2021 Chevrolet Suburban

With a lineage that extends from 1935 to 2021, the Chevrolet Suburban is the longest-running vehicle marque in the USA, and it now enters its 12th generation as an all-new and much-improved version of its former self. It's Chevrolet's largest SUV and still uses the body-on-frame concept, which means it offers an abundance of passenger and cargo room throughout its cabin interior and plenty of durability and capability for confident motoring performance and towing. These are qualities the prodigious cruiser has always offered, however, so this year, Chevrolet presents the Suburban with a whole new look and feel. The three powertrains are carried over, so you can expect outputs of between 277 and 420 horsepower from the turbo-diesel to the V8s. The most significant improvements include the installation of an extended wheelbase and an independent rear suspension, which make the SUV even more spacious and comfortable than ever before. It also bears a far more contemporary and upscale aesthetic now, which, along with those hidden upgrades, has it stand out well against its core contenders, the Ford Expedition and the GMC Yukon XL, while improving its standing alongside the class-leading Cadillac Escalade.

Standard-fit in the LS, LT, RST, Z71, and Premier models is a 5.3-liter V8 unit that's been dialed to churn out up to 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, the full brunt of which is reached at 5,600 rpm and 4,100 rpm, respectively. Optional for the same models is a mightier 3.0-liter turbo-diesel that musters up to 277 hp and 460 lb-ft. To access the full brunt of both engines' power potential, you'll have to keep both engines' revving fairly high up. The 10-speed automatic transmission that every motor comes paired with is quite intuitive, however, and doesn't hesitate to drop a cog or two to remain in the optimal powerband. Available exclusively to the High Country is the whopping 6.2-liter V8 gasoline power plant, which develops are potent 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. This empowers the 2021 Suburban with its most impressive performance figures, but it also guzzles fuel like a sailor on shore leave. You get a choice between rear- and all-wheel drive on every model save for the Z71, which is AWD only. If you're looking for the highest towing capacity from the Suburban SUV line, the 5.3L V8 paired with the 2WD setup gives you the best capability of 8,300 pounds.

The most significant, and perhaps most noticeable, improvement the 2021 Suburban boasts over all previous Suburban generations is the enhanced handling dynamics and refined ride quality it now delivers by virtue of its upgraded rear independent suspension. This makes the enormous 5-door cruiser a whole lot easier to drive; while not quite car-like, it's still really pleasant, especially considering its immense size and heft. The powertrains, though not particularly trailblazing, provide plenty of impetus for the Suburban SUV - the 6.2L V8 offering potent acceleration responses and impressive towing capability - and are all it requires to get the job of hauling people and cargo on a daily basis done. With its new, modern design, expansive and featureful cabin, and large cargo bay, the Suburban does this exquisitely. Even grown adults can comfortably occupy the rearmost third-row seats, something that's not typically the case in three-row SUVs.

The Suburban is still not a very frugal SUV, though the Duramax turbo-diesel does improve returns slightly. The IIHS also subjected the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban to review for its crashworthiness and gave it a rather subpar four-star rating, when cars in the USA typically average five stars to stay competitive. Starting at $52,300, the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban SUV is nicely priced at the entry-spec level. The mid- and upper-tier models do get quite expensive really quickly, though. Nevertheless, the all-new Suburban really is better than ever in its 12th generational guise, and certainly worth considering as a family cruiser.

In regard to which powertrain you should go for, the Duramax turbo-diesel unit strikes a nice balance between power and efficiency but the 6.2L V8 unit affords you a few hundred pounds more towing capacity. Whether you opt for 2WD or 4WD will come down purely to whether or not you reside in an all-weather state, as the Suburban is to no extent an off-road vehicle. As for features, we feel the LT is a good pick as the LS feels a tad too spartan for our liking, and the upper-tier models are just too expensive for a family car. The LT benefits from enough desirable features, including ten-way power-adjustable front seats with a driver memory function, leather seating upholstery for the first and second row, a Bose nine-speaker sound system, and a power tailgate.