The 2011 Chevy Suburban Large SUVs. The Chevrolet Suburban is one of the longest-running nameplates in the automotive market, and with good reason. The Suburban combines a large and comfortable interior with excellent towing abilities.
Edmunds calls the Suburban "a compelling choice for those who need a traditional full-size SUV with massive passenger, cargo and towing capacities. Though it has space for up to nine people, lots of room for cargo and the ability to tow heavy loads, the Suburban is also a large, thirsty SUV. Like most of the class, the Suburban rides on a truck-based platform. On the road, the Suburban is surprisingly easy to drive. If you need the Suburban's interior space as well as its towing abilities, compare it with the Ford Expedition EL, which has a long wheelbase, like the Suburban.
Details: Chevrolet Suburban
The 2011 Suburban is very similar to the 2010 model.
The Suburban lineup features LS, LT and LTZ models, with 2WD standard and 4WD optional, as well as 1500 light-duty and 2500 heavy-duty series. Behind the first-row seats, Suburban offers 137.4 cubic feet of cargo room, along with up to 8,100 lbs of towing capability (1/2-ton 1500 2WD models), when properly equipped; Suburban 2500 (3/4-ton) can tow up to 9,600 lbs.
Standard in Suburban 1500 2WD models is an iron-block Vortec 5.3-liter V-8 with 320 horsepower and 335 lb.-ft. of torque, which offers Active Fuel Management fuel-saving technology.
The Suburban 1500 engines are backed by the fuel-saving Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.
The Suburban 1Lz adds chrome recovery tow-hooks and a two-speed transfer case to the 4WD model, as well as available 20-inch wheels.
Other optional features for Suburban include: Power-release fold-and-tumble second-row seat, Remote vehicle starting system, First- and second-row heated seats, Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, Driver information center, Tri-zone automatic HVAC, Rearview camera system, Touch-screen navigation system and DVD rear-seat entertainment system with eight-inch screen.
The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban receives only minor feature changes. The entry-level Suburban LS now gets standard Bluetooth connectivity and rear seat audio controls with headphone jacks. The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUV is offered in 1500 and heavy-duty 2500 models.
The LS comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, side assist steps, roof rack side rails, power front bucket seats with a center console, a 50/50-split third-row seat, tri-zone manual climate control, full power accessories, Bluetooth, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, rear-seat audio control with headphone jacks, and an eight-speaker audio system with a CD player, auxiliary audio/USB jacks and satellite radio. The Suburban LTZ gets 20-inch polished alloy wheels, a power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, the Autoride rear air suspension, premium leather upholstery, driver seat memory settings, heated and ventilated front seats, power-folding heated second-row seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a premium 10-speaker Bose surround-sound system with satellite radio capability.
Other major options for the Suburban include 22-inch wheels, a sunroof, power-retracting running boards, a heavy-duty towing package (with an integrated trailer brake controller), an off-road package, a navigation system, a rearview camera and a rear-seat entertainment system.
Chevrolet offers two engine choices for the 2011 Suburban. Properly equipped, the Suburban 2500 can tow up to 9,600 pounds.
EPA-estimated fuel economy for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban ranges from a high of 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway and 17 mpg in combined driving for two-wheel-drive 1500 models to a low of 10/15/12 mpg for the four-wheel-drive 2500.
Safety
The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban's list of standard safety features includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability control, GM's OnStar emergency communications system, front-seat side airbags and a three-row side curtain airbag system with a rollover sensor. Like many of the latest GM models, the Suburban's passenger cabin looks remarkably good. With the available 40/20/40-split front seat, the Suburban can seat up to nine passengers, a total bested only by some full-size vans. Passenger capacity drops to eight with the standard front bucket seats and just seven on LTZ versions equipped with standard second-row buckets.
