2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ: The Oppo Review

"Andrew T. Maness" (theroadlessdriven) 11/18/2014 at 19:00 • Filed to: TEST DRIVE, Andrew Maness, The Road Less Driven, Chevrolet, Review, Suburban, America, Oppo, Jalopnik

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Prince, Madonna, Sinbad. Say any of those names and even the most dimwitted of folks will know to whom you are referring. Few vehicles that have staked their place in the American consciousness in the same way these iconic personalities have. Grand Caravan, F-150, Prius. All vehicles that anyone with a pulse(& maybe a few Walkers) would know just by hearing the name.

However there is another level of fame, one reserved for those that are transcendent and like a good comic at the Apollo, need no introduction. We're taking Hercules, Gandhi, Picasso, Elvis. We're talking 911, Mustang , Corvette, Testarossa. People and cars so embedded in our culture that they are worshiped, studied, imitated and loved the world over.

Now you might think it's silly to mention an SUV in the same breath as any of those vehicles but I'd argue that the Suburban is just as iconic and important as any of them. In its !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! it's been a lot of things to a lot of people. It's been singled out as everything wrong with America, mocked by many of our greatest comics and dismissed as a relic of a bygone era. With all the shade thrown at the previous generation Suburban you wouldn't be wrong for thinking maybe it was time for Chevy to put it out to pasture. Thankfully they didn't because this is the best 'Burban ever.

Full Disclosure: Chevrolet wanted me to drive the 2015 Suburban so bad that they dropped it off at my house three days ahead of schedule with a full 31 gallon tank. This was great because I was already on a shoot where a 7 passenger SUV was going to be very handy for carting around crew and gear.

Chances are that you have at some point in your life driven or at the very least been driven in a Suburban. If you grew up in the 80's and 90's you most likely remember them as big ol steel tubs in which your parents schlepped you, your siblings and friends to practice a sport, buy junk at the mall, visit Aunt Margaret, see the World's Largest Ball Of Twine and if you were really good, Friendly's for ice cream on the way home.

Of course where you grew up and in what socioeconomic situation you grew up in has a big effect on your perception of the Suburban, both past and present.

You may see them as a rolling testament to our stubborn American nature, a gas guzzling fortress of excess, an outdated machine which could be replaced by something that runs on good vibes. I'm sorry that your parents sent you to boarding school at age 5 so they could jet off to Chamonix to ski and swing with Kelly and Paul.

As long as there are 50 states united under the stars and bars, there will be a Chevrolet Suburban. Just deal with it.

Exterior: 9/10

How do you make a design sleeker while staying true to its boxy roots? I don't know the answer to that but the folks over at GM sure as shit do. Like the rest of their lineup the 2015 Suburban is looking the best is has in years. There are little nods to my favorite generation('73-91) like the wide mouth rear hatch and to the generation that defined the Suburban('92-99) like the headlight splitting LEDs.

My tester came in Crystal Red Metallic to which pictures simply cannot do justice. It's a very rich, deep paint that would be at home on donk'ed Cutlass, Monte Carlo or Regal. Paired with the optional 22" aluminum wheels I felt like a NASCAR driver cruising around running errands on my day off.

Overall the exterior is more aerodynamic than ever, thanks in part to inlaid doors and that lower air dam GM is putting on all their cars. The waistline is high so you still feel like you're climbing into your own personal Peterbilt but doing so is easier thanks to a lower entry level. Actually getting in and out of Big Red was less of a chore than any other full size SUV I've driven.

Oh yeah that's right, I named 'er Big Red.

Interior: 8/10

A great exterior deserves a great interior and for the first time in Suburban history, that holds true. It's like the designers finally pulled their heads out of the sand and realized they could put stitched seams are for everyone, not just the high born elite of Hunterdon County, N.J. as previously assumed.

The last generation of Suburban had a truly forgettable interior. The ergonomics sucked, the materials were cheap, the overall feel was inhospitable. This interior is the complete opposite. Everything is right where you want it to be and as the driver you are in a constant state of supreme comfort, important when piloting a 1/2 ton vehicle.

The cockpit feels just like that, a cockpit. The flowing lines of the dash and center console have a distinct aviation vibe and it reminds me of the Tribeca dash. Still blows my mind that Subaru designed one of the best driver/passenger layouts in the history of SUVs.

But I digress...

The leather isn't the nicest I've ever parked my duff on, but it is a damn sight better than what used to be hewn over the seats of the family hauler. Speaking of the seats, I made sure to sit in all of them myself as well as get the impressions from the crew. The 2nd row captains chairs are now excellent, up from what I would call OK in the last gen 'Burban. They're placed at the right height(I found older ones to be too high), recline to a near flat position and include an rest for your arm, genius!

