Test drive Chevrolet Tahoe 5 doors 1991 - 1999 SUV

They drove through the streets of the elephant

The current generation of Chevrolet Tahoe has been produced since 2000. A five -door all -around, based on a pickup Chevrolet Silverado, is sold in the United States for the year. The Americans offer three levels of execution: the basic, improved LS and LT lux, options with a drive to everything and only to the rear wheels and engines of the Vortec family - 4.8 and 5.3 liters. The price range in the USA is from 25,641 to 39,125 dollars. The chevrolet version of the tacho for European countries is distinguished by engine parameters, additional equipment and lighting equipment.

Roulette is short ...
Cars of such dimensions often fall on the pages of the magazine. Accelerates are more than five meters long and width over two outside America. But Tahot has an older brother, Saberben, who, with the same transverse dimensions, is longer, and the Ford Iksksky is even larger than him. So in his class, Tahown is not a giant - just the average basketball player looked into the locker room for gymnasts ...
Getting acquainted with Tahot, you understand why the American classification classifies vehicles of increased cross -country ability to trucks. However, despite the impressive size, there is still no impression of a huge car. Whether the black color or rounded shapes is to blame, but the new tacho seems less than its predecessor, although it has grown noticeably.
How can an alternate of this size attract? Is the benefit of the monster great? Judge for yourself. Formally, the tacho is a five -seater, although the third row of seats will be installed for the surcharge, then the number of seats will increase to eight. But the volume of the luggage compartment without a third row is almost two cubic meters, like a good station wagon with a folded rear seat. Convenience for large drivers and passengers? If we are talking about those who waved in two meters, then there is nothing special here: the salons are higher, and the longitudinal adjustment of the seat is more authentic. But those who have a slanting fathom in the shoulders (or lower) can not be thought of: from the door to the door there is 1670 mm - much more than in any representative sedan. In general, the competitors of Tahot as a vehicle for five cabinet -like men with serious luggles must still be searched ...
Full forward!
At first, it seems that a ship of this size simply will not fit into our road water area. However, the ease of control, good visibility and an unexpectedly modest radius of turning allow you to feel like a king not only on a deserted highway, but also in cramped alleys. Only a look over your shoulder will confirm that you are driving a really big car.
Although Chevrolet Tahoe successfully fits into the stream, he does not seek to look less at all than in fact. This applies primarily to the smoothness of the course and controllability. In a conversation about them, ship associations are quite justified. Tahloa makes smooth waves on the asphalt even more smooth, chips and potholes hardly not notice. Large wheels with soft sidewalls eat small irregularities. So the concept of a bad road becomes something abstract. At the same time, the car is not inclined to excessive buildup, which with such a soft suspension is even amazing. However, all this applies to normal driving. Fans to grab all the money will quickly feel that the supply of equanimity of the suspension is less than it seems. By the way, it practically does not depend on the loading of the machine, and the point here is not only in the adjustable rigidity of the rear shock absorbers, but also that 700 kg of payload fades against a background of 2.3 tons of the equipment.
When the straight road is replaced by steep turns, Tahot, on the contrary, demonstrates more talents than you expect from it. Despite some thoughtfulness, the behavior of the machine is understandable and predictable, and the adhesion properties of tires on wet asphalt are pleasantly surprised. Recall that, without the center differential, the Chevrolet travels only with the rear -wheel drive along non -valid roads. The Autotrac 4x4 automatic system can connect the front wheels itself when slipping the rear, however, on dry or even wet asphalt, it is not in a hurry - slipping is too short -term.
The dynamics are also pleasing. The graph of the external speed characteristic pushes to the conclusion about the modest abilities of the motor at low speeds. This is not entirely true, even not at all. Just at medium speeds, he pulls even better. Like it or not, 5.3 liters of working volume simply cannot give out a mediocre result.
The asphalt was covered with ice ...
... And the situation has changed at the root: a light touch to the gas pedal is enough so that the back of the tachu began to overtake the front. After turning on the front bridge, the position is normalized, and the acceleration of the car is practically compared with the slowdown. Modern ABS enters into force on time and in the case, insureing the driver who has not yet learned to determine the slowdown not by effort on the pedal (it is minimal), but by its course. The presence of a rigid connection between the front and rear wheels positively affects the control of Chevrolet on the ice. The outbringing of gas develops slowly, easily controlled by the steering wheel and traction of the engine.
But the Autotrac 4x4 branding system, which automatically connecting the front wheels, does not want to praise. No, from the standpoint of the formal logic of her actions are impeccable, only there is no one to ask how many wheels are now being driven, when more than two tons of iron do not fall into a turn. However, there is manual switching, so you can not use automation. The desire to make the car extremely foolish (by golly, in English, FoolProof sounds more technical), but all-wheel drive requires a different approach than automatic turning on the headlights in the tunnel.
When the road is over
A modest road clearance, low hanging steps, a plastic apron on the front bumper (how to remove it, an entire chapter in the instructions) should limit cross -country ability. No - in a porridge of dirt and snow, the car not only confidently moves forward, but also able to move, easily takes slippery rises and even surprisingly rarely struck the bottom in the hill. Low steps fall into the rut from the wheels and therefore do not interfere. Automatic gearbox Plus a handout with a redden scrap - 2.72, multiplied by considerable engine power, guarantee confident advance to a solid coating. It is better to avoid soft soil, like deep ford. The instruction does not recommend bathing more deeper hubs, although highly located ignition devices and the engine air intake will allow you to reach sushi with honor.
Your win
The question of fuel consumption is inevitable. The Moscow city cycle from permanent traffic jams is hardly indicative here. But with a leisurely driving on the highway, it is easy to meet 12 liters per hundred. The daily consumption in the city is highly dependent on the route and temperament of the driver: a spread from 16 to 25 liters ... or more.
The most memorable impression is not from the size of the car, its salon and trunk, not from finishing or running qualities. The main thing is that Taho tells a person at the wheel of a sense of significance. I think that many are ready to pay at least 60,600 dollars for this.

Chevrolet Tahoe
COMMON DATA:
The number of places is 5; Equipped mass - 2345 kg; full weight - 3085 kg; maximum speed - 170 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 12.0 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles (USA) - 12.9; 19.7 l/100 km; fuel supply - 98 l; Fuel - AI -92. Design: a five -door body on a spar frame. Dimensions, mm: length - 5052; width - 2004; height - 1960; base - 2513/2946; The track in front/back - 1650/1676; trunk volume - 1895/3350 l; The turning radius is 6.1 m. Engine: V -shaped, eight -cylinder, with distributed fuel injection; working volume - 5327 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 96x92 mm; compression degree - 9.5; Power - 201 kW/273 l. With. at 5200 rpm; Maximum torque - 427 NM at 4000 rpm. Transmission: automatically connected by a drive to all wheels without a center differential; four -speed hydromechanical gearbox; Transporting numbers: I - 3.06; II - 1.63; III - 1; IV - 0.7; h. X. - 2.29; The main program is 3.73; handout: I -1; II - 2.72. Suspension: in front - independent on double transverse levers, torsion, with a reptile stabilizer; Behind - dependent, spring, longitudinal levers and reactive rods, a panar’s thrust with a reptile stability stabilizer, shock absorbers with adjustable damping. Brakes: hydraulic with an amplifier and abs. Steering: a screw-shared nut with an adjustable amplifier. Tire size: 265/70R16.


Text / Anatoly Fomin
Photo / Vladimir Trusov

Source: The magazine "Driving"