The Suburban->ke263 nameplate is the longest continuously running name used in General Motors->ke1024’ lineup. Granted, the model has not been the same for the entire 81 years it’s been in existence, as the nameplate started on essentially overgrown station wagon that was for military use only, then it became a windowed “carryall” truck and didn’t really resemble the modern day model until 1967.

Now 81 years young, the Suburban is going stronger than ever as it enters the 2014 model year and shows no signs of slowing down. With other makers downsizing their full-size SUV->ke145s into more agile crossover models, the Suburban remains one of the handful of body-on-frame SUVs left roaming the Earth. Essentially, it is the automotive equivalent of a brontosaurus.

Even though the 2014 model for the most par carries over aesthetically and mechanically, Chevy->ke199 has tweaked the model ever so slightly to keep it fresh and ready to roll with all-new standard features and a new color.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Suburban

2014 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 320 @ 5200
  • Torque: 335 @ 4000
  • Transmission: Six-speed automatic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the outside, the Suburban carries over its design from the 2013 model year, which isn’t a bad thing. The split front grille gives this powerful SUV a semi-luxury look while retaining a rugged personality and the body-colored insert between the two halves adds some extra character to the front end. The headlights and fog lights add some additional ruggedness to this large SUV and the integrated recovery hooks on the underside of the front apron let you know that this full-size SUV is prepped to handle off-road conditions.

Down the side, this bad-boy is pure SUV, as there’s minimal styling and its length shows off its massive cargo/family-hauling capabilities.

As an option, you can toss in the Z71 Off-Road package on all 2014 Suburban LTs. This package adds in tons of aggressive features, including: 18-inch aluminum wheels with all-terrain tires, front recovery hooks, under-car skid plate, color-keyed wheel flares, a revised front fascia with a bright chrome grille, and tubular steps.

Dimensions

Wheelbase

130 inches

Overall length

222.4 inches

Overall width

79.1 inches

Overall height

76.8 inches

Track

68.2 inches (front) / 67 inches (rear)

Minimum ground clearance

8.9 inches (2WD) / 9.2 inches (4WD)

Step-in height

21.9 inches (2WD) / 22.2 inches (4WD)

Ground to top of load floor

31.8 inches (2WD) / 32.6 inches (4WD)

Approach angle

16.91 inches (2D) / 16.74 inches (4WD)

Departure angle

20.45 degrees (2WD) / 20.93 degrees (4WD)

Curb weight

5,672 pounds (5.3L, 2WD) / 5,824 pounds (5.3L, 4WD)

Weight distribution

51 percent (front) / 49 percent (rear)


Standard Exterior Features

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LS

-17-inch wheels and tires

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LT

-All LS standard features

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ

-All LT standard features, plus:

-Heated power-operated outside mirrors w/ auto-dimming, integrated signal indicators, ground lights and curb-tilt feature

-Power-operated liftgate

-20-inch wheels

Interior

The cavernous interior on the 2014 Suburban is designed to haul tons of people and cargo. Okay, maybe not “tons,” but it can carry up to nine people – bucket seats reduce the total passenger capacity – and can haul up to 137.4 cubic-feet of cargo with all of the rear seats folded down. It can haul 90 cubic-feet behind the second row and 45.8 cubic-feet behind the third row, should you need to haul some passengers around too.

The interior of the 2014 Suburban is clean and looks the part of a luxury SUV, especially on the LTZ models. Keeping things clean are closeout panels under the seat bottoms and door-sill trim plates. The seating is also very flexible, thanks to the option of either a three-person, 60/40-split bench or pair of bucket seats for the second row and a 50/50-split third row.

The LS trim level comes standard with high-end features, including: power adjustable pedals; a rearview camera with a display on the rearview camera; dual-zone air conditioning; a six-speaker audio system with a USB port; and Bluetooth connectivity. As you move up to the LT and LTZ trims, the features only get better.

First Row

Second Row

Third Row

Seating capacity (9 total)

min:2 / max: 3

min: 2 / max: 3

min: 2 / max: 3

Headroom (in)

41.1

38.5

38.1

Legroom (in)

41.3

39.5

34.9

Shoulder room (in)

65.3

65.2

64.7

Hip room (in)

60.3

61.8

49.4

Cargo volume (cu ft)

Max: 137.4

Behind 2nd Row: 90

Behind 3rd row: 45.8


Standard Interior Features

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LS

-Power adjustable pedals

-Rearview camera system

-Rearview mirror with display

-Three-row seating

-50/50-split third row

-Dual-zone manual-control air conditioning

-Six-speaker sound system with AM/FM/CD, USB port and SiriusXM Satellite Radio

-Bluetooth phone connectivity

-OnStar with 6 months of service

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LT

-All LS standard features, plus:

-Power-assisted second row seat release

-Leather-appointed seating

-Dual-zone automatic climate control

-Navigation audio system with AM/FM/SiriusXM/CD, rearview camera and nine speakers

2014 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ

-All LT standard features, plus:

-Heated and cooled front seats

-Heated second-row seats

-Heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel

-Nine-speaker Bose Centerpoint Surround Sound system navigation radio with touchscreen

-Nine months of SiriusXM radio and XM NavTraffic service

-Power sunroof

-Rear-seat DVD entertainment system

-Third-row DVD screen

Safety

Safety is a top priority with the Suburban, as it features a safety cage to keep passengers safe, curtain airbags to help protect rider’s heads, seat-mounted airbags to help prevent harm to passengers’ torsos and front airbags.

Additional standard safety features include: StabiliTrak electronic stability control, Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, rearview camera system, seatbelt pretensioners, LATCH system for child seats, and TPMS. The LTZ trim level adds in Side Blind Zone alert.

Since the 2014 model has not been rated by the NHTSA for safety, we have to go with the 2013 model year’s ratings. It received four stars in overall safety, five stars in front-crash safety, five stars in side-crash safety and three stars in rollover safety.

Drivetrain

Under the hood, the Suburban carries a familiar pair of engines. All two-wheel-drive models come with the LMG 5.3-liter V-8 engine with a cast-iron block and aluminum heads, but the four-wheel-drive variant uses the LC9 5.3-liter V-8 with an aluminum block and aluminum heads. Both engines produce 320 horsepower at 5,200 horsepower (326 horsepower at 5,300 rpm on E85 fuel) and 335 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm (348 pound-feet at 4,400 rpm on E85).

These engines hook up to a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission with a 3.08-to-1 rear end. As an option, buyers can add in a 3.42-to-1 rear axle.

The driveline combines to allow the Suburban to get 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway in both rear- and four-wheel drive. Combine that with the standard 31.5-gallon fuel tank and the Suburban can travel as far as 661.5 miles on a tank of gas.

This driveline also nets the Suburban an 8,100-pound towing capacity with two-wheel drive, while four-wheel-drive models can tow up to 8,000 pounds.

Engines

Vortec 5.3L V-8 FlexFuel (LMG)

Vortec 5.3L V-8 FlexFuel (LC9)

Displacement (cu in)

325

325

Bore & stroke (in)

3.78 x 3.62

3.78 x 3.62

Block material

Cast iron

Cast aluminum

Cylinder head material

Cast aluminum

Cast aluminum

Fuel delivery

Sequential fuel injection

Sequential fuel injection

Compression ratio

9.9:1

9.9:1

Horsepower

320 @ 5,200 rpm (gas) / 326 @ 5,300 rpm (E85)

320 @ 5,200 rpm (gas) / 326 @ 5,300 rpm (E85)

Torque (lb-ft)

335 @ 4,000 rpm (gas) / 348 @ 4,400 rpm (E85)

335 @ 4,000 rpm (gas) / 348 @ 4,400 rpm (E85)

Fuel

Regular unleaded or E85

Regular unleaded or E85

EPA-estimated fuel economy (city / hwy)

15 / 21 (2WD) – gas

15 / 21 (4WD) – gas

Acceleration (0-60 mph)

8.2 Sec (est)

8.3 Sec (est)

Top Speed

135 mph (est)

135 mpg (est)


Driving Impression

Since the 2014 Suburban isn’t available yet and we don’t figure to see it until late summer 2013 at the earliest, we’ll have to rely on the largely identical 2013 model year for footage and opinions.

Edmunds finds the Suburban relatively agile for a large SUV, as it is quoted saying: “From behind the wheel, the 2013 Chevrolet Suburban feels surprisingly civilized for a truck that tips the scales at 3 tons.” However, when fully loaded, Edmunds wasn’t nearly as impressed: ” The 5.3-liter V8 delivers good acceleration with a light load, though performance with a full complement of passengers and cargo or towing a large trailer is just adequate.”

The Car Connection gave the Suburban’s cabin relatively high marks: ” Furthermore its simple, straightforward instrument panel offers the transparency and directness that many high-end infotainment interfaces lose in translation.”

Consumer Guide took some issue with the tightness in the third row by saying: ” "Suburban excels for its refined drivetrain and surprising maneuverability. It's let down by a 3rd-row seat that's uncomfortable to sit on and very difficult to remove if you want to maximize your cargo space.”

