The Chevy Tahoe LTD that I drove was painted a stunning Onyx Black that seemed to diminish its bulk. Add in the lack of chrome and the Tahoe almost became stealth (as much as something this size can). One of the items that I appreciated about the Tahoe was its height, or rather lack of height. I know that ground clearance is of supreme importance to real off-roaders but come on. Why should you need a stepladder to get into a vehicle that is only going to be used on the same roads as your Impala? Reminds me of that Audi commercial with the lady in a very tight, short skirt trying to get out of Paul Bunyun’s ride.

Anyway, back to the Tahoe. The Tahoe came with the 5.7-liter, Vortec V8 (Vortec is the new, small block Chevy engine) with a four-speed automatic transmission. Unlike a Chevy pickup I drove last year with this combination, the Tahoe’s transmission was the epitome of decorum - nice, crisp shifts that were never harsh, and instant downshifts, always into just the right gear. Just what I want an automatic transmission to do.

One thing this Tahoe LTD did not come with, and I certainly did not miss it, was four-wheel-drive (4WD). As far as I’m concerned 4WD is vastly over-rated. Oh sure, if you happen to live somewhere, far off the beaten track, you may find 4WD reassuring, maybe even helpful. But if you live where the majority of North Americans live, deep in the heart of suburbia, then you might need, really need, 4WD about once in a lifetime. And it will probably be the one time you don’t have it.

So the Tahoe LTD did not have 4WD. Of course it still had those big, meaty, 4WD looking tires on all four corners. So when you get to that place on the highway where the Gendarmes want you to put on chains or have 4WD, you just hold up four fingers and drive on by. Just remember to drive sensibly and you’ll have no trouble at all.

No matter what the weather is like on the outside, inside the Tahoe LTD you’ll be all comfy and cozy. Standard luxury features include keyless remote locking system, solar-ray tinted glass, and six-way power driver seat. The Limited package adds such nicety’s as two-tone, custom leather high back buck seats (front); rear air conditioning; locking rear differential; unique alloy wheels; and special ground effects (yeah, it’s a race truck). All of this stuff is at no extra cost.

It took me a little while to find a comfortable driving position in the Tahoe LTD. I just could not seem to get the seat back at the right angle. That and the fact that the seat cushion seemed to be so overstuffed that even my big butt did not make a dent in it. But I finally settled in to where even after a two hundred mile round trip didn’t faze me.

Complaints? Surprisingly few. The remote locking system did not seem to have the range of others I’ve used (maybe the batteries were low?) and it was difficult to get the rear hatch to unlock with the keyless. The rear door was way too heavy, so maybe it’s time to replace it with plastic? There was also a rattle when you shut any of the doors. That’s about it.

Surprisingly, I was able to get very near the highway fuel economy rating of 18 mpg on a trip where I ran a steady 70 - 75 mph. I would imagine that the rating of 14 mpg in the city is similarly realistic. But let’s not fool ourselves - 18 mpg is not great, it’s just good for this type of vehicle.

Price out the door for the Chevrolet Tahoe LTD was $35,626. Chevrolet should be congratulated for including the California emissions package at no charge. While I’m no big fan of overly large SUVs, I will admit that the Tahoe LTD was a very nice package.  By Bruce Hotchkiss © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco

Byline:  By Bruce Hotchkiss © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Column Name:   Chevy's "Current Generation" Tahoe SUV
Topic:  2000 Chevrolet Tahoe Limited SUV
Word Count:   776
Photo Caption:  2000 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV
Photo Credits:  Chevrolet Truck PR
Series #:   2000 - 9

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