In short, the car is simply phenomenal. This voracious American SUV is absolutely illogical in almost everything. Choosing it in our time, when everyone has switched to small economical cars, is a spit in the face of modern trends. A purely rebellious act!
Finding a Tahoe in stock is a great stroke of luck. The body aerodynamics are such that even in dry weather the car quickly becomes covered in dust and dirt. But what surprises most are the mirrors: in the rain, only the driver's side gets completely splattered.
In the city, the Tahoe feels especially bulky and clumsy, and this is no accident: 5131 mm in length and 2007 mm in width. The time spent parking it would be enough to watch a second-rate Hollywood action movie. Most car washes simply cannot be entered without folding the mirrors. And if your household loves shopping, then the owner of such an SUV can only wait for them at the entrance with the hazard lights on: while the family strolls through the stores, he will be unsuccessfully searching for a free parking spot.
Driving in the city during rush hour results in a consumption of at least 25 liters per hundred kilometers. By the way, at gas stations in the capital they are genuinely surprised when you ask for 92-octane fuel.
Looking at this impressive "wagon," you might think it will protect passengers from any road surprises. But that is a misconception. The suspension swallows small bumps well and almost completely levels out medium asphalt defects. However, on our roads there are plenty of truly deep potholes and ruts. And there the "American" falters: the suspension starts to "talk," and the driver's seat shakes from hard impacts. Very unpleasant!
The lion's share of the Tahoe's charm is the gorgeous 20-inch wheels for an extra charge. On the standard 17-inch wheels, the SUV looks ridiculous.
What about the spacious interior? Yes, there is plenty of room here, but after getting acquainted with this splendor, you still feel disappointment. The whole problem is in the quality. It simply does not exist! The trim leaves much to be desired (to put it mildly), and the assembly is done so poorly that on bumps, the excellent sound of the Bose audio system is accompanied by "backing vocals" from creaking panels.
The interior is almost entirely trimmed with hard and ringing plastic, the leather seats feel more like rubber, the steering wheel is installed crookedly, and the massive tunnel between the front seats wobbles from any touch. This cannot be explained by a mileage of 30 thousand kilometers. Among the ergonomic pluses, the abundance of large buttons on the console is not intimidating, and the readings of the simple displays are easy to read.
As for me, as a driver, the ergonomics plunged me into despondency. The steering wheel has no reach adjustment, and vertical adjustment is only stepwise, the gas and brake pedals are widely spaced in height, and the short cushion and shapeless seatback begin to resemble an instrument of torture after a couple of hours. You can get used to the inconvenient "poker" of the gearshift lever. Just as, probably, to a frying pan without a handle.
The wheelbase of 2946 mm allowed for three rows of seats. Behind the wheel, there is plenty of room in all directions, and "behind myself," I, at 183 cm tall, sit easily: more than five centimeters of clearance to the knees, and a fist passes freely between the head and the ceiling. In the third row, passengers also have enough room for heads and shoulders. But the feet are cramped — there is almost no legroom, and the knees are raised up.
Do not count on aggressive driving to help you warm up. Driving the Tahoe is quite an experience. Steering responses are quick, but there is no information in your hands: you drive the car blindly. At the same time, the movement is accompanied by wild body rolls and pitching in all directions — as if you are riding an elephant. And the brakes, which are clearly ineffective here, would be more suitable for a modest hatchback.
When planning to storm off-road in the Tahoe, do not lose your head. The suspension travel is large, there is a rear differential lock, and the ground clearance is 231 mm, but the enormous mass, almost three-meter wheelbase, and large front overhang get in the way. Lose track of yourself — and you will tear off the rubber skirt along with the bumper.
So who are these people who buy the Tahoe? Madmen? Daredevils? Blind lovers! Having spent a whole week with the Chevy, I understand them. The car wins you over with its honesty. It has no secrets from you. It is straightforward and artless. An American SUV? That means huge! And very loud. Oh, how the sound of the Vortec V8 engine caresses the ear! The luxurious "eight-cylinder" purr at a calm speed gives way to a furious roar that fills the cabin during full-throttle acceleration. The feeling of primordial, almost animal superiority over the traffic cannot be put into words. You have to try it at least once. And people do not get off such "drugs."
The surges from medium speeds are impressive. True, the ancient four-speed "automatic" does not always respond adequately to the gas pedal — sometimes it instantly downshifts, sometimes it holds the current gear to the limit.
