SUV Review: 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71

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Anyone who has ever attended an event for political hotshots or music industry rockstars is surely familiar with the Chevrolet Tahoe. Often pressed into service when interior space and dominating road presence are must-haves, the Tahoe (and its GMC/Cadillac cousins) often find themselves at the pointy ends of Very Important Motorcades for the kakistocracy.

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Consumer-grade examples of the Tahoe provide similar benefits for the proletariat and are offered in a range of trims from a cloth-upholstered base LS to zooty High Country. The Tahoe Z71 on these digital pages purports to offer a dose of off-road swagger to accompany its handsome face and commodious cabin.

How big is the Chevrolet Tahoe?

Bigger than ever, really. After its redesign a couple of model years ago, the Tahoe grew to an overall length of 5.35 metres (210.7 inches or 17.5 feet), making it the longest Tahoe ever built and one of the lengthiest new vehicles on the road today. For perspective, this full-size SUV is nearly five feet longer than a Mini Cooper and has more than two feet on the common Honda Civic found at every Canadian street corner. Anyone navigating their condo’s underground car park will need to be mindful of posted clearance signs since the Tahoe stands 1.93 m tall (75.8 inches) and inches 2057 mm wide (81 inches, not including its elephant ear mirrors).

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As for interior space, the Tahoe is virtually unchallenged in its category. New suspension geometry makes better use of interior room, contributing to nearly 26 feet of cargo space behind the third row – a measure up by two-thirds compared to the last-gen Tahoe. Overall cargo room is up 30 percent to a gargantuan 3,482 litres (123 cubic feet). Third-row passengers are treated to 10 extra inches of legroom, meaning the Way Back is almost as roomy as the other rows and suitable for more than just children and Wizard of Oz extras.

Is the Chevrolet Tahoe electric?

The only battery in this brute is a lead-acid lump under the hood which starts it in the morning. At present, there are no hybrid or electric options on any Tahoe trim, though an effort was made about 15 years ago in the form of a (very) mild hybrid which was offered for a short time. Chevrolet blamed its cancellation on flagging sales but this author thinks the powertrain ate voraciously into the truck’s profit margin and an embarrassing sojourn through corporate bankruptcy surely didn’t help matters.

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Given the Tahoe’s popularity as a livery and fleet vehicle, one must suspect some customers would welcome an electrified option. Even reducing fuel economy by just 10 percent would make a huge difference across large fleets. Electrification technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since GM’s last effort at hybridizing their jumbo SUVs, so perhaps the time is right for an Act Two.

Tahoe Engine and powertrain options

However, it’s not like The General is being stingy with internal combustion choices in today’s Tahoe. On tap are a duo of gasoline powered V8 engines, displacing either 5.3L or 6.2L and making 355 or 420 horsepower, respectively. Our test unit was equipped with the smaller mill. Drivers seeking the hauling prowess of a diesel may select a buttery 3.0L inline-six, good for 277 horses and 460 lb-ft of twist, though that engine is not available in the Z71.

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Why? Blame (or thank) its unique front bumper shape which doesn’t play well with specific parts unique to the diesel. Every powerplant comes with a 10-speed automatic, and both two- or four-wheel drive is available. It goes without saying we recommend checking the 4×4 option box with great haste in a machine of this caliber.

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Driving the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe

While the 5.3L V8 found in our tester is perfectly serviceable, the approximately three-ton Tahoe should be fitted with the larger engine option. Acceleration of the 5.3L is best described as leisurely, even when unladen, and is a world apart from previous experience behind the wheel of a 6.2L-equipped Tahoe. Inexplicably, the ‘good’ engine costs roughly $3,500 in trims like the RST and Premier but Z71 customers must pony up a stunning $10,000 for the privilege. Someone at GM needs to re-examine that price ladder. The 10-speed automatic is well tuned and goes about its duties like a silent butler.

Even though the Z71 is marketed as an off-road trim, let’s be clear that it has just 8 inches of ground clearance – precisely the same as all other Tahoe SUVs equipped with a coil spring suspension. Optional air suspenders permit this truck to tiptoe 10 inches above terra firma when placed in its highest setting. Z71 does outperform its urban brothers in terms of approach angle (31.5 degrees, 7 better than other trims) thanks to its that unique front bumper but other angles remain unchanged. If Chevrolet truly wishes to challenge rigs like the Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro, a rig with remote reservoir Fox shocks and 33-inch tires, it will need to engineer its acclaimed Multimatic DSSV dampers found on its pickup trucks and create a Tahoe ZR2.

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Chevrolet Tahoe towing capacity

Our test truck, equipped with four-wheel drive and the 5.3L V8 engine, was rated as capable of towing 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg). Splashing out an extra $610 on the Max Trailering Package, also known as the NHT group, lifts capacity to 8,200 pounds (diesels are similar). Counterintuitively for folks not well-versed on weight ratings, opting for the 6.2L engine actually hurts towing capacity to the tune of 100 pounds.

