Today was one of those rare days where my wife tags along with me as I scope out the dealerships in town just to see what they have. It was a perfect day to do just that…the rain kept the salespeople inside and we could window-shop from the comfort of the Chrysler. It’s not that we’re looking…we each have dependable drivers and we own a spare car that, in an emergency, could be pressed into use right now. But she has been looking at SUVs that might be a tempting offer. Myself, on the other hand, have all the focus of a squirrel with ADHD and just want to look at everything. There’s no question that my wife is seriously interested in the two newest generations of the Chevrolet Tahoe, and I can’t blame her…they’re good trucks so long as you put aside any hope of performance. But what about a hot-rodded SUV?
I’m honestly not really on-board with the idea of a truck-like people-mover being made a hot rod. I will give a pass to the GMC Typhoon simply because it’s light, packaged right, ahead of it’s time and was limited-production. But that’s not what I’m referring to…my go-to concepts right now are the Jeep Grand Cherokee “Trackhawk” and the concept Dodge Durango Shaker. The Hellcat Jeep is coming, unless FCA suffers some kind of massive blow to the chest, and there are strong rumors that some kind of hot-rod Durango is prowling around the testing grounds. They are coming, at least from FCA. Ford is content with making EcoBoost-powered Expeditions and GM’s twins have an LS under the hood, but near-zero sporting pretensions unless you look at a cop-spec Tahoe. The current idea of a sports-utility is pretty much what a station wagon used to be: throw everybody in, be able to move reasonably sized items in a covered cargo area, and be daily-used. Tow ratings were a plus, ruggedness was a plus, and features inside the cabin was a plus.
It’s not everyday that I don’t agree with the idea of putting more power into a vehicle, but here’s my standing: for a daily beater, the Tahoe her mother got last year is very respectable for power. The Expedition that Lohnes rented while we were in Vegas for SEMA this last year was surprisingly impressive, and Lohnes has waxed poetic over and over about the current Jeep Grand Cherokee. I can’t see any reason to add any more power to a platform like that…you might be as quick as a V6 Camaro, you will be heavier than a Challenger by far, and we will think of your whimpering card as you go to fill up the tank again. But maybe you, the BangShift faithful, can shed some light on this subject for us?
Sign. Me. Up!
My wife’s vehicle is an ML-63 Mercedes
With extra perf package. If ur passenger has eaten recently, the brakes will make them puke. Interesting. 15+ inch rotors with 6 piston calipers. Mercedes says it will run 175. 155 fast I have seen. 12.3 @ 118 in 1/4. Impressive.
I am all for hot rod SUVs.
I like small to mid size hot rodded SUVs .The tahoe isn’t really mid size since is basically a short wheelbase suburban but….. it really isn’t much bigger than my wifes 2004 trailblazer . So yes I like cop tahoes too .
Since getting my 2006 Trailblazer SS I am sold, sold, sold, on this concept. For me, all wheel drive and 400 horse, (wimpy by today’s standards), makes for a very fun ride. With my wrecked back it is also way easier to get in and out of.
Fully agree! Although a bit slower than the SRT8 counterparts they are wicked fun to drive. Toss on some quality winter tires and you have an righteous snow killer. Also a cam, converter, and exhaust does wonders for the TBSS *wink wink*
The GMC Yukon Denali and it upscale cousin the Escalade both have 420 horsepower 6.2’s. My wifes Denali is not shabby in the power department and tows our trailer so effortlessly you forget it’s back there.
I’ve never been a fan of SUV’s in general. Making them fast is like getting in the sack with a morbidly obese girl. Sure it’s a comfortable ride, but they’re just not built for speed.
Bring back the sweet lines of a country squire, or safari wagon and I’m sold!
As much as I’d like to own an SRT Charger, I find getting in and out of them to be kind of difficult anymore. Getting in and out of my race car- 69 Dart with cage and no swing-out bar- to be only slightly less difficult than the ingress/egress of a Charger/Challenger. An SRT Grand Cherokee is easy to get in and out of, can get around in an Alberta winter, and is good for a buck-sixty.
I picked up an 05 Tahoe PPV last spring. 2WD model. Wanted to play with HP Tuners on an LS. Found a used turbo kit with no turbo. Bought a fresh ebay turbo. Only running 7# right now, but it totally woke that thing up. Trans felt pretty iffy, so we pulled that & did the Sonnax upgrades. Feels good now (I know a ’60 is overworked, but it was way cheaper than an upgrade). This has been my DD all winter. Yesterday she got an Eaton posi to replace the g80. Come spring, we’ll try more boost and E85 (flex fuel truck). So yes, I’m a fan!!!
Just toss’n this out there, what is everyones opinion of what was the first “performance” SUV??
My wife won’t drive a minivan so a three row suv was the only option based on her wants. We ended up with a Durango r/t and I can tell you that it’s way more fun to drive than the v6 version for the sound alone. I love that thing for long road trips, that we would never take a more sporty car on anyway based on space. It’s no rocket but it’s faster than all the v6 offerings in minivans and other similar late model SUVs except the explorer sport. If i had the option and the money I would have a more powerful Durango in a heartbeat.