2023 Chevrolet Suburban
Overview
The Suburban name dates all the way back to 1935, and after 87 years it’s as well known as Coca-Cola. Now in its 12th generation, this behemoth full-size, body-on-frame SUV continues to offer three rows, seating for up to eight passengers, and towing capacity aplenty. An abridged version of the ‘Burban, the slightly shorter Tahoe, is reviewed separately. A 355-hp V-8 is standard, while an optional 277-hp inline-six turbodiesel and a 420-hp gas V-8 are available. All engines are lashed to a telepathic 10-speed automatic transmission and can be equipped with either rear- or four-wheel-drive—except for the four-wheel-drive-only off-road-focused Z71 trim. Suburban cargo space is massive, with a 20 cubic foot over the Jeep Wagoneer advantage with their third rows folded. An available air suspension allows the Suburban to comfortably roll with the pavement’s punches. The interior styling and materials are ho-hum, but at least the 10.2-inch touchscreen handles climate and navigation with speed and clarity.
What’s New for 2023?
While the 2023 Chevy Suburban is mostly the same this year, GM’s highly capable Super Cruise hands-free driving tech becomes available on Premier and High Country trim levels. New exterior colors such as Silver Sage Metallic, Sterling Gray Metallic, and Radiant Red Tintcoat are now available. Finally, Suburban LS, LT, RST, and Premier can be equipped with a blacked-out grille.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
We’d recommend the RST for its sporty appearance, which includes blacked-out exterior trim and 22-inch wheels. It also features desirable standard goodies such as a Bose stereo, leather-appointed first- and second-row seats, heated front seats with memory settings, and a power-operated liftgate. Given the choice of all three engines, we’d choose the diesel engine for its fuel efficiency and effortless muscle.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
A pair of V-8s and a diesel six-cylinder complete the Suburban’s engine lineup. All of them hook up to a 10-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel drive. A 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 is the default engine on all but the top-tier High Country model. It gets a standard 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, but that trim also can be equipped with the optional diesel 3.0-liter six-cylinder. While the latter only pumps out 277 horses, its 460 pound-feet of torque ties that of the bigger V-8. The Suburban also can be fitted with adaptive dampers and an adjustable air suspension. The latter allows the Suburban’s ride height to be both automatically and manually lowered or raised. This enables improved passenger accessibility, aerodynamics, and ground clearance. Those looking for sporty styling such as blacked-out exterior trim and 22-inch wheels should see the RST model. The more rugged-looking Z71 trim level has 20-inch wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, and a two-speed transfer case that provides traditional four-wheel drive.
Towing and Payload Capacity
Rear-wheel-drive Chevy Suburbans fitted with the 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 tow the most—8,300 pounds—when optioned with the available Max Trailering package. The four-wheel-drive diesel Suburban has the lowest amount of max towing, with a capacity of 7,800 pounds.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The Suburban is most efficient when equipped with the available diesel engine, with ratings of 21 mpg city and 27 highway for the rear-drive version. The standard 5.3-liter V-8 is estimated at 15 mpg in the city, one mile per gallon less thirsty than the optional 6.2-liter V-8, but both engines are rated at 20 mpg on the highway. Once we test a Suburban on our 75-mph highway route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, we can evaluate its real-world mpg. We did test a Tahoe—the ‘Burban’s smaller sister—fitted with the diesel-six on our highway route and it returned 27 mpg, which confirms its superior efficiency over the gas engines. We wouldn’t expect a Suburban with this engine to turn in a significantly worse result as the EPA rates the Tahoe diesel only one mile per gallon better on the highway. For more information about the Suburban’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Compared with its predecessor, the Suburban’s cargo and passenger space are both notably larger. Its second and third rows have a couple more inches of legroom, and the second-row seats can slide fore and aft. The Suburban’s cargo area also expands by 23 cubic feet (145 total); the load floor is flatter and lower, courtesy of the Suburban’s independent rear suspension. Most of its popular options such as wireless phone charging as well as heated-and-ventilated seats were previously available, but its head-up display is bigger than before. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster comes standard starting on the LT model.
The Car and Driver Difference
Infotainment and Connectivity
Transporting modern families also requires entertaining them, and the Suburban has no shortage of infotainment and connectivity features. Along with an optional rear-seat entertainment system that includes two 12.6-inch screens mounted behind the front seats, every model has copious charging ports throughout the cabin and a Wi-Fi hotspot. While the base LS model uses an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, the rest of the Suburban lineup has an easy-to-use 10.2-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.
How to Buy and Maintain a Car
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Suburban features a suite of standard driver-assistance technologies as well as innovative assists for towing. For more information about its crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Chevy provides a competitive limited and powertrain warranty as well as more complimentary maintenance than all of its rivals except for Toyota.
Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles Complimentary maintenance is covered for the first visit
Specifications
Specifications
2021 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD High Country
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED
$84,045 (base price: $76,595)
ENGINE TYPE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement
376 in3, 6162 cm3
Power
420 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque
460 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): control arms/trailing arms
Brakes (F/R): 13.5-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02, 275/50R-22 111H M+S TPC SPEC 3156MS
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 134.1 in
Length: 225.7 in
Width: 81.1 in
Height: 75.7 in
Passenger volume: 176 ft3
Cargo volume: 42 ft3
Curb weight: 6121 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.1 sec
100 mph: 15.7 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec
1/4 mile: 14.5 sec @ 96 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 113 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 166 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.75 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 11 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 16/14/19 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
More Features and Specs
