Introduction

The 2020 Chevrolet Suburban is still the largest full-size SUV on the market. Based upon Chevy's full-size Silverado pickup truck, the gargantuan Suburban can carry as many as nine passengers. 

With a heritage dating back as far as 1935, the Suburban rolls into the 2020 model year as a carryover model. It's expected to be redesigned as a 2021 model for its 12th generation. 

Two strong V-8 engines are available, each capable of providing plenty of energy for most tasks. Mating with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the 5.3-liter V-8 develops 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. GM's familiar 6.2-liter V-8 can be equipped on the range-topping Premier model. It's rated at 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and mates with a 10-speed automatic. 

Rear-wheel drive is standard, with four-wheel drive available on each trim level. The optional engine comes in an RST Performance or Premier Plus Special Edition option package, priced near $5,500. 

Because each of the Suburban's V-8 engines can shut down four of its cylinders while cruising on the highway, they're reasonably fuel-efficient considering their massive dimensions. GM's 10-speed automatic transmission helps, too. 

RWD models with the 5.3-liter V-8 are the lightest and most efficient, EPA-rated at 15 mpg city, 22 highway, and 18 combined. 4WD lowers fuel economy to 14/21/16 mpg. With its 10-speed transmission, the 6.2-liter V-8 is rated at 14/23/17 mpg with RWD or 14/20/16 mpg with 4WD. 

Crash testing has yielded a troubling score. The NHTSA gave the Suburban a four-star overall safety rating, but it earned only three stars for rollover prevention. The agency noted that the Suburban's high center of gravity contributes to greater rollover risk, but the figure is still worrisome. The IIHS hasn't tested the Suburban. 

The Suburban doesn't come with any standard active safety features, but moving up to the midrange LT trim brings automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warnings, active lane control, and lane-departure warnings. The Premier trims also comes equipped with blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change alert. These features are available on lower through extra-cost packages. 

Lineup

The Chevy Suburban comes in three trim levels: LS, LT, and Premier. Prices include $1,295 destination charge. 

The base LS starts at $52,995 and comes with cloth upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, three-zone climate control, Bluetooth, and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. 

Upgrading to the $57,795 LT trim adds active safety features along with leather seat upholstery, a Bose nine-speaker audio system, and a power liftgate. 

Topping the trio, the Premier is priced from $66,795. It brings heated and cooled front seats, navigation, wireless-charging, blind-spot monitors, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, keyless ignition, and a hands-free power liftgate. 

Walkaround

Massive on the outside and comparably spacious on the inside, the long-lived Chevrolet Suburban can be considered an ageless, near-classic vehicle. Representing big American tastes in transportation, it strives to balance a handsome exterior with a comfortable cabin. 

Chevy presents several ways to modify the basic Suburban, with its familiar two-box profile and stacked headlights, within a broad front fascia. An LT Midnight Edition package can black out the front end components. A Texas Edition conveys a different sort of message. Premier-trim Suburbans can incorporate an RST Edition, providing a selection of visual performance cues. 

Interior

Within the upscale, car-like cabin, the cavernous passenger space in the Suburban can hold up to either eight or nine occupants. Depending on the model, soft-touch surfaces join with wood, chrome, and black trim elements. 

High-quality materials are evident, though simulated and plastic chrome feel quite appropriate in the base and mid-grade models. Genuine open-pore wood and leather surfaces are limited to the Premier trim. 

Front and second-row seats rank above average in comfort. Most buyers choose a Suburban with bucket seats up front, bracketing a deep, wide center console. The LS base model comes standard with a cloth-upholstered, three-place-split front bench for nine-passenger seating. The center front passenger might feel deprived of leg room. 

The third-row seat is easy to access, past a power-folding second row. Leg clearance is ample, even for average-size adults. 

On the dashboard, the infotainment system uses an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. The Premier trim comes standard with navigation and wireless charging. 

With all seatbacks upright, the Suburban offers nearly 40 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Volume expands to 76.7 cubic feet with the third row folded flat. Both rear rows can be folded down, to make 121.7 cubic feet available. Deep truck-like storage areas within the cabin let families keep essentials near at hand. 

Driving Impression

A massive and powerful V-8 engine is needed to propel Chevy's full-size SUV, which weighs in at nearly three tons. GM's two V-8s are more than up to the task. They've been around for quite a while, but remain appropriate and effective for demanding family-size requirements. 

Despite being based on a full-size pickup, the Suburban rides a lot smoother than any truck. At the same time, Chevy's traditional body-on-frame Suburban drives and steers more like an actual truck, rather than like any modern-day crossover SUV. In addition to practical efficiency, a Suburban makes a comfortable, long-distance highway cruiser ? albeit one that needs quite a few fuel stops along the way. 

Towing capacity is certainly a strong point, too. When properly equipped, a four-wheel-drive Suburban can tow up to 8,000 pounds. Rear-wheel-drive models can pull an additional 300 pounds. 

Summary

Even though the base LS trim offers plenty of capability, standard equipment is in somewhat short supply. Therefore, most buyers of the 2020 Chevy Suburban tend to choose an LT or Premier. Either way, the Suburban provides full-size features, but at an undeniably full-size price. With either engine, fuel economy can only be called truck-like. When equipped with optional heated/cooled, leather-upholstered captain's chairs in the second row, the Suburban LT makes an appealing compromise. 

If the massive Suburban seems too big, Chevy offers the shorter Tahoe, built on the same platform with essentially identical appearance and equipment. For a more upscale experience. GMC's Yukon XL is closely related to the Suburban. 

-by James M. Flammang, with driving impressions from The Car Connection.