Classic Suburban Is Refined and Capable
The latest high-capacity Chevrolet SUV displays refinement, high quality and amazing carrying ability.

Show up at a dinner party in Texas in anything smaller than a 2010 Chevrolet Suburban and eyebrows will rise. At one time, this outsized, truck-based wagon sold better than most sedans in the Lone Star state, and for good reasons: The Suburban is the most spacious wagon around, save an airport van.

Its popularity increased as the full-size pickups upon which it is based have continuously improved their driving behavior, interior and exterior styling and their fuel appetites. Today’s multi-functional Avalanche pickup owes its underpinnings to the Suburban. Countless governments, as well as official and unofficial agencies of protection, use the Suburban as the starting point for creating armored staff cars. Suburban has a reliable, overbuilt frame underneath, and smooth-running, efficient drivelines, all matched to its incredible people hauling and towing capacity.

The optional 366-hp 6.0-liter engine is now available as a FlexFuel E85 ethanol-capable engine as is the standard 310-hp 5.3-liter V8, which is a new offering on four-wheel drive models for 2010. Actually, two 5.3-liter V8 engines are available, identical except that one uses an iron block, and one uses an aluminum block, which comes standard on all four-wheel drive versions. All engines power an efficient six-speed automatic transmission, which is state-of-the-art in its size and capacity and smooth shift quality, as well as its ability to transfer torque with low friction and high efficiency. The 1500 is a comfortable passenger wagon, and the heavy-duty 2500 will carry a larger load of people and cargo all day with comfort.