After inadvertently posting incorrect prices for their hybrid Tahoe and Yukon on the Internet, GM finally released the real sticker. The base prices [including destination charges] from a GM press release via Autobloggreen are: Chevrolet 2WD Tahoe – $50,490; GMC 2WD Yukon -$50,945 (I guess GMC hybrid badges are more expensive than Chevy's); Chevrolet 4WD Tahoe – $53,295; and GMC 4WD Yukon – $53,755. All these hybrid SUVs come well loaded, including a "tire inflater kit"– which gives you an idea of the games hybrid makers play and how GM expects these SUVs will be used. TrueDelta lists the price difference between a loaded Tahoe and a similarly equipped Escalade as $15K, so you can make an pretty good guess what the 'Slade hybrid will run. Autobloggreen is estimating a $3 – $4K hybrid premium over a comparably equipped 5.3L version of the Yukahoe, but that doesn't factor in the usual discounts and rebates piled on the gas E85 versions. So even with a claim of "the same city fuel economy as the 2008 Toyota Camry with the base four-cylinder engine," buyers will have to do a lot of driving to yield any hybrid-related savings. But the PC halo remains in place at all times.
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Yukahoe, Aurabu, CobaG5, Taurable, Mondeo-Type. The grand tradition of platform-twinning gets named.
Yukotahburbelade.
FW –
I heard it goes great with vodka.
I guess we’ll see if this is where the market is.
If people will pay this much then it’s priced right.
Do enough people want to drive vehicles this big anymore?
You’d think that putting R&D bucks into hybrid versions of the Acadia/Enclave/Outlook might have been smarter.
I’d probably consider one of those but a hybrid full-size SUV seems like such a waste.
I wonder how the hybrid fuel ecomony is if you’re towing a boat or trailer (just about the only pragmatic reason to own one of these versus a CUV)
I don’t get the criticism of the Tahoe Hybrid pricing. Looks to me as if consumer would save $800 a year, at the cost of $4,000 upfront. Any time you can make your money back in 5 years, that’s a great deal in my book.
The real question is why someone would pay $50K for a Tahoe in the first place. A nice minivan runs $30K, and you would have money left over for a real truck for the twice a year you need to pull a boat.
Looks to me as if consumer would save $800 a year, at the cost of $4,000 upfront. Any time you can make your money back in 5 years, that’s a great deal in my book.
How many people will keep these for five years?
I’m sorry.
This vehicle is such an oxymoron.
Nobody buying a Yukaho is that concerned with fuel economy. Anybody concerned with fuel economy won’t be caught dead in a Gigantor-SUV.
This is such an obvious smoke and mirrors ploy by GM. Really, “the same city fuel economy as the 2008 Toyota Camry with the base four-cylinder engine,” ? I call bullshit.
So the Tahoe 4×4 hybrid gets 1mpg better mileage on the highway? I know hybrids don’t shine in highway performance but.. wow
I’ll stick to my 36mpg in a 180whp turbo 4-cylinder wagon. It’s much more pleasurable anyway.
What a waste of friggin time putting a hybrid drivetrain in a body on frame gigantic full size SUV. It’s just so that soccer moms can feel good while filling the planet with carbon dioxide. Any time I’m stuck in city traffic and see some idiot in his tahoe/suburban by himself chatting on his cell phone I want to explode.
one of many reasons to get the hell out of this country when I graduate. The typical American mentality ‘bigger is better’ crap is getting old!
You know the dealers are going to want to sell these at sticker or above if they behave like normal GM dealers, so when you factor in the discount you can get on a regular Tahkon, that $4K difference grows to $8-$10K. PLUS, the big difference in fuel savings comes from city driving; there's practically no difference in the highway mileage. Very few people buy a huge SUV for city commuting so the fuel savings won't be anywhere near what they're expecting.
“Very few people buy a huge SUV for city commuting so the fuel savings won’t be anywhere near what they’re expecting.”
You’d be surprised. In my neck o’ the woods, there’s urban-only SUVs aplenty. In my company’s shared parking garage, Yuhoes make up an alarming percentage of the vehicles stoed there.
One of my coworkers drives a Tahoe in, probably about 20-25 miles one way, 95% highway, by himself. But when we have a company lunch you know who’s driving.
By “for city commuting” I meant as a commuter car to be used primarily in the city where hybrids shine, not commuting to/from work from the ‘burbs.
Ah, I gotcha. I still think it makes a lousy commuter as well, but I’m not about to spring an intervention on this guy.
As option packages go, $4000 isn’t unheard of. Navigation systems are generally $1000-$2000 options as are rear seat entertainment systems. Leather interiors are thousands of dollars as well. It amazes me that many people think of hybrids only in terms of time to break even, yet have no need to economically justify other vehicle options. How exactly does a leather interior pay for itself?
