Oh what fun it is to drive a Chevy Tahoe

Author's Rating:

Pros: Seats eight , competitively priced, and a smooth ride.

Cons: Rear windows do not open, and it only comes with a single CD player.

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
A fun and reliable vehicle that can hold eight passengers, all of your groceries, and will cost you less than others in its same class.

Author's Review
My first epinion article was written about my disappointment with the 1999 Ford Windstar. To celebrate my return to epinions, I thought it only fitting that I share with you my excitement over my new 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe.

After two years of fighting with the Ford Motor company, I finally threw in the towel and decided to buy a new car before the warranty on my minivan ran out. My last car ownership experience was such a nightmare, I decided that I had to be extra careful when choosing what to buy.

As a mother of three children (a 6 year old, and 4 year old twins), I needed a vehicle that was big enough for carpool without being a tank. Having hated driving a minivan, I decided a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) would be the most practical. I was very surprised to find that there was not a lot of options to choose from. The only SUV's that could fit 8 passengers, and could fit in a parking spot were the Ford Expedition, the Toyota Sequoia, and the Chevrolet Tahoe. I immediately eliminated the Expedition based on Ford's poor customer service record, and I started to compare the Sequoia and the Tahoe.

Both of these vehicles were amazingly similar. They both received wonderful reviews, and they both drove very nicely. However, when it came time to make the decision as to what to buy, the characteristics that led me to the Tahoe were as follows.

THE PRICE: For the same options, the Tahoe was approximately $5000 cheaper!!
THE SIZE: The trunk on the Sequoia may be slightly larger, but the third row seating is definitely roomier in the Tahoe.
THE AVAILABILITY: The Sequoia is hard to come buy and some dealers take advantage of this and jack the price up even more.
I could not compare safety information because testing had not been done on either model at the time, but if you are in the market for one of these vehicles you should research this further.

Once I decided on the Tahoe, I had to determine which model and options I wanted. The Tahoe comes in 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive. I do not do any off road driving so I opted for the 2WD (it is less expensive and so is the insurance). This vehicle also comes in two models, the base LS and the LT. For a complete listing of the differences in the options available for these models you can visit the websites I have listed at the end of this review. I will mention a few options I chose, and the reasons behind these choices.

LEATHER SEATS: With young children, I highly recommend leather seats. Spills and accidents clean up much easier.
RUNNING BOARDS: These are needed for more than children and the elderly, I rely on these to get in the car myself.
THIRD ROW SEAT: I needed extra seating for carpool. What is nice about these seats is that they have a 50/50 split so if you need extra trunk space you can fold one seat down and leave the other up. The seats also can fold down, or be lifted up to achieve even more trunk room. The seats can also be completely removed from the car and re-installed quite easily.
ELECTRIC SUNROOF: This is not a necessity, but I live in Southern California so why not!
ONSTAR PACKAGE: This is a combination navigation system and AAA service. I never have to worry about being locked out, and if I get lost I have an actual person I can speak to.

Overall, this is a great car. The seats are comfortable, and roomy. The seatbelts come from the chair so they do not cut into your neck. There is a large floor console. The radio and a/c are easily accessible. There are separate controls for the front a/c and the back. There are headphone adapters so that passengers in the back can listen to different music. There are enough cup holders for everyone. The middle row has a fold down table. Access to the back is easy enough for my six year old to lift up and down(my four year olds prefer to just climb over). The seating in the third row is a little tight for an adult, but is more than adequate for a child. When the third row seating is in use, the trunk is small, however I can fit all of my groceries without a problem thanks to the hatchback option. This is a SUV so gas mileage is not the greatest, but this car can take 87 octane, and I find that I am getting the same mileage as I did in my minivan (17mpg). If this wasn't enough, at night, the side mirrors light the running boards up for easy access. It seems the people at Chevrolet really thought of everything!

If you are in the market for a family vehicle that is reliable, and practical, and you can spend between $27,000 and $37,000, you should research the Chevrolet Tahoe further. Compared to other similar vehicles, this will give you the most bang for your buck. Here are the names of some web sites that have helped me with my research: www.edmunds.com, www.kellybluebook.com,and www.cartrackers.com.