. My main impressions were that it had reasonably good power and an overall comfortable interior.
There were a couple of things I noticed though.....
First off, though the thing is a behemoth, when it comes time to try to haul stuff, the cargo area is not all that big. I had grand visions of moving a not-so-large desk for someone, but when we had a look at the desk and then the cargo area, it felt a little iffy. We ultimately decided to hold off. It's people hauling strengths definitely outdo its stuff hauling skills.
Also, though I liked certain parts of the navigation and audio system just fine, when it came time for us to enter the address of our destination, the interface was pretty clunky. With three graduate degrees between the two of us, it shouldn't be that hard, and honestly, we did figure it out, but they seemed to go out of there way to make the nav interface non-user-friendly.
Don't get me wrong; the Tahoe did its job as a big mondo SUV just fine. If a tree fell on my family and I wanted to wreak revenge on Mother Nature, I might consider it as my gas guzzling tool of choice, but it definitely has its weaknesses...
June 21, 2007
Lately, when given a choice between vehicles, my first question is "Which one has an AUX IN jack?"
My drive home has been averaging about an hour and a half, so hooking up the iPod has been a high priority. As seen in this previous post, I use a FM transmitter, but I also carry a Stereo Mini cable just in case. The iPod won't charge this way, but the sound is MUCH cleaner, and I don't have to fiddle with finding an unused frequency or lower an antenna to help reception.
So tonight, by making my shuffled songs and Audio books possible, the Tahoe gets a thumbs up...
June 20, 2007
I have one of those old Yard Vacs that sucks up leaves and grass clippings and small squirrels and anything else that gets in its way. Well, it does that when its working properly.
After 8 months of cleaning off the spark plug, removing the air cleaner and priming the carb with gas each time I want to use it, I finally decided to take it in for service. Sadly, once I got to the repair shop, the place was deserted even well past the posted opening time...
June 11, 2007
I can barely believe I'm going to say this - the Tahoe needs some +2 wheels and tires to fill up that horrid wheel well gap. It's that or we need to drop it about an inch and a half - maybe two inches but no more. I like the Tahoe's ride and I'd hate to compromise it too much.
I've seen several Tahoes and Avalanches that were lowered a bit and it makes the truck look tough, less tall and dorky.
Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 14, 519 miles...
As a follow up to our E85 vs Gasoline article, we recently took the Tahoe to our friendly neighborhood dyno - MD Automotive in Westminster, CA. We're trying to see if the Tahoe's V8 would be weaker or stronger depending on the fuel type. The results will be up soon - look for an article or blog post within the next few weeks.
Here, our Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh gets all scientific setting up the dyno run. Without giving away the ending, let's just say the difference in output isn't as dramatic as we were expecting...
June 7, 2007
Your're looking at the only public-access E85 station in California. It's in San Diego, 130 miles south of our offices. That's where Phil Reed and I went a few weeks ago to conduct an E85 vs. gasoline fuel economy test in our flex-fuel 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe...
June 5, 2007
Last week I was sort of bragging about getting nearly 16 miles per gallon in mostly around town driving with the Cadillac SRX (15.8 to be exact). Now I look at the Tahoe's MPG indicator and maybe 16 isn't so great for a V6 powered crossover. The Tahoe is heavier, has a 5.3L V8 and pulls down 15.1 MPG in combined city/highway driving. Doesn't seem like much of a benefit given the Tahoe's ability to haul more people, go off-road and do some substantial towing (if you're so inclined).
Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 14,146 miles...
May 29, 2007
I was lucky enough to snag the Tahoe for the long holiday weekend. What I didn't realize was what a chore it would be first to remove and then to transport both third-row seats to the garage. Sure, I've read the other entries about the lack of cargo room with the sometimes-seats in place, and also their ability to hinge forward for those "Geez, I forgot to remove them before I got here" moments. But, holy crow, are these things heavy!
May 22, 2007
Last night I drove the Chevrolet Tahoe home to my sleepy beach town. I have to admit, it's just too big for me. I really don't need a 5,770-pound, 4WD full-size SUV. So when driving it home, I feel a little guilty about taking up so much space on the road...