Improving Tahoe city economy from 14 MPG for the conventional version to 21 MPG as a hybrid (using the new 2008 EPA procedures) is a big jump. Put the other way around, fuel consumption is reduced from 7.14 gallons per hundred miles to 4.76 gallons. Over 10,000 miles traveled the fuel savings is 238 gallons worth $714 at $3/gallon or $1190 at $5/gallon. Even at $3/gallon that $4000 premium is paid off in the first 56,000 miles local trip driving which is certainly less than the expected lifetime of the vehicle. In fact, with a five year new vehicle loan the monthly fuel savings is likely to be enough to offset the higher monthly payment. If fuel costs keep going up past the current $3 level the savings add up even faster.
I suspect GM will sell all they can make for quite some time. This could become the replacement taxicab as all those Crown Victorias go to the crusher. Taxicab service is ideal use for hybrids. Lots of stop and go driving. Lots of idle time. Low average speeds. Rapid mileage accumulation. I’m looking forward to the time when the manufacturing learning curve brings the option down under $2000.
I think this vehicle is a better one for commuting, the Smart with a Suzuki motorcycle engine:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/08/11/smartuki-on-the-road-again-and-for-sale-soon/
The GM Two-Mode SUVs truly are a paradox and oxymoron. GM (and faithful) will say that these hybrid SUVs are so good because of the improvement in city mileage and the fact that you can tow a boat. Let me tell you, the tow ratings are STILL reduced compared to a conventional Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade. These hybrid SUVs cannot tow more than 6000 – 6500 lbs. The new Highlander can tow up to 5000 lbs, and so can GM’s CUVs. With GM’s CUVs, you get plenty of interior room to seat 7 or 8 people, enough towing ability for most people’s needs, better fuel economy than the hybrid Tahoe and Yukon, and at a cheaper price too.
Finally I was just getting to my main point: when towing with one of these hybrid SUVs your mileage WILL go down. Let’s say you have a 7000lb boat that you could previously tow with your full-size SUV. With a hybrid Tahoe or Yukon, you won’t be able to because of reduced tow ratings. Payload is also reduced compared to regular Tahoes and Yukons. That means with 8 people inside the SUV you’ll be able to tow even less.
A hybrid Lexus RX or hybrid Highlander makes more sense than these GM hybrid SUVs.
There was a lot of hype regarding GM’s Two-Mode SUVs but the reality is that they provide too little benefit.
I predict GM’s CUVs will cannibalize sales of the Two-Mode Hybrids.
Nobody buying a Yukaho is that concerned with fuel economy. Anybody concerned with fuel economy won’t be caught dead in a Gigantor-SUV.
Let’s be honest. Hybrid owners aren’t concerned about fuel economy. They’re concerned about looking like they’re concerned about fuel economy.
Those who need an SUV will likely benefit a whole lot more from a hybrid SUV than a sedan owner will benefit from a hybrid sedan.
Those who need an SUV will likely benefit a whole lot more from a hybrid SUV than a sedan owner will benefit from a hybrid sedan.
How exactly do you figure that? At least with a hybrid sedan like a Camry Hybrid you will get a REAL and useful improvement in reliability, fuel economy, and refinement.
Reliability for the Two-Mode system isn’t fully known yet because the system is not the same as the one used in commercial busses. While refinement may be improved along with fuel economy, tow ratings are reduced and so is the payload.
Let’s face it, the main reason people need full-size SUVs is to transport big families and tow big loads. The GM hybrid SUVs can only tow moderate loads (6000 – 6500) and that drops even more if you’re carrying 8 adults inside. Fuel economy while towing also won’t be great, and fuel economy will also suffer if you DO in fact have a big family and always lug around 8 people or if you carry lots of cargo.
So looking at the main reasons people need full-size SUVs … these hybrid Two-Modes do nothing to complement those reasons. You can get a hybrid Tahoe and Yukon and end up being dissapointed by the fuel economy when towing,when carrying 8 people, or just flat out being dissapointed it can’t tow more than 6500lbs.
Frank, are you confident that AutoBloggreen’s estimate of “about $3 to $4k premium” is reasonably accurate? Has anyone actually done a comparison of similarly equipped Tahoes? Seems a bit low. But as you said, even if it’s true, all GM has to do is not offer incentives, and the premium becomes more like $8+k.
Paul, I ran the price of a regular Tahoe with the equipment listed in the press release through True Delta. The difference I got came to a little over $4K. Not everything on the hybrid was listed for the gas model, as some of it is unique to the hybrid version. I think they’re being a bit optimistic, but they don’t think they’re too terribly far off.
If you’re comparing base sticker prices without equalizing equipment, the difference becomes about $17k.
“So looking at the main reasons people need full-size SUVs … these hybrid Two-Modes do nothing to complement those reasons. ”
First, I drive a four door four cylinder sedan for my daily driver, so don’t think I am “one of those”. That said, most people buy their vehicle for whatever the maximum use is they plan for it, yet most of the time it is doing simple one or two person commuter or grocery getter duties. Thus someone who has a speedboat that they take out a dozen or two times per year along with three or four friends and their gear might use the full capability of a Tahoe 5%-10% of the time it is on the road. However, the rest of the time it is schlepping kids to school, people to work, doing shopping trip duty and the like.
Very few people who buy something like a Tahoe use it to it’s maximum capability on a daily basis. The hybrid drive-train can dramatically improve efficiency a large part of the time the vehicle is in use.