The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Major screens inside
- Good ride and handling
- Optional Super Cruise
- Beefy V-8 engines
- Clean exterior lines
Dislikes
- Thirsty V-8s
- Expensive turbodiesel
- Too big for most of us
- So-so outward vision
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe is a spacious, flexible SUV with impressive performance – and a thirst for pricey fuel.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe? What does it compare to?
With the Tahoe, Chevrolet has a big—but not gargantuan—SUV capable of seating as many as nine passengers while towing a hefty trailer. It’s a rival to the Ford Expedition and GMC Yukon.
Is the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe a good SUV?
If you can justify its hefty fuel consumption and truck-like nature, the 2023 Tahoe is a strong choice among big SUVs. We rate it at 6.8 out of 10, a good score for a vehicle with lousy fuel economy and so-so crash-test scores. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe?
The only major tweak for 2023 is the addition of the GM’s trick Super Cruise limited hands-free driving assistance system, which is now optional on the Tahoe High Country.
Otherwise, the Tahoe carries into 2022 in a choice of trim levels mostly with V-8 power, though a turbodiesel 6-cylinder is optional. The 353-hp 5.3-liter V-8 standard on most models can be upgraded to the thirsty 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, and while we like the diesel’s hefty torque and better fuel economy, it’s a pricey option on most trims.
The base V-8 comes in at 18 mpg in both rear- and four-wheel-drive configurations and the 6.2-liter V-8 is rated at between 16 and 17 mpg combined. The turbodiesel ups the ante to as high as 24 mpg combined.
Though a nine-seat version with three rows of seats is available, most Tahoes have front bucket seats and a choice between second-row captain’s chairs or a bench. A third row that can accommodate adults in reasonable comfort is standard.
Though automatic emergency braking is standard, the Tahoe scored just four stars overall from the NHTSA and has not yet been tested by the IIHS.
How much does the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe cost?
Starting at $56,095, the Tahoe LS is hardly luxurious. A reasonable $5,000 or so nets the LT with its upsized screens, leather seats, and Bose audio. It’s the one we’d buy, unless you’re really smitted with the $66,195 Z71’s off-roady bits. The $80,000 High Country 4WD is as much a selling point for the related GMC Yukon Denali and Cadillac Escalade as anything else.
Where is the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe made?
In Arlington, Texas.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Styling
Buff and tough, but with an air of sophistication, the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe is a stylish big SUV.
Is the Chevrolet Tahoe a good-looking car?
The 2023 Tahoe wears handsome lines that blend forward-looking touches such as seemingly hidden headlights with angular old-school lines.
Those LED headlights sit above a tall, razor-sharp grille that can be varying shades of black or chrome depending on the trim level. From the side, the Tahoe is more conventional but not as boxy as some of its predecessors thanks to a big C-pillar behind the rear doors and some Coke bottle curviness to its flanks.
Aside from a band of trim between the taillights, the rear-end treatment is more conventional.
Z71 versions have unique bumpers for improved off-road ability, while each trim has its own wheel designs that can grow as large as 22 inches.
Most Tahoes wear a 10.2-inch touchscreen on the dash, though the base LS has a simpler 8.0-inch display that looks lost. Clean lines give the Tahoe a simple feel for such a big SUV, though there are plenty of switches and knobs to sort through.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Performance
Though the turbodiesel may tempt, the Tahoe is at its best with V-8 power.
While there’s no disguising its huge dimensions, the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe offers quick acceleration and a comfortable ride – especially with optional adaptive dampers. It’s a 7 on performance mostly due to its V-8 engines and its impressive towing ability.
Is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD?
It can be. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and four-wheel drive is optional.
How fast is the Chevrolet Tahoe?
Expect brisk acceleration from the V-8s especially. The base 5.3-liter serves up 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, which is good for decent around-town grunt at an 8,400-pound towing capacity in certain configurations. The 6.2-liter V-8 optional on higher-end versions guzzles fuel but can tow even better thanks to its 420 hp and 460 lb-ft ratings. On all, the 10-speed automatic transmission behaves well enough at higher speeds but can lunge or over-downshift when the throttle is mashed for quick acceleration.
