Tahoe Hybrid questions

"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario) 11/13/2018 at 12:58 • Filed to: None

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My wife wants a Tahoe and we are probably going to go look at a 2009 h ybrid that’s for sale.

I think the only things that are different from a regular Tahoe is the battery pack and the transmission to accommodate the electric motors (correct me if I’m wrong).

Pros: comes with 6.0 V8, only sold in LTZ trim, better fuel economy

Cons: heavier, battery replacement is expensive, more to go wrong

I’m not opposed a hybrid, and so far evidence points to the batteries lasting pretty much the life of the vehicle and electric motors are generally very reliable.

Any opponauts have experience with these vehicles? Any input would be appreciated.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:14

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I had a Lyft in one over the weekend, I couldn’t even really tell I was in a hybrid, it was a short ride so i didn’t really get to quiz the owner.

Milky > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:19

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The Dummy Gummy > Milky 11/13/2018 at 13:24

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That seal looks like a penis.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Milky 11/13/2018 at 13:24

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Why a hybrid? Because there’s a very clean one for sale near us for a decent price and I don’t have anything against them. 

The Dummy Gummy > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:24

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Why go hybrid over regular? More towing capacity?

Rico > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:27

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Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think I can recommend a recession/ bailout 2008- 2009 GM car.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:29

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IIRC and my totally uninformed opinion the hybrid chevy truck was literally lipstick on a pig and a knee jerk reaction to the incredibly high fuel prices in the mid 2000's. If it’s a great deal and the condition is good I don’t see any compelling reason to say no tho.

Milky > The Dummy Gummy 11/13/2018 at 13:32

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You got a wrinkly penis.  

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:32

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I didn’t think the hybrid system really did anything at all. 

The Dummy Gummy > Milky 11/13/2018 at 13:34

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I guess I should rename is from Mr Wink to Mr Wrinkly. 

Milky > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:34

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SBCs run forever, I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 11/13/2018 at 13:38

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It looks like it really only helps in suburban/city settings. Highway it gets about the same as a normal 5.3 Tahoe around 21mpg but in the city it still gets around 21mpg while the normal Tahoe gets around 15mpg.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:40

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I thought it was a useless hybrid but it gets 20 city 23 highway VS 15 city 21 highway and has an extra 700lbs of towing capacity.

And TIL the Tahoe Hybrid has the same fuel economy as a 98 Lexus GS300

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > The Dummy Gummy 11/13/2018 at 13:41

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Just a clean vehicle for a good price. The bigger engine assisted by the electric motors is a nice benefit though.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford 11/13/2018 at 13:44

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Not to mention all while having double the engine displace ment and nearly a ton more weight.

Wobbles the Mind > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 13:54

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Just make sure that it runs regular octane and that your commute is primarily city driving that involves a lot of stopping. If it’s mostly going to do steady driving over 45 mph (and needs premium fuel due to the age/lack of proper maintenance), then you won’t get to see the benefits of the hybrid system on a vehicle that large.

The Dummy Gummy > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 14:07

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Fair enough, just figured you could save some coin since the hybrid (other than power) doesn’t do too much in terms of efficiency. Sweet car nonetheless. I still can’t get over how expensive they are. I was trying to pick one up last year and those suckers really hold their value.

Ssfancyfresh > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 14:12

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Did these offer all wheel drive? My memory may be playing tricks, but I thought they were RWD only.

The aero mods are neat m, but annoying: no roof bars, no side steps, low front valence.

I believe the seats were unique. Much thinner to save weight. 

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 14:16

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I know nothing about this specific vehicle, but those MPG figures themselves speak for themselves. And mean that much more, if you do a lot of city driving. I’m a huge fan of light hybrids for this reason. Wife has a regular ICE Subaru Crosstrek – on the highway it gets pretty great gas mileage easily over 30MPG. But a majority of our driving is around town, stop and go. So consistently we end up under 20MPG for a tank. For that very reason I sometimes wish we had gotten a Crosstrek Hybrid instead.

Same reason I wish plug-in hybrids were more popular. Going fully electric is good, but I understand many folks don’t have the ability to have multiple cars for multiple uses. Or need that extended range for pretty frequent use. A PHEV that gets you to work or school and back on zero gas on a daily basis but has the gas engine for roadtrips or other long distance use (which would typically be usage that results in better MPG as well), that’s just the best of both worlds that will still dramatically cut the number of trips you make to the gas station.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > The Dummy Gummy 11/13/2018 at 14:43

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Hmm...seems to be the opposite around here. The hybrids seem to be a bit cheaper than the non-hybrid LTZ equivalent.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Ssfancyfresh 11/13/2018 at 14:46

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Looks like 4wd was available since that’s what this one is. Hopefully that doesn’t mean the seats are uncomfortable.

shop-teacher > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 15:48

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A buddy of mine has had one for 2-3 years now, and he bought it used . It hasn’t given him any trouble.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > shop-teacher 11/13/2018 at 15:57

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This one seems to have been well cared for and the extra tow capacity and the fact that they are all LTZ trim is nice. And for some reason I think people around here don’t want them since they seem to be priced a bit cheaper than the non-hybrid LTZs

shop-teacher > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 16:53

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I think people are scared of them, and thus they’re priced lower. My buddy loves that 6 liter! I may buy the thing off him when he gets rid of it.

Did you sell the K3500 yet? I would think that would be an easy truck to sell, given how clean it is.

BahamaTodd > The Dummy Gummy 11/13/2018 at 17:13

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Going from 15 to 20 mpg city is huge. That’s a 33% increase.

BearPaw1391 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 18:12

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My ‘09 Hybrid Tahoe 4WD has 87K miles on it and has cost me next to nothing in maintenace. Still has original brake pads thanks to regenerative braking. Awesome at a drive-in! Full power, heat/AC, stereo, all while the engine is off most of the time. I laugh in traffic jams. Someone said thinner seats, um, no they’re not. Premium 8 way power leather heated seats in the front. Very comfortable! Running boards were also standard. One thing most people left out, is the active cylinder deactivation. Turns that beefy 6L V8 into a V4 under light loads. Wh at’s a light load? 70 MPH, 4High, flat or down grade. Hill, it’s gonna use all 8. Turns out, 45 MPH is a great speed for this moving tank. Low wind resistance, 2-mode Hybrid, and active cylinder deactivation yield around 35 MPG at those speeds. Average 20 MPG all around. Is it perfect, no. Is it a damn good soild running vehicle with some serious balls, yes!

The Dummy Gummy > BahamaTodd 11/13/2018 at 18:37

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Still hot garbage and doesn’t really justify the $3,000-$5,000 more in cost. If you’re doing mostly city driving you’re likely not breaking 10k a year. But if we use 10k miles a year on average and an average $3 per gallon cost - that’s ~$500 a year more for the non- hybrid. That is  a recoup cost of 6-10 years. Not worth it.

The Dummy Gummy > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/13/2018 at 18:42

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Definitely worth it then. They are $3-5k more than the non hybrids. It’s  interesting that they are less unless there is something wrong, given they started $16k higher... or so I thought.

Spanfeller is a twat > dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford 11/13/2018 at 18:53

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Hybrids help city fuel economy significantly  

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > shop-teacher 11/13/2018 at 19:59

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Yea, sold it on Friday 

Mercedes Streeter > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/14/2018 at 17:36

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I’d buy it just for the unique factor. I mean, the only hybrid SUV that’s seemingly rarer is the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid.

dogisbadob > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/14/2018 at 21:39

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Why not a Prius V? Same amount of room inside, but with much better mpg :o)

Too bad they never offered a 2-mode Malibu or Cobalt (or even the Equinox) . They could’ve at least used the V6 on the big-ass Tahoe

boxrocket > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/15/2018 at 05:54

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They’re better than the Durango and Aspen Hybrids of similar vintage, which are rare and trouble-prone.

At the end of the day, it’s still a tahoe.

So I’d get an Expedition/Navigator. Or an Excursion. Or a 6.7L-equipped Super Duty and have an Excursion rear grafted onto it by one of the shops that does it. Or, if hybrid is the name of the game, Highlander Hybrid (or, for my actual commute, Escape/Mariner/Tribute Hybrid).

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > boxrocket 11/15/2018 at 08:00

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These are all good suggestions if I had control of this whole thing. My wife does not like how Expeditions/Navigators/Excursions look and we need to have a minimum 5500 lb towing capacity which the Highlander wouldn’t meet. She’s open to Toyota’s but the only SUV they have that meets that towing capacity is the Land Cruiser which are $$$$$$

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > dogisbadob 11/15/2018 at 08:04

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We need a minimum 5500lb towing capacity...plus the wife wants an SUV even though a minivan would meet all of her actual needs

CaptDale - is secretly British > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 11/15/2018 at 18:18

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We use a Sierra Hybrid as out parts truck. Over 100k miles on it and still going strong. Definitely were not worth the price new over a regular model, but used prices are nce.