Chevrolet’s full-size Tahoe SUV evolved from General Motors’ Blazer/Jimmy lineup. Just as on the pickup truck side, Chevrolet’s entries into the truck-based SUV arena are echoed by offerings from GMC. GMC SUVs were formerly known as “Jimmys” while Chevrolet’s were previously known as “Blazers”.
In 1992, GMC dropped the Jimmy designation to call its SUV “Yukon”. Through 1994, Chevrolet offered a mid-sized S-10 Blazer alongside a full-size Blazer. In 1995, Chevrolet dropped the Blazer designation for its full-size SUV (identical in most respects to the GMC Yukon of the day) and retagged it “Tahoe”.
There have been three generations of Tahoe since the name change.
Used Chevrolet Tahoe: 2007 - 2010The nicest of all Tahoe models to date; the 2007 Tahoe was pulled forward by six months to rush it into production in an effort to stem the rising tides of red ink at Chevrolet at the time. Developed when the only profitable vehicles made by General Motors were trucks, the 2007 Tahoe was lavished with a number of improvements over its slightly smaller predecessor in order to make it more competitive.
Chief among them was an upgraded interior. GM had long endured criticisms regarding the quality (or more specifically, the lack of quality) of the accommodations of its vehicles. So for the ’07 Tahoe, GM’s interior designers copied the best interior on the road at the time. Look inside a 2005 Audi A6 and you’ll see exactly where GM got the inspiration for the current Tahoe’s interior.
Two V8 engines were offered for the nine-passenger vehicle at the ’07 introduction; a 295-horsepower 4.8-liter and a 320-horsepower, 5.3-liter. The transmission was a four-speed automatic. For MY (model year)2009, Tahoe got a 395-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 offering as well. Also that year, a six-speed automatic replaced the four-speed with the bigger engines and all-wheel drive. The rear-drive 4.8-liter Tahoe soldiered on with the four-speed.
MY2007 also marked the introduction of a hybrid version of the Tahoe. GM engineers paired a dual displacement 6.0-liter V-8 with a pair of electric motors to provide propulsion. The V-8 was capable of shutting down half its cylinders (dual displacement - two engines in one, get it?) at steady state operation on the highway to reduce fuel consumption. The Hybrid Tahoe is a “full” hybrid, meaning it is also capable of running on electric power alone for short distances.
Also on the ecological front, the Tahoe’s 5.3-liter V-8 can be ordered in a Flex-Fuel configuration, giving owners the ability to run on Ethanol. The FlexFuel engine is standard on four-wheel drive Tahoes equipped with the 5.3.
Used Chevrolet Tahoe: 2000 - 2006Introduced during the peak years of the SUV boom, the nine-passenger MY2000 Chevrolet Tahoe incorporated more car-like features to appeal to drivers abandoning cars in favor of the truck-based vehicles. Toward this end, the exterior design was streamlined in an attempt to make the vehicle look more appealing, and also to achieve better fuel consumption figures.
Power came from a pair of V8s, a 275-horsepower 4.8 and a 285-horsepower 5.3. The 5.3-liter FlexFuel engine was introduced in 2000 as well. It made 280-horsepower, but was discontinued in 2003. A four-speed automatic handled transmission chores. Both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive Tahoes were offered.
For MY2003, features like XM satellite radio, Bose audio and DVD rear-seat entertainment systems were folded into the recipe to make Tahoe more family-friendly as well. A stability control system called “StabiliTrak” in GM-speak was offered on Tahoe for the first time that year (but only with the 5.3-liter engine).
For MY2004, both engines got a 10-horsepower bump to 285 and 295 respectively.
Used Chevrolet Tahoe: 1995 – 1999The first generation Tahoe was offered with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and three V-8 engines over its lifetime. The 200-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 had served the Yukon since 1992, but ran for only one year in the Tahoe of ’95. For MY’96 it was replaced with a 255-horsepower powerplant with the same displacement. Transmissions were four-speed automatic and five-speed manual. The two-door, four-wheel drive Tahoe was offered with a 6.5-liter, 180-horsepower diesel V-8 from ’95 to ’98.
Based as they are on GM’s full-size pickups, it was a while before Tahoes started steering and riding more like cars. By ’97 steering feel had improved and the revised automatic transmissions shifted more smoothly. Over its lifetime, other gradual improvements edged the Tahoe closer and closer to being similar to a family car. In ’96, Chevrolet added daytime running lights and illuminated entry. In ’98, Tahoe got a Homelink transmitter for garage doors, heated front seats, and optional rear seat A/C.
Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs have proven remarkably robust, though build quality was notoriously spotty on the first two generations of the vehicle. There have also been a number of recalls of the Tahoe over the years. To make sure any Tahoe you’re considering has been updated, run an Internet search for “Chevrolet Tahoe Recall” — incorporating the model year of the one you’re considering. Take note of the prescribed fixes and make sure your mechanic can verify they were done as part of the pre-purchase inspection that should always be conducted before you buy.
