As desolate as Interstate 8 is, it’s also challenging – with several climbing, twisty roads, elevation changes, straight-aways and narrow, one-lane bridges, courtesy of CALTRANS projects. Arguably the lowest major highway in the country where it drops below sea level in the Imperial Valley near El Centro, I-8 climbs dramatically from there through several mountain passes on the way to San Diego.

At night, it is especially exciting, though the Tahoe took much of the thrill out of the drive. No matter what the climb, the engine never struggled; no matter how slick the road or precarious the corner, the 2007 Tahoe handled the road with skill. With its high seating position, visibility was mostly great, and it gives the driver and passengers a safe feeling, a consequence of its size and the excellent road manners this large SUV exhibits. The exception was the side window tint: in the evening, visibility plummets through the darkly smoked glass. Overall though, the Tahoe is what it should be but what most large vehicles fall short of: a large SUV that drives much smaller – except for that darn gas bill.