There's no mistaking the 'Burb. The Chevrolet Suburban looks like an old friend. It hasn't been completely redesigned since 2000, and the 2004 model retains a family resemblance to Suburbans far older than that.Two tailgate configurations are available. The one-piece rear hatch ($250) works best for most families. It's lightweight and can be opened with one hand. It comes with a window wiper/washer, and the one-piece window affords the driver a good view rearward. Traditional side-by-side cargo doors are also available. Cargo doors are useful when pulling trailers because they will usually clear the trailer tongue jack. They can also make it easier to control a dog while opening them. In this latest version of the Suburban, the hinges are engineered to let the doors open wide without having to be manually disconnected. A puddle lamp mounted below the LT's side mirrors shines down to light up the perimeter. It can be turned on using the keyless remote. That's a nice feature when approaching the Suburban in a dark parking garage, as it illuminates underneath the vehicle. It can also be used in the backwoods to spot mud puddles before you step in them or to find things that were dropped or placed around the vehicle. The Suburban is about 22 inches longer than a Chevy Tahoe. In most respects, it is identical to the more luxurious GMC Yukon XL, which was called Suburban until recent years.
Cleverly designed seating maximizes the hauling potential of the Chevrolet Suburban. The third-row seatback folds down without having to remove the headrests, then the whole thing flips forward to substantially increase cargo capacity. A short prop rod locks it into place. The one-piece seat can be removed and is mounted on wheels, but it weighs 75 pounds, so removing it is a lot easier with a second person to help. After removing the third-row seat, flip the bottom of the second row forward, fold the seatback down (again, no need to remove the headrests), flip the floor extension down and you're looking at one of the biggest cargo spaces in the world of SUVs. It's nice and flat, so you could stretch out and go to sleep here. (We know. We've done it.) Loading cargo is easy because there's plenty of space for it. The spare tire lives underneath the vehicle, freeing up rear cargo space. The optional cloth bucket seats ($1,035) in our LS were okay, but didn't offer as much support as we would have liked. The LT's leather seats seem more supportive, but there's still room for improvement. Big and cushy, they are similar to the seats found in all of GM's full-size pickups and SUVs. The second row is quite comfortable. Headphone jacks (standard on LT, optional on LS) allow rear-seat passengers to listen to CDs while those up front turn on the radio. Even the third row is surprisingly comfortable for an adult; slide your feet under the seat in front of you, and you can ride back there for fairly long distances. But getting back there requires folding and flipping the second-row seat out of the way, best for younger people. Climbing into a Suburban is a challenge for some. Younger, taller people find it easy. Running boards make it easier for others. The Suburban's step-in height is lower than it was with pre-2000 models, because of the fully boxed frame. Power-adjustable pedals allow shorter drivers to sit farther back from the steering wheel and farther away from the airbag, reducing the chance of injury should it deploy. Dual-level airbags, an important new feature introduced last year, inflate with less force in less forceful collisions. Sensors in the front passenger seat and seat belts measure the size and weight of the front-seat passenger and disable the airbag for child-size passengers. |
