I have to be honest, I bought my 1997 Tahoe because my best friend bought a 1996. The reasons were simple, power and interior room. I was a battalion chief in my volunteer fire department and my gear had overflowed the rear storage in my 1987 Jeep Cherokee and I was using the back seat as well. Unfortunately, having two kids started to make this impractical. The Tahoe was the answer, more room and more power than either the Grand Cherokee or the Ford Explorer of that year. It was able to take the equipment that had filled the Cherokee and had room to spare. The interior is basic, although in the LT version fairly luxurious with leather seats and steering wheel. The extra power outlets are a nice touch. The stock stereo with cassette and CD is quite good for factory, a CD changer is optional (I wish I had it). There are lots of nooks and crannies and cup holders too.

The first accessory I had to buy was running boards, as the climb in was too much for my wife and kids (though my kids loved the challenge). The ride is not bad, given the truck underpinnings, but you'll never mistake it for a car. The wheelbase and width make for a stable platform and ground clearance is excellent for a vehicle of this type (hardly ever off-road). Handling in deep snow is adequate, limited by the tires more than anything. The stock tires are quiet on the highway but only fair in snow and mud. I travel too many highway miles to want to change them for a more aggressive pattern. At 16", you'll find replacement tires not at all cheap. I have the lift gate version, there is also a swing to the side rear door version. The gate is difficult to open, and it's fairly long when it is open. My wife, who is fairly short, can't reach the interior with the gate down.

Now the dark side. Build quality is not bad, I can't detect many squeaks or rattles at 36000 miles, but overall parts quality is only fair. On both my friend's and mine, it took about a year for problems to appear. I might not have bought mine if he had them earlier. I've had major front end repairs, in both the steering and the suspension. My AC required seal replacements. He has had some front end work, 2(!) transmissions, and most recently a new transfer case. He drives in similar conditions as I do, is seldom off-road, and almost never uses 4WD. Surprisingly, his failed in such a way as to make 4WD work fine, but 2WD was not working. Chevy's warranty is pretty good but doesn't last forever. Try to have the major breakdowns early.

Gas mileage is not horrible, considering, but given the power available, it's hard to resist stepping on it. Chevy added a "booster" of sorts to the fuel injection programming that gives you extra gas when the throttle is opened from an idle - it's great for pulling away from traffic lights and stop signs but murder on mileage. I would hesitate to let a learner or teenager drive this vehicle. Visibility is good, the height helps, but after 2 years I still can't judge the location of the front and rear bumpers. I've never hit anything, instead I often find myself getting out and walking around and then getting back in to move an additional 2 feet or so.

In summary, if you want interior volume and power, but think the Suburban is too big, this is the vehicle for you. It's great for a family of 4, although you can get 3 in the back seat. It should prove great for camping, with plenty of towing capacity for campers and such. Be prepared for frequent fillups if you drive a lot though you can certainly help that by keeping your right foot light.