Jay Leno's reason why...

You missed the point here. The point he was making was that Toyota made a super-eco-friendly niche car with low sales and thus much fewer owners than the Tahoe. The Tahoe is a much more popular vehicle, and GM's inclusion of a hybrid model means that if it sells proportionally to the rest of the Tahoes, the overall total impact will be that more fuel will be saved by many Tahoe drivers rather than few Prius drivers. It's about bringing efficiency to the masses instead of the eco niche-market.

Ok then, let's go back to that point. Yes, Chevy turning a high volume ca-..erm, vehicle into a hybrid is good and particularly good considering it's a popular..vehicle. If you have a look at the website (http://www.chevrolet.com/hybrid/) you'll find out that they are releasing it in limited supply meaning availability to the masses isn't going to be great, making Leno's reason a moot point. All existing Tahoe owners wont go and replace their existing Tahoes now will they? Not that they could anyway since there'll only be a limited supply...when it may become available in 2008 (pending updates).

http://www.chevrolet.com/pop/hybrid/2007/twomodehybrid_en.jsp
which describes the hybrid engine used. Under load e.g. trailer towing, it will be on the V8 engine. The main time it will be using the electric engine will be when it's plodding along in the city and not moving a boat/trailer from place to place. And they're not on an interstate highway. And they're not going uphill. And they're not trying to go too fast.

Having said all that I do believe that GM are, at least, doing something good by trying to make hybrid models of popular vehicles.

Escape to Ford's website (http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escapehybrid/). I think they got the jump on GM in the SUV market.

All in all, I still can't reconcile why Leno chose the Tahoe Hybrid.
 
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I'm copying someone else's comments here, but Jay Leno nailed it right on the head.
 
I bet everyone on here who thinks big stupid 4X4s are stupid, have never owned a big stupid 4X4.

But JUST because you think they are big and stupid, DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE GOD DAMN RIGHT TO CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE!

Omg i hate people like this.

Having 1 car, 1 SUV, and 1 Pickup in the family, if we HAD tog et rid of one of them, it WOULD be the car.

Because it is the most useless car we own. It cant do anything except drive around with 2 people.

Everything else works for EVERYTHING.

This Hybrid Tahoe is an amazing idea.
 
I just don't see much point in it. Lets face it, it's not that economical (those numbers are highly optimistic), it has less towing capabilities, and they've paired it up to the 6.0 V8 rather than the 5.7 (which seems illogical since it's supposed to be more fuel efficient). I can understand the two mode hybrid system being in an Aura, but a Tahoe? Come on..... It is a decent effort but far from being "Green car of the year". I even heard that when the damn thing was first displayed in the North American International Auto Show, it was actually just a normal Tahoe with hybrid stickers on it...
 
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Just a couple comments:

One, those of you commenting on "Why do people need to buy these big 4x4's " clearly don't understand the concept of personal choice. I choose to drive a Tahoe for the same reason I choose to eat Red Meat and drink the occasional pint, because I can. If you feel the world needs everyone driving a Segway around, run for office.

Two, those of you mocking the Tahoe as "green car of the year" need to remember something if you don't actually live here in the states: You can't buy diesels here.
No, seriously...this isn't a joke...you can count the number of diesel cars on like one hand. If you came over here and chose 1000 random people, none of them would own a diesel. So...for us...40-50mpg is unheard of....15mpg is good for a big V8 in a big Truck and 25 or so is amazingly good for the highway. To take a giant American warhorse Tahoe and put a hybrid in it and have it get 25mpg is a big, big, big deal here. Next it'll be the Corvette..and then...all we'll have are Hybrids. Its conditioning the public to get ready for Hybridization.

If you don't live here in the States, you wont "get it" because you're used to seeing microscopic cars with 1.4l diesel engines that get 40mpg, and everyone you know owns one....here....you couldn't find a diesel car if you looked hard for hours.
 
jay, I know the writers are on strike, but write a script beforehand :p

I thought it was very good for being (mostly) unscripted.

