Test Drive: 2015 Chevrolet Suburban

The highway driving experience does, too, as Suburban is one of the most beautiful highway cruisers going. As I found in the new Silverado on which the Suburban is heavily based, the driving character is ideal for relaxation and comfort. After no less than 10 highway hours, I noted remarkably low noise levels, thanks in part to extensive work in the aerodynamics and materials departments. At the speed limit, or a little beyond, I’ve driven $120,000 luxury sedans that weren’t as peaceful. You get a little lick of wind noise here and there, a very muted rush of air in the background, and the occasional pitter-patter of tires flitting over expansion joints and tar strips. Mostly, it’s like driving a great big living room, but with more torque.

It’s a comfy rig, too. Suburban glides over smooth roads, and small bumps are absorbed admirably. Larger bumps cause a solid truck-like jiggle through the chassis, though without any unwelcomed sounds or sensations. It feels tough and robust, not flimsy and delicate. Whack a good pothole with the Suburban, and it feels like the pothole got the crappy end of the deal. And all of that while rolling on the tester’s 22-inch wheels.

So, a towing-ready family haul-monster that’s surprisingly comfortable and laid back and quiet and luxurious. When it comes to relaxing, chill and effortless cruising in peace and quiet, perhaps while socializing with your people, Suburban has it nailed.

2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 4WD, dashboard, steering wheel. Click image to enlarge

The powertrain supports the laid-back feel, too. Bolted behind the big grille in your writers case was the new 5.3L V8, running direct injection, cylinder deactivation, variable cam timing and a combustion chamber layout validated by supercomputers to help turn in as-good-as-it-gets gas mileage for a 6,000 pound machine that can tow well beyond its weight with 355 horsepower at the drivers’ disposal. The engine spends lots of time in its fuel-saving V4 mode when driven gently, you’ll never hear said engine if you’ve got a light foot, since it really only makes any noise at higher revs. Further, most gear changes from the six-speed automatic are imperceptible. Hammer down to pass, and the high-tech V8 demonstrates plenty of low-end juice and makes a sound like a Hollywood car chase, so you can pretend you’re speeding a dignitary out of a hot-zone, if you like.

Mileage? Two measured fill-ups on my watch played out thusly: combined city and highway driving, evenly split, saw the computer displaying a 14.2 L/100 km, though the fuel pump and odometer calculation made it 15.6. A second fill up, after several hundred clicks of all-highway cruising at a good clip, saw 11.9 L/100 km on the computer, and 11.8 on my phone’s calculator. Average overall, using my measured-by-hand numbers, was 13.7 L/100 km. I was expecting to use a bit more. These figures are for where and how I drive, and yours will vary.