Fall Sports Season Starts This Week: The Tahoe and a Trunk Full of Cleats

A 5.3L V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft standard on every trim but High Country, up to 8,400 lbs of towing when properly equipped, 122.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo space, and available Super Cruise on the trims above LS.

The fall sports begin this week; by Saturday your car will have stopped being a car and have become a mobile locker room, containing cleats, shin guards, a folding chair, a cooler, and a mouthguard which has been under the seat since August.

You already know what the problem is if, on the same weekend, you have to drive one child to soccer in Avon, another to field hockey in Simsbury, and a third to a cross country meet in Canton; the issue isn't power but space, more precisely the type of space that you have when the seats are in their upright position.

The cargo number you actually need

The maximum cargo space in the 2026 Tahoe is 122.7 cubic feet; this figure is correct, but it's of little use to a family with children who have sports activities, since it assumes that both the second and third rows are completely folded down. When both rows are folded down, there are no children in the car, and if there are no children in the vehicle then you aren't driving anyone to a game.

Here are the three numbers, and only one of them matters most weekends:

• 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row, with every seat occupied

• 72.5 cubic feet behind the second row, with the third row folded

• 122.7 cubic feet with both rear rows folded flat

The figure of 25.5 cubic feet is the one you should look at since it is about the amount of space that several carry-on suitcases take up. It can accommodate a child's entire kit together with a cooler and a couple of folding chairs; but it will not be able to hold the bags of four children as well as a team tent.

The true compromise when it comes to a full-size SUV cannot be altered by any wording in the brochures. Should you need to carry luggage for the entire carpool, you'll have to fold part of the third row and give up a seat to achieve this.

Seats versus stuff

The 2026 Tahoe has three different seating arrangements, the particular trim you choose determining which of these you receive.

• Nine passengers is possible only on the base LS, and only when you order the optional front bench seat. Most buyers never see this configuration on a lot.

• Eight passengers is the standard setup on most trims: front bucket seats, a second row bench, and a third row bench.

• Seven passengers is what you get when you choose second row captain's chairs.

On the LT, RST, and Z71 models the captain's chairs are optional but on the Premier and High Country they are standard.

Before you choose a trim it's worth considering that captain's chairs provide a walkway to the third row, something that's important especially when a nine year old wearing cleats has to climb back there four times a day; but they do mean you lose a seat. If you're the parent who regularly ends up with one extra child in the carpool then that eighth seat may be more valuable to you than easier access.

The engine

The 2026 Tahoe is fitted with the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 as its standard engine, this engine producing 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque and being paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission; the only exception is the High Country trim, which has the 6.2L V8 instead.

For the majority of families the 5.3L engine is more than sufficient since it can carry six people and a full load over Avon Mountain without any problems.

If you'd like to have more power, the 6.2L V8 produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft and is offered on the RST, Z71 and Premier.

There is also a 3.0-liter Duramax turbo diesel inline-six engine producing 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft. This engine is offered on the LT, RST, Z71, Premier and High Country models, but not on the LS. Should you drive a lot on the highway and dislike having to stop for fuel, then the diesel version is the one you should consider, which means that the base LS model can be ruled out.

Most families have no reason to move off the 5.3L.

About that 8,400 pound tow rating

Be careful here, since the maximum weight of 8,400 pounds applies specifically to one configuration: the one with the 5.3L V8 engine, rear wheel drive, and the Max Trailering Package.

Here is how the ratings actually shake out:

• 5.3L V8, 2WD, no Max Trailering Package: 7,900 lbs

• 5.3L V8, 4WD: 7,700 lbs, which is 700 pounds below the headline figure and describes the configuration most people around here actually buy

• 6.2L V8 with the trailering package: roughly 8,200 lbs, still below the 8,400 headline

• Z71 specifically: closer to 7,600 lbs, because its off road gearing and all terrain tires cut into the rating

If you are towing anything at all, then you should ask for the rating that applies to the specific configuration that you have ordered. Don't base your choice on the highest number.

Super Cruise, with a caveat

hands-free highway driving system  produced by Chevrolet, and it is really useful when you drive a fully loaded vehicle to out-of-town tournaments on the I-84 or I-91.

Two things to know:

• It is available on the LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country. It is not offered on the base LS.

• It is an option, not standard equipment. It has to be built into the vehicle.

Since Super Cruise is an option and not just a trim feature, make sure that the window sticker for the particular vehicle you are looking at states Super Cruise. Don't assume that it comes with the trim.

The stuff nobody puts in the brochure

A vehicle used for carrying equipment for fall sports endures a certain kind of treatment, including wet grass, mud, spilled Gatorade, and a bag which had been left in a hot car since Thursday.

Worth spending money on up front:

• All weather floor liners for all three rows, not just the front

• A cargo area liner, which costs far less than replacing carpet

• A roof cargo box if you never tow but need real volume a few weekends a year

When you're doing the test drive, take something with you and put it in the car. Test how easy it is to fold down the third row while you're holding something in your hands, and ensure that the liftgate opens high enough so that you don't have to duck under it. Since the LT model and higher trims come with a programmable power liftgate, verify that the vehicle you are looking at actually has this feature.

Should a Tahoe even be the right answer?

That's a fair question, and the truthful answer isn't always yes.

If you never tow, seldom use the third row, and mostly drive within the valley, the Chevrolet Traverse will end up costing less and will be easier to park while still being able to carry a lot of luggage. Many families buy a full-size, body-on-frame SUV even though they only truly need one a few weekends a year. 

You get the full value of the Tahoe only when you need all three features actual towing capacity, a true third row, and V8 engine power. In the case where you only require one of these features, it's better to consider a smaller vehicle instead.

A dealership which tells you that without first finding out what you tow is not in fact being helpful.

Where O'Neill's Chevrolet comes in

For a vehicle used during the sports season, how close it is to the user is more important than most people think. A car which is used for transporting children six days a week wears out its tires, brakes, and suffers more from misalignment than a car used for commuting. When the service centre is only ten minutes away, the maintenance can be carried out between practices rather than having to replace one.

For the following three months your car is like a storage unit that merely drives from time to time; the 2026 Tahoe offers 25.5 cubic feet of space with the third row fully seated, 122.7 cubic feet when the rows are folded, 355 horsepower from its standard V8 engine, and a towing rating which entirely depends on the specifications you choose.

Decide whether you actually need an SUV this size. Then come load your real gear into one at O'Neill's before you make up your mind.