Easier to watch then the first 2 seasons/series's of Top Gear :D


Oh and

JAAAAAAAG-WAAAAR!

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Just a couple comments:
...Next it'll be the Corvette..and then...all we'll have are Hybrids. Its conditioning the public....

couldn't agree with you more... the tahoe hybrid will help condition the population... Leno knows that you can't make people change to tiny hybrid or electric cars overnight. you got to do it one step at a time...
 
Just my two cents, but the 6.0 has cylinder shutdown, and I think I remember hearing the 5.7 doesn't
 
He's a clever guy and makes a good rebuttal. It's obvious too he respects Top Gear and the presenters.

I still wouldn't call a car that gets 23mpg a green car, nevermind "of the year" because "it's a step in the right direction".

Really? An SUV that gets between 10-12 MPG in the city now gets 21 in the city...and it is not green?

Ok...
 
I bet everyone on here who thinks big stupid 4X4s are stupid, have never owned a big stupid 4X4.

But JUST because you think they are big and stupid, DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE GOD DAMN RIGHT TO CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE!

Omg i hate people like this.

Having 1 car, 1 SUV, and 1 Pickup in the family, if we HAD tog et rid of one of them, it WOULD be the car.

Because it is the most useless car we own. It cant do anything except drive around with 2 people.

Everything else works for EVERYTHING.

This Hybrid Tahoe is an amazing idea.

You said stupid wayyyy too much in that post. I think your subconscious is trying to tell you something.
 
makes sense to me..

Ye considering most cars Americans drive are big and drink alot of petrol. Atleast this is slightly economical. :)

However i wouldnt call it "green", like i wouldnt call hybrid cars, hydrogen cars and electric cars truly "Green". I personily wouldnt call any car green untill it uses no fossil fuels and makes no pollution at all. For Example The Prius isnt that green, hydrogen uses fossil fuels to make it, and electric cars use electricity which is made using fossil fuels. Untill something comes along that does all of this, it isnt "Green". And when that day comes, god help us petrol heads everywere. Because it will be as bad as the G-Whizz.
 
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Does this bloke to promotions for GM or something? I think I remember him doing an interview with Bob Lutz at some point. Anyway, I don't really care... I have never seen him or know what he does so as far as I'm concerned he can try to explain all he likes why one of the most un-greenest cars is "the most" greenest. The only competent person in that organisation (GM) is Bob Lutz, and he has made some pretty dire mistakes.
 
I bet everyone on here who thinks big stupid 4X4s are stupid, have never owned a big stupid 4X4.

But JUST because you think they are big and stupid, DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE GOD DAMN RIGHT TO CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE!

Omg i hate people like this.

Having 1 car, 1 SUV, and 1 Pickup in the family, if we HAD tog et rid of one of them, it WOULD be the car.

Because it is the most useless car we own. It cant do anything except drive around with 2 people.

Everything else works for EVERYTHING.

This Hybrid Tahoe is an amazing idea.
So what is it that you drive to work? How many people do you drive to work with? How much cargo do you drive to work with? Now lets say you DO actually need a truck then fine none of my ranting applies to you. You seem to be taking things a might bit personal though, perhaps a chill pill is in order? Oh and for the record I DO own a 4x4 as my second car and it's the biggest turd I've ever had. I absolutely hate driving it.
Just a couple comments:

One, those of you commenting on "Why do people need to buy these big 4x4's " clearly don't understand the concept of personal choice. I choose to drive a Tahoe for the same reason I choose to eat Red Meat and drink the occasional pint, because I can. If you feel the world needs everyone driving a Segway around, run for office.

Two, those of you mocking the Tahoe as "green car of the year" need to remember something if you don't actually live here in the states: You can't buy diesels here.
No, seriously...this isn't a joke...you can count the number of diesel cars on like one hand. If you came over here and chose 1000 random people, none of them would own a diesel. So...for us...40-50mpg is unheard of....15mpg is good for a big V8 in a big Truck and 25 or so is amazingly good for the highway. To take a giant American warhorse Tahoe and put a hybrid in it and have it get 25mpg is a big, big, big deal here. Next it'll be the Corvette..and then...all we'll have are Hybrids. Its conditioning the public to get ready for Hybridization.

