The 2007 Chevy Tahoe rides on a new coil-over front suspension geometry and has a revised five-link rear suspension. The Tahoe is available with its standard (ZW7) Smooth Ride suspension, with its Autoride (Z55) air suspension providing real-time dampening on the LTZ. A special off-road (Z71) suspension package will also be available.

All new Tahoes have four-wheel disc brakes with 55 more square inches of swept area and 50 percent stiffer calipers. It used to be that when you stepped on the brakes of a Tahoe you got a swoosh sound but didn't feel the brakes grabbing until the pedal had traveled well down toward the floorboard. Now, on the new Tahoe, the brakes not only are silent, but you feel them as they begin to slow the vehicle immediately.

This is just one aspect of the Tahoe's improved responsiveness that instills a new sense of confidence in the driver. A new rack-and-pinion steering system, with its rack mounted on an engine cross member, provides more immediate and precise response when you turn the steering wheel.

The Tahoe we tested was an LT-3 with the larger V8 engine and four-wheel drive. We would have preferred more than four gears in the transmission, especially when climbing some long mountain grades northwest of Phoenix, but we liked the fact that we couldn't feel the transitions when the Displacement on Demand shut off or turned back on four cylinders as needed during highway cruising. The system even works in normal city driving, though the only way we could tell was to see the indicator lights change on the driver information panel on the dashboard.

We drove on regular gasoline, but a flexible-fuel version of the Vortec 5300 is available that operates on either gasoline or on E85 ethanol fuel while providing the same horsepower, torque and fuel economy figures. Both versions of the Vortec 5300 meet GM's new 200,000-mile durability requirements (compared to 150,000 for earlier engines).

Our test truck was equipped with the standard 17-inch wheels and tires. The ride was comfortable but not at all soft or spongy. The 20-inch wheels might look nice, but they come with tires with nearly three inches less sidewall area and thus provide much less cushion for absorbing bumps along the way.

Summary

The 2007 Chevy Tahoe is all-new, a full-size SUV that gets more than 20 miles per gallon. Chevrolet introduced the Tahoe nameplate in the mid-1990s as the full-size version of what had been the Blazer, a two-door sport utility vehicle. Tahoe's popularity soared in 2000 when it became a purpose-built, full-size four-door and family-oriented SUV known within GM as the GMT 800. Now, for 2007, comes the next generation, so new and improved that even its internal designation has changed to GMT 900. The 2007 Chevy Tahoe has better steering and braking response, Displacement on Demand engine technology and enhanced safety features that make it an attractive choice among full-size SUVs.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Larry Edsall filed this report from Phoenix, Arizona.

Model Line OverviewModel lineup:Chevy Tahoe LS ($33,115), LT ($34,865), LTZ ($43,140)

Engines:290-hp 4.8-liter V8; 320-hp 5.3-liter V8

Transmissions:4-speed automatic

Safety equipment (standard):dual front airbags, three-point safety belts, with front seat pretensioners with rear-impact deployment capability, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, LATCH system for child safety seats, OnStar service, StabiliTrak stability control with rollover mitigation technology, tire-pressure monitoring system

Safety equipment (optional):side curtain airbags, Ultrasonic rear park assist, rain-sensing wipers

Basic warranty:3 years/36,000 miles

Assembled in:Arlington, Texas