2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Review

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Review

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid is work that da Vinci would be proud of. A Full Sized SUV that gets a 43% increase in fuel economy when you are driving in the City.

It's all about the continuously variable transmission (CVT) technology that Chevy puts in their new Tahoe.  The way CVT normallly works (briefly and very basically) is a computer controls the transmission and various other components to keep the engine spinning at a particular speed on the fly. In the city this makes a huge difference because you don't need to have a ton of power to sit at a stop light, roll through a parking lot, or drive down a 30 mph road.

On the highway however, it can be bad.  The CVT causes a lot of internal friction and on hybrids the drive train is also spinning an electic motor.  The energy loss that results makes the effort useless; there is no benefit.

Here is where Chevy's design comes in.  It's a two-mode.  What that means is it can shift from this CVT technology to a very energy efficient mechanical operation bipassing (if you will) the CVT.  This lets you gain the benefits of both sides and that is what makes the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid great.  Factor in all the features and the fact that this is a luxury full-sized ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES SUV... you end up with a way to save gas, be green, and you aren't compromising your comfort to do it. That makes the 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid a MASTERPIECE.

What can you expect from it? 19 MPG on average where ever you go (driving normally).  For a Full Size SUV that's amazing; I've been happy getting 12-14 MPG on the highway in my SUV and I don't really want to talk about what I get in town.

So what do you get in the Tahoe Hybrid?

    * Vortec 6.0L V8 with Active Fuel Management
    * Two-mode Hybrid Propulsion Electric System
    * Two-mode electronic ratio select transmission
    * Premium Smooth Ride suspension
    * Chevy 100,000 mile/5-year(1) transferable Powertrain Limited Warranty plus Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation Programs
    * Chevy 100,000 mile/8-year(1) transferable limited warranty on certain hybrid components
    * Driver and right-front passenger air bags(2)
    * Head-curtain side-impact air bags(2) for all outboard seating positions
    * StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System
    * Four-wheel antilock disc brakes with regenerative capability
    * OnStar(3) with one-year Directions & Connections Plan including Turn-by-Turn Navigation(4)
    * Tire Pressure Monitor
    * Tri-zone temperature controls
    * Custom Leather-appointed first- and second-row seating surfaces
    * Heated, Custom Leather-appointed front-row bucket seat
    * Custom Leather-appointed 60/40 split-folding second-row bench seat
    * 50/50 split-folding three-passenger third-row bench seat
    * XM Radio(5) with three trial months
    * XM NavTraffic(6) with three-year subscription
    * Touch-screen navigation radio(7) and rearview camera system
    * Bluetooth® wireless technology for select compatible phones(8)
    * Rear audio controls
    * Leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio and cruise controls
    * Power-adjustable pedals
    * Floor console
    * Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
    * Remote vehicle starter system
    * Lightweight liftglass with spoiler and fixed glass
    * Body-color, power-adjustable, heated outside mirrors
    * 18-inch aluminum wheels
    * Body-color door handles
    * Universal Home Remote transmitter

All in all I'd say this SUV is one of the best SUV's of its kind.  5 out of 5 stars for the Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode Hybrid.