May 21, 2007
I'm a knob guy. That is, I prefer them to buttons. So every time I feel the need to make a volume adjustment or temperature change I want the fine precision of a knob at my fingertips. Buttons are either too slow, too imprecise, too hard find while driving or all three...
May 10, 2007
OK, so the fuel economy number above isn't impressive. But don't get too excited: it's all in the name of science. Watch for an upcoming feature article to explain the circumstances of the above perfromance.
But it is accurate. In the course of several long-distance fuel economy trials with our 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, we took to resetting this display at every fill-up. To the tenth, the figure above matched what we calculated by dividing the trip odometer by the gallons added, every time.
The "miles to empty" and "gallons used" displays, which we also reset at each fill-up, gave similarly accurate results. The needle may have cried wolf as it sat buried below "E", but we developed supreme confidence in the digital displays. If you reset each at the filling station, there'll be no excuse for running out of gas in this one. Kudos.
May 8, 2007
As touch-screen navigation / audio interfaces go, our 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe's system isn't bad. Volume and tuning can be accessed easily via traditional twist-knobs, and most of the touch-screen target areas are clearly marked and large enough to select with my fat fingers.
But there is one thing I wish GM would change.
April 16, 2007
Our long term Tahoe is one of the few vehicles in the fleet that I'd keep if I could. I like it better than the Audi Q7, Cadillac SRX and even the new Silverado. Lack of fold flat third row seats continues to be a hassle but maybe not as much I originally thought.
This weekend, I found that there's an acceptable amount of storage space if I leave the third row seats collapsed and flipped forward. I'm not crazy about the way this looks...
April 11, 2007
The in-laws house, Orange County, Calif. - It was Easter afternoon. Moses, aka Mr. Heston, was on TV for like the millionth time...
April 5, 2007
After the Ford Explorer and Firestone tire debacle, Congress passed legislation in 2000 requiring all vehicles to have some sort of tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). It has taken a while and the NHTSA's implementation of that law has been questioned in court, but effectively all new passenger vehicles must have a TPMS installed by Sept. 1st. The majority of 2007 vehicles already have a TPMS installed, including our long-term 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe...
April 2, 2007
I took the keys to our 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe last Friday. As soon as I got home that night, my neighbor showed considerable interest in Inside Line's full-size SUV. He owns a previous-generation Ford Expedition and is seriously considering replacing it with a Tahoe this summer.
His only dislike about the new Tahoe is the fact that the third-row seats don't fold flat into the floor...
March 28, 2007
Last night was my first time in the mighty Tahoe, and I have to say, I'm impressed. Acceleration isn't particularly compelling, but the SUV's 5.3-liter V8 does a reasonably good job muscling the beast. With a curb weight of over 5,000 pounds, nimbleness is not the Tahoe's strong suit, but its heft works in its favor by contributing to a ride that feels smooth and incredibly well-planted. Brake pedal feel is pleasantly firm, and steering is relatively sharp and responsive...
March 23, 2007
At 5'4", I have a difficult time getting in and out of full-size SUVs. Thankfully, the Tahoe has running boards as part of its standard equipment package to give me a boost.
Yay, Tahoe.
Once I'm secured in my seat, the high seating position lets me see over the miles of stand-still traffic ahead of me...
March 22, 2007
The first thing that struck me when I got into our long-term Chevrolet Tahoe last night was how spindly the steering wheel felt in my admittedly large hand. Don't get me wrong: This steering wheel is a huge improvement over the awkward wheel designs (there were two of them) GM used in the 2000-2006 Tahoe. At the same time, it still doesn't provide the meaty, substantial grip I'd expect in a full-size SUV. Maybe Chevrolet thought this delicate steering wheel design would contribute to the impression of a kinder, gentler Tahoe amidst flagging consumer enthusiasm for truck-based brutes?
On a more substantive level, this Tahoe certainly steers better than the old one did. The new rack-and-pinion setup is much tidier and more precise off-center...
March 21, 2007
You can't see it in this picture, but our Tahoe's third row seat latch has become a major source of annoyance. Forget the fact that this setup is primitive compared to the power folding seats in the Ford Expedition, it's the noise that gets me. With the seats folded up it sounds as if there's a piece of Styrofoam perpetually rubbing against the trim every time you start and stop. I looked for the offending piece of white stuff, but it's just a plastic grommet rubbing on the seat latch...
