2024 Chevy Suburban High Country Duramax Diesel Review

This week I’m behind the wheel of the 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, the flagship Chevy SUV.  This is the 12^th generation Suburban following Suburban Carryalls that debuted in 1935 believe it or not.  In 2019, the Suburban received a star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Suburban was completely redone in 2021, and there have been some technological updates since then, but it is largely unchanged.

My review vehicle is the top-of-the-line High Country and it is the 4-wheel drive version.  There are five lower trim levels available for 2024. You can go down (in order) to the Premier, the ZL1, the RST, the LT, and finally the LS.

Powertrain

The Suburban offers three engine choices:  the 5.3-liter V8, the 6.2-liter V8, and the engine I have in my review vehicle, the 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel.  It is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and together they put out 277-horses, but more importantly a strong 460 pound-feet of torque.  I can also tell you that the diesel is amazingly quiet inside and outside.  The one I am testing is the four-wheel drive version.

Exterior  

Looking at the exterior, the 2024 Suburban looks long and lean, has a huge chrome grill, LED headlights and running lights, attractive 22” wheels, a rear spoiler, and just the right amount of chrome on the sides.  All-in-all, this is a very attractive SUV especially in this Silver Sage Metallic color.

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Interior

There are so many things to love about the Suburban if you need passenger and cargo room, but the High Country interior is truly spectacular.  The seats are heavily stitched and comfortable with the High Country logo embroidered on the front seat headrests.

As you sit behind the heated steering wheel, you see a large speedometer and tachometer and there is a highly configurable driver info center that you scroll through from the steering wheel.  When you turn the vehicle on, a beautiful High Country snow-capped mountain scene appears before the gauges kick in.

High on the dash is a 10.2-inch touchscreen that operates the sound system, climate control, Bluetooth, navigation, Wi-Fi, settings, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and even Google Assist.  By the way, the Apple and Android are wireless, which is an awesome feature.

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A swipe to the left gives you settings for audio, maps, your cell phone, and the different camera screens.  Another left swipe will deliver the trailer towing app, Climate settings, vehicle settings, the Wi-Fi hotspot, rear media, Amazon Alexa and more.  On a side note, the camera system is one of the best I’ve ever seen with numerous different views from overhead.  Under the touchscreen are A/C controls, heated and cooled seat buttons, the tri-zone air conditioning a couple of USB ports, and a wireless phone charger. 

To the left of the touchscreen are gear shift buttons, which I really like.  Simply push for park and pull the buttons for reverse and drive.  I find this far superior versus the old steering column shifter.  Being electronic, when you push the start button to turn off the vehicle, it will go into park automatically.

We’ve got to talk about the center console, for me the coolest feature of the Suburban, which was first available on the GMC Yukon. There is a switch to electronically slide the console back to get cupholders in the rear closer to the 2^nd row occupants.  For the front occupants, there is a slide-out drawer for valuables that cannot be accessed when the console is positioned forward.

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Moving to the second row of seating, it has heated captain’s chairs that are super comfortable and slide and recline.  Rear passengers can control their own temperature, have USB ports, and a 110-volt power outlet for charging your devices.

Rear occupants can enjoy the journey with the rear seat media system that features two vibrant 12.6” screens attached to the front seat headrests that will display different content on each one.  You can use your wireless device, the built-in Wi-Fi, or watch a movie from a Fire Stick.  It is an amazing system and it comes with wireless headphones.

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Entry to the third-row seat is a breeze with a power button just inside both rear doors that double flip out of the way.  The button is accessible to the 3^rd row occupants in case they get stranded back there.

Speaking of the third-row seat, two full-sized adults will be very comfortable, even those over six-feet tall.  There are USB ports for the third-row passengers and the roof air conditioning vents go all the way to the rear.

Utility

Cargo area is massive with 41-cubic feet of cargo with the back seats up. Power buttons will allow you to fold the 3^rd and 2^nd row seats down to a completely flat load floor and have an amazing 144-total cubic feet of cargo.  

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You can pop the rear glass alone OR open the entire power lift gate from your key fob. There is a 110-volt power outlet at the rear if needed, and there is storage underneath the cargo area load floor.

Standard Equipment

My test Suburban High Country comes fully loaded with all the popular comfort and safety features you want including power tilt wheel, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, remote start, heated and cooled seats, a terrific Bose stereo, a power panoramic moon roof, trailer towing package, a head-up display, power running boards with lighting, adaptive cruise control, rearview camera mirror, trailer towing package, advanced park assist, and the terrific air ride suspension system.

This Suburban is equipped with GM’s Super Cruise self-driving system. GM has driven and mapped out almost 750,000 miles of divided highways across America.  On an approved road, you’ll get a green light on the dash.  Set the cruise control, hit the Super Cruise, and the vehicle literally drives itself. If you want to change lanes, turn on your blinker and it will make sure there is enough room and will change lanes for you. 

A small camera on the steering wheel monitors your eyes to make sure you are engaged, and if not, you get a verbal warning.  After that, the car will start to slow down, the flashers come on, and it will safely get you off the road and OnStar will call for help.  This is in case the driver is incapacitated. I’ve tested many of these systems, and still this one performs best in my opinion. 

Ride and Drive   

The driving impressions are fantastic and the ride is great thanks to the independent rear suspension system that gives you a better ride and drive and coupled with the air ride, it has a real luxury feel. It also has magnetic ride suspension that also contributes to the great ride and fantastic handling.  It does have the start/stop system, but it is easily disabled.

Fuel economy is 20 in town, 26 on the highway, and 22 overall.  With the Duramax, you’ll get over 750-miles of range on a tank of fuel. 

What You'll Pay

MSRP on this High Country with every conceivable option is $92,756.  That is a lot of money for sure, but this is a lot of truck, capable of towing 8300-pounds.

Verdict

I grew up riding in my parents’ Suburbans, but never imagined one with the luxury and features that are available today.