Completely redesigned and re-engineered for model-year 2000, the Chevy Tahoe is lighter, trimmer, more powerful and more efficient than the previous model. The Tahoe's conservative-looking skin conceals the highest-technology full-size SUV on the market. But Chevrolet hasn't forgotten that buyers use Tahoes for work, so the 2000 model is loaded with features for towing and moving cargo.
A range of models is available. The base model is a stripped-down vinyl-seat work truck. You won't see many of these. Base 4X2 retails for $25,604, while 4X4 goes for $28,520.
You'll likely be choosing between LS or LT trim. Mid-line LS 4X2 ($31,768) and LS 4X4 ($34,684) include popular features such as rear A/C, enhanced stereo, vehicle alarm and heated outside mirrors.
Top of the line and most popular are the LT 4X2 ($36,191) and LT 4X4 ($39,107), which come loaded with leather, power seats, premium ride suspension, OnStar driver assistance and automatic climate control.
The most obvious aspect of the new Tahoe is that, like the Silverado pickup truck upon which it is based, its styling is mildly evolutionary, not radically changed. While the new model looks very similar to its predecessor, one change is an arched roofline that provides extra headroom for the second and third rows.
Getting inside the 2000 Tahoe is easier thanks to new pull-handle style door handles that replace the old lift-up style openers. Step-in height has been reduced, making it easier to climb into the driver's seat.
At the rear, Chevy continues to offer a choice of a traditional hatch with a flip-up window or panel doors, also known as barn doors or cargo doors. Panel doors are standard on the base Tahoe and optional on the LS and LT models.
Chevrolet has gone to great lengths to make the Tahoe's interior more comfortable, more user-friendly, and more attractive for families. Controls are mounted closer to the driver's seat. Visibility out of the Tahoe is very good, thanks to new larger windows. The combination of good visibility and confident handling give the Tahoe an air of nimbleness that the Ford Expedition lacks.
The Tahoe also tops the Expedition in the usefulness of its third-row seat. While the Ford's third seat is a children-only compression chamber, the Tahoe's third seat provides space for adults' feet. It isn't a lot of space, but it is there. The third seat also folds, flips, slides and removes impressively. Whichever way you choose to stow the third-row seat, it is easy to do; it even has wheels to help it roll into the garage for storage.
One child-only seat in the Tahoe is the middle seat on the optional front bench seat. The seat is basically two low-bolstered bucket seats, bridged by a fixed, non-reclining mid-section where the console sits on most Tahoes. This perch is too uncomfortable for any adult and is probably not a good idea for more than short rides for children. Yes, kids are safest in the back seat, but the front seat in a full-size SUV like the Tahoe is statistically safer than the rear seat in most any car. Just keep those rear-facing child seats in the back, away from the airbags.
The leather seats that are standard in the tested LT are very nice. Seat-mounted shoulder harnesses on the front and rear seats make the Tahoe's belts easier to wear.
The Tahoe has a good nine-speaker stereo with a subwoofer and uses a spiral-wrapped radio antenna to cut wind noise. Chevrolet says it chose to use a conventional mast rather than embedding the antenna in a window for better performance. Chevrolet is offering a different antenna matched to an improved radio late in the model year.
The Tahoe delivers on the promise of its impressive specifications. On bumpy rural byways that make some SUVs feel like pogo sticks, the Tahoe rides with impressive, sedan-like smoothness. And on smooth highways, the Tahoe cruises effortlessly.
