2017 Chevrolet Tahoe Reviews, Pricing & Specs

You have dreams of owning a Chevrolet Suburban, as it would carry your family and toys with no sweat. But the Suburban's large size means...

You have dreams of owning a Chevrolet Suburban, as it would carry your family and toys with no sweat. But the Suburban's large size means difficulty maneuvering in tight spaces and the possibility that it won't fit in your garage, and that puts you off. Is there a slightly smaller option that features some of the Suburban’s positive points? There is--it's called the 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Chevrolet Tahoe was first introduced back in 1995. The model was about 21 inches shorter than a Suburban, which made it easier to drive in various situations. But it kept a number of traits from the Suburban, such as a large passenger capacity, a roomy cargo area, and the ability to tow heavy items. Since then, the Tahoe has been in lockstep with the Suburban in terms of changes, and 2017 is no different.

The first big change for 2017 deals with the Tahoe’s trim lineup, where the Premier takes over as the top trim. The base LS and mid-level LT trims don’t see any significant changes aside from minor adjustments in features. The other big change is the addition of the Teen Driver system. Teen Driver allows a parent to set up a key with specific limits on speed and audio volume, and the system will mute the audio until everyone in the vehicle has buckled up. Teen Driver also provides a report that details how fast and far the vehicle traveled, along with how many times the ABS and stability control system activated.

Back in 2015, Chevrolet gave the Tahoe a new look with crisp lines, a revised grille, larger headlights, and wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches. For the coming model year, Chevy is also adding optional 22-inch wheels and two new color choices: Blue Velvet Metallic and Pepperdust Metallic.

One of the weak points of the last-generation Tahoe was its interior. Questionable materials, an awkward-to-remove third-row seat, and a small cargo area were just some of the complaints registered. The interior was a key focus of the latest redesign, and it shows. Step inside and you’re greeted by an interior that wouldn’t look out of place in a luxury SUV. There are high-quality materials used throughout and impressive fit and finish. All Tahoes feature an 8-inch screen with Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system, which is one of the easier infotainment systems to wrap your head around thanks to a simple interface and redundant buttons underneath.

The Tahoe offers seating for 7, 8, or 9 people. If you want the 9-seat arrangement, you’ll need to go with the LS. The front and second-row seats provide excellent levels of comfort and space. The third-row is best reserved for small kids, as adults will likely find their knees at the same level as their head. One change Chevrolet made with the redesigned Tahoe was to design a third-row seat that could fold into the floor. This makes it easier to increase rear cargo space from 15.3 to 51.6 cubic feet. Maximum cargo area measures out to 94.7 cubic feet.

There is only one engine available for the Chevrolet Tahoe, a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed automatic transmission and a choice of either rear- or 4-wheel drive (RWD or 4WD) gets the power down to the road. EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2017 Tahoe stand at 16 mpg city/23 highway/19 combined for RWD trims and 16/22/18 for 4WD trims. Maximum tow ratings for the Tahoe stand at 8,600 pounds with RWD and 8,400 pounds with 4WD.

For safety, all 2017 Tahoes come with a full set of airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, stability control with trailer-sway control, rear parking sensors, a backup camera, and GM’s OnStar telematics system. OnStar provides automatic emergency notification in the event of a crash, stolen-vehicle assistance, the ability to call for roadside assistance, and remote door unlocking. The LT and Premier trims add front parking sensors, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, low-speed automatic braking, and the safety alert driver seat (vibrates the left or right side of the seat to warn the driver of danger on the corresponding side of the vehicle). The LS can get these features through the Enhanced Driver Alert package. In tests done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Tahoe earned an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Chevrolet hasn’t announced pricing for the 2017 Tahoe at the time of this writing. Expect it to be similar to prices for the 2016 model, starting at $47,000 for the base LS RWD and climbing to $64,170 for the Premier 4WD.