Has anyone test drove Chevy's Tahoe Hybrid?

Question

What are your thoughts on Chevy's concept of hybrid SUV's?

http://www.chevrolet.com/tahoe/?seo=goo_|_2008_Chevy_Retention_|_IMG_Chevy_Tahoe_Hybrid_|_Chevy_Tahoe_Hybrid_|_tahoe_hybrid

Answer 1

its the perfect American vehicle for the times.

you can turn turn 40 or 50 pounds of gasoline or E85 into smog every hour & feel good about yourself for going "green" at the same time.

oh yeah & dont forget to brag to your friends about how your environmentally aware & saving the planet from global warming.

everyone who buys one should get a medal in the shape of al gores nobel prize to wear on their lapel.

Answer 2

Don't buy it,

purchase the Mercedes Diesel, as it is more fuel-efficient and, of coarse, much nicer.

Also, just as a side note, never buy the first edition of a car, wait until the next edition of the Tahoe Hybrid comes out as most of the defects in the original version will be repaired.

Answer 3

If I needed an SUV, I might give it some thought. However, my goal is to not need an SUV, and to not need a car either. But that is a lofty goal. In the mean time, I'd settle for a small car or motorcycle with wicked sweet gas mileage.

I guess, ideologically, I would rather people not drive SUVs. They're huge and consume an enormous amount of resources just in their production. They're also extremely dangerous for anyone who doesn't happen to be inside of them. But, I don't believe in forcing people to behave one way or the other. So, as long as there are going to be SUVs, making them hybrid is a step in the right direction,

Answer 4

I think hybrid SUVs are potentially a good concept, because some people do need larger vehicles for towing and such, and so we do need to develop more efficient larger vehicles.  The Tahoe hybrid, however, is c**p.

The 4WD Tahoe hybrid gets 20/20 mpgh in city highway.  The non-hybrid 4WD Tahoe gets 14/20.  So you're talking about a 17% improvement in fuel efficiency, and paying an extra $14k for it.  The Tahoe is simply too large to benefit from adding an electric motor.  In order to haul all that mass around, it still requires to internal combustion engine to do a lot of work, so the hybrid system is only slightly more efficient.

Compare it to a 4WD Ford Escape hybrid, which gets 29/27 mpg at about half the cost of the Tahoe hybrid.   That's a 27% fuel efficiency increase over the 4WD non-hybrid Escape, because it's not such a massive car, so the hybrid system is an efficient addition.

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/compariso...

The Tahoe is just a waste.  The Escape can do anything a Tahoe hybrid can do, but far more efficiently, at a much lower cost.

Answer 5

It is a great SUV.  I think it is perfect for those family that "need" a large SUV.  The MPG is as good as a typical sedan in the city.

It is a bit on the pricey side.  

Other user mentioned MB diesel.  That version is NOT offered in California.  Plus diesel are dirtier than gas/hybrid.