It’s 224-inch length, however, requires some agile parking disciplines. On highways, Suburban shines. It’s the perfect family vehicle especially if driving to Orlando or the Outer Banks this summer, as it capabilities can easily accommodate a family of four with loads of clothes and gear. Get a beach buggy permit and it can be driven on some of the beaches at the Outer Banks to allow surfing or fishing, and away from the crowd at beaches.
Suburban is offered in base LS, LT and top-line LTZ that was tested. Seating expands depending on desired arrangement. With an available 40/20/40 front bench seat (LS only and trim frequently used by construction crews), it offers seating for nine. Second row captain’s chairs reduce seating to seven. Standard seating, with the third row upright, equals eight. Even with the third row up, there’s 34 inches of depth (38.9 cubic feet), 68 of width and 31.5 of height. That’s more than many minivans. Flip the third row, which is powered down and up, and they're 65 inches of depth (76.7 cubes). Fold the second row and depth extend to a whopping 94 inches (121.1 cubes). That’s more than half-ton pickups with a six-foot bed and only two inches shy compared to an eight-foot truck bed.
And if you need more length or carry long items like strips of molding, one-piece surf rods or 10-foot step-ladder, the tailgate window opens independently of the programmable height gate. Few SUVs offer the separate opening window. Cargo load height too is a reasonable 34 inches while step-in into the cabin is 24 inches or 13.5 to the running boards.
A big, truck-based SUV requires a potent engine to propel it. Well Suburban comes standard with a 5.3L, Ecotec3 V8 engine that produces 355-hp and 383 lb/ft of torque. Hitched to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the combination posts EPA mileage estimates of 15 cities, 22-highway mpg. Far from economical, but consider your tugging an almost 6,000 pound 4WD versatile vehicle around.
Suburban’s interior is comparable to a luxury sedan with comfortable leather seating, adjustable pedals, easy to use HVAC controls and the latest technology. Like most GM vehicles, and with Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system, the vehicle is a 4G, LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-inch touchscreen display (standard on LTZ) serves navigation, rearview camera, audio, Apple CarPlay and a myriad of other apps including weather that provides hourly and five-day forecasts.
Safety wise, and aside from a myriad of airbags, the Suburban came with forward collision warning that when it senses the vehicle getting too close to an object fore and aft, the driver’s seat vibrates to warn the driver. There’s also Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
As a hefty vehicle, Suburban feels secure going through sharp turns. It soaks up bumps like a sponge and the ride on Bridgestone 22-inch tires is sedan-like and enhanced with an adaptive suspension system with magnetic-fluid shocks that automatically adjust to driver and road inputs. Plus, the ride is quiet.
As a big SUV, its price is also big. Starting at a base of $67,310, the bottom line was also big at a whopping $74,735 with a long list of options and standard features plus delivery. But consider this: Suburban is three vehicles in one. It’s a minivan for the number of people it can seat, it’s a 4WD SUV and it’s essentially a pickup truck with its high capacities and capabilities. Added to this, Suburban received four stars for an overall vehicle score in government crash testing, four for driver/passenger frontal crash, five for front/rear seat side crash and three for rollover as it’s a high-stance vehicle.
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