Chevrolet Suburban

When a Tahoe just won't cut it, you need to step up to the Suburban. A larger, long-wheelbase version of the Tahoe, the Suburban occupies the top rung of Chevy's SUV ladder. The Suburban rides on the same platform as the Silverado 1500 pickup truck and

The Suburban was fully redesigned in 2021, receiving a multi-link rear suspension for the first time in the model's 86-year history. That change dramatically improved third-row seat comfort as well as ride quality and handling confidence. For 2022, the 6.2-liter V8 is more widely available across the lineup, and several active safety features have been made standard. The Suburban has only one direct competitor, the Ford Expedition Max, but it's often cross-shopped against other full-size body-on-frame SUVs such as its GMC siblings, the Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia. Read our Expert Rating to find out how the Suburban measures up.

Which Suburban does MatoCar recommend?

The Suburban comes in many flavors, but the one that offers the most bang for buck is the RST. That's now the cheapest model you can get with the 6.2-liter V8, which has plenty of power and actually outperformed the base 5.3-liter V8 in our fuel economy tests. Additionally, the RST comes with an impressive mix of standard features to enhance the SUV's comfort, convenience and looks.

The 2021 Suburban is offered in six trim levels: the LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier and High Country. The Suburban comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8 (355 horsepower, 383 lb-ft) mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive is available on all trim levels (standard on the Z71), with either a single- or two-speed transfer case. Two other engines are also available:

A 6.2-liter V8 (420 hp, 460 lb-ft) can be added to the RST, Z71 and Premier trims. (It comes standard on the High Country trim.) There's also a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine (277 hp, 460 lb-ft) that's optional on every Suburban trim except the Z71.

LS Starts you off with:

LED headlights
18-inch wheels
Eight-passenger seating (2-3-3); front-row bench seat is optional on LS only
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
8-inch infotainment touchscreen
Six-speaker audio system
Tri-zone automatic climate control
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
Lane keeping assist (steers the Suburban back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

LT Adds to the LS with:

Hands-free liftgate
Wireless charging
Leather seats for first and second rows
Nine-speaker Bose audio system
Driver's seat memory settings and heated front seats
Auto-dimming rearview mirror
10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen with built-in Google Assistant and Maps

RST Includes these features:

22-inch wheels
Unique front fascia and black exterior trim
Special RST seats with contrasting stitching

Z71 Adds extra off-road capability with:

20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires
Unique front fascia to improve ground clearance
Two-speed transfer case (for low-range gearing)
Hill descent control
Black and dark chrome exterior trim
Front skid plate and tow hooks

Premier Steps up the standard equipment by including:

Magnetically controlled shock absorbers (better ride and handling capabilities)
Digital instrument panel
10-speaker Bose audio system
Second-row bucket seats (drops capacity to seven passengers)
Power-folding third-row seat
Heated and ventilated front seats
Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)

High Country Adds more luxury with:

420-hp 6.2-liter V8
Surround-view camera system
Head-up display
Rear pedestrian alert system
Special grille with bronze accents

Many features on the higher trim levels are available as options on the lower trims. Other significant options, depending on the trim level, include:

Max Trailering package
Panoramic sunroof
Rear entertainment system
Traffic-adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the Suburban and the car in front)
Air suspension (can raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle)