I drove a Tahoe 2-mode hybrid yesterday to see if I liked it enough to wait for the Silverado.

I liked it plenty, it drove well although it felt heavier and slower than my 2001 Silverado, but I guess that would be the case with a regular Tahoe too.

A very light throttle application was needed to get up to 30mph without the engine starting, but with a heavy throttle application the response was a little better than my truck due to the electric motor.

As is typical, the salesman didn't know squat about the Tahoe or much else. He quoted me a price of $67K for the hybrid Tahoe and I couldn't get one much over $55K on www.kbb.com The window sticker had been removed, so I assume the salesman knew the MSRP.

The point of all this is the salesman (which I've already concluded isn't too sharp) said he expected to see Silverado hybrids by the end of this summer. Anyone on the inside know if there's any truth to this?

was it 2wd or 4wd my chevy dealer is selling the 2wd for $52000 for a base model

It was a 4wd. I'll be buying the 2wd from a different dealer. The dealer I went to was one of these large corporate dealerships that owns tons of dealerships. I'll go to the small family owned dealer near my house.

i drove one a couple weeks ago and was really impressed with how it did.

Gee... Did the salesman actually think you wouldn't notice a $12k markup?

$52,000!!!
$55,000!!!!!!
$67,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk about a hybrid premium! What is so special about these vehicles that anyone would pay so much? A guy at work just picked up a GMC Acadia SLT2 4wd with a 6 sp auto that gets 22mpg highway (24 mpg for the 2wd) and will haul 7 people and tow 4,500lbs for around $30k. Where is the other money going??

The 2wd Tahoes run about 52K and the 4wd about 55K sticker. There are virtually no options available on these, they come pretty much as loaded as the LTZ model Tahoes.

A loaded out Acadia would run you more than 40k, $30k must be pretty much a base-level trim. Since you really can't directly compare trim levels and options on different vehicles, it's better to compare the hybrid Tahoes and Yukons to their non-hybrid siblings. And that's where you find them to be loaded to the gills, so if you compare the hybrids against say a LTZ Tahoe you find the hybrid premium to be only around 5-6k.

After summer, before the end of 2008.

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

Apparently the original poster is dealing with a salesman or dealer who assumes he can charge through the roof for anything with the word "Hybrid" on it. Since the word appears 6 or 7 times on this vehicle, he should be able to charge more, eh?

According to Chevrolet.com, 2WD starts at $50,490 and AWD starts at $53,295. You'd have to install a kitchen to get it up to $67K. And that would probably cost you an mpg or two.


As for Tahoe v Acadia trade-off, you raise a great point! Sometime mid-month I'll be picking up a fully loaded Acadia that stickers out at somewhere around $44K. As you point out, it has better rated f/e than the Tahoe Hybrid. On the other hand, I did want to order a Tahoe Hybrid, but we're restricted from ordering them as company vehicles . Overall, though, the Acadia fits my needs better, because I use my vehicles for carrying people and dogs and for hauling stuff (bikes, music equipment, amplifiers, speakers). I don't need the extra towing capacity that the Tahoe provides. If I were into towing boats or horses, the Tahoe Hybrid would be the ticket.



Peace,

Martin

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues