Chevy Suburban was totally restyled for 2007 and apart from items like colors and chrome details remains unchanged.
The profile is elegant in its simplicity, no lines drawing the eye up or down, just a smooth clean surface from one end to the other like an aircraft. Big boxes are best carried in big boxes, not sloping hatchbacks.
The 'Burb has a square-jawed face that's smooth and rugged at the same time, a twin to the shorter Tahoe. The mesh grille is split by a gold Chevy bowtie, and the daytime running lights use separate lamps and can be switched off for after-dark campground arrivals. The bumper fascia reveals a low license-plate holder sandwiched by openings for tow hooks, with small round fog lamps at the corners like single teardrops falling from the headlamp eyes. The seam between the fascia and fenders is very tight, and a good indication of GM's solid body quality on the current generation of trucks.
Rake was added to the windshield for 2007, improving aerodynamics and looks. The hood has two long bulges at its sides, reaching almost from windshield to grille; Chevy calls these twin bulges the power dome; we call them a good way to keep such a large expanse of otherwise-flat steel from fluttering, just as long-cab pickups have grooves on the roof. For aesthetics we would prefer if the roof-mounted antenna were centered but long, flat cargo on the roof might present a problem.
The rear liftgate is vertical, and the rear window opens independently, with both the manual and power liftgate, which is aluminum, reducing the weight and thus the effort to raise and lower it. Rear wiper coverage is average at best. The barn-door side-swinging rear doors of the predecessor are no longer offered.
Although the lines remain the same, the Suburban's ultimate appeal depends on which trim level and wheel style and size you choose. Some are nearly void of chrome while the Z71 adds machismo with sizable fender flares and side steps so short drivers can get in and tall ones can mess up their pant legs.
The standard wheels are five-spoke, 17-inch aluminum. Polished wheels are available. Also available are 20-inch dubs that look good, but we think they are too big for grown-ups. Taller sidewalls yield a better ride and in most consumer-magazine testing those large-diameter wheels don't go, stop or handle any better, they just ride harder so we prefer the 17-inch wheels. The Z71 package comes with 18-inch wheels.
2009 Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevy Suburban can seat six to nine passengers, and even with all seats filled still has more than 40 cubic feet of cargo area. Among three-row SUVs only the Ford Expedition EL and Lincoln Navigator L, which seat eight maximum, have such cargo space.
Cargo space is plentiful, with 137.4 cubic feet of storage behind the front seats (second row folded, third row removed); if you aren't interested in cargo space you don't need a Suburban. With all the seats in place, set up for passengers, 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space is available, with 90 behind the second row, third row removed. You'll need to lift stuff about two-and-a-half feet off the ground to load the cargo area, and rear side doors without wheel cutouts make entry and loading much easier.
Given the lift-over height at the rear bumper, it's not easy to climb up in through the back to reach things, especially since there are no grab handles; nor are there standard hooks or nets in the back. But there is a nice compartment over the left wheel well, for tools, flashlights, snow chains or the like.
Smart storage space abounds. The huge console has deep storage and a tray on top. The glovebox is 25 percent larger than on pre-2007 models. There are two cup holders in a removable tray forward of the console, and one in each wide door pocket. There's a slot in the dash just left of the turn signal, perfect for coins or tickets.
Suburban offers a choice of two or three seats in the first two rows. With a middle-row bench seat the right third of the seat folds independently of the left, easing curb-side entry to the third row or allowing skis or boards on the right with two passengers on the left. With bucket seats in the second row you can climb back from either side, and those middle buckets can be released at the touch of a button or heated if you option right. Only full-size utilities and crossovers, minivans, and Ford's Flex offer the kind of room you find in these first two rows.
In the third row things get interesting. The seat has three belts but just two headrests, and it splits 50/50 right down the middle where a center passenger would go. If you want to slide a long item inside the third-row gets cut to one person; an offset split would allow long items and four passengers in back. These third-row seats do not fold flat with the floor, so if you want a long flat load deck to camp, carry building materials or hound crates, you have to haul the third-row seats out and leave them home.
Third-seat room is good compared to most three-row SUV and crossover vehicles which aren't as long, as wide or both. In full-size utes the Toyota Sequoia third row measures a fraction of an inch superior in head and legroom and an inch larger in shoulder room, but it's almost 15 inches shorter outside so cargo space behind all the occupants is half the Sub's at 20 cubic feet. However, Ford's Expedition EL, which has independent rear suspension like the Sequoia, is an inch shorter than a Suburban but offers 42.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, one-eighth-inch less headroom, and almost three inches more leg and shoulder room, and the floor shape is more comfortable. If we're being relegated to back of the bus we prefer the Expedition EL.
Cabin materials and style show the greatest gains from earlier Suburbans with pleasant feel and appearance more car-like than utility appliance; with woodgrain trim and leather in the upper models the only reason to upgrade to an Escalade ESV would be more power but you'd lose 4WD trail ability in the process.
Analog instruments are more responsive than in any other (non-GM) big SUV, clearly labeled and nicely lit, as easily read at night as in daylight; gauges include a voltmeter, oil pressure and transmission fluid temperature. Steering wheel buttons handle audio and cruise chores, plus the message display panel on most models and the interface is fairly intuitive. Upper trims have adjustable pedals and the steering wheel tilts but it is offset and angled slightly to the right of the driver seat centerline.
The navigation system and audio system is easy to operate. It includes a touch-screen monitor. We set the programs we liked, and could switch from an XM to AM to FM to digital file with one finger push. OnStar has been further refined for 2009, XM real-time traffic data is available, and if you choose a rear camera without navigation the image is displayed in the inside mirror.
The driving position offers a good view over the low dash, perhaps the best visibility in truck-dom. Seats are designed for American comfort rather than European firmness, and can be ordered with heat and cooling on some models.
