A Truck to Keep

Author's Rating:

Pros: Solid, comfortable, nimble, powerful

Cons: Small tires from factory

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
Excellent value, solid truck for anyone. One drive will convince you.

Author's Review
After about two months of comparing and debating, I finally took delivery of my '01 Tahoe this past Saturday. Simply put, the truck is amazing, and I could not be more satisfied.

As the former owner of a '98 K1500 Z71, I am very familiar with Chevy's truck offerings, and there is definitely a similarity in the interiors of the trucks. However, the improvements that the new Tahoe offers from the old body style are almost too many to list. I will break it out by area:

Seating:
I again went with the leather interior, but the new leather seats have been completely redesigned. They are much more comfortable, and definitely conform more to the driver than any previous model. The integrated seatbelts also help in making the seating more comfortable.

Steering/Turning Radius:
The new Tahoe is a very agile truck, turning easily and nimbly and making tight u-turns a new possibility. The steering is very responsive.

Engine:
The new Vortec V8 is quiet and powerful, offering a great deal of passing and acceleration. The redesign has improved throttle response and passing acceleration a great deal.

Driver Layout:
Subtle details of the driver layout have been improved, and visibility to all gauges has been greatly improved.

Leg/Head Room:
Being 6'5", these are obviously a priority. Legroom is more than sufficient, and headroom has been improved. Visibility in all directions is excellent.

Back Seat Room:
Again excellent. I will rarely be sitting back there, but the legroom is sufficient for someone my height.

Braking:
Four-wheel disc brakes has vastly improved the Tahoe stopping power. The brakes are quite sensitive and no longer have the problem of requiring almost a full depression to get results.

4WD System:
Automatically engaging 4WD is a strong new feature. It will engage automatically when any wheel slippage is detected. Also, the truck has the ability to move into 4-Wheel High mode at any speed with no detectable noise or movement from the transfer case.

Stereo:
9-speaker system and subwoofer has been added, but still is only marginal sounding. Any serious music listener will likely feel the urge to replace it.

Tires:
This is my only major gripe about the truck. The Goodyear 275/75R16 tires are street tires, and are too small for the truck. The 4WD Tahoe has a relatively high suspension and ground clearance, and the factory tires are simply too small to look good. This is easily fixed with new tires, but Chevy should have at least put tires with an aggressive tread on the truck.