It almost seems hard to believe that the Chevrolet Tahoe (and its twin, the GMC Yukon) would come in second place in a segment it helped to pioneer. Surely the full-size Blazer, later to be renamed Tahoe, was one of the major reasons the whole SUV craze began in the first place. But while longevity is great for history lessons, it really means little to a car-buying public that simply wants the best car at the best price.

The Tahoe excels in a few very key areas. Our editors agree that one reason for the Tahoe's success is the optional 5.3-liter Vortec V8 that makes 285 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It offers 25 more horsepower than the Expedition and a whopping 45 more than the Sequoia, and the surge of power when accelerating makes the difference noticeable. The Tahoe really delivers with a winning powertrain, so much so that the rest of the truck almost seems out of step with it. Upon delivery of the Tahoe, one editor jumped into the driver seat and instinctively turned the ignition key. Only after three attempts did he realize the engine was already running — high praise indeed.

The four-speed automatic transmission earns equally high marks as our editors found it to shift properly and almost seamlessly for both up and downshifts. Further, it never gets confused and is perfectly capable of choosing the right gear in every driving situation.

The Chevy Tahoe also scored high in the on-road handling department. Editors praised it for its fun-to-drive nature and commented that it was the easiest to hustle around mountain roads while still delivering a civil ride on the highway.

Although we found the Tahoe's brakes to be fine for most driving situations, one editor noted that the ABS allowed too much wheel slippage before engaging. In fact we were unable to give the Tahoe a proper brake test as our test vehicle developed a problem with the ABS system later in the week — the ABS light stayed lit and no ABS functions would work.

Despite its more street-oriented tires, the Tahoe still proved to be a worthy companion off-road. Both the Sequoia and Tahoe performed equally well on our mildly challenging off-road course (with the Expedition being the only vehicle that didn't excel in that portion of the test). Like the others, the Tahoe has low-range gearing (4 Low) for off-roading. Engine braking was adequate on steep descents, though we found the Sequoia to be slightly better in this regard.

If we had to point to one area where the Tahoe falls far short compared to the Toyota Sequoia, it would have to be the interior. Granted, the Sequoia's interior is not perfect, but when considering quality of materials, seat comfort, interior design and passenger space, the Toyota has the Tahoe beaten. We found the Tahoe to have far too much hard plastic inside, especially around the dash area. Toyota and Ford seem to use much better materials and offer a more contemporary interior design that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. One editor called the Tahoe's dash design "dated," while others agreed but found the large, almost oversized buttons very user-friendly. The Tahoe also earned praise for its ample storage areas in the cabin.

The Tahoe's front seats are fairly comfortable, but a few editors complained that the seat bottoms seemed too short. Also, the quality of the leather on our LT model paled in comparison to the soft and supple seats found in the Sequoia. Second-row seating in the Tahoe is average in terms of legroom and comfort, but the Sequoia offers more spacious accommodations. The same is true for the third row — in the Tahoe, the third-row seat is for kids only.

The Tahoe's interior high points include newly available adjustable pedals, useful steering wheel-mounted audio and climate control functions and available XM Satellite Radio and OnStar telematics.

We found the rear area of the Tahoe's interior relatively easy to convert from people space to a flat floor for cargo hauling, but that process still requires you to manually remove the third-row seats. The seats themselves come with carrying handles, and three easy-to-use levers make the operation very straightforward. Each seat has small wheels to facilitate the process. Even though the Tahoe's seats were easier to deal with than the Sequoia's, the Expedition's fold-flat third-row seat is still the best solution — there is just no comparison.

Despite some low points, the Tahoe is still a competent vehicle. If not for a cheap-looking and — feeling interior and lack of room in both second- and third-row seats, the Tahoe would be a more formidable opponent for the Sequoia. That said, if you're going to be doing a lot of towing, the Chevrolet Tahoe is certainly an SUV to consider.

Second Opinions:

Road Test Editor John DiPietro says:
Like the Caddy Escalade that recently participated in our Luxury SUV comparison test, the Chevy Tahoe had its typical GM strengths…and weaknesses. As with the Caddy, a potent V8 and a smart and smooth automatic tranny earned the Tahoe big points in my book. The Vortec series of V8s presents a strong argument for "old-fashioned" pushrod architecture as a smooth rush of power is always there under your right foot. Drive the Ford and the Chevy back to back and you'll see what I mean. And the gearbox is never caught off guard; there's no annoying lag whether it is clicking up through the gears or stepping down quickly. Other factors in the Tahoe's favor include a pleasant ride and very comfortable seats (with four-way power lumbar adjustment for the driver).

Unfortunately, not all the driving dynamics earned a gold star. The brakes didn't feel quite as well sorted as the drivetrain: in spite of having ABS, they locked up briefly on a slick piece of pavement when I purposely stood on the pedal, as if the antilock system wasn't pulsing the brakes fast enough. Furthermore, the steering lacks road feel and seems a bit slow, especially when compared to the Expedition's superb setup.

And not to beat a dead horse, but the dull, hard plastics that GM insists on using still turn me off to its interiors; Ford made a determined effort to upgrade the Expedition's cabin this year and did a great job in terms of having an attractive and functional environment for driver and passengers. Still, when all was said and done, the Tahoe edged out the Expedition for second place in my personal picks. Seems like a great drivetrain has a way of making up for a number of petty grievances.

Road Test Editor Erin Riches says:c
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed driving the Tahoe in this test. Although it was the oldest design, it still offered a cushy ride around town and manageable handling around turns. True, it wasn't as domesticated as the Sequoia, as less-than-smooth pavement brought out some unnecessary jostling, but it was equally well suited for medium-difficulty off-roading. The steering needs some work — the wheel just doesn't tighten up enough at highway speeds. The best part of the package is surely the 5.3-liter V8. This engine pulls hard at any speed and is really the only one in the group suited for serious towing.

Inside, the second- and third-row seats weren't as comfortable or as roomy as the Expedition's or Sequoia's, and there wasn't as much storage to go around. The 50/50 third-row seats were a bit easier to remove than the Toyota's, but they were still cumbersome to deal with compared with the Ford's fold-flat seats. Further, the Chevy's interior materials were terrible compared with the others, and build quality wasn't as tight. On the outside, the Tahoe looked cheap with its black plastic D-pillars and total lack of body-side moldings. While I might consider buying one as a personal vehicle (behind the Sequoia, that is), the Chevrolet Tahoe isn't well-rounded enough for me to recommend it highly as a family vehicle.