City Chevrolet

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Driving Impressions

This latest chassis is stronger, stiffer and fully boxed; many good things flow from there. If the last Suburban you drove (or owned, or still own) felt hinged in the middle and rode hummocks like a porpoise, the new and improved version will dazzle you. The ride is steady and comfortable, and the handling is tighter and more precise. We drove our Suburban hard, from New York City north on the rough I-95 to Providence and then back down over some twisty thruways that only a sports car, coupe or sedan could love, onto the tortuous Henry Hudson Parkway and finally into the depths of the potholes of the Big Apple. The Suburban was a dream.

Until it was time to park it. Then, in the city, it was simply a matter of finding an outside lot that could take all of its 18.5 feet. You can pretty much forget about parallel parking unless you find two spaces, even with the rearview monitor and backup beeper. On the other hand, New York is bad for parking anything bigger than a Smart car. Parallel parking in other areas is greatly aided by the rearview monitor and audible park-assist features. They make parking this truck easier, safer, and quicker, all of which make life better.

The new-for-2007 boxed frame is 49 percent stiffer and 35 percent more resistant to twisting. At the same time the front track was widened by three inches, and the rear by one inch. The suspension was been totally redesigned, using coil-over-shock absorbers in front and a beefed-up five-link rear suspension around a solid rear axle (better for towing) in the rear. A power rack-and-pinion steering system is used, for the first time. The upgraded suspension and steering have moved the Suburban into new territory: quality ride and handling. This results in safety through accident avoidance. The new frame also increases structural safety, as the forward section with hydroformed rails improves crushability.

Autoride is an optional suspension that electronically adjusts to the road, as read by sensors. It reduces body lean in corners and nose dive under hard braking. If you drive your Suburban harder than we drove ours, or if you tow a lot, Autoride might be considered.

The all-aluminum 5.3-liter Vortec V8 for 4WD models makes 310 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. The 2WD 5.3-liter, with an iron block and aluminum heads, makes 320 hp and 340 lb-ft. The 310-hp engine can run on regular unleaded fuel or cleaner-burning E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline); as can the 320-horse unit in some states.

If you need more power for towing, which is where the Suburban excels, you can get the all-aluminum 6.0-liter engine, making 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque; or for even more guts choose the 2500 (three-quarter ton) chassis with its standard iron-block 6.0-liter rated 352 horsepower and 383 pound-feet. With 4WD, the 2500 is rated to tow 9400 pounds, compared to the 1500's 8000 pounds. All run happily on unleaded regular, although GM doesn't even publish consumption estimates for the heavy-duty model.

For most towing needs, the standard 'Burb is plenty.

Our test vehicle had the 310-horsepower engine and four-wheel drive, EPA rated at 14 city and 19 highway miles per gallon. We averaged just over 15 miles per gallon on our lead-footed four-hour run on winding and rolling thruways.

We were pleased with the acceleration performance, especially considering our test vehicle weighed nearly three tons (5745 pounds); and we were happy with the powerful sound of the engine under full throttle. This is a V8 Chevy, after all. The four-speed automatic transmission is smooth, but we wonder how much fuel mileage might improve if there were a fifth gear that could be taller. Fourth gear is a fairly tall overdrive with a ratio of 0.70:1, but the final drive ratio is 3.73:1 (and 4.10:1 is optional with the 5.3, standard with the 6.0, for better acceleration and towing).

For 2008, however, the 2500 models get a six-speed automati

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