At $9,500, Is This 2000 Chevy Tahoe Limited An Infinitely Good Deal?
Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Tahoe is one of 7,500 built to add some sport to the GMT400 platform’s utility. Let’s see if this one-year-only model is worth a couple of months’ salary to buy.
I think congratulations are in order. After all, we all survived yesterday’s Eclipse-a-palooza! In a throwback to prehistoric superstition, some folks got all in a froth that yesterday’s annularity signaled the beginning of the end times. Thankfully, they were all wrong. Do you know, however, what didn’t survive yesterday? The 1996 Volkswagen Passat TDI we looked at (no special protective glasses needed), that’s what. For a $4,500 asking price, that manual-equipped smoker wagon needed to be in far better shape than as it’s ad presented. The most egregious issue it manifested was a mystery coolant leak that might portend an expensive engine overhaul, something the rest of the car’s condition didn’t afford. In the end, you all eclipsed the Passat in an 88 percent No Dice loss.
For the obsessive, it’s time to mark August 12, 2026 on the calendar as the date of the next total solar eclipse and potential beginning of dark days. That remains a long ways away. So while we wait, squinting at the sun, seeking answers to life’s mysteries, let’s look at a big, black SUV instead.
This 2000 Chevy Tahoe Limited is one of the last GMT400 Tahoes to see production, and it has a number of unique features to make it even more interesting. The Limited was a 2000-only model that was essentially a production version of the Tahoe SS show truck that Chevy took on the car show circuit back in 1996. Upgrades over the standard Tahoe four-door include the Z56 “Police” suspension, which lowers the ride height by around two inches, Bilstein shocks on each corner, and a limited-slip rear end.
Other unique features include special two-tone leather upholstery, a 120 mph speedo, fog lamps in the body-color front bumper, rocker extensions, and five-spoke alloy wheels. Power in the Limited is provided by a 5.7-liter L31 V8. That makes 255 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, which is routed through a standard four-speed automatic to the rear axle. All Limiteds were 4X2 models, and all were apparently painted Onyx Black. Chevy built around 7,500 Limiteds as the GMT400 Tahoe’s farewell.
This one comes with a modest 138,000 miles on the clock. That’s a low number, but the truck does show some wear and tear for its age and distance travelled. The bodywork looks to be in decent shape, with no major dents or missing parts. The paint, however, is very tired on the transition from door to roof on the passenger side. This might have been caused by that part of the truck being more exposed to the sun (where’s an eclipse when you really need one?) than the rest. There are also look to be a few scratches in the paint here and there. Another unfortunate aspect is the wheels. They are touted in the ad as being new 22-inchers, but those aren’t the factory rollers, which detracts from the model’s unique nature.
The interior shows a similar level of wear, with the driver’s seat needing attention and some odd black marks on the dash. An aftermarket stereo and amps has been fitted, and the seat backs have little TV screens in them for rear-seat entertainment.
The mechanicals seem to be a bit of a mixed bag. The seller claims the truck “Starts and runs excellent.” Not so excellent is the A/C which the seller warns needs a recharge. Another potential issue is the ABS light on the dash. That’s apparently a fairly common issue on the GMT400, and as this is a rear-wheel-drive truck, it shouldn’t be too big a deal to diagnose and fix. On the plus side, the truck comes with a clean title and fresh DCenti tires. What might that all be worth?
According to the seller, it’s worth $9,500, and to emphasize the point, the ad warns, “Serious inquiries only. Shown by appointment only. No joy rides.” They are willing to entertain trades, but seeing as that’s not how we roll, we’ll stick with the $9,500 in cold, hard, cash.
What’s your take on this Tahoe and that asking price? Does that feel like a good deal? Or would you like this Limited’s price to be much more limited?
You decide!
Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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