The Chevrolet Suburban Is in its 90th Year of Carrying All

It has been said before, but it bears repeating: the Suburban is the longest ongoing automotive nameplate in the industry. It dates to 1935 when it was introduced as a tall wagon based on a truck chassis. The model entered its twelfth design generation back in 2021, and while it retains that generation for 2025, it has been given some significant updates for its 90th year, which Car and Driver took a look at.  Twin Falls Chevrolet highlights what the editors had to say.  

The most noticeable change for 2025 is the new front-end styling, with reshaped headlights and LEDs and a new grille texture. For the rest of the body, the vehicle retains its rectilinear theme and sharp character lines that manage to make its considerable size appear perfectly appropriate. If the big body threatens to make the wheels appear comparatively small, they can be sized up to 24 inches to compensate.   

Three Engine Choices 

The engine choices for the Suburban include the “small” 5.3-liter V8 that produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, which is standard on all but the top-ranging High Country trim. One step up is the 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel inline-six. Horsepower is down compared to the standard gasser at 305, but the peak torque rises to 495 lb-ft, which is reached not much above idle at 1,500 rpm.   

The final engine choice is the big 6.2-liter gas-powered V8, which produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Car and Driver expressed a preference for the diesel, describing it as “an engine that reduces the expected diesel clatter and vibration to a pleasant background rhythm and offers an immediate grunt and giddyap in both low-speed and highway-passing situations.” The editors note that it is a $995 option over the base engine but costs $1,500 less than the large one. All engines are paired with Chevrolet’s ten-speed automatic transmission. 

Of course, fuel economy is another advantage of the diesel. Unfortunately, there are no 2025 EPA figures yet for the Suburban with the Duramax engine, but 2024 figures are 21 mpg (city), 27 (highway), and 23 (combined) for the rear-wheel drive (RWD) drivetrain, with just a loss of 1 mpg across the board for 4WD. Figures should remain unchanged for 2025. The 5.3-liter V8 is rated at 15/20/17 mpg for RWD and 15/18/16 for 4WD. The RWD and 4WD Suburban models with the big 6.2-liter V8 are rated at 14/20/16 mpg and 14/18/16 mpg, respectively. 

No one is going to treat a 3.5-ton vehicle as a sports car, but Car and Driver reports “the Suburban handles better than its size would suggest.” Furthermore, while this may be expected from the upper trim levels with adaptive Magnetic Ride Control dampers, the publication found the base LS to ride and handle smoothly as well. 

Carrying All 

For about half of its history, the Suburban had the full name of “Suburban Carryall” and the term “Carryall” certainly rings true. Other vehicles can carry eight passengers, but few with the leg, hip, and shoulder room for the rear passengers. In addition, the Suburban can be ordered with a front bench to seat a total of nine. Behind all those people is 42 cubic feet of cargo space. In full cargo mode, the Suburban will swallow 145 cubic feet, a figure simply not matched by any other SUV. 

New Dash and Tech  

Part of its 2025 refresh includes a revised dashboard anchored by a 17.7-inch center touchscreen across the model line. It has a portrait layout and sits adjacent to the 11.0-inch digital gauge cluster. As big as the screen is, Chevrolet doesn’t expect you to use it for everything, as there are plenty of physical controls for the climate system as well as the transfer case and towing instrumentation.  

The safety doesn’t depend on trim, as all Suburbans are equipped with an array of safety technologies, including: 

• Enhanced Lane Keep Assist 
• Blind Zone Steering Assist 
• IntelliBeam® 
• Rear Pedestrian Alert 
• Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist 
• HD Surround Vision 
• Reverse Automatic Braking 
• Adaptive Cruise Control 
• Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking 
• Safety Alert Seat 

Not everyone needs a vehicle of the size and capability of the Suburban, but the vehicle has filled the high-level needs of American households for the past 90 years. During that time, Chevrolet has learned about its customers and honed the model to match both their needs and desires. Come to Twin Falls Chevrolet and experience for yourself what 90 years of constant improvement can do for you.