Pricing

We still have yet to hear anything on pricing for the 2014 Suburban, but we would say it is safe to think that we’ll see a slight increase with the new standard features. Expect to see a base price just above $43,595 for the LS model.

Trim

Base MSRP

LS

TBA

LT

TBA

LTZ

TBA


Reliability and Recalls

Since the 2014 Suburban is not on the market yet, we cannot give a valid assessment of its reliability, but we can base our argument on the 2013 model year. The 2013 Suburban wasn’t known as an unreliable SUV, but it is also not well known for its reliability either. It pretty much sits in the middle of the pack.

Having said that, GM’s notoriously cheap plastic interior is still present in the 2013 Suburban and will make its way into the 2014 model year. As the SUV ages, squeaks, squeals, squawks and rattles are bound to happen in 5 to 10 years. Other than that, the Suburban is just fine in our book.

As for recalls, the Suburban has had a few in this generation:

2013

The park lock cable and/or steering column may not meet spec and result in the shift-interlock and rollaway protection may not work correctly. These could lead to the vehicle shifting from park when it should not (without the engine running or without the brake pedal pressed) and this could cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver exits. GM notified owners and repaired the flaw free of charge.

2012

The Pitman arm in the steering system on some Suburbans was not correctly hardened and it could break, resulting in loss of control. GM notified all owners and repaired the issue free of charge.

2009

The heated washer module on 2009 Suburbans had failures in certain models that resulted in the circuit board overheating and melting. GM notified all customers and is removing all heated washer units and provided new owner’s manuals with this feature deleted.

Additionally, the seal on the fuel system control module on 2009 model year Suburbans can weaken at room temperature and allow water seepage. This water can cause the module to short and cause a check engine light or even a hard-starting condition.

2008

The 2008 Suburban received the same heated washer module delete as the 2009 model year.

2007

The 2007 Suburban had the same heated washer fluid issue as the 2008 and 2009 models, so GM deleted the feature free of charge.

Competition

2013 Ford Expedition EL

So far, we have yet to hear anything on the 2014 Ford Expedition EL – Ford’s only remaining competitor to the Suburban – so, we’ll stick with the 2013 model for now. This full-size SUV comes standard with a 5.4-liter V-8 engine that falls just a little short: 310 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Despite the power deficiency, the Expedition EL can tow up to 9,200 pounds, beating the Suburban by nearly 1,000 pounds. The Expedition EL can handle up to 130.8 cubic-feet of cargo with all of the seats folded and 42.6 cubic-feet with all of the seats in place. Those numbers come up a little short of the Suburban, leaving the Chevy the better option for folks with tons of cargo to haul around.

The Expedition EL starts out at $43,315, making it pricier than the Suburban , but we definitely prefer the Expedition’s looks over the Chevy.

2013 Toyota Sequoia

Like the Expedition, we have yet to hear anything about the 2014 Sequoia, so we are tuck looking at the 2013 model year. The Sequoia trumps all with its 381-horsepower, 5.7-liter V-8 engine that twists out 401 pound-feet of torque. This beastly engine is capable of burning up the roads – yes, we mean that literally – with its insane 6.7-second 0-to-60 mph time.

The Sequoia is not quite the cargo hauler the Suburban and Expedition are, as it only tows up to 7,100 pounds and hauls up to 121 cubic-feet of cargo with all of the seats folded. The Sequoia does, however, feature a beastly looking body and a fair $41,955 base MSRP.

Conclusion

With the Suburban obviously set to be the first one of the big SUVs to offer up a 2014 model year, it is all alone for now. Once the Expedition EL and Sequoia hit the market with their 2014 model years, the Suburban definitely has some competition to fend off.

The Expedition is sexier and tows more, but its cabin is not quite as cargo friendly. Additionally, the Expedition is a good bit more expensive. The Sequoia, on the other hand, performs like a sports car from 0 to 60 mph and has a tough-looking body. Additionally, the Toyota’s 5.7-liter V-8 is far more powerful, but it still tows significantly less than both the Ford and Chevy models.

Our opinion is not to jump on the Suburban once it rolls out. Give the Expedition EL a shot and see if it is worth the extra price. Then decide if a 7,000-pound towing capacity is enough for you; if so, the Sequoia may be the way to go.

Category

Rating

Details

Driving

B-

The Suburban offers up a good ride for the segment and handles well for a bulky vehicle

Performance

B-

Not the fastest in its class, but it’s slightly above average

Look

C

Eh, it’s very dated and it pales in comparison to the competition

Value

A

Lowest price in the class, as of 2013

Overall

B-

It’s acceptable, but the competition offers up a lot more