Green Car Journal has named their Green Car of the Year for 2008, and the winner is the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. The announcement was made at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 11/15/07 and came as quite a surprise to many, mostly because they didn’t expect a large SUV to beat out competitors such as the hybrid Chevy Malibu, and the hybrid Nissan Altima.
Colin Ryan’s blog post in the Los Angeles Times summed up the confusion when he wrote…let’s take a few bets on which vehicle was just named Green Car of the Year 2008 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The fabulous new Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle, whose only emission is water? The 35-mpg, super-clean Mercedes-Benz E340 Bluetec, the first California-compliant diesel in years? The sensible, space-conscious Smart Fortwo? Maybe just the good old Toyota Prius? Or something that guzzles gas at the rate of 21 mpg?
One statement from the article on GreenCar.com was also a bit confusing, stating…along with their considerable achievements in raising the bar in environmental performance, each of those making the final cut had to meet the requirement of being on sale and widely available to the public by Jan. 1, 2008. My understanding is that the hybrid Tahoe is due out next summer, so maybe it’s a typo.
In either case, the Tahoe won (even Jay Leno voted), and here are a few facts about the champion. The soon to be available Hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe features seating for eight, 60 cubic feet of cargo, and the ability to tow up to 6,200 pounds. Maybe the most impressive feature of this vehicle is that it’s 6.0 liter, V8 should get 30-50% better gas mileage than a standard Tahoe (5.3 liter), estimated at around 21 mpg in the city. That’s about the same as a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord.
As a comparison, past Green Car of the Year Award winners are as follows:
2007 - Toyota Camry Hybrid (40 city/ 38 hwy)
2006 - Mercury Mariner Hybrid (33 city/29 hwy)
So, with all the hybrid vehicles set to hit dealer lots in the next 2 years, which one do you think is the forerunner for the award in ‘09? If Hummer goes green, my vote’s on them! What’s your guess?
Can you take a hybrid vehicle 4 wheeling? We love getting off road in the Colorado mountains and we usually take at least 4 kids with us. We start off on jeep trails and then take off away from them, then leave the vehicle and hike for days. I don’t think the hybrids have the ground clearance to go off road and I’ve been told by unreliable sources that the hybrid engine can’t take the dirt from off roading.
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Well i hate to burst the tahoe hybrid lover’s bubble but i thought i would warn all about my wife and I’s little fiasco. We were test driving a tahoe hybrid and loved it, my wife said it did great in rush hour traffic, and we were ready to puchase it. During her lunch break she and some coworkers were leaving the office parking lot when all of the alarms sounded and the car started rolling forward although the brake pedal was pushed to the floor. she luckilly stopped the car and pressed the onstar button. their systems analysis stated that ALL of the systems were in error. I was notified at my work (as a firefighter) and had a tow truck sent to pick her and the hybrid back to the dealership. they had the gall to say that is was no big deal, but i am sorry the safety of my wife and family, as well as others on the road is a huge deal. I am glad she was safe and not on the freeway. well hope ya’ll driving the tahoe hybrid, because it doesn’t stop very well.
^^ Yes, your faulty brake system was due entirely to the fact that it was a hybrid, and ALL the Tahoes respond the same way. Good logic, sir. I’m worried about the safety of your family, others on the road, as well as everyone you talk to with your asinine generalizations.
The Tahoe Hybrid is amazing, it sounds like a golf cart running.
Anybody know how much, if any, tax rebate/refund will apply to the 2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid? Will it be $3500, $2000, $1500, Zip, or what?
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