Anyone own a 2007 or newer Tahoe/Yukon?

A

ACuriae

500+ Posts
What do you think of it? If you had it to do all over again, would you still buy it? What kind of problems have you had with it? How good/bad is the gas mileage really?

I'm thinking of buying a Flex Fuel Z71 or LTZ/SLT. I don't do a lot of highway driving anymore, but the Hybrid is out of my price range. I head into the mountains a couple of times each year (hunting and skiing) and occasionally tow stuff.

I'm deciding between the Tahoe/Yukon, LR3, or a Crew Cab Silverado. I'm open to other suggestions, but Land Rover is the closest I'll get to Ford.
 
I have an 2007 Z71 tahoe. I've enjoyed it. No problems except for a few minor things. (All of which happened after the factory warranty expired at 36K miles) Gas mileage isn't bad. 20 on highway 14 in city. Overall I average around 16.5 mpg. I don't like the 3rd row seat. Its hard to get in and out. Wish it folded down. Wish it had bigger towing capacity. Wish the ride were a bit smoother. Overall, I'd give it a B+.
 
What kind of minor things?

After the warranty on my Jeep expired, a couple of minor things actually turned out to be major things (for example, replacing the AC/heater assembly doors--a small, inexpensive part--ended up being a major repair requiring disassembly of the entire dash). Replacing a circuit on one of the seats (also a small, inexpensive part) cost more than I'm willing to admit.

This is part of the reason why I won't buy another Jeep (or any Chrysler) any time soon.
 
Well, twice since my warranty expired my check engine light came on. I took it to the dealership both times and honestly I can't recall the issues, but $75 later, it was fixed and I haven't had any issues since. The issues were different each time. I was just a bit peeved the issues happened right after the warranty expired when I had about 38K and 42K miles on my car. I now have about 50K on the car.

If you are considering a pickup too, might look at the avalanche. They are just like a tahoe inside, but have the bed in the back.
 
We have a 2008 Tahoe. The #1 reason we bought it was for our 2 toddlers. My wife feels safe driving it compared to what we had. The mileage, we average 16.5, just like everyone else. We have had it for 2+ years and have had absolutely nothing go wrong with it. My wife drives it from Katy to downtown everyday, so we mostly get highway miles. I like it, but if the gas ever goes back up, which it will eventually, I don't think I will like it that much.
 
The gas mileage concerns me, but there isn't anything out there with this interior space and power that gets 30+ mpg and can be driven into the mountains...or is there? Is there?
 
You asked about road noise...that really depends on the type of tires you have. The Z71 wheels typically have more agressive tires on them, so they do make some road noise, but its not too bad. The LTZ and LT versions usually have road tires on them and they are as quiet as a car.
 
If you have a good relationship with your dealership you may be able to get work done after the warranty runs out. The head of the service department that I use for my Chevys told me he can approve repairs for cars with mileage up to 60,000. Worked for truck that had over 50,000 but was under 3 years old. It doesn't cost anything to ask to talk to the manager.
 
I have a 07 Tahoe with 68K miles with zero problems.

Only complaint is the third row seats are a pain in the ***. There is no way a woman could take them in and out. The Ford design of the third row is far superior.
 
I have an '03 Z71 I love. The 3rd row seats do fold down and are easy to pull out. Sounds like this has changed?
 
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Yukon this weekend. I can see what you guys mean with the 3rd row seats. My wife can't get them out of the car and she can barely pick them up from the ground, but other than that I'm loving it. The dealer told us the seats weigh 45 lbs each...but they feel like they're well over 50 lbs (like 60-65 lbs each).
 
Just so you know the 'flex fuel" is sort of a scam. You won't get as good mileage with the 80/20 blend, and you'll lose a little top end power.
 
The dealer told me the same thing...and when one of my former classmates (now an environmental lawyer) told me there's very little reduction in overall greenhouse emissions, that clinched it. No FFV for me.
 
You're lawyer friend isn't exactly right....

E85 is a great fuel since it's a high octane fuel. High octane fuel allows engines to be built with higher compression. The current Tahoe V8 is probably around a 9:1 compression engine. If the engine was built to strictly run E85, it could easily be built at 12:1 compression. The is free HP/Torque and of course cleaner emissions. On the flip side, if we only had E85 fuel, GM could built a smaller displacement engine with the same hp/torque as they have now.
 
