4
0
Large SUV; Built in USA, Mexico
  • 2-door wagon
  • 4-door wagon
  • longitudinal front-engine/rear- or 4-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $1,400 – $5,300*


1995 Chevrolet Tahoe C1500 4-door wagon


1993 Chevrolet Blazer K1500 2-door wagon


1992 Chevrolet Blazer K1500 2-door wagon


1997 Chevrolet Tahoe LT 4-door wagon


1997 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 2-door wagon

Pros:
  • Acceleration (5.7-liter)
  • Driver-side and dual airbags (later models)
  • Passenger and cargo room
  • Ride
  • Trailer-towing capability
Cons:
  • Entry/exit (2-door and 4WD)
  • Fuel economy
  • Ride (2-door)

Sure, a compact sport utility is more sensible and economical for everyday driving. But if you require real muscle, especially for towing, try the 4-door Tahoe and also Ford’s Expedition.

Overview

Chevy’s full-size Blazer 4-wheel-drive sport utility and its GMC Yukon counterpart were redesigned for 1992. Passenger capacity rose from five to six. Wheelbase grew by five inches, overall length by three. A 2-door wagon was again the only body style, with a tailgate and top-hinged window at the rear. Standard antilock brakes now worked on all four wheels, in both 2- and 4-wheel drive. Only one engine was available: a 5.7-liter gasoline V8, delivering 210 horsepower. A 5-speed manual gearbox replaced the 4-speed unit, with 4-speed automatic again optional. All models had Insta-Trac 4WD.

Yearly Updates

1993 Blazer
An electronically controlled automatic transmission went into ’93 Blazers, and claimed to deliver smoother and more-precise shifts.
1994 Blazer
A turbodiesel V8 engine option arrived in 1994. Side-door guard beams and a center high-mounted stoplamp were installed. The 2-door wagon was still the only Blazer body style.
1995 Tahoe
Chevrolet’s version changed its name from Blazer to Tahoe, and a driver-side airbag was installed. A 4-door wagon arrived in spring 1995, available with either 2- or 4-wheel drive. The 4-door model rode a wheelbase six inches longer and measured 10.6 inches longer overall. The standard V8 dropped ten horsepower, to 210.
1996 Tahoe
The standard 5.7-liter V8 jumped from 200 to 250 horsepower for ’96, when daytime running lights were installed. No more manual-shift Tahoes were available as all had a 4-speed automatic. A 2WD 2-door model joined the lineup, so both the 2-door and 4-door could have either 2WD or 4WD. A newly optional electronic transfer case allowed switching between 2WD and 4WD by touching dashboard buttons.
1997 Tahoe
A passenger-side airbag went into ’97 models. Also, a new center console was included with bucket seats, and contained a fold out writing surface. The 5.7-liter V8 gained five horsepower.
1998 Tahoe
Tahoe’s big news is a full-time 4WD system. Called Autotrac, the newly optional system allows the use of 4WD on any surface.
1999 Tahoe
The ’99 Tahoe arrived early in 1998, but there were no changes.
2000 Tahoe
Chevrolet redesigned the Tahoe for 2000, with new V8 engines. However, specialty versions of the 1995-99 vintage Tahoes remained, sold alongside the all-new 2000 models. The Tahoe Limited and Z71 remained available only through part of the year. Both used the 5.7-liter, 255-horsepower V8. The Z71 featured off-road-oriented equipment, including Autotrac 4-wheel drive. The style-conscious Limited came only with rear-wheel drive and was built around police-package equipment.

Engines

longitudinal front-engine/rear- or 4-wheel drive

The Blazer’s 5.7-liter V8 developed 210 horsepower. Both 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions were available. A 6.5-liter turbodiesel V8 joined for 1994, rated 180 horsepower. For 1995, the gasoline V8 dropped 10 horsepower. In ’96, it gained 50 horsepower; then five more the next year.

Turbodiesel ohv V8
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 6.5/400
Engine HP 180
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 360
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
4-speed automatic

 15/18
ohv V8
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 5.7/350
Engine HP 210
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 300-310
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
5-speed manual
4-speed automatic 		12/16
12/15 		12.5
ohv V8
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 5.7/350
Engine HP 250-255
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 330-335
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
4-speed automatic

 13/17

 14.3

Road Test

Blazers and their Tahoe successors are brawny but civilized, both on-road and off. Acceleration with Blazer/Tahoe gasoline V8s ranks as robust, and these models can pull a heavy trailer with ease. As for economy, an early 2-door Tahoe averaged 12.5 mpg in mostly city driving. Vortec engines of 1996-97 might be a bit more frugal. A 4-door 4WD returned 14.3 mpg.

Road behavior isn’t bad, though body lean is still noticeable–but not as much as in earlier models. When loaded, at least, the big Blazer handles rough pavement with less bouncing and pitching than before. Unladen, the tail still tends to judder sideways over closely spaced bumps. Steering is a bit overassisted, but precise, and this version is quieter on the road than its predecessors.

Step-up into the interior isn’t as high as before, and you get plenty of space for three abreast, with bountiful head and leg room. Dashboards have easy-to-read gauges and handy controls. Rear doors of the 4-door create unprecedented access to the back seat, but door openings are narrow at the bottom, and step-in height is tall. Cargo room in the 4-door benefits from the under-chassis location of the spare tire. Three-door models carry their spares inside.

Ratings

Model Tested: 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe 4-door 5.7-liter

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - 5
50%
Fuel Economy - 2
20%
Ride Quality - 6
60%
Steering/Handling - 3
30%
Quietness - 5
50%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - 5
50%
Room/Comfort Front - 6
60%
Room/Comfort Rear - 6
60%
Cargo Room - 7
70%

Other

Value - 5
50%

Total: 50

Specifications

2-door wagon
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
111.5 188.5 77.1 72.4
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
99.4 30.0 6
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.9 37.8 41.9 36.4
4-door wagon
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
117.5 199.1 76.4 70.2
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
122.9 30.5 6
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.9 38.9 41.7 36.7
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: 1997 Blazer 2-door wagon

NHTSA

(5 is the highest rating)

Front Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Front Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

Side Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Rear Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

HLDI

(A score of 100 is average. Lower is better)

Collision 109
Injury 88
Theft 220

Trouble Spots

Automatic transmission
Description: Automatic transmissions may suffer harsh or shuddering shifts between first and second or may buzz or vibrate in park or neutral. (1992)
Climate control
Description: The temperature-control lever may slide from hot to cold, usually when the blower is on high speed. (1992-94)
Dashboard lights
Description: The oil-pressure gauge may read high, move erratically, or not work because the oil-pressure sensor is defective. (1990-93)
Engine temperature
Description: Overheating and coolant loss may be due to rough surface on radiator filler neck. Neck should be sanded smooth and cap replaced. (1999-2000)
Transmission leak
Description: Fluid may leak from the pump body on 4L60-E transmissions due to the pump bushing walking out of the valve body. (1995-96)

Recall History

1992 Blazer
Description: Rotor sections may separate due to corrosion, resulting in loss of braking ability in the affected wheel.
1992-94 Blazer
Description: The ABS switch can malfunction causing increased stopping distances while in 2-wheel-drive mode.
1993 Blazer
Description: Vehicle may move unintentionally due to excessive wear to the low and reverse clutch.
1994 Blazer
Description: Tow-hitch attaching bolts were not tightened to standard and could allow the hitch and trailer to separate from the vehicle when towing.
1995 w/M30/MT1 automatic transmission
Description: When shift lever is placed in “Park” position, its indicator light may not illuminate.
1995-96 w/gasoline engine
Description: Throttle cable may contact dash mat and bind; engine speed might then not return to idle.
1997
Description: During a severe crash, seat belt buckles with an energy absorbing loop may malfunction, leading to full or partial ejection from the vehicle. Dealer will inspect and replace affected buckles.
1998
Description: On some vehicles, one or both front brake rotor/hubs may have out-of-spec gray iron that can fail during life of vehicle.
1998 C10706
Description: Rear brake line can contact left front fender wheelhouse inner panel; a hole could be worn in brake line, allowing loss of fluid and reducing rear-brake effectiveness.
1998
Description: Lower steering pinch bolt may be “finger loose” or missing, resulting in off-center steering wheel or separation of shaft from steering gear.
1999 Blazer
Description: Seatbelts may not meet locking requirements, leaving occupants improperly restrained in a crash.
1999-00 Tahoe
Description: In a crash, right front-passenger restraint systems may not meet neck extension requirements.
2000 Tahoe
Description: Loose or missing rear wheelhouse plugs could allow noxious gases to enter the cabin.
2000 Tahoe
Description: Airbag sensing module may have an anomaly that could keep the airbags from deploying in a collision.

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

More about Tom Appel
Written by: Tom Appel on June 19, 2014.
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