We recognize that the dimensions of the Suburban are still a bit surprising for a vehicle that would be an excellent daily driver, but it does not have the persona of a late-1990s artifact in the least! Some of the world’s highest-grossing box office hits, crazes such as Pokémon, and a few riveting outer space missions have all shaped up within the Suburban’s illustrated lifeline, and any diehard car fan can leave room in their spacious heart concerning a vehicle seating up to nine!
The writers on staff at Autoweek claimed that the Suburban is “pretty close t
o all the SUV you can buy from GM if you don’t necessarily desire the visibility of driving an Escalade”, then joking that its chrome reflections could blind pilots high above. The base level offers the 5.3-liter V8 as standard, with the High Country trim paired with “something wicked, winning, and warrior-like”! This is the 6.2-liter gas V8, with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque on tap. But the true shining star in the lineup as far as efficiency and torque-rich prowess is the 3.0-liter Duramax inline-6, cranking out 277 horsepower and offering a superb 26 mpg on the highway.
EPA figures are right around 22 mpg combined and 20 mpg around town, which are better than you’ll see in either of the other V8s. The Autoweek team spent an entire week driving the diesel version, and eagerly claimed that this engine has “a very deliberate character, which rewards more gradual throttle inputs.” The throttle’s distinct and coarse hum calls for a driving style that is less aggressive and unhurried. The diesel model does not ever come up short regarding power, with the ability to conquer highway on ramps just as simple as picking up Tosy flying discs or Hatchimal toys left in the rear rows!
With its longer wheelbase and very robust four-wheel chassis, the Suburban has a way of nicely settling down into its top gear mode and moving along quietly with the quite comforting hum of the diesel still faintly audible. This is all surprisingly not distracting, and the interior offers good enough insulation for relaxing trips and a 600+ mile range between refueling. Much like its large-rig counterparts, the Suburban feels the steadiest while hauling or towing, so some friends and family along for the ride or a boat lagging behind offers up the best experience.
The High Country trim offers two seats in the middle row that can stow and tip forward, along with a pair of very cool 12.6-inch screens for offering long-journey entertainment. After completing navigation tactics and finding some tunes, this testing crew agreed that the infotainment system was unobtrusive and satisfyingly simple. The CarPro review team was quick to share what their favorite feature of the 2024 Chevy Suburban was: there’s an electronic switch that conveniently slides the console back to get cupholders in the rear closer to thirsty 3rd-row passengers!
