Toolfreak66

So there is a 2009 Tahoe hybrid with 25,000 miles I'm considering buying for my girlfriend but I'm very worried about the maintenance, cost, resale value and reliability of the hybrid. Any input?

SabrToothSqrl

Why would you pay more to get 2 more MPG, carry around an extra 2,000 lbs of weight, and incur higher maintenance costs and potential reliability issues?

seriously?

you want to save the planet by rolling around in something carrying lead acid batteries? Yea, that's what the environment needs... more lead lol.

the 5.3L is a fine engine, stick with that.

Toolfreak66

It has nothing to do with saving the planet and with the deal I'm looking at, I'm not paying more.

It is a 2009 with 25K miles and loaded like the LTZ package for less than $30,000. Everything else I'm finding in a hybrid is $34K and up with way more miles or an LTZ with twice as many miles for $35K and up.

As far as incuring higher maintenance costs and reliability...thats what I'm asking about? I'm not familiar with hybrids and want to know what those costs and reliability issues are.

73shark

Welcome to the forum.

In addition to the regular Tahoe problems, you'll also have the electric motor and its controller and the batteries to contend with. Also IIRC, the middle row seats have some differences cuz the batteries are below them.

SabrToothSqrl

so, proving my point.. the hybrid is cheaper because... no one wants them... interesting...

Free Market at it's best... an inferior product gets priced lower.

I guess you could always take the batteries out and just have a 6.0L Tahoe...

sorry, nothing against you, just the hybrid Tahoe (and most hybrid cars) are a retarded idea that doesn't actually work when you examine the cradle to grave impact of the vehicle, the costs involved, as well as the general stupidity of the idea, combined with the complexity of two power trains in one vehicle...


You, could, personally purchase it, and it is, like you said, cheaper. however what additional issues will creep up, that could put it's long term costs over that of a normal engine powered car?


I wonder if they will continue the Hybrid with the 2014 redesign.

73shark

Hybrids and ethanol in gas are two really horrible ideas. Hybrids just move the energy source to a power plant and corn-based ethanol requires as much energy to produce as you get back and that's on a good day.

Oh yeah and another really bad idea is wind power. Requires about 80% backup sources to be viable. And no one has even talked about the effect of removing energy from the atmosphere and moving it somewhere else.

SabrToothSqrl

yea, nothing says environmentalist like hacking down 100+ acres for a wind mill farm on top of a mountain...

when a nuke plant is all of 20 acres.

73shark

Then you've got the $100s of billions of dollars spent on Yucca Mountain to store the clinkers from nuke plants and then they say "not in my back yard".

Of course if they'd use thorium reactors, the waste would be significantly reduced.

in2pro

Per GM parts direct the battery module is about $1900.00
The transmission is about $3100.00

Those would be your bigger expenses related to the Hybrid... Might try downloading the User manual fro the hybrid and read through the service portion to see if any special maintenance is required...

Toolfreak66

Yeah those are some big expenses. How often do those items need replacing (about)?

Thanks for the idea about the manual!