Chevrolet’s Suburban – THE LONG-FORM REVIEW

Chevrolet’s Suburban

THE LONG-FORM REVIEW

OK, let’s get real. Does anyone need the longest SUV on the market in this day and age? That’s as folks give you the side eye when you (alone and by yourself) jump out with just one reusable grocery bag, after navigating into the last parking space in the parking lot? Of course, most people would tell you one person doesn’t need all that room; hence the side eye. But…the Chevy Suburban is worth all the push back from all those folks. And with the increased incidents of road rage and blind spots, I’m making the argument that not only are they worth it, but they might just be necessary on today’s highways and byways. I’m not saying this is the reason why the Suburban is the best-selling extra-large SUV. But I’m thinking it might be part of it.  

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s got everything you really think you might need in a SUV. So, if you want to haul around a ton of kids and all their stuff, you won’t have a problem throwing in six squirming youths, their snacks and their backpacks without even touching the cargo area. As you might imagine, the cargo space is pretty spectacular. I know this might not sound too exciting, but I love how after you’ve loaded in your stocked ice chest you can press a button and pop open the window in the cargo area. This feature comes in super handy on road trips when you don’t want everything to cascade out the back as you grab a soda or sandwich, kinda’ like the family road trip of our youth. 

For this newest model year, the Suburban has really upped its luxurious feel for the driver and front seat passenger. Not that we need it very often here in Texas, but the heated steering wheel always wins for me. I’ll just say that the sliding center console with lockable power drawer underneath is just as cool as the hidden compartment behind some other manufacturer infotainment centers. The ten-speaker Bose system complements said infotainment center to a ‘T’ in this year’s Suburban. And that’s a tall order in that the new touch screen measures a whopping 17.7 inches diagonally. To round out my favorite features, I love how the headlights follow your blinkers. I know that sounds silly – but I’m afraid I’ll never get over the fear of hitting someone or something as I’m turning a corner. So having that extra beam of light soothes the nerves. 

You might ask, what does all that soothing cost. Well, I drove a Radiant Red Tintcoat 2025 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD RST that came with a $86,980 price tag.  A bone stock Suburban costs a mere $61,500, but for that extra $25K Chevrolet delivers a lot of value that makes it worth the price.  The Suburban I drove came equipped with the 420hp, 6.2 liter EcoTec3 V8 mated to the standard ten-speed transmission.  The big beast of an engine delivers 460 lb-ft. of torque. So you’ll have no trouble towing whatever you need to move where you need to move it.  Needless to say, fuel economy ratings approach dismal with the 6.2 liter engine getting just 14 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. 

The Suburban comes standard with a 355 hp, 5.3 liter EcoTec3 V8, which will get you 15 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.  New for this model year, Chevy has a diesel engine to offer, the second-generation 305 hp, 3.0 liter inline-six turbodiesel Duramax that delivers 21 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway.  If you want to give those folks the side eye right back, go for the diesel. Or you could just enjoy a really sweet ride.