Pros: Very roomy, powerful engine, nice body style, useful features, affordable larger sized SUV.
Cons: Stiff suspension off-road, groceries and smaller items tend to scatter around the cargo area.
The Bottom Line: I'd recommend this truck to outdoorsy people & small families. Excellent for the "hockey/soccer mom" who refuses to drive a mini van (like me.)
We love our 1999 Chevy Tahoe LS 4-door 4x4. We bought it brand new from a dealer in Colorado Springs, CO, in January of 2000. It has almost 50k miles on it now.
The features on our Tahoe include a 5.7 Liter 8-Cylinder 350 engine, automatic transmission, 4WD, overdrive, ABS, air bags, tilt steering wheel, A/C, cruise control, power steering, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, keyless entry, AM/FM cassette & CD, factory window tint, luggage rack, cloth seats, running boards, and tow package. Our Tahoe has the split back door and larger interior than the 2000 plus models.
We replaced the stock wheels and stock 245/75-16 tires with 16" Ultra Roca Type 160 wheels and 265/75-16 BF Goodrich Radial Long Trail TA tires.
We have done all the required maintenance plus some (early oil changes, new tires before needed) since we've owned this truck to keep it in excellent running condition.
We have never had any problems with our Tahoe. It has met or exceeded our every expectation. I am the primary driver of this vehicle and I use it mostly for every day running around, errands, and transporting my son to school and other activities. We use our Tahoe as our primary family vehicle. I have no complaints about gas mileage. It is comparable to any other truck with this size engine, maybe even better. In my opinion, if you can afford the payment on a truck/SUV this size, you can afford the gas to put in it.
This truck is amazing here in the Colorado Rockies. With our high altitude and range of altitudes while driving, this truck adjusts beautifully. It has amazing get-up-and-go for a large SUV and it passes and changes lanes with ease. I have no complaints about its acceleration capabilities. It is also incredible in the snow. I am a nervous driver in the snow and this truck has helped build my confidence. The 4-wheel drive options are easy to use and it also has an "auto-4-wheel-drive" selection. When you have it turned on, the 4 wheel drive will kick in when one wheels slips a complete rotation. This is an excellent fuel saving option and works beautifully on our ever-changing road conditions. I use it in the snow and rain.
We have not yet towed anything with our Tahoe. We're going to do that for the first time next month. We have, however, driven it on several road trips. This truck is exceptionally roomy and has lots of space for our luggage, ice chests, camping equipment, and dogs. We bought this vehicle when our son was less than a year old and it has been wonderful at accommodating the different types of car seats we have used for him. This model year does not have the car seat anchors that I believe are standard on the newer vehicles. It is very easy to use car seats in the back seat of this truck. It does well with 2 car seats in the back seat. I have had 3 across the back seat and would probably go with the Suburban if I had three kids of my own.
The seats are very comfortable and the driver's side has several power adjustments. I am 5'11 and my husband is 6'7. This vehicle fits us long-legged people to a tee! I have a friend who has the same model and year Tahoe whose wife is about 5' tall and she has a little bit of difficulty driving it.
The only difficulty I encounter with this truck is the lack of a place for smaller pieces of cargo like groceries. I often use the back seat for smaller cargo, but this truck could have really used a standard cargo net attached somewhere in the cargo area. I know there are plenty of aftermarket solutions to this problem, but I have yet to explore any of them.
I have always felt safe driving this truck. We were involved in a front-end collision last year with this Tahoe. We were on an icy bridge when an oncoming car lost control and slid sideways in front of us. We had no choice but to hit her. The front passenger corner of the Tahoe impacted directly in to the passenger door of her older Geo Tracker. To my relief the air bags did not deploy, but they were not necessary in this type of accident. Her vehicle was totaled and we came out of the accident unharmed. My 4 year old son was belted in his car seat in the back seat behind the passenger seat and he was unharmed. The seat belts reacted just as they were designed to and no one in our Tahoe was hurt. The Tahoe absorbed the impact with grace and ease. I feel even more safe and comfortable now that I know how well this truck can handle a typical car accident impact. It has been fully repaired and restored. It drives and handles as well as it did before the accident.
I love this truck and will buy another one (or maybe a Suburban) in the future if I can ever bear to part with this one!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 32,000.00
Condition: New Model Year: 1999 Model and Options: LS 4-door 4x4 4WD, ABS, Air Bags, Tilt, A/C, Cruise, PS, PW
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