Our Chevy Suburban looked like an elongated sport utility vehicle that bore a strong resemblance to the full-size GMC Yukon and Chevy Blazer. Its truck heritage was unmistakable. While ground clearance was not exceptionally high (8 inches), we still had to step up to enter.One feature that immediately distinguished this Suburban from its ancestors was a great deal of high-visibility glass, as well as more slender roof pillars. Also, the body lines were smoother, and the trim and moldings were more subdued. Our Suburban K2500 Silverado was finished in a combination of Indigo Blue Metallic and Summit White; the top and bottom were blue, and a midriff stream of white split the two halves. If you like two-tones, you may like this-we didn't. The white stripe was an intrusion to a smooth-looking paint job. Fit-and-finish were good, however. While earlier Suburbans were notorious rust buckets, coated and treated steels, better weather resistance and an improved paint application have essentially licked this problem. The long rocker panels under the doors, though, still cry for protection from stone chips and road debris, and buyers will have to seek aftermarket accessories to resolve this. In the rear, our Suburban had a platform bumper with holes on either side for carrying a center-mounted ball hitch. It also had the drop tailgate/liftgate combination, although panel doors that open to either side are standard. The doors may be more practical for loading, but we think the tailgate/liftgate combination would be nice for picnicking.
As we gazed down at surrounding traffic from our seats in the Chevy Suburban, we were thankful that this was such a high-riding truck. The grand use of glass allowed for outstanding visibility. Our Suburban was equipped with high-back, leather-covered front bucket seats and second and third bench seats. That added up to seating for eight-nine if we would have ordered the front bench seat. Our Suburban had folding second and third seats that, when down, provided a flat loading area 97.7 inches long and a massive 152.9 cubic feet of volume. The interior amenities were well done, with lights, cupholders and armrests for all outer-edge passenters. Our Suburban had an overhead console to complement the one in the center of the floor that held the transfer-case shift lever. Second-seat passengers had overhead-mounted controls for optional rear compartment heating and air conditioning. The driver's armrest contained electric window and outside mirror controls and the front seats had dual armrests that reminded us of captain's chairs found in many minivans and full-size vans. The instrument panel, with its analog gauges, controls and switches, was pure General Motors-no surprises and no dramatics. At rest, all seats were comfortable and supportive. However, once on the road we found that the rear seats picked up on road bumps. That jarring could be attributed to the harsher 4WD suspension. We think work should be done on the rear seats and the suspension to isolate passengers from road shock. However, the front bucket seats were exceptionally comfortable, even on rugged terrain. |
