2007 Chevy Suburban LTZ - Autoweek

[Flybrian]

2007 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ - 2nd Quarter Update
Suburban takes on every challenge

By WES RAYNAL AND BOB GRITZINGER | Link to Original Review @ AutoWeek

If our long-term Chevrolet Suburban has taught us anything in its first six months in our hands, it is this: Sometimes you find yourself in situations that require hauling huge piles of gear or a boatload of people, or both. In those cases, the Suburban has no peer. Simple, no?

For proof that the Suburban is one of the more useful vehicles on the planet (and the most requested in our fleet), consider that we’ve put 17,043 miles on it in just six months. If we keep up that pace, the truck will easily rank in the top five in total mileage of any long-term car that has come through our parking garage.

We have driven it all over the place, from freeways to farm fields, on pavement, gravel, snow and mud. We have piled it with people, gear and even hunting dogs and then flogged it for 18 hours straight without complaint from either the vehicle or its occupants. We’ve gone to the other extreme as well, commuting in it, solo, to and from the office.

The wallowing body roll found in old Suburbans is gone. The brakes are dramatically improved. Steering is direct and linear, especially for such a big, heavy four-wheel-drive truck. With XM satellite radio, an iPod plug and a DVD entertainment system, our passengers have never been left wanting for distractions from the road.

The 5.3-liter, 310-hp, 335-lb-ft V8, with cylinder deactivation that shuts down four cylinders under low-load cruising conditions, has been flawless. It runs on E85 or gasoline. E85 doesn’t seem to affect power, but we did record a significant drop in fuel economy over two tanks (13-14 mpg on the highway running E85 versus 18-19 mpg on unleaded).

One staffer summed up our experience this way: “One of the amazing things about a vehicle like this is that it’s big enough to do what most people need two vehicles to do. Sure, a minivan also will handle lots of seating and cargo, but not with this kind of road-going prowess, power, stability and comfort.”

We look forward to the rest of the year.

[regfootball]

eat crap, greenies. toyota, GFY.

the suburban has been an icon to our culture. sure it consumes fuel, but it serves so many uses that other vehicles cannot.

I'm glad someone recognizes that.

Edited August 16, 2007 by regfootball

[CARBIZ]

One thing I think that non-truck people fail to truly appreciate is the beautiful way the Suburban rides and handles for a vehicle of its size and heft. Think Mama Cass as a ballet dancer. The way the new Suburban corners, absorbs bumps and gets out of its own way is truly a marvel of engineering.

It takes me back to the days when only big, American cars rode and felt right on the roads and highways. You know, before all the FWD crap and transverse engines killed the party.