2011 Chevrolet Suburban

The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban is largely unchanged. This report covers the half-ton Suburban 1500 and three-quarter-ton Suburban 2500.

Suburban lends its basic design to the GMC Yukon XL. Compared to the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban is about 14 inches longer in wheelbase, 20 inches longer overall, and has nearly 30 cubic feet more cargo volume. Suburban 1500 and 2500 seat up to 9 passengers and come in LS and LT trims. The 1500 is offered as the top-line LTZ. All are available with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. A two-speed transfer case, which includes low-range gearing for off-road use, is optional on the LS and LT 1500 and standard on the LTZ and all 2500s. Standard on the 1500 is a 320-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 engine with GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation. The sole transmission is a 6-speed automatic. Suburban 2500 models have a 352-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 and 6-speed automatic. All Suburban models can run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel. Maximum towing capacities are 8,100 pounds for the 1500 and 9,600 pounds for the 2500. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front-side airbags, and curtain-side airbags. Blind-spot alert is available on the LTZ. Heated and cooled front seats are standard on the LTZ. Other available features include a wireless cell-phone link, dual-screen DVD entertainment, and a rearview camera.