Where's the Beef?

I just managed a paltry 16.3 mpg in a 2007 Tahoe on my 50-mile (each way) daily commute, 90 percent of which is highway driving. The problem? The 4-wheel drive Tahoe claims a fuel economy of 15 city, 22 highway. The last Tahoe I drove, which I took to Chicago, only gave back 14 miles per gallon. That truck had barely any miles on it and was a preproduction unit, so I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. But that's not the case here since the more recent 'Hoe was well above its break-in miles. I'm no lead-foot either, the soul-crushing banality of commuting, combined with my need to eat donut-burgers while driving, suppresses my normal urge to speed. I see at least 27 mpg in our long-term Cobalt SS SC and our long-term Audi A3 gets around 30 mph when I'm behind the wheel.

So what's the deal? I'm not about to suggest some grand conspiracy, like Chevy tuning its press cars for a little extra power at the expense of economy. More likely it's just another case of GM over-promising and under-performing. Which is too bad, because everything else about the Tahoe is great, especially the interior.

Mike Austin
Posted - March 17, 2006
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