Problem is that the engine isn't built that way...yet. According to my friend, the reduction in greenhouse gases is anywhere from 5%-15% depending on the source you read. Of course, she did say essentially the same thing you just said: engine technology isn't there yet.

I'm not knocking it. Once the engines are being built to take advantage of it, I'll be happy to switch. I'll probably be ready for a new car by then.
 
I'm looking for the exact same thing too... Although I really like the Toyota Sequoia as well... Bit more expensive though... If you don't mind me asking... What was your final price tag and for what trim/model? I live in South Texas, and I'm not sure if taking the trip to SA, Austin, Dallas would be worth it.
 
SLT-2. I flew to Houston (from Austin) to get it. Sticker was $48M and change. After GM and dealer cash incentives it came out to $42M. After some haggling, dealer knocked it down to $38M and change.

I've got to say that the space behind the 3rd row has turned out to be a lot smaller than I thought when I first saw it.
 
ACuriae, I'm in the market for a 07-08 Yukon now too. After a few weeks of ownership, what are your biggest pros and cons?
 
Here's what I think so far:

Pros
-The way the seat is built, I can see over everything in front of me that isn't a commercial truck. This may not be important to anyone else, but it's important to me because I like to be able to see way ahead.
-Active Fuel Management is sweet. I can't feel when it goes into V4 mode and my average fuel economy right now is 19.5 mpg (which is sure to decrease as I use it in more stop-and-go traffic). On one highway trip from North Austin to North San Antonio, I averaged 24 mpg. I know that's not typical, but it made me happy.
-I was surprised that the ride is much smoother and quieter than my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, even with 20" wheels on the Yukon.
-The seats are more comfortable than my Jeep, which also surprised me.
-The turning radius is unbelievable. I can make u-turns that my wife can't make in her Honda and that I couldn't make in my Jeep. It's a lot easier to park than I think--I still try to park it based on its size instead of trusting the turn radius.

Cons
-It took my wife just under 20 minutes to break the plastic cover on one of the DC power outlets. In fact, all of the plastics are underwhelming. For what I paid, I would expect something that felt a little more expensive.
-I'm 6'2" and it's hard for me to get in without using the running board. I didn't get the power retractable side step, but I'd recommend it if you're shorter than me or if it's mainly for your shorter-than-me wife, although a friend of mine says to get them aftermarket because the motor mechanism is exposed in the factory option and will jam up with mud and ice, but the aftermarket motor is sealed.
-The 3rd row seats are HEAVY. My wife can't do anything with them.
-The space behind the 3rd row seat is tiny--much tinier in use than it looked at the dealership. There's enough room for 4-5 grocery bags tops.
-For a V8, it doesn't accelerate the way I feel it should...but it's much heavier than my Jeep, so I probably just haven't gotten used to it yet. This really isn't a con, I guess, just something that I personally have to get used to.

There are a few other things I like that are trim package-specific (power lift gate, heated second-row seats, tire pressure monitor, remote start, etc.) that I'd definitely recommend getting if you can fit into your budget.

Don't get the 2nd-row captain's chairs/bucket seats. If we had it to do over again, we'd get a 2nd-row split bench. Otherwise, when you take out the 3rd row, there's only room for 4. However, the 3rd row is more comfortable for adults with a captain's chair 2nd-row because they can stretch out their legs more.

My complaints about it are really minor. In the end, the LR3's full-time 4WD was what swayed me to the Yukon. If I had it to do over again, I'd make the same decision (with some slight changes like the 2nd-row split bench) although I might actually consider a Suburban or Yukon XL so that the cargo space is useful for something other than groceries when the 3rd row seating is still in place.

If I knew I was going to need 4WD more often or if the LR3 had switchable 4WD, I might have picked the LR3, but it still would have been a close call.
 
I'd concur with just about everything you said. You probably are aware, but the 3rd row seats fold upward with very little effort which creates alot more room for groceries, gear etc . So, you don't have to completely remove the 3rd row seats to get more storage space.

Good overview of the car though.
 
My 2007 has 50K miles on it and I need new tires. Any suggestions? I have the factory 18 inch wheels. I am thinking either Bridgestone or BF Goodrich.
 
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