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Comments
I decided not to purchase it at this time for a couple of reasons, but the biggest complaint I had was the lack of a spare tire. I couldn't get my mind around having an SUV that I'll use as a family hauler without a spare. I even thought about adding a spare where it should go but there is a huge muffler there (Explains why it is so quiet).
Also, more of a complaint of all Yukons and Tahoes, not just the Hybrid--when you get a second row bench, the only LATCH car seat adapeters are on the passenger and middle positions. There is no LATCH for the middle row driver's side. This makes NO SENSE. It would have made sense had the bench split favor the other side, so that with 2 car seats installed, you could flip the small section forward for access to the third row.
Maybe I'll get over the spare tire thing, and maybe gas will get more expensive which makes the Hybrid make sense financially.
correct me if things have changed, but someone recently posted buying one at MSRP. When you consider the non-hybrid version is being advertised at $10,000 below MSRP, that makes the hybrid option at MSRP really expensive.
I find it absurd that some believe that this approach of hybridizing the biggest cars out there is where we will have the most in energy conservation.
As for the Tahoe Hybrid; You'd be foolish to pay MSRP for a truck that is easily had for $10,000 below MSRP without the hybrid system. It would take a long time to recoup that 10 grand in fuel savings here.
The main reason that their not selling for the same reason that I didn't acquire one. It's all about price. Paying $53K for a hybrid while it's non-hybrid counter part is $10K cheaper. Now if GM starts to offer more incentives and discounts to their hybrids then I just might reevaluate my plans and acquire one. here's the article.
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, GMC Yukon Hybrid seeing lackluster sales despite hybrid vehicle popularity
June2
With gasoline prices soaring to record levels, hybrid vehicles are quickly becoming some of America's favorite vehicles. The Toyota Prius hybrid is now the ninth best-selling vehicle in the U.S. and hybrid sales continue to climb month after month. But despite the recent popularity of hybrid vehicle and the former success of large SUVs, U.S. consumers have yet to warm up to General Motors' full-size hybrid offerings — the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid.
Since the two hybrids hit the market in January, GM has only managed to sell a combined 1,100 units — well off the predicted pace of 12,000 annual sales and just a fraction of the 100,000 hybrids sold in the U.S. since the beginning of the year, according to the New York Times.
The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid don't fit the mold of a typical hybrid vehicle, but the added hybrid powertrain does improve city mileage by 50 percent — equaling the city mileage of a four-cylinder Toyota Camry. However, that improvement is not enough to get most buyers over the vehicles' high sticker prices.
In order to get into a hybrid Tahoe, buyers will have to plunk down at least $53,000 — $4,000 more than a comparable gasoline-only Tahoe. Although buyers will recoup that price difference in gas savings over five years — not including a $2,200 government rebate — most buyers find it hard to justify a sticker price that high. Gasoline Tahoes match their hybrid counterparts in highway mileage (20/22 mpg 4WD/2WD) but get about 6 to 7 mpg less in city driving — 13/14 compared to 20/21 (4WD/2WD).
Instead of coughing up the extra dough for a full-size hybrid SUV, many buyers are opting for slightly less capable but equally gas-friendly — and much cheaper to buy — crossover vehicles. In fact, Ford is banking on consumers making the switch from large SUVs to crossovers, even if hybrid versions are available. The U.S.' second largest automaker isn't planning to enter the full-size SUV hybrid segment but will rather offer the 24 mpg, seven-passenger Flex CUV.
Chrysler is planning strategy similar to GM and will launch two full-size hybrid SUVs later this year — the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid.
I would think a hybrid Lambda platform would be a hit. I'd love to get 28 MPG in a vehicle that size. The big issue right now is the premium and production volumes. If they can get production up and get the premium down to <$3000 and offer it on all trims, they might sell more hybrids than non hybrids.
I complained to the dealer, and finally worked my way to the regional chevy rep. He looked at my car, and said that the seat design is "inconvenient". I called it "defective".
His solution, an I Bolt to the floor (behind the drivers seat) and a strap (which the driver now has to remember to use).
Not a great answer for a 60K car with less then 5K in mileage.
Don't take my word for it, drive it with the seats folded over (like a 2000 model). I suspect you will move on to the std Tahoe/Yukon that does have a locking device. Or buy the Ford, which also has the locking device.
Agreed. Mine does the same thing and it is very annoying. I haven't done too much driving with the seats folded, but having that seat slam into the back of the drivers seat when stopping or after accelerating hard is very unnerving. I probably will come up with some way to secure it if I find I'm driving with the seats folded more.
My other aggrevation is the lack of child latch on the right side of the middle bench. I have two kids and use car sears for both. The Latch is the most convenient and safest way to secure the seats. So if you put them in the left hand and middle where the latch are, it negates the ability to access the third row via the left hand side 60-40 split.
Thanks for the note, and you are right about the child latch. A little more thought by the engineer would have gone a long way.
Regarding 40/60 seats, the Chevy rep said that we could not tie the folded seat"in any way" to the driver or front passenger seat, as they where not manufactured to withstand this. His fix was to drill a hole in the floor or the second seat and add an I-Bolt. Then strap the seat when folded.
I can't imagine this looking good, and may become a trip hazard. But on a more serious side, consider that you do not strap the seat down, have an accident with added injury due to the floating seat, and Chevy then says "we told you to strap it".
This is a great way for them to shift liability to you....
I am still waiting for a formal (written) reply from Chevy with details on eye-bolt. Will advise what I find out later.
Thanks for reply!
My driving is divided evenly between in town driving (that uses more of the electricity) and short highway trips of about 6 miles. That may account for my higher average?
Dixie--to achieve your 20.2, are you watching that gauge all the time, or can you drive as normal?
Yes, I do try to watch the economy meter although it is difficult. And, the mileage was higher at 20.9 when we went on a 3,000 mile trip which is 1/3 of my total mileage. That probably helped pull it up to the 20.2.
What increase does the 20.5 mpg amount to over the non hybrid?
thanks for the feedback
I'm a 2WD Yukon Hybrid, backseats stored in the garage, mainly driving alone with a light payload. For this tank, my computer gave me 18.4 mpg, but by my calculations, it was 17.9. My previous 4 tanks I recorded were 16.9. I know these are good numbers for the size of the vehicle and the type of driving I'm doing, but I really feel like I should be able to get 20 mpg mixed without "trying so hard". Could I have a "dud" hybrid system? Could there be some problems with my particular truck?
Prior to buying this thing, I read every online review including the press introduction mileage contest. I truly feel GM put this vehicle on the market so that in normal day to day driving, you should achieve 20-21. In this last tank of gas, to stay in that solid green area of the economy gauge, it took a very deliberate driving style, which for me, was SO MUCH slower than I am used to. I felt like I was getting left behind in traffic (and I live in a retirement area where no one is in a hurry). Other owners--do you feel this way?
I'm pretty happy with the car so far.......the fun of it is trying to keep that average mpg up. And, this is my only vehicle without a radar detector installed! Cool!!
PS Wife drives a Jeep Cherokee with the hemi, best I ever got driving it on the same trip to Indy was 16mpg! It's mileage sux, city or highway.
Tom D. in NW Indiana.
Instead of using the goofy analog needle "economy" gauge, just bring the digital average mpg gauge up, and pay close attention to it. Also, on starts, start out slowly so as not to engage the ICE as long as possible. I think that must be the real advantage of the hybrid system, wonder what % of energy is used for initial inertia in the average vehicle? (I was a physics minor in college, I suspect a lot.) So, try to get the vehicle rolling with no gas engine, battery only, before you kick in the gas engine to get up to speed. It takes a light foot, but it's fun. I'm able to run on battery only just about the whole mile in my small town on residential streets to my home. It's kind of a fun game, even have my 17 year old trying this.
On the highway, use cruise control, at 63-65mph, you'll be amazed at the mileage you get!
PS again, if you really wanna talk about lousy fuel economy, my boat gets 3 to 4 gallons to the mile, NOT miles to the gallon. Of course, it seats more than the Tahoe...........
Tom D.
Your Tahoe is about 1000 lbs less than the Ford, and has a smaller engine. What was the tow rating on the Ford vs. the Chevy? My point is that it isn't just hybridization - it is mass, wind cross section, and engine size that makes for different MPG at the same MPH.
