Page 45 - SAM-0624 Spreads

AUTO AUTO
REVIEW REVIEW

After recently driving a new Chevrolet Tahoe, it occurred to me
that this vehicle, along with its sister General Motors (GM) full-size
SUVs, the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, are woefully underap-
preciated, even by GM.
Here’s what I mean: these big trucks sell well, are loved by their
customers, and make GM around $3Bil a year in profits.
Yes, that’s right, three *billion* dollars. A year. In profit. And yet
no one except for their happy owners (and Chevrolet dealers) seem to
give them any respect.
Who are those happy owners? Parents of young children who need
to be shuttled from school to ballet practice or a soccer game or a
piano recital or a baseball tournament in OMG Houston. Or police
departments or government agencies or grandparents or empty nesters
who like to travel. Or busy Bexar County physicians who need to drive
all over San Antonio taking care of sick patients and would like to do
so comfortably and safely. You get the picture — there’s a reason GM For the record, a more fuel efficient 3.0L in-line six-cylinder diesel
moves 300,000 or so of these year after year after year. engine (21 MPG City/28 Highway) and thirstier 6.2L gasoline V8
And yet GM hardly acknowledges these vehicular rainmakers (14/20 MPG) are available as options.
while at the same time lavishing praise on their new battery electric My two cents? Buy the larger gas-powered V8. The smaller 5.3L
vehicles (BEVs) that will be “the Future” soon. engine struggles with the weight of the Tahoe sometimes, and I’m ner-
2024 Chevrolet Tahoe big internal combustion SUVs that are the present are paying the bills vous about the availability of Diesel fuel in the future.
I agree that BEVs will indeed be the future someday, but for now
In addition to many active safety systems that garner the 2024 Tahoe
By Stephen Schutz, MD at GM and deserve some respect and gratitude. a 4-star safety rating from NHTSA, the Tahoe has the intrinsic benefit
Ok, rant done. Let’s talk about the 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe. It’s big of large crumple zones around all passengers just because it’s a big truck.
inside, which is a lot of the reason why it’s so popular. And two major Numerous options or option packages are available to make your
changes that came with the introduction of the current 5th gen Tahoe Tahoe better suit your life, from the Z71 package for off-roading all
back in 2021 made the cabin even bigger: the five-inch longer wheelbase the way to the loaded High Country version, which comes with the
added legroom for the second and third rows of seats, and the switch 6.2L V8 by the way.
from a solid rear axle to an independent rear suspension system allowed While a base model Tahoe will get the job done for most owners, I
for a lower floor, which increased headroom and luggage space. suspect most BCMS members will prefer the more luxurious Premier
When the Tahoe was first launched about 30 years ago, it was and High Country versions because of their better audio systems and
much more utilitarian than it is now. Current models, on the other tech, nicer interior appointments, chrome accents outside and better
hand, rival luxury vehicles with sumptuous seat surfaces, plenty of soft looking (larger) wheels.
touch materials and lots of tech. Naturally, if you have lots of kids or for any other reason need a
Of course, Tahoes now are significantly more expensive than larger vehicle, Chevrolet will happily sell you the larger Suburban.
they used to be. Twenty years ago, a nice Tahoe would cost around Electrification is coming for all the cars and trucks we love, and
$40,000, and current models can easily run you more than $75,000. the Tahoe and its corporate siblings won’t be spared. I hope they stay
Ain’t nothing for free, right? internal combustion for a long time, presumably with hybridization
Driving the Tahoe is a pleasant if not energetic experience. Zipping to minimize emissions.
around town is a breeze — although parking these big trucks is not as And I hope that everyone who overlooks these wonderful and
easy as it is with a Toyota RAV4 — and on the open road, the Tahoe popular vehicles, which regrettably seems to include GM itself, will
is a delight. In fact, road tripping in a Tahoe is about as good as it gets. give them a little love. They deserve it
As you’d expect, a spacious and comfortable full-size SUV will
never be a fuel sipper, and that’s the case with the Tahoe. Its standard Stephen Schutz, MD, is board-certified gastroenterologist
355 HP 5.3L V8 engine manages just 16 MPG Highway and 20 MPG who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when he was stationed
City, and that’s a lot better than it used to be thanks to evolutionary here in the U.S. Air Force. He has been writing auto reviews
improvements over the years and a 10-sp automatic transmission. for San Antonio Medicine magazine since 1995.

44 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • June 2024 Visit us at www.bcms.org 45