A Review on Chevy Tahoe

 If you're lookingfor a big three row SUV with strong towing, hauling,and some off road capabilities, there's a good chance the ChevyTahoe has been on your radar. After six years inproduction, it's time to retire the fourthgeneration and introduce this-- the all new 2021Chevrolet Tahoe. There is a lot to talkabout with this new Tahoe, but before that, do me afavor hit that Subscribe button for all our latestvideos and click the links below to see our reviews of the Tahoeand Suburban at Edmunds.com.  The big news forthe 2021 Tahoe is a new independentrear suspension and an available diesel engine. That new suspensionpromises improvements in ride quality, handling,and interior space while the forthcomingdiesels should have resectable towingcapabilities and improved fuel economy. From the outside, the newTahoe gains 1.4 inches in height, 6.7 inchesfrom grille to lift gate, with 4.9 inches of thatadded between the wheels. 

That translates to a lotmore legroom on the inside-- 3 inches more for themiddle row and a whopping 10 inches for the third row. With a second row bench,you can transport up to eight passengers.  Prices start around $50,000for the base LS trim and $70,000 for the rangetopping High Country model. Want four wheel drive? That's another three grand. What we have here is theoffroad-capable Z71 that starts right around 60 grand. With options, this model hasas tested price of $76,225. Depending on whichtrim you go with, there are threeengines to choose from. The base 5.3 liter V8 makes355 horsepower, 383 pound feet of torque, and shouldreturn 18 miles per gallon in combined driving. Upgrading to the6.2 liter V8 means stepping up to the top HighCountry trim and get you 420 horsepower, 460pound feet of torque, and 17 miles pergallon combined, which is the sameas last year's 5.3. Both of these featurecylinder deactivation, which shuts off a fewcylinders when demand is lower in order to save fuel. A 10 speed automatic is theonly available transmission. At the low end, the Tahoecan tow up to 7,600 pounds. Properly equipped, itmaxes out at 8,400 pounds. That's pretty good,but comes up short against the Ford Expedition's9,300 pound max rating. By the way, you can nowsee what the specific auto rating is for a vehiclewith these new stickers in the doorjamb. 

Helping matters are anintegrated brake controller, some smart towing appsthat include tire pressure and temperature monitorsfor your trailer, and an extendedblindspot monitor. We don't have tow specs on the3 liter turbo diesel inline 6, but it will be good for 277horsepower and 460 pound feet of torque when it becomesavailable at the end of 2020. Unfortunately, it won'tbe offered on the Z71, because of somespace constraints. That seems like a lostopportunity, if you ask me. That's enough specs for now. So let's get to the meat ofthis review and go for a spin, shall we?  With a 5.3 liter V8,there's plenty of power and the toggle accelerateswith authority. In an era when naturallyaspirated V8 engines are being replaced by turbocharged 6 cylinders, the quick response andeffortless power is refreshing. I had a chance to drivethe High Country model that come standard witha 6.2 liter V8, and it has some seriouspunch right off the line. That wallop ofpower was awesome. It has some seriousgiddy up and go, but honestly, the vastmajority of drivers will find the 5.3 literV8 more than adequate. There's not much to sayabout the brakes, which is a good sign. The pedal effort is appropriate. 

And you can come toa nice smooth stop without any lurches. See?  As far as handlinggoes, well, you can't expect too much froma big 5,600 pound SUV, but it doesn't feel out of sortson a winding mountain pass. Body roll is there,but it's not anywhere close to being alarming. In fact, it instills confidence. Yes, it can indeed besaid that it drives like a slightly smaller SUV. It's worth callingout the steering, too, which feels morelike a conventional SUV rather than a truck. It's responsive, it's accurate,and it returns to center better. Overall, it's justan easy car to drive. Both the C71 and theHigh Country mile I drove a few days ago havethe magnetic ride and air ride suspensions. And it's a little weird. You feel every littleroad imperfection, though it's not harshor what I traditionally consider overly stiff. Let me explain. There's a lot of highfrequency, but low amplitude vibrations that make it throughthe seats and the steering wheel. It's subtle in that you're notbeing shaken like a margarita, but there is a busyfeeling about it. If we could representit visually, it's as though there's a lotof noise in the graph instead of a nice smooth line,which would represent a flawlessly smooth ride. It's almost as though thewheels are out of balance. It's not a problemon the daily commute, but on a long road trip,it'll add to the fatigue that you'd feel. On the plus side, theair ride suspension has a full rangeof about 4 inches. On the lowest setting, itmakes loading people and cargo easier, while on thetop end, it gives you added groundclearance for off roading. 