Huh? Well, the 6.2L mill and its attendant accessories weigh slightly more than the 5.3L, impacting a measure called Gross Vehicle Weight Rating which dictates the maximum amount of mass which can be borne by a vehicle. Allocating some of that capacity to powertrain weight instead of trailer tongue weight makes the difference in this scenario. This oddity in measures suggests these V8s are well within their comfort zones for hauling since limitations of the SUV’s platform, not its powertrain, seem to put the cap on towing capacity.

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In other words, owners should be able to tow at or near the rated limit without concern – provided they don’t overload the interior with people and gear. This trim’s payload rating (the amount of weight it can safely carry) is 1,746 pounds; assuming a trailer tongue weight of 10 percent, this leaves 946 pounds for passengers and their stuff.

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How many people fit in a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe?

More than you may think. But also fewer. Allow us to explain. Most (as in 99 and a bunch more 9s percent) of new Tahoes are built with front bucket seats separated by a console. As a three-row SUV, this places passenger count at 7 when equipped with second-row captain’s chairs, providing a 2-2-3 seating arrangement. That number can climb to 8 when the middle row bucket seats are replaced in a bench, bumping the cabin to a 2-3-3 configuration.

But – and here’s our Hot Tip – the base LS trim can be opted with a front bench seat, imbuing the Tahoe with 9 passenger capacity (3-3-3 arrangement) and a column-mounted shift lever the way nature and Louis Chevrolet intended. If you do select bucket seats for the first and second rows, be aware that folding the third row for extra cargo capacity will turn this SUV into the world’s largest four passenger conveyance.

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Infotainment and technology features

Chevrolet has made great strides with its infotainment offerings in the past few years. Gone are the size-small screens which looked like old-school CRTs, replaced here with a 10.2-inch touchscreen handling entertainment and other functions. Redundant physical controls for some duties are peppered across the dash and steering wheel, an eminently sensible decision. Camera views are crystal clear, though we did wish for more of them as found across the showroom in GM trucks. Wireless smartphone connectivity plays with wireless charging to banish cords from one’s lexicon. A 12.3-inch digital display, borrowed from the Silverado and configurable in themes ranging from traditional dials to a solitary digital speed readout, sits ahead of the driver and coughs up information about truck vitals, audio settings, and navigation.

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These displays pair very well with the Tahoe’s interior, a space now hewn largely from quality materials and assembled with the sort of precision not historically known to jumbo SUVs from General Motors. Still, a few signs of accountants getting their way crop up in unfortunate places such as between the steering wheel’s bottom spokes, a place where some drivers will rest their palms and find a flash of unsavoury sharp plastic. Sharp plastic can also be felt on the back of the otherwise excellent infotainment screen, appearing in the very spot where folks are likely to brace their hand whilst entering commands.

But it does seem GM beancounters lost most of their el-cheapo arguments. Gone is the woeful plastic which used to plague ventilation dials, while touchpoints such as door handles are now hewn from much better materials. Middle-row seats are easy to move whilst accessing the Way Back and no longer leave a ragged edge of carpet whilst flipped forward.

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Competitors of the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe

The Chevy Tahoe finds competition from within its own family, with the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade being close relatives to the Tahoe in terms of powertrain choices and overall construction. The GMC and Caddy wear different styling and have their own luxury options. When similarly equipped, the Tahoe is likely to be the least expensive of this trio.

Compare all the Big SUVs

Jeep has recently re-entered this segment with its Wagoneer, a similarly sized SUV with the road presence to match. Across town at Ford, the Blue Oval gang offers its Expedition as a direct competitor to the Tahoe, though the lack of a V8 engine may upset traditionalists. The fresh Toyota Sequoia also plays in this realm. Machines such as the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are finding the attention of some Tahoe buyers; even though they have markedly different platform construction than the Chevy, their square styling and capacious interiors draw comparisons from many shoppers.

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Chevrolet Tahoe Canadian pricing and value

These aren’t inexpensive vehicles, with retail prices nearly double the average transaction price of a new car in Canada. When shod with four-wheel drive and the 5.3L V8 engine, a Tahoe Z71 starts at $80,798 before adding features such as a $1,725 sunroof and $2,295 entertainment system with screen for back seat urchins. As-tested price of our unit was $86,548.

Unless you’re absolutely besotted with the looks of this Z71, it is recommended to sample the RST trim which is just a few shillings more expensive than our tester when similarly equipped but fitted with the preferred 6.2L V8 engine. In fact, the increase represents a 3.5 percent hike in cost, or about the same premium as adding bacon to a Dave’s Double at Wendy’s. After purchase, go ahead and swap out the RST’s passenger-grade tires for a set of beefy all-terrains to get the best of both worlds.

The 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe is on sale at Canadian dealers right now.

Pros

✔ Chiseled good looks

✔ Gallons of interior space

✔ Infotainment worth using

Cons

✘ Huge footprint intimidating for some

✘ The 6.2L V8 should be standard equipment

✘ Cost-cutter plastics in some not-so hidden areas