This week I bring you the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, affectionately called the National Car Of Texas. This one is the 4-wheel drive model and is the top-of-the-line, Premier edition.
Just a little trivia for you, the first Suburban was built in 1935, and Suburban is the longest continuous vehicle name in America. This is the 11th-generation of Suburbans.
Under the hood is the tried-and-true 5.3-liter V8 hooked to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Together they put out 355-horses, 383-pound feet of torque, and this big Suburban will tow 8300 pounds.
My tester has the optional RST package, which features sharp-looking 22” wheels and you’ll notice there is no chrome anywhere on the exterior. Everything including the Chevy bowtie on the grill and tailgate is blacked out instead the usual gold Chevy bow tie.
The Premier interior is really nice and features all upscale, soft materials. The front seats are comfortable, they are heated and cooled, and nicely perforated. The shifter on the steering column seems a little old school to me, but Chevy offers a bench front seat for three people so it makes sense.
The dash layout is well done with easy to read gauges and a driver information center that you can configure. A bright head-up display is visible when you look through the windshield.
There is a large center console and armrest that has a built-in cell phone charger, a nice touch for sure. Up on the dash is Chevy’s MyLink screen that operates the Bose sound system, navigation, Bluetooth, real-time traffic and weather, the rear seat entertainment system, and the Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto connections. One cool feature is there is a hidden compartment behind the touch screen operated by a push of a button.
This is a large SUV, so as you can imagine it is quite roomy for all occupants, even the third row seat occupants. One of the reasons Suburban is so popular is you fit 7, 8, or 9 people comfortably and still have a massive amount of cargo room behind the third row seat. As an added bonus, there is storage under the cargo area.
This SUV has a ton of standard features, including remote start & keyless entry, power seats, power adjustable pedals, fog lamps, power tilt wheel, heated 2nd row seat, power lift gate, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot that will operate seven devices at once, and a power-fold third row seat.
On the safety-front you get forward collision alert, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, low speed forward braking, parking assist, and a rear camera. It also has the rear seat reminder. If you open either of the back doors, when you get where you are going, it will remind you there may be something in the back seat, like a child.
My review vehicle has $7200 in options including the power moonroof and rear seat DVD entertainment package, the RST package, and a theft-deterrent system.
The 2018 Suburban rides and drives great, and handles well for an almost three-ton SUV. It features the GM Magnetic Ride system that monitors each wheel independently adjusting vertical suspension every millisecond to maintain a smooth ride. It is agile in tight confines and stable at high speeds. The Suburban can round corners without instilling a sense of top-heaviness you might expect of such a tall vehicle.
Most surprising is the turning radius. You can actually make a tight U-turn in the Suburban, and parking it was not difficult either.
The 5.3 V8 does a great job getting this SUV rolling without feeling sluggish, I never felt like I had to push it.
Gas mileage in town is a respectable 15 and it will get you 22 on the highway and that’s not bad at all, especially in a 4-wheel drive.
Total MSRP is almost $76,000 and for what you get, that is a good value these days for such a versatile and large SUV.
Special Thanks To Mike Ward And Classic Chevy In Grapevine, TX For Use Of This Suburban. Website: www.ClassicChevrolet.com
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2018 Chevrolet Suburban.
