When the thermometer reads 11 degrees and one has an appointment in 30 minutes, remote start is no small thing.
The engineers who designed the 2021 Chevy Tahoe understand this clearly. After trudging a short distance through a couple of feet of snow, I opened the door and climbed into a warm cabin and discovered the Tahoe had checked the outside temperature and switched on the seat and steering-wheel heaters.
Ahhhh.
Though ice and snow scare the bejabbers out of most Texans, my nomadic upbringing as an Army brat gave me ample opportunity to learn to drive in the stuff. I even worked in a little winter racing. Still, none of that mattered this day. I was piloting a vehicle that looked Snowmageddon in the face and laughed.
Riding on General Motors' new full-size SUV architecture - lighter, longer, stronger, smoother - the 2021 Tahoe is born to be competent. Add an off-road Z71 package, which comes with cool exterior accents but, more importantly, a higher approach angle, 4WD that includes a two-speed transfer case and hill descent control, along with 20-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, front skid plate, and red tow hooks.
"Honey, the truck and I are going out to play in the snow!"
"Ok, have fun," said the blonde-headed and quick-witted Great Love of My Life.
Comfort in confidence
If you know the great worrier I married, you would be surprised by such nonchalance; however, a day earlier I had taken her and Ruth, the best mother-in-law on the planet, on a tour of our winter wonderland.
I know they both worry, so before we embarked, I showed them I was setting the ride-height setting to the max - so we would not lose traction in deep snow - and that I was switching the 4WD to automatic. I did my best to explain that this would allow the truck's computers to diagnose a slipping wheel and within milliseconds transfer torque to a wheel with traction.
Because we wanted Ruth to be as comfortable as possible, Pam opted to sit in one of the plush, second-row captain's seats. This came with some concern because on a journey a few years ago in an Escalade, a relative found the ride so bouncy, due in chief to the vehicle's truck-like solid axle and leaf springs in the rear, that Beautiful Bride was forced to switch seats.
We discovered that this is no longer an issue in these vehicles. GM finally - finally! - opted for a rear multilink suspension, which fundamentally transforms the vehicle's driving and ride dynamics. Each rear wheel handles road conditions separately. That eliminates the truck-like bounciness. Serendipitously, steering responsiveness and overall driver control are drastically improved.
Child Bride did not notice all that, just that the SUV was significantly smoother. She also noticed that the rear had heating controls, that her seat was heated, and that the rear video screens could be used to play games, watch videos, or connect to the SatNav.
A drive down the backroad to the Bringle Lake dam, during which the Tahoe neither slipped nor hesitated once, convinced my girls that this was, in fact, an especially competent vehicle.
No road? No problem
A day earlier, as I turned onto McKnight Road, the thick, juicy snow carried me back a half-century. Dad was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, and we spent Christmases in Berchtesgaden, a town in the Bavarian Alps on the Austrian border. The soft, quiet sound of those heavy snows calmed the spirit. There was magic in the way it blanketed the land, turning stone walls into vanilla ice cream waves.
I was soon reminded that I was in northeast Texas, not southern Germany.
"Where the heck is the road?" I thought. I quickly developed the ability to keep the Tahoe centered between streetlights and traffic signs.
I was concerned. The Tahoe was not. It rolled along like it was the middle of July.
With the roads to myself, I decided to play.
"Can we go the speed limit?"
"Sure thing," said the Tahoe.
"Can I break the back end loose?"
"No way."
It is true. With auto 4WD on, the truck tries mightily to keep the front tires rolling at the same speed, which is to say, going straight.
Off-road? Really?
In truth, the winter storm saved the Tahoe Z71 from a less-than-flattering review.
Until the storm showed up, my thinking was that Chevy finally built a nice-riding big SUV and then screwed it up.
The Z71 package takes a smooth, comfortable, compliant vehicle and makes it ride like a work truck - bouncy ride, uncertain steering.
Four-wheel drive is available on other trim lines, and the Z71 package does not improve towing capacity. If you spend more time hauling people than riding out to the deer lease, you do not need this package.
Gas hog
Fuel economy is an oxymoron when it comes to these vehicles. The EPA estimates this Tahoe will average 18 mpg in combined driving. In a world looking to see an average of 50 mpg in 10 years, that alone might harm resale value.
In truth, we tested two Tahoes in the last month. With the roads dry, we got around 14.6 mpg. Driving 200 city miles in a combination of dry and winter conditions, we averaged 10.2 mpg. I guess if you can afford a $68,000 SUV, you can afford the gas.
If you are beginning to think this whole Climate Change thing might have something to it, I would strongly recommend spending another $995 for a diesel Tahoe. Or, you could spend $25,000 less and get a nice midsize SUV and get 30 mpg or better.
If you like to play in the snow, however, the Tahoe Z71 is a hoot.