Did you ever draft with your Ford?
but I have a hard time believing the hybrid version of the Tahoe can be had for only a extra $1,000.
I will say that I think my mileage improved after those 6200 miles when I stopped caring about the economy gauge. Flip the trip computer to show the instant economy, and when accelerating, get to speed quickly, then maintain a constant speed, and try to keep the instant gauge in the 20s. Logic says accelerate slowly, but this truck weighs A LOT, and getting it to speed uses a lot of gas whether the electric is helping or not. The major savings to improve average MPG IMHO, come from steady speed driving at moderate speeds (40-65 mph).
BTW, My 80-85 mph averages have been around 18.5mpg. My Dad's (2007 Denali) 80-84 mph are about 16.0mpg.
I've been very happy with the mpg performance of my Tahoe.
My '08 Tahoe Hybrid, w/14k miles, makes a noise that sounds like a cross between a suspension creak and a u-joint clank when it pulls away from a stop. Tech thought it was crossmember flex/pop. Now they say it is normal noise. I don't recall it on the demo I drove for a day. Everything like transmission and motor mounts, u-joints etc, has been checked, lubricated. I don't think they've sold a lot of these things, so I'm skeptical when I'm told its "normal" noise. Anyone out there have this same noise? Other than this issue, we're happy w/ the vehicle, our mileage is a consistent 22+ mixed city/commute, and high as 25+ on trip at highway speed (Yes I checked it several times). Big improvement from our '04 Suburban (which we kept). I got this at end of September '08, basically because it was the most steel I could put around my wife and kids per gallon of gasoline.
Thanks
My Yukon Hybird seems to be hesitating much more than it should. It also seems to have trouble when I slow down finding the right gear to be in....anyone else have this problem?
P.S. - My gas mileage is now logging in at 19.8 mpg, so I am now quite satisfied about that.
I have been very happy with the Tahoe. Wife has a Lexus RX and we typically take the Tahoe on trips because it is more comfortable and a better ride.
We don't use the third row much and I typically will only have one of the seats in there.
I would definitely buy the Tahoe again.
Some other odd things that have happened and are still going on are: #1 We get a slight pulsating feeling in the brake pedal when at a stop. #2 When it rains hard and its windy we get a weird BLOOP BLOOP sound coming from the sunroof area, very anoying. #3 On one of our road trips with the kids our dvd system, nav screen and dash lights all of a sudden dimmed to only half their brightness for wroughfly 24 hrs, and still was dim when i brought it to the dealership the next day. All of these three problems despite numerous complaints to the dealership have still not been fixed. All they say is that they are unable to duplicate the problem so they cannot fix them.
Just two days ago my family and i took a trip to my parents to drop off x- mas gifts, a 3 hour drive. When i arrived at there house i parked the truck in there driveway wich has a 30 degree slope or so with a quarter tank of gas for the night. The next morn started the truck via remote because it was -22 with windchill. When i went out to the truck gauge was on empty, low fuel light was on and gps was telling me where the nearest gas station was. Put the truck in drive pulled out of the driveway. The truck then sputtered and stalled. When re started engine light was on. Brought it to the dealership and hooked up to the computer which gave a number of codes wich the mechanic told us needed to be addressed immedietly. Got a phone call later that afternoon from the dealership telling me that the codes were generated by the lack of fuel(1/4 tank) and because it was parked on an incline ( Ya OK!! ). There was nothing wrong with the truck but they wanted to keep it overnight to road test it the next day. The following morning it acted up again with a full tank of gas. Suprise Suprise!!
So here i sit with my minivan rental once again while my 50 thousand dollar truck is at the dealership. If anyone has had the same problems as i have described above and have had them fixed, please let me know what was done to fix them. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
1. The door locks wouldn't work with the remote for one day, and of course couldn't be replicated.
2. I had the same issue with the dash lights. I was driving down the road at about 25K miles and realized I didn't know how fast I was going. It was odd because of the lights worked (ie: the fuel), but most of them didn't (ie. the speedometer). They were able to replace something and it worked. Perhaps your dealer can check with mine to see what the problem was. I use Lively GMC in Longview, TX.