A Tahoe is relatively easy to park. It's 20 inches shorter than a Suburban with a 38.3-foot turning diameter, four feet smaller than the Suburban's turning circle. With its shorter wheelbase, shorter rear overhang and taller ground clearance, the Tahoe traverses gullies and other rugged terrain where the Suburban scrapes bottom. Likewise, the Tahoe is shorter and more maneuverable than the Ford Expedition. Even though the Tahoe is an inch wider than the Expedition, I find it easier to judge the distance between the Tahoe's right front corner and a tree. The Expedition's fenders seem taller and the Tahoe seems easier to manage off road.

The front suspension is conventional in design, except for the springs. To save space, the Tahoe uses torsion bars instead of coil springs. For 2002, Premium Ride, formerly a $366 option, is standard equipment and uses self-leveling rear shocks to maintain trim height for better handling when hauling heavy cargo or pulling a trailer.

Optional on the LT is Autoride, which electronically controls rear air shocks to provide real-time suspension damping. Autoride keeps your trailer from porpoising after running over railroad tracks. Press a button and GM's tow/haul mode, standard on these new SUVs, holds the transmission in gear longer and shifts more abruptly to keep the transmission cooler.

The Z71 package seems to improve the ride quality on gravel and washboard surfaces. The Z71 also has a locking rear differential, skid plates to protect vital underbody components and comes with the additional security of OnStar communications service.

The Tahoe's conventional ladder frame is fully boxed in the mid-section for maximum rigidity, while the front and rear portions are shaped by the same hydro-forming technique used to make Corvette frames. This design is a key to the Tahoe's excellent ride and handling. At the very front of the frame is a section that is designed to crush and absorb impacts in a crash.

The recirculating-ball steering provides good control and feedback, even if it falls short of the rack-and-pinion steering found on the Ford Explorer. Tahoe's power steering system is designed for durability by operating at a lower temperature range.

Four-wheel disc brakes with dual-piston brake calipers deliver good stopping performance. We towed a heavily laden horse trailer without trailer brakes connected and were impressed with its braking ability. A dynamic proportioning system continuously balances the front and rear brakes for maximum braking without activating the ABS.

Chevy's small-block overhead-valve V8s are excellent. They rival competitors' overhead-cam engines for smoothness and efficiency, and deliver strong torque for towing. The 4.8-liter version cranks out 275 horsepower, yet it is quite efficient; the 2WD, 4.8-liter version, for example, earns 20 mpg on the EPA's highway mileage test.

A better choice, and the one you'll probably end up with, is the 5.3-liter engine rated at 285 horsepower. It delivers strong acceleration performance and burns regular unleaded fuel; the 5.3-liter engine earns an EPA-estimated 14/17 mpg city/highway.

The Tahoe doesn't offer the off-road capability of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Land Cruiser, or Land Rover Discovery. The Tahoe will, however, get to most of the places most of us want to go. Its four-wheel-drive system provides four driving modes controlled by buttons on the dash to the left of the instrument panel. Two-wheel drive offers the best fuel economy on streets and highways. Press the Auto 4WD button for inconsistent road conditions. Power will only be sent to the rear wheels when there's good grip, but any loss of traction will cause power to be directed to the front wheels. This works well when patches of snow and ice are on the road.

I like using Auto 4WD on gravel roads where it seems to offer the best handling balance. Press the 4HI button when standard four-wheel drive is needed for driving off road or on roads covered with snow and ice. The 4LO setting is used for creeping through deep sand, deep mud, deep snow or up or down steep grades.

Two-wheel-drive Tahoes offer a limited-slip rear differential to give drivers better traction in slippery conditions. Optional traction assist cuts engine power as needed to help maintain traction to the rear tires. A second-gear winter start feature in the automatic transmission also helps get the Tahoe rolling without wheel spin under slippery conditions. These two systems should make the 4x2 Tahoe sufficient for all but those who live at the end of long driveways in snowy climates. The combination of good visibility and confident handling give the Tahoe an air of nimbleness that the Ford Expedition lacks.

All Tahoes are equipped to accept a lighting plug for trailer towing, and have provisions for connecting a trailer brake controller very easily. They also have a deeper oil pan on the transmission to provide a better supply of cool transmission fluid while towing. Our Tahoe LT equipped with the towing package included a receiver hitch and an external oil-to-air transmission cooler. Chevy says the cooler is unnecessary, but we think it's still good insurance.