Test Drive: 2015 Chevrolet Suburban

Passenger vehicles don’t get much bigger than the Chevrolet Suburban. In your writer’s driveway, the latest version of the brand’s massive family and gear hauler took up a space normally occupied by two compact sedans. In the average crossover, travelling with four of my larger pals is snug, but here, there’s room to stretch out and lounge, and room for bags and bags of gear in the back behind all of that stretching out and lounging. My canoe, which typically overhangs the front and rear of a ute, fits fully within the Suburban’s footprint. It barely fits into an average parking space, and when pulled into my average-sized garage, it leaves more of its ass hanging out than an aspiring rapper.

So, cue the Simpson’s ‘Canyonero’ commercial. This thing’s a tank-beast.

It barely fits into an average parking space, and when pulled into my average-sized garage, it leaves more of its ass hanging out than an aspiring rapper.A housekeeping note: the Suburban is a specialty vehicle capable of transporting, with room to spare, eight people of actual people-like size, their things, a grand worth of groceries and a big boat or trailer in tow. In top-grade trim with all the toys, like my tester, pricing came in north of $80,000. That’s with dual TV screens and air conditioned leather seats and pop-out step boards and seats that fold and flip with a button press and the like. The point? A loaded Suburban is a lot of machine, and beyond what the average family-minded shopper likely needs. However, if you’ve got plenty of kids and plenty of toys to haul, it’s one of your only alternatives to gutting a school bus.

But Suburban supports its hefty price tag in more ways than by just being massive.

First, it’s a glorious-looking machine. Finished in a conversation-starting Tungsten flake paint covering its several square miles of sheet metal, the new look is a decided departure from the new GM pickup range, especially in the front fascia. It looks handsome. Blocky. Rugged.

For the most part, two types of people drive Suburbans: cops, and serious dads.  And in this latest Suburban, both of these will enjoy a seriously classy-looking hauler.

The new cabin pulled its weight heavily towards the tester’s price tag, too. Stitching, wood trim, semi-squishy plastics, soft leathers and a selection of interesting colours, materials and textures keep the eyes and fingertips busy on board, while a tidy, high-tech looking cluster of controls is arranged neatly on the centre stack. Don’t miss the navigation screen, which slides open to reveal a forearm-deep cubby with USB charging port for keeping precious electronics out of sight and feasting on delicious electrons. The centre console storage bin is nearly elbow-deep, and even rear-seat passengers get some cubbies and cupholders to help stay organized on the go. No issues with space in here, for items big or small. And though the feature list is a lengthy one, the look and feel of the cabin now, for perhaps the first time in a Suburban, contributes equally towards the price.

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

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.

2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 4WD front seats, third row space with second row folded, cargo area configurations. Click image to enlarge

Other notes? The seating system and flexibility it affords are top notch. Second row captain’s chairs fold flat or fold and tumble ahead, assisted by a gas strut, depending how far you pull the adjustment lever. This leaves room enough in between the rear seating rows for a few canines to lounge, a few bicycles, a bunch of shopping, or a walk-through to the rear seats. Those fold flat and out of the way, too, and there’s a shallow but useful organizer under the cargo floor. All seat-folding endeavors can be handled at the touch of a button once you’ve opened the massive power tailgate, literally providing push-button access to any cargo and passenger configuration you’d like. Here’s a quick video demonstration.

Power outlets and cubbies in each seating row help keep passengers charged up and organized on the move, too.

The high-beams are excellent – projecting clean and saturating light onto the road ahead and well into the culverts and trees beside two-lane highways. Finally, Suburban isn’t even that hard to park. Size aside, the turning circle is relatively small, the mirrors are massive, and the camera and radar sensors add confidence that you won’t be moving nearby vehicles around as you try to dock it at Costco.

2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 4WD. Click image to enlarge

Complaints were limited, mainly, to the highway steering feel. Though laid back and supportive of Suburban’s one-finger cruising dynamic, if you’re inclined, it lacks the on-centre feel needed to keep such a big, soft thing centered in its lane. Further, rear-seat passengers complained about the loud fan that runs the front-seat cooling system, and the warm air pumped out the back of the seats by the built-in air conditioning components system. That’s what they get for not calling shotgun, and the fold-down DVD screens should compensate.

Ultimately, if space, flexibility, toughness and one of the most beautiful highway cruising experiences going sound like items in your next family-hauler wish-list, be sure to check this one out.

Pricing: 2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 4WD
Base price: $70,785
Options: Rear Seat Entertainment System ($2,095), Power Retractable Steps ($1,920), Adaptive Cruise Control ($1,780), Sunroof ($1,325), MyLink with navigation ($995), 22-inch wheels ($985), Max Trailering ($630), Theft Protection Package ($435), Block Heater ($100)
Freight: $1,650
A/C Fee: $100
As Tested: $82,800

Competitors:
Chevrolet Tahoe
Dodge Durango
Ford Expedition
GMC Yukon
GMC Yukon XL
Nissan Armada
Toyota Sequoia