If you're planning ondoing some off roading, this Z71 has abetter approach angle and a lot of othergoodies, but I'd definitely go without the permanent runningboards that would probably hinder overall ground clearance. Thankfully, the cabinremains pleasantly quiet and the audio system hasa decent amount of power. With driving impressions outof the way, let's pull over and go over the interior.  The new Tahoe gets athorough modern makeover both in terms ofstyle and technology. The dash is much more sculptedand the infotainment screen is mounted top and centerright where it belongs. I'm not that big a fan of thesetouch button gear selectors, but after some time, I think Ican probably get used to them. I'd much rather have a consolemounted lever or a column shifter. The chair's quality isdecent for non-luxury brand, but these days, I expectjust a little bit better. In the High Country trim I droveearlier this week, it certainly didn't seem worthy ofthe $81,000 price tag. If you're seeking amore luxurious cabin, I'd suggest waiting for theGMC Denali version of this or stepping up to aCadillac Escalade. I'm glad they put the centralvents higher on the center stack, but that ended up pushingthese infotainment controls just a little too fardown for my tastes. I do like this padded shelfright under the screen, because it gives you a placeto rest your hand while you're working the touchscreen. The latest infotainment systemis quick to respond and easy to use while you're driving. A wireless chargingpad is standard and it pairs well with theavailable wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. I did experience someaudio interruptions, but my colleague didn't,so your results may vary. I'm particularlyhappy with the amount of storage we have up here. Sure, you have the typicaldoor pockets and cup holders, but this sliding centerarmrest bin deserves some love. First off, it's freaking huge. Hello! Not only does the topslide as an armrest, but the entire bodyof it does, too, revealing this rubberized trayand another draw down below. Seriously, this is minivanlevels of convenience. There's also this weirdcompartment on the dash here that's kind of narrow, but deep. So humidor? It'll fit a lovely Montecristonumber 2 and an Opus X, but Churchills areout of the question.  Outward visibility ischallenged just a little bit by this thick roof pillar,but riding this high up gives you thatcommanding view forward that attracts so manypeople to eschew versus. The view to the rearis a little limited, but the excellent surround viewmonitor and available virtual mirror makes up for it. 

The seats up frontare comfy overall. And the availableventilation helps to quell some of thatstifling that you might feel with these leather seats. I didn't have the opportunity todrive our full evaluation loop, but my initial impressions pointto it being really comfortable for a long road trip. And now to the second row.  These second rowcaptain's chairs have plenty of slideand recline travel to provide hours ofcomfortable touring. To help quell some ofthe boredom back here, we have a household poweroutlet and two USB-C ports. If you opt for the availablerear entertainment system, you also have individualoutputs for each screen. You can also playship's navigator back here by lookingup a destination and sending itforward to the driver. Overall, things are lookingpretty good in the second row, so let's check out the third. These tumble forwardsecond row seats make it easier anda lot less awkward getting to the third row, but itdoes take a little more effort to put them intoplace than I'd prefer. Once seated, there's alot of room back here. It's not nearly thepenalty it was last year. The seat cushion is alittle shorter and lower, but for a crosstown jaunt,I'd be fine back here. I'm 5'10" and both seats infront of me are set for me. There are some hardplastics here and at least in the higher trims, youhave a padded armrest. The good thing is there areUSB-C ports on both sides. Getting out is similarly easy. Just two tugs on the strapand you're out of here. With the new independentrear suspension eliminating a lot of theprevious Tahoe's obstructions, cargo capacity is greatlyimproved for 2021. We now have 25 and 1/2 cubicfeet behind the third row compared to lastyear's paltry 15.3. With all of theseats folded, that balloons to 122.9cubic feet, which is more than last year's Suburban. The lower load floor,available air suspension, and these remoteseatbelt releases makes loading bulkier objectsthat much easier, too. 

This 2021 Chevy Tahoeeasily meets my expectations for a big familySUV and exceeds them when it comes to cargocapacity and interior storage. It will certainly give ourtop rated Ford Expedition a run for its money. And with a little luck, weshould have a comparison test coming your way soon. Thanks for watchingand as always, head over to Edmunds.comfor more information on the Tahoe, its competition,and for all your car shopping needs.