March 15, 2007
Last night I became the very thing I so greatly despise. Well, not despise, but certainly the thing I'm greatly annoyed with. After two consecutive weekend road trips getting stuck behind a seemingly endless train of Chevy Tahoes clogging the left passing lane, I climbed aboard our own long-term Tahoe to see what I've been missing (other than the dank smell of whatever Donna spilled in the back seat).
Would some sort of strange GM full-size SUV spell fill the cabin, imploring me to militantly hold my own in the passing lane as pesky cars run the gauntlet in the right lane to pass?..
March 12, 2007
OK, so you don't think I'm a complete wino, here's a second post on the Tahoe.
When driving home yesterday, I decided to follow the Tahoe's navigation system no matter where it sent me. I plugged in my home address and it gave me the option of quickest route or shortest route with both routes highlighted on the map. I thought that was a nice touch...
It was really hot in L.A. yesterday, much hotter than I realized.
I was expected at Caroline's house at 1:30 PM but I got there too early so I went shopping first. I went to the Wine House nearby and bought a couple of bottles of Prosecco and some other things...
March 7, 2007
I'm not thrilled with our Long Term Tahoe's fuel economy. When I got it a week or so ago, the on board computer said I was getting 12.4 miles per gallon. Not great. But I've been making a conscious effort to follow one of our tips in the We Test the Tips article...
March 6, 2007
At one point during this past weekend, I rolled the window of the Tahoe down for some fresh air. At the time I was doing some low speed cruising through the neighborhood.
And then I drove over one of those raised speed humps they install to keep folks from speeding through residential areas. "SWISH, SCRAPE," went the Tahoe's suspension. A couple hundred yards later I hit another. Same noise. And it was loud too. And perfectly timed to the movement of the front suspension.
Just before I hit the next one, I cranked the window up. Silence! Rolling it back down again for the next hit, the noise returned.
So has the front end of this thing always made this squeak/scrape noise? Is there something wrong with the suspension? Do I have a bad shock absorber?
March 1, 2007
Ahhhhh, there something comforting about seeing that 100% Oil Life light up.
We chose S&J Chevrolet in Cerritos, California. The service was courteous and fairly prompt but we were a little worried about the $80 estimate for the Tahoe's first service - it now has 7100 miles on the clock. But a quick check of our Edmunds Maintenance Guide said that the cost should be about $75...</SP
February 28, 2007
Walking up to our long-term Tahoe at night is a pleasant experience, as its approach lighting is nothing if not comprehensive: The headlights come on full-strength and all the interior lights illuminate. Sure, you basically announce your presence to the entire parking lot with this light show, but trying to be discreet is a waste of time when you're driving a full-size SUV.
Inside, our Tahoe's navigation/audio system graphics were immediately familiar to me. The system has the same color scheme and menu system as the one in the Cadillac Escalade we tested last year...
February 27, 2007
I could easily own a Tahoe and have it be the only vechicle I'd need for years to come. Still, I've never really been an SUV person. Frankly, I'd rather have a sedan so I've been paying very close attention to the debate about SUVs vs economy cars.
Why would I even want an SUV?..
February 26, 2007
I love the Tahoe's remote start feature. On cold mornings the system fires up the heat and runs the rear window defroster and on warm days the A/C runs to cool the interior off.
I'm surprised more high line brands don't have this feature. Even the Malibu (and other GM vehicles) has the option of remote start. It seems like something you'd find on an expensive luxury brand rather than a Chevy...
February 20, 2007
Everything about the Tahoe fits my life. There's a place for all my stuff up front, the vehicle's height makes child seats easy to install, the cabin is quiet and the big truck has plenty of power yet never feels brutish or coarse.
Here's the one exception - rear storage. As soon as I got the Tahoe home Friday afternoon, I promptly removed one of the third row seats...
February 16, 2007
After several weeks of family use, our long-term Tahoe LT's interior had that lived-in feel. So I gave it a little TLC. Right away I realized why leather upholstery can be so practical in a family vehicle. The leather available in the Tahoe is nothing special -- it feels sturdy but it's more like vinyl than actual animal hide...
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