Since this was the fully kitted LTZ they were also heated which is good for sore backs after a long day on set. The 60/40 split third row is much better than before, the seats have more cushioning though they still feel hard. Headroom and Legroom is improved(38.5"/34.5"), it passed the 6'2 guy test on a 45 minute drive so that's something to be proud of.

I could go on and on about the interior but I'm saving my breath for my review of the 2015 Yukon XL which I had far more time to photograph in detail. Let me just say that the only differences between the two are visual, the quality of the materials is the same and it is high.

Whether you get a Suburban, Yukon or Escalade, you're getting a comfortable place to spend a significant amount of time in. I even took a few power naps in the back while on set and awoke feeling completely refreshed.

Acceleration: 8/10

For a big urban battle wagon the Suburban provides more than enough giddy up. The 5.3L Ecotec3 V8 tops out at 355HP @5600 rpm and you get all 383lb-ft of torque at 4100 rpm. What this means is you'll have no problem trailering your Iroc-Z back from the drag strip merging into rush hour mall traffic.

It pulls strong from about 1600rpm and delivers power much smoother than the previous generations. I kept thinking about the rental Suburbans I've had, mostly in mountainous areas and how they just wheezed up even the mildest of inclines. Not the case with Big Red. She had plenty of gusto climbing up the Hollywood Hills, a good thing when you've got food for a hungry crew with a short lunch break.

This is a big improvement and I don't have a degree in engineering so I can't tell you why but trust me, it feels much quicker than it used to.

Braking: 8/10

The brakes in Big Red got quite the workout during our 13 day relationship. The location for the shoot was up in the Hollywood Hills and I live out by the beach so that meant a whole lot of elevation change.

Now the transmission was pretty damn smart so that made the workload a little lighter for each of the 4 discs. Of course no transmission is going to help avoid rear-ending the genius in the G-Wagen who just had to change lanes because it'll save them half a millisecond on their grueling commute to Urth Cafe. Vented Duralife rotors on the other hand will help you avoid god's gift to the universe, so you pass by, smile and give them a thumbs up, thus reassuring them that they're just the best.

Ride: 9/10

Comfortable and relaxing, that's what comes to mind when thinking about the ride quality of this latest Suburban. The Guinness/Bass interior made the space very calming which made the ride that much more pleasant.

Also contributing to the overall sensation that you're being floated to your destination via magic carpet is GM's Magnetic Ride Control. That's right, the same neat-o suspension found on the Stingray and lusted after by Ferrari is present on LTZ model Suburbans. In this instance it's not there to help you nail apexes but rather to forget about them all together.

On multiple occasions I caught my passengers dozing off, worn out from a long day of telling beautiful women where to stand over and over again. I had a good time waking them up with a tap of those aforementioned brakes.

Handling: 6/10

For how big(224.4" x 80.5" x 74.4" )and heavy it is, the Suburban was actually rather confidence inspiring when approaching one of the many bends along the route to our location. After the first few days on the job I was familiar enough with the braking points and approach speeds to where I could shave some time off the commute.

Of course there were other variables to consider such as how much gear we had that day, how much coffee was left in people's cups, how late are we going to be if I drive slower, you know, normal stuff.

Honestly, Big Red did drive way better than another vehicle of the same size that I've piloted but at the end of the day it's still a big frickin truck. It does eat up speed bumps with ease though, gotta love that.

Gearbox: 8/10

Controlling the candied cruiser was a column shift 6-spd automatic, as the SUV gods intended. It kicks down when it's supposed to and is plenty intelligent for the vehicle that it's hooked up to, unlike the last generation's which was dumber than the NBC executive who greenlit State Of Affairs. Seriously, how is Katherine Heigl still working?

Audio: 9/10

Remember that kid in high school who had two "12's" in the trunk of his Suburban and thought it was the best thing ever? Well the BOSE system in Big Red has more thump than that and delivers clean, crisp mids/highs as well.

10 speakers and fully customizable surround sound options make for a really kick ass aural experience. When I was alone I selected "Driver" mode and was instantly transported to Madison Square Garden for Zeppelin's legendary 1971 blowout. I swear to the rock gods, Jimmy Page was wailing away on his EDS-1275 in the backseat.

When other people entered the rolling arena I begrudgingly selected "Centerpoint" mode and everybody enjoyed themselves. As with other new BOSE systems I continue to be impressed by the refinement of the surround sound system. No longer is it just really loud, it offers detail in the music as well, imagine that.

