2004 Chevrolet Tahoe

The Chevrolet Tahoe is a Mid size SUV made for large families who like lots of activities. With an attractive exterior, and a nice ride, it can tow quite a bit of weight while keeping up to 9 (7 adults) people comfortable. Great for rougher rural areas this Chevy can blend well into the Suburbs.

The Tahoe adapts well from Family car running errands and able to hold tons of groceries and kids, to a camper hauling work horse. Around town the MPG stays around 17, there is a small drop when hauling heavy loads. The Flexi fuel models will also lose MPG when using alternative fuel (E 85) but this is minimal and is really only a mile or two per gallon. The interior is nice and holds up well even to large animals, though there have been problems with the rear seat belts.

When looking to purchase one of these vehicles please check for recalls on the year you are looking at. Chevrolet seemed to have at least one recall per year since the late '90's. Some of the recalls include wiring, brakes, and lights all which can cause accidents or even dashboard fires if not fixed. Chevy will pay for the recall work to be done and if you own one of these and find out that something you had paid to be fixed was recalled they will reimburse if you have the receipt. The water pump and electric window motors tend to go as well. The body will rust at any deep scratch so these must be touched up quickly. Not a big deal nor is it expensive.

The backyard mechanic may not like the Tahoe's tight spaces under the hood. For many model years, simple maintenance includes removing other parts just to get to filters. Oil changes and tune ups even at a garage are not overly expensive though, running between $100-$140 a pop. This needs to be done at least twice a year or the MPG will drop down.