If you don't live here in the States, you wont "get it" because you're used to seeing microscopic cars with 1.4l diesel engines that get 40mpg, and everyone you know owns one....here....you couldn't find a diesel car if you looked hard for hours.

I do live in the states. Just because we live over here and "can" buy a gas guzzler doesn't mean we should. Think about it, even global warming aside, we are seriously putting ourselves in a bad spot here. Smog? Peak oil?

You all are ranting about people supposedly telling you what to do, well what I hate are american's who think it's cool to drive around in a big huge gas guzzling vehicle on their daily commute. Let me ask you this, what do you see that's "fun" in it?
 
Actually, thats not strictly true. Most people have things like water heaters set to turn on in the middle of the night, aswell as more people having having lights on (well, more than in the middle of the day), which means peak hour for electricity is sometime in the middle of the night (this is just what I've heard from someone I know who has something to do with load balancing or something on the power grid over here, it may be slightly off).

off indeed. electricity is most expensive in the evening, and cheapest late at night/early morning. power plants here pump up water (which they used in the day to produce electricity) back up into the lakes, early in the morning
 
Nothing will seriously change until gas prices become absurdly high as we come close to running out altogether. My dad just bought a Hummer H2, entirely for the cool factor. Personally, I couldn't part with my car (see sidebar), although I could part with the 4-cylinder engine that gets the same fuel mileage as the V6. Living in the Worcester area (second-largest city in New England), it still feels too big in the city. This is partly because I'm a new and not very good driver, however.

4x4s are great and useful as secondary cars, for those times when it snows (I've been forced to stay in before), or you need to tow something, or you need to take the whole family on a long journey, or you need lots of cargo space, or any combination of the above. It's the fact that my dad uses it as a daily commuter that bothers me. He drives way more than I do, yet I have the more fuel-efficient car... make sense? It particularly irks me when he complains that I'm too aggressive with the throttle and am not driving economically... I want to scream "YOU'RE DRIVING A ***** HUMMER AND YOU WANT ME TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY???" Sadly, many Americans just don't get it when it comes to the environment, and the only thing I can see to change that is a direct economic impact. I for one am not at all worried about the environment in everyday life, but I simply could not afford to drive a big SUV, so I don't. Plus I hate driving them.
 
I bet everyone on here who thinks big stupid 4X4s are stupid, have never owned a big stupid 4X4.

But JUST because you think they are big and stupid, DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE GOD DAMN RIGHT TO CONTROL WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE!

Omg i hate people like this.

Having 1 car, 1 SUV, and 1 Pickup in the family, if we HAD tog et rid of one of them, it WOULD be the car.

Because it is the most useless car we own. It cant do anything except drive around with 2 people.

Everything else works for EVERYTHING.

This Hybrid Tahoe is an amazing idea.

Let's be honest, here: there is a problem. The problem is that what you drive has an effect on us. To a small car driver, the SUV is the most dangerous thing on the road. It is as difficult to see around or through as a bus or a truck, and because of it's high ground clearance, it's much more likely to kill you if you hit it. Trucks and buses have bumpers at normal height, SUV bumpers generally clear the bumpers of small cars, and so are much more likely to total the vehicle and crush the cabin.
I'm not saying that SUVs should be banned, because they are very useful. There aren't many vehicles that can tow a boat and carry five people, and if you've ever tried to move furniture in a small car, or even just take trash to the dump, you know what carrying capacity can be worth.
What I'm saying is that, like any other vehicle which makes the road more dangerous, there should be increased requirements for the drivers to be licensed, and the cars to be inspected. Especially since most truck frame SUVs drive so differently from cars anyway. Would you object to paying a little bit more to renew your drivers license, and maybe taking a course in how to drive an SUV safely?
 
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