Toys: 10/10

I love a fully optioned SUV like a Kardashian loves mirrors. Gizmos, gadgets, dohickeys and whatchamacallits just do it for me. Big Red came with the Sun, Entertainment, Destination Pkg. which includes a power sunroof, additional 9 months of XM, two rear entertainment screens with wireless headphones and of course the poorly named but easy to use MYLINK infotainment/navigation system.

Want to know what the weather in Washington? MYLINK will tell you.

Traffic in Tuscon? MYLINK will tell you.

Good place to dump a body outside Vegas? MYLINK will immobilize the vehicle, lock the doors and call the police.

It's a really smart system that will likely end up becoming self aware and talking over the world. Don't worry, as long as you keep asking it questions it'll let you live, it loves to answer questions, gives it purpose.

Aside from the tech accessible via the 8" touch screen, there's a bunch of other toys included in the LTZ package such as forward collision alert, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with safety seat alert and a really loud horn. Adaptive cruise control was also equipped on this model as a $1,695 option which seems like a lot until you're sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and then it becomes the best thing ever.

Personally I think these safety features should be standard on all SUV's and crossovers given the type of people that generally buy them but that'd just be another example of the damn government messing with our "free market economy" amirite?!

Value: 7/10

With a base price of $61,700.00 few would say the 2015 Suburban LTZ is a bargain. Add the $6,690.00 worth of options Big Red had plus destination charge and you're just shy of $70k. You can get a whole lot of car for that kind of money but very few will offer the versatility like that of the Suburban.

Consider that you can haul 7 people, 39.5 cu.ft. of their crap and 8300 lbs. behind you (8000lbs 4WD) and the value of the vehicle starts to rise. Then consider that the same vehicle is capable of up to 23mpg on the highway (22mpg 4WD) and the value rises further.

Finally, take into account that you could practically live out of the damn thing, comfortably I might add. Six USB ports, six power outlets including a 110 volt three prong outlet. The rear entertainment screens, the WI-FI, the secret storage behind the MYLINK screen. Like one of Stefon's favorite clubs in New York, this thing has it all.

As much as I love toys and feeling like a fucking boss when I'm driving, I wouldn't go for the fully loaded Suburban if I was going to get one at all.

No, I'd go for the LT trim and add 4WD because that's the most important option of all. Beyond that it's all about being serious about what you really need and what you don't. If you're like me and have great spacial awareness then you can forgo the front/rear park assist options and make due with the standard unit and mirrors.

The same can be said of all those active safety features which are nice to have but not a must if you actually focus on driving and not responding to the worlds most important text message. Seriously people, cut that shit out, it can wait. Better yet, use your Bluetooth and call whoever is texting you, let them know you're in the car but they're so important that you had to call, that'll just make their day.

Bottom line, the Suburban is the best it's ever been, no matter which trim level you get. This is the Suburban that doesn't cut corners, more stylish, more efficient and more luxurious than ever before. The design is both familiar and fresh, which is hard to pull off, just ask Chrysler.

It's every bit the vehicle that many of us 80's babies grew up with, still happy to haul a heartland family of future linebackers or a couple with a few big dogs. The Suburban may be more refined but at it's core its still the can do machine that Americans have counted on for years.

On the eve of its 80th birthday I'd say the Suburban is looking amazing and ready for whatever this world throws at it. This is how you honor a vehicle's history without being overly nostalgic. You make your product better not because the competition is tough but because you set the bar in the first place and you'll be damned if someone else is going to raise it.

82/100

Engine: 5.3L V8

Power: 355HP at 5,600 RPM/ 383 LB-FT at 4,100 RPM

Transmission: 6 speed automatic

0-60 Time: It'll get there

Top Speed: I don't want to know

Drivetrain: Rear Wheel/ 4Wheel

Curb Weight: 5,664 (with 20" wheels)

Seating: 7 with buckets, 9 with benches.

MPG: 16 City/23 Highway

MSRP: Base $61,700 w/LTZ pkg. Price as tested $68,885

All Photos by Andrew Maness.

Andrew Maness writes about cars because he has one and also has a computer. He's been known to drunkenly Tweet as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and upload photos to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . He also has a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and thinks talking about himself in the 3rd person is really weird but knows it's necessary if he wants to be taken seriously as an Oppo contributor.