Like most ultra-heavy SUVs, the Tahoe’s ride quality is comfortable in every configuration, but it’s best with the optional magnetic dampers that take the edge off of bigger wheel options. Top-line versions come with an air suspension that can climb upward for better off-road clearance or downward for easier entry and exit.
Nicely weighted steering helps the Tahoe sneak through curvy roads well enough, but there’s only so much that can disguise a 5,500 lb-plus curb weight.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Chevy Tahoe has a comfortable, roomy interior.
While not quite minivan-like in its ability to swallow humans and their gear, the Chevy Tahoe uses its allotted space well enough to earn a 9 out of 10 on the TCC scale.
Base LS versions have a front bench seat, but nearly any Tahoe you’ll find on a dealer’s lot has buckets separated by a wide center console with plenty of storage bins. The second row comes in either captain’s chairs or as a bench. Either way, it offers up good leg room once you’ve climbed aboard. The third row can be tricky to reach for adults, but it offers nearly 35 inches of leg room and plenty of head room.
Leather and heated front- and second-row seats are standard on most versions. Materials don’t match the dressy Cadillac Escalade, but they are in line with the hefty prices Chevy charges.
Cargo space tops out at a cavernous 123 cubic feet behind the front seats, and even the nearly 26 cubes with the third row upright is enough for a typical stroller or a big grocery run.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Safety
The 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe offers impressive driver-assistance tech, but its crash-test scores are so-so.
How safe is the Chevrolet Tahoe?
The 2023 Chevy Tahoe rates a relatively rare four stars overall from the NHTSA, and it has yet to be tested by the IIHS. For now, we’ll hold off on scoring it.
Automatic emergency braking, active lane control, parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and a slew of airbags come standard, but adaptive cruise control is optional. This year, the High Country trim offers Super Cruise, a limited hands-free driver-assistance system that uses pre-mapped highway data to give drivers a break – as long as they’re looking forward, that is
Speaking of vision, beefy roof pillars and rear-seat head rests mean the Tahoe can be hard to see out of around town or in crowded parking lots.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Features
In most trims, the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe comes well equipped against its competitors.
The 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe earns 8 out of 10 points on the TCC scale thanks to its standard fare and wide range of options, in addition to swell infotainment.
For $56,095, the base Tahoe LS comes with power-adjustable front seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, keyless and remote start, and alloy wheels.
A 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is standard, and the first oil change comes free.
Which Chevrolet Tahoe should I buy?
We’d spend up for the $61,595 Tahoe LT, which adds an upsized 10.2-inch touchscreen with a nicer display, a digital instrument cluster, Bose speakers, a wireless charging pad, and leather seats, among a few other niceties.
The Z71 runs $66,195, which buys four-wheel drive and rugged styling, while the street-oriented RST has urban looks and 22-inch wheels for about $1,000 more. The Tahoe Premier rides on comfortable adaptive dampers and includes cooled front seats, but at $69,495, its price tag is a big ask.
How much is a fully loaded Chevrolet Tahoe?
A Tahoe High Country can crest $80,000 when optioned with four-wheel drive, for $3,300.
2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is not on the 2023 Tahoe’s side.
Is the Chevrolet Tahoe good on gas?
The blocky, heavy 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe scores 1 out of 10, though turbodiesel versions are a bit more frugal.
Most Tahoes come with a 5.3-liter V-8 rated at 16 mpg city, 20 highway, 18 combined, which is a recipe for a lot of gas station visits. The 6.2-liter V-8 is thirstier yet at 17 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive or 16 mpg combined with four-wheel drive.
The turbodiesel can score as high as 21/28/24 combined, or a bit lower with four-wheel drive. But that engine is a hefty option and it takes fuel that usually costs more than regular unleaded.