- The round switch next to the light control allows you to select one of four transmission modes: 2H (rear-wheel drive), Auto (the front axle is connected automatically by a multi-disc clutch), 4H (the clutch is locked — torque is divided equally between the axles), 4L (low range is engaged).
- In Auto mode, when the front axle is connected only when the rear wheels slip, the electronics are late. If you overdo the gas in a corner, the rear instantly slides out, and after the front axle engages, the car's behavior becomes unpredictable. Even in such situations, the Stabilitrak stability system reacts with a delay. It can, by the way, be turned off.
The acceleration finally won me over completely. Let the claimed nine seconds to a hundred not impress: the numbers say nothing. Press the pedal to the floor and enjoy: the huge car squats on its rear, raises its nose, and with an animal roar rushes forward. It is like the first takeoff in an airplane in childhood — how could you forget that.
The poorly fitted glove box lid, the peeling trim of the trunk door, the carelessly applied sills — just a small part of the "American assembly." Also pay attention to the plastic cover that gets in the way of the front passenger's legs.
In the five-seat configuration, the power trunk opens up a space of 1162 liters (up to the windows). The sofa fits, but the car does not? Press a couple of buttons on the overhead console, and the second row folds automatically, freeing up 2269 liters. Now you can transport your wife's car too.
After all this, I no longer care that the Tahoe is technically outdated, terribly assembled, and voracious, and that its prices in Russia are exorbitantly inflated. And even though for this money you cannot buy anything similar in size, you could get something more compact and noticeably more advanced in every respect.
Evolution will erase the Tahoe from the Chevrolet model lineup. But not from people's hearts. The roar of the "eight" and the constant rocking of the body make you believe that the Tahoe is a living creature. Perhaps the dying dinosaurs screamed just as loudly 65 million years ago. And I am infinitely sorry that in the future we will only be able to see such cars in books, on TV, and in paleontological museums.
Of course, here is the rewritten test drive text.
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### Technical
The Chevrolet Tahoe is based on the GMT900 platform, which the company first showed in New York in 2006. This architecture provides for rear or all-wheel drive, as well as a double-wishbone suspension at the front and a dependent beam at the rear. Not only the Tahoe is assembled on this same "cart", but also several other models, including the related GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.
Under the hood of our test SUV was a gasoline Vortec V8 5300 engine from the LY5 family — this engine went into production in 2007. By design, it cannot be called advanced, but it produces 325 horsepower and 461 Nm of torque. It has Active Fuel Management technology for deactivating half of the cylinders. It really helps save fuel, but requires careful handling of the gas pedal: you just need to press a little harder, and the entire "eight" is again included in the work.
### History
Interesting fact: the pedigree of the Chevrolet Tahoe began with a simple change of badges. The first generation of the SUV, introduced in 1995, was only a slightly modified version of the GMC Yukon, which debuted three years earlier. The car was built on the GMT 400 base with a wheelbase of 2985 mm, and the drive could be either rear or all-wheel. In different years, gasoline V8s with a volume of 5.7 liters (200 and 255 hp) were installed under the hood, as well as a Detroit Diesel V8 turbodiesel with 180 hp. They worked in tandem with four-speed "automatics" or a five-speed "manual" from GM. Production of the first generation at factories in the USA and Mexico ended in 1999.
At first it seems that the second generation has not changed so radically. Externally, perhaps only more smoothed shapes appeared instead of the former chopped brutality, and there were even fewer changes in the cabin. But the technical filling was noticeably updated. Before the 2004 restyling, the SUV on the GMT 800 platform (base — 2946 mm) was equipped with two "eights": Vortec 4.8 with 275 hp and Vortec 5.3 with 285 hp. After the update, both versions added ten horsepower each. And even earlier, in 2003, the car, which is so loved by American special services, began to be equipped with the Stabilitrak stabilization system. Then the list of options added XM Satellite satellite radio, a Bose audio system, and a DVD player. The third generation of the Tahoe appeared already in 2007.
### Behind the scenes
While we were testing the Tahoe, an Insignia was being reviewed in parallel. So, the "American" gives what the German sedan cannot offer in principle. The SUV can really be used as a small apartment: on the central armrest you can spread out lunch, inside you can almost fully straighten up to your full height to take a good shot, and sticking out of the sunroof, you can feel like a yacht captain. Removing and installing the third row of seats is a separate ritual, reminiscent of a mini move. And one more detail: the LTZ badge. If you insert the letter U between the first two letters, you get Lutz — the surname of a well-known top manager in the automotive industry, who is just retiring this year. Mysticism, and nothing more.