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Spotify Playlist: 2015 Chevrolet Suburban

Travis, Senna of The High Seas > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 12:12

6

"When I was alone I selected "Driver" mode and was instantly transported to Madison Square Garden for Zeppelin's legendary 1971 blowout. I swear to the rock gods, Jimmy Page was wailing away on his EDS-1275 in the backseat."

I highly approve of this.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 12:19

4

This made me simultaneously want a new Yukon Denali XL and miss my old one (2003) even more... Damn you, theroadlessdriven. Damn you.

Oh yeah. I would spend $80,000 on that. All day long.

Andrew T. Maness > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 11/18/2014 at 12:40

3

Yukon XL review coming next week, whole nother ball of wax from the Suburban.

Such luxury, very affluent, much baller.

M54B30 > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 12:56

2

$70k?! Sure it's nice, but I'd rather get a base Escalade

M54B30 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 11/18/2014 at 12:59

0

$80k and not even body colored mirrors? Yikes.

On the flip side, I'm not a gray guy but that shade gets me all 50 shades of gray hot and bothered

Andrew T. Maness > M54B30 11/18/2014 at 13:16

0

Probably a better value but some people prefer the humble Bowtie over the glitz and glamour of the wreath.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 13:17

2

Oh yeah. I felt like such a boss in mine, even though I got it for free and the only luxurious thing about it was the impossibly comfortable seats and the aftermarket headunit that started to crap out at the end of my ownership. I think the fact that it was so massive an imposing certainly helped. I've loved the Denali ever since. Ahaha

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > M54B30 11/18/2014 at 13:20

0

The one above was $79,500-ish, and there were a few inexpensive options that I skipped because I was just speccing it out to get the screen grab. That grey is my favorite though. It looks amazing with every possible wheel and interior options

Andrew T. Maness > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 11/18/2014 at 13:35

2

Yeah that's really going to be the focus of my piece on the Yukon, feeling like a fucking boss.

QCGoose > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 13:36

2

Wreath? I think you mean just crest.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 13:44

0

I'll be looking forward to it!

snowden > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 14:19

4

$70k for that. If you look at older prices of the top end model you are looking at $35k adjusted to todays dollars. That means the Suburban has outpaced inflation by 100%. Ouch!

I Do It For Miatas, NC Owner > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 14:26

1

I can't believe the day came when a Suburban would get better fuel economy than my Volvo 960 station wagon…

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 19:14

0

This rear hatch doesn't look big enough for how big of a truck this is. It looks like nearly a foot on each side is being eaten by plastic!

Andrew T. Maness > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 11/18/2014 at 19:19

0

It is a lot of plastic but what you can't see is the storage bins on both sides for use by the third row, so there's some practicality to it.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > M54B30 11/18/2014 at 19:23

0

Chevrolet is more modest and you don't look like a wannabe 50 Cent.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 19:24

0

That's better, I guess. I was afraid that that was how large safety requirements have become.

Andrew T. Maness > QCGoose 11/18/2014 at 19:25

0

Ah yes, right you are.

So stupid in my opinion but I guess you can't fault a company for not wanting to rest on it's laurels...

Andrew T. Maness > I Do It For Miatas, NC Owner 11/18/2014 at 19:26

0

It's a brave new world.

jkm7680 > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 19:37

0

Jeez, that thing is massive.

Andrew T. Maness > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 11/18/2014 at 20:06

0

Hah, no I think it's sound deadening & storage space 1st, safety second.

Andrew T. Maness > jkm7680 11/18/2014 at 20:06

1

Big 'un for sure but honestly, it drives smaller than it is.

DrScientist > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 21:22

0

important when piloting a 1/2 ton vehicle.

1/2 ton is 1000lbs.

back in the bush days i remember tax breaks were given for suvs/trucks >6000lbs. those were the days.

QCGoose > Andrew T. Maness 11/18/2014 at 21:38

0

Very stupid IMO as well. I personally thought the wreath and crest still looked great on their modern cars.

I'm not a fan of the wreath-less badge whatsoever, and the colors just make it look cheesy. The all-silver wreath and crest looked classy and elegant.

Nibby > Andrew T. Maness 11/19/2014 at 09:25

0

Nice review! In case you wanted to read another review on a full size SUV, I wrote this one a while ago. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/2014-toyota-se…

Orange_Crusader > snowden 11/19/2014 at 23:34

0

Well, the margins for those lumbering beasts have always been insane, I figure they wanted to get the same percentage out of this gen, despite it being that much more expensive to produce. I wouldn't give it that 7/10 for value.

thedudeguybro > Andrew T. Maness 11/21/2014 at 22:29

0

I'm guessing photo shoot? because no production truck... just a guess.