Beauty Begets Beauty; The Beast Within Remains
By Frank Markus
If we offered a sub-trophy for "most improved," the Suburban might not be going home empty-handed. Inside, outside, and underneath, this vehicle is utterly transformed. Best of all, none of the aesthetic and performance improvements has compromised the utility of this workhorse.
Outside, the big box has been smoothed, its mirrors resculpted, its windshield raked, and its chin-spoiler lowered, reducing aerodynamic drag by almost 12 percent. The look is slimming and classy. Inside, the fit and finish of the dash and cockpit materials exceeds expectations in this class and wouldn't draw much criticism wearing a Euro brand name. We preferred this Chevy's fake wood over the fancier GMC Yukon Denali's. The segment-first electric-folding middle-row seats are a welcome and thoughtful touch. And the Suburban still boasts class-leading people and cargo space--over 167 cubic feet for up to nine or 137 cubic feet of cargo space.
But what impresses is the way the 1500-series Suburban's stronger, fully boxed frame feels. Traversing rough stretches, there's far less body flex and fewer squeaks and rattles bouncing around inside this big box. By mounting a coil-over-shock front suspension with a wider track to that frame, lowering the center of gravity, and switching to rack-and-pinion steering, the 5877-pound bruiser corners with some authority. Our test unit had the 310-horse, 5.3-liter flex-fuel V-8 with cylinder deactivation, which delivered impressive fuel economy (15/20 mpg), but lackluster acceleration (16.1 seconds at 84.9 mph in the quarter mile). An all-aluminum, 366-horse, 6.0-liter should help, as will a six-speed automatic, expected to supplant the current four-speed within a year or so. Unfortunately, no diesel is planned.
With base pricing starting at $37,365, the Suburban earned solid value points, and most ranked it at the top among its jumbo peers. But strong value and superiority ratings couldn't quite counteract what we see as a shrinking market significance for these leviathans.
| 2007 Chevrolet Suburban |
| Base price range | $37,365-$41,110 |
| Price As Tested | $51,740 (1500 LT 4WD) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, 4WD, 8-pass, 4-door SUV |
| Engine | 5.3L/310-hp*/335-lb-ft* OHV V-8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed auto |
| Curb Weight (dist f/r) | 5877 lb (51/49%) |
| Wheelbase | 130.0 in |
| Length X Width X Height | 222.4 x 79.1 x 76.8 in |
| Max Cargo Capacity | 137.4 cu ft |
| Max Towing Capacity | 8000-9700 lb |
| 0-60 mph | 8.1 sec |
| Quarter Mile | 16.1 sec @ 84.9 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 140 ft |
| Lateral Acceleration | 0.69 g (avg) |
| 600-foot slalom | 55.5 mph (avg) |
| MT Figure-Eight | 30.2 sec @ 0.52 g (avg) |
| EPA city/hwy fuel econ | 15/20 mpg |
| Bet You Didn't Know | Once a pejorative for someone lacking manners, "suburban" entered the automotive lexicon in the 1920s. |
| Sum Up | Most improved vehicle in this contest--without a compromise in utility. |
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