Mercedes Benz

Text A generously sized flat-top for making smashburgers, a light and grippy pair of trailrunners for a challenging hike, an upright beach cruiser for pedalling along a shoreside bike path—it makes a difference to have the right tool for the job. In a lot of driving situations, the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 would not be that tool. These full-size SUVs are enormous, thirsty, and ostentatious, yet we frequently see them carrying just a single occupant. But for a 1,400-mile road trip from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe that included traversing three national parks, tackling gnarly off-road terrain, and shuttling around an entire bachelor party, we can't think of a single vehicle that would have performed better than the Chevy Tahoe Z71. It's shocking how well this behemoth drives. There's little to no play in the accurate, well-weighted steering, and although the heavy wheels clunked over large impacts, the Tahoe largely irons out minor road imperfections. The Z71 off-ro...