10 Chevrolet Tahoe Competitors to Consider

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe RST front road ・ Photo by General Motors

The 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe is an impressive beast in a lot of ways. If you’re looking for capability, this full-size body-on-frame SUV can tow up to 8,600 pounds, seat up to nine people, or carry up to 94.7 cubic feet of cargo. Certainly helping matters, the Tahoe is available with two V8 engines, including a 6.2-liter unit that kicks out 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

The Tahoe also supplies premium modern technologies like a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, automatic forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and a blind-spot monitor. Heated, vented, and leather-appointed seats? The Tahoe is available with those, too. Yet despite all these advantages from the Bowtie brand, there are still a few notable Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider. 

2019 Chevrolet Suburban

For some folks, even a full-size SUV doesn’t have enough cargo space. That’s why the top Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider include the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban offers all the same equipment as the Tahoe, from mobile Wi-Fi to high-tech safety features.

The Suburban, however, rides on a longer wheelbase. This stretches it by about 20 inches versus the Tahoe, resulting in an extra 27 cubic feet of total cargo space. The bigger vehicle can manage 121.7 cubic feet of gear with the second and third rows folded. The additional length makes an impact on third-row legroom, too. The Suburban has 34.5 inches in the way-back, which is 40 percent more than you get in the Tahoe's third row.

Photo by General Motors

2019 Chevrolet Traverse

If you don’t need body-on-frame capability, the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse is one of the best Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider. The Traverse is Chevy's three-row crossover-style SUV, so it can’t match the body-on-frame Tahoe when it comes to towing. But the Traverse is actually a slightly longer vehicle with a bit more cargo space, a lot more third-row legroom, and an extra 30 cubic feet of overall passenger volume.

The Traverse is also the more efficient option. Its standard fuel-economy ratings — of 20 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined — compare with the Tahoe at 15 city/22 highway/18 combined. Meanwhile, if you do need to pull a trailer, the Traverse has a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds — the same as direct rivals like the Ford Explorer.

Photo by General Motors

2019 Ford Explorer

Following the transitive law, the Ford Explorer itself is among the key Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider: The Explorer is a rival to the Chevy Traverse, and the Traverse is a rival to the Tahoe, therefore the Explorer is also a rival to the Tahoe.

For one thing, the Explorer’s slightly smaller footprint doesn’t stop it from having 8 inches of additional legroom for the third row. The Tahoe does lead for cargo space and towing, but the Explorer’s crossover construction gives the Ford the edge in fuel economy — and it’s not close. With its available turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, the Explorer has EPA ratings of 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. That’s a more than 20 percent improvement in combined driving over the Tahoe’s best score.

Photo by Ford

2019 Ford Expedition

Although we just mentioned the Explorer, Ford’s closer Chevrolet Tahoe competitor to consider is the Expedition. The 2019 Ford Expedition, like the Tahoe, is a full-size body-on-frame SUV with three rows of seating. The Expedition also checks in many similar technologies and comfort features.

That said, you will find important differences. The Expedition is the bigger vehicle, with a roomier cabin for both people and cargo. To be exact, the Ford can provide up to 172 cubic feet of passenger space and a maximum storage capacity of 104.6 cubic feet. The Tahoe compares with 121 and 94.7 cubic feet in the same categories. The Expedition can also out-tow its Chevy competitor by 700 pounds — but carries a $4,000 higher MSRP.

Photo by Ford

2019 Nissan Armada

For foreign-branded Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider, we start with the 2019 Nissan Armada. It has tow and cargo ratings that are right in line with the Tahoe’s, though the Armada brings a welcome increase in legroom for third-row passengers. Of course, the Nissan’s 28.4 inches still aren’t all that much, but that is roughly 14 percent more third-row legroom than in the Chevy.

The Armada also offers a nice value play with more safety features and a lower MSRP than the Tahoe. For 2019, Nissan now delivers adaptive cruise control, automatic forward emergency braking, and a forward-collision warning as standard equipment. Chevy makes you pay extra to get those technologies despite the Tahoe's $700 higher base price.

Photo by Nissan

2019 Toyota Sequoia

Another Chevrolet Tahoe competitor to consider is the 2019 Toyota Sequoia. A full-size body-on-frame entry, the Sequoia goes even further than the Nissan Armada in terms of standard safety features. The Toyota Safety Sense package is standard with all Sequoia models and bundles adaptive cruise control, automatic forward emergency braking, automatic high beams, and a lane-departure warning. All Sequoias also provide a standard blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and rearview camera.

And while the Toyota can’t tow as much as the Tahoe, it does deliver an additional 25 cubic feet of cargo space. Plan on putting people in the third row of seats? The Sequoia’s 35.7 inches of back-row legroom gives them more than 10 additional inches versus the Tahoe.

Photo by Toyota

2019 Dodge Durango

The 2019 Dodge Durango is another one of the domestically branded Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider. From a practical standpoint, the Durango offers less storage and more third-row legroom than the Tahoe.

But the real Dodge benefits are beneath the hood of the SRT model. This is where you’ll see a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that’s good for 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. With that engine, the Durango takes only 4.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60, and it covers the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds. The Durango doesn’t just out-run the Tahoe, either. Dodge also serves up an extra 100 pounds of towing power — and an overall trailer rating of 8,700 pounds — with the same engine.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2019 Cadillac Escalade

To raise the bar for luxury, the Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider extend to the 2019 Cadillac Escalade. Now, the Escalade is about the same size as the Tahoe, since the two vehicles ride on the same basic platform (along with the GMC Yukon). Yet there’s nothing else basic about the Escalade. Instead, Cadillac showcases soft leather upholstery, real wood trim, and climate-controlled front seats with multiple massage functions.

The Escalade also excels in the technology department. For example, it’s available with a digital rearview mirror that relies on a rear-facing camera mounted outside the vehicle. The technology should give you a good view of the Escalade’s rivals, since Cadillac’s 420-horsepower V8 — with 0-60 times of under 6 seconds — will keep it ahead of the pack.

Photo by General Motors

2019 GMC Yukon

Like the Cadillac Escalade, the 2019 GMC Yukon shares some of the same hardware as the Tahoe. GMC’s "Professional Grade" positioning then splits the difference between the mainstream Chevy and the high-end Cadillac. In other words, the Yukon offers a more sophisticated style than the Tahoe, but it’s less pricey than the Escalade.

The Yukon's Denali trim represents the GMC brand at its finest, complete with a unique satin-chrome grille, massive 22-inch aluminum-alloy wheelsand an advanced head-up display that’s right out of a jet fighter. The Yukon can also turn on the jets, thanks to a 6.2-liter V8. Meanwhile, the Yukon XL model has the same expanded cabin space as the Chevy Suburban.

Photo by General Motors

2019 Chevrolet Silverado

Finally, the last of today’s Chevrolet Tahoe competitors to consider is the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado — the Bowtie brand’s full-size pickup. If you’re looking for what’s essentially an open-bed, next-generation Tahoe, the Silverado is your truck. It was completely redesigned this year and uses the same platform that will underpin the upcoming all-new Tahoe.

True, the Silverado only provides up to two rows of seating. Yet the crew-cab body style has more second-row legroom than the Tahoe. And you know which vehicle is the only one that can fit two tons of payload behind those seats. The Silverado’s towing capacity — 12,200 pounds — is also 3,600 pounds higher than the Tahoe’s.

Photo by General Motors