2015 Chevrolet Suburban Review: Roomy, Stylish and Family Friendly
Jamie Bartosch
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Chevrolet Suburban is Luxurious, Stylish and Prettier Than Ever.
As we checked out the new 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, all of the AGirlsGuidetoCars.com testers admired the enormous trunk and “power folding” seats.
For fun, we decided to see how many women we could fit back there.
Size Does Matter
Mind you, none of the seats were down. There were still three rows of seating.
How many squeezed in there? Six. Six adult women.
That’s more than can fit into my entire Toyota Matrix’s front, back and cargo area.
The 2015 Chevrolet Suburban is nicknamed a “carry all” because of its size — 121.1 cubic feet of cargo space. By comparison, the Toyota Highlander has 83.7 cubic feet. So if you regularly haul a lot of kids, or stuff, or both, you’ll want to read on.
Stylish Inside and Out
I think families sometimes steer away from utility vehicles because of their inferior interiors. They tend to be less stylish, and equipped with fewer bells and whistles, than crossovers. They seem designed more for farms or construction sites than baseball carpools and grocery store runs.
Plenty of room for your family and friends in the Chevrolet Suburban. Photo: Jamie Bartosch
That’s where the Chevrolet Suburban surprised me the most. It’s stylish, inside and out. It’s like a sleek, large van with comfortable leather seats and lots of high-tech extras.
“It’s not the Chevy of 20 years ago. It’s about functionality,” said Chevrolet spokesman Otie McKinley. “There is a very real need for these vehicles. The only other option is a minivan.”
Smooth Ride
We test drove the Chevrolet Suburban, equipped with OnStar, in May. (Scroll down for more on OnStar.) It was raining, yet the car handled smoothly. Five adults sat comfortably in the two back rows. It was a smooth, quiet ride.
The Chevrolet Suburban’s back seat panel offers temperature control, phone chargers and more. Photo: Jamie Bartosch
Bring on The Technology
This back-seat panel offers temperature control, phone chargers and more technology in the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban.
When our driver accidentally veered into another lane, the driver’s seat vibrated to snap her attention back to the road. When moms are tired on the road, this could be a life-saving feature. So could the airbags on the sides and middle of the car.
The Chevrolet Suburban’s 8-inch full color navigation screen with an iPhone like design. Photo: Jamie Bartosch
Our eyes were often drawn to the 8-inch, full-color navigation screen in the front seat center panel. It had iPhone-like design and was very easy to navigate. Push here for directions. Push there to listen to Pandora.
OnStar Features
This Chevy was also equipped with OnStar, an excellent navigation and roadside assistance program that has saved literally thousands of lives. It automatically connects you to a live OnStar operator, who can identify your location, immediately get emergency car or medical help to you, or just help you when you’re lost. The operators are friendly and helpful. Listen in as we asked for directions back to Disney.
Power Folding Seats
A different kind of electronics was one of my favorite features on the Chevrolet Suburban. I loved the “power folding” seats, because it’s something I could envision families using every day. You know what a pain it is to push the seats down in some cars? Here, you just push a button. McKinley demonstrated it for us.
Fuel Mileage
Being as large as it is, it’s not surprising the Chevrolet Suburban is a gas-guzzler. It gets 15 highway/22 city. But that’s certainly on par with crossovers that are smaller than this.
And as an upshot, the Suburban has a 31 gallon tank. So when you fill up, it’ll be expensive, but you’ll be able to go 600 miles before you need to head back to the gas station.
What We Love
The Chevrolet Suburban accounts for 75 percent of market share for utility vehicles, and is Chevrolet’s longest running nameplate. For families, this 2015 Suburban is suited for life in the suburbs. And arguably, it’s the best Suburban yet.
What You Need To Know
The Chevrolet Suburban starts at $47,595, but the version pictured in this review was $71,385 with options.
A good video review of the car, by FamilyFun Traveling Mom, can be seen here: