Chevrolet Suburban - Vehicle Overview

Having recently celebrated its 75th birthday, the 2012 Chevrolet Suburban has talents as large as its footprint. There's seating for up to nine people, massive cargo space and a towing capacity that's robust enough to handle a quartet of thoroughbreds or a boat bigger than some apartments. Equally impressive is the gentle giant's pleasant driving demeanor thanks to its comfortable ride and beefy V8 power.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUV is offered in 1500 and heavy-duty 2500 models. Both are available in the base LS and midlevel LT trims, while the top-shelf LTZ model is available as a 1500 only. The Suburban comes standard with an eight-person seating capacity, but an available 40/20/40 front bench increases that to nine.

The LS comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, side assist steps, roof rack side rails, power front bucket seats with a center console, a 50/50-split third-row seat, tri-zone manual climate control, full power accessories, Bluetooth, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, rear-seat audio controls with headphone jacks, and an eight-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB interface. The LT adds foglights, roof rack crossbars, a locking rear differential, heated mirrors, rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, remote vehicle starting and an upgraded Bose sound system with a six-CD changer.

The Suburban LTZ gets 20-inch polished alloy wheels, a power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, a rear air suspension, a blind-spot warning system, upgraded leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, driver seat memory settings, upgraded front seats with heating and ventilation, power-folding heated second-row seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a hard-drive-based navigation system, a rearview camera and a premium 10-speaker Bose surround-sound system with digital music storage.

Many of the features that are standard on upper trim levels are available on the LS or LT via packages or individual options. Other major options for the Suburban include 22-inch wheels, a sunroof, power-retracting running boards, a heavy-duty towing package (with an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer sway control and hill start assist), an off-road package and a twin-screen rear-seat entertainment system.

Interior

Though it may not be as stylish as some of Chevy's more recent models, the Suburban's passenger cabin is still handsome and well made. Furthermore, controls and gauges are both easy to see and simple to operate.

With the available 40/20/40-split front seat, the Suburban can fit up to nine passengers, a total bested only by some full-size vans. Passenger capacity drops to eight with the standard front bucket seats and just seven on LTZ versions equipped with standard second-row buckets.

Cargo capacity is impressive, with 137 cubic feet of storage behind the front seats -- 17 more than the Toyota Sequoia and 40 more than the Nissan Armada.

Under the Hood

Chevrolet offers two engine choices for the 2012 Suburban. The 1500 model comes with a 5.3-liter V8 that makes 320 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. A 6.0-liter V8 that pumps out 352 hp and 382 lb-ft of torque is standard on the 2500. Both V8s are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. With either the 1500 or 2500 model, buyers have a choice of either rear- or four-wheel drive. The 4WD Suburban is offered with a choice of either a traditional two-speed transfer case or a single-speed unit without low-range gearing (not available on LTZ).

In Edmunds testing, a Suburban with the smaller V8 accelerated from zero to 60 in 9 seconds, an average time for this class. Properly equipped, the Suburban 2500 can tow up to 9,600 pounds.

Safety

The 2012 Chevrolet Suburban's list of standard safety features includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability control, GM's OnStar emergency communications system, front-seat side airbags and a three-row side curtain airbag system with a rollover sensor. A blind-spot warning system is also available on the LTZ trim.