2025 Chevy Suburban

Only a rare few use cases demand a big three-row SUV like the 2025 Chevrolet Suburban. If you regularly take five kids and all their gear to practice, tow an 8,000-pound trailer a few times a year, and occasionally end up away from pavement, you could very well be in need of the Suburban's services. For 2025, buying a Suburban could make even more sense as it faces off against the rival Ford Expedition Max and Jeep Wagoneer L.

What's under the Suburban's hood?

The revised Suburban sees minor changes under the hood for 2025. The optional 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel makes more power (305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque, up from 277 hp and 460 lb-ft) and is now available in the off-road-oriented Z71 trim. The only catch is it won't be offered until the 2025 calendar year, so you won't see it right away when this refreshed Suburban hits dealers at the end of 2024.

The Suburban's two other engine options remain totally unchanged. A 5.3-liter V8 serves as the standard engine in the LS, LT, RST, Z71 and Premier trims and still makes 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Top-of-the-line High Country models get the larger 6.2-liter V8 as standard, though it is available in the RST, Z71 and Premier trims. It makes 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. All engines are paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and send their power to either just the rear or all four wheels.

How does the Suburban drive?

You’ll definitely feel a difference in off-the-line acceleration between the 5.3-liter V8 that's standard in most trims, the optional 6.2-liter V8, and the turbocharged diesel-powered six-cylinder. The 6.2-liter sounds the best and the diesel offers the best fuel economy. Regardless of engine, the standard 10-speed transmission is great. It's so responsive that a flex of the right foot will have the Suburban dropping gears and raising revs quickly enough that you never really need the extra low-end grunt brought about by big displacement or turbocharging.

The driving experience of the new Suburban will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a truck-based, body-on-frame GM product in the past few years. The Suburban's ride quality is certainly smooth, though you still feel a bit more of the road than what you'd experience from a crossover SUV (such as Chevy's Traverse.) We noticed a slightly more composed ride when driving a Suburban fitted with the available adaptive suspension, but it wasn't a major difference.

What's the Suburban's interior like?

Though the engines haven't changed much, the front portion of the Suburban's interior gets a major overhaul. As you’d hope, the cabin of the Suburban is cavernous. A 6-foot-tall passenger can sit behind a driver the same size with a few inches to spare, and a third 6-footer can clamber back to the third row and still have 3 or 4 inches between their knees and the seatback.

Getting into and out of the third row is great considering the second-row buckets fold flat and tip forward with a couple pulls of a lever, or in higher trims, a button push from the third row. One factor to consider: It takes a fair amount of force to put those seats back in place, which might be problematic for smaller, not-so-strong passenger needs.

Parents with kids in car seats will be happy to hear the doors still open wide to create a huge aperture for easy installation. Ceiling-mounted climate control vents are a boon for young ones in rear-facing car seats too.

How's the Suburban's tech?

Tech improvements are also a focus for the 2025 Suburban's update. The dash now mimics that of the Chevrolet Blazer EV with its dual-screen layout and brand-new steering wheel. The new instrument panel screen measures 11 inches, while the center screen balloons from 10.2 inches to a massive 17.7 inches. The high-resolution screen responds to touch inputs with immediacy and the layout of the various menus and controls is easy to figure out.

This touchscreen system also comes with integrated Google Maps and Google Assistant functionality. The latter is a voice system that you can use to control many of the Suburban's climate and audio features as well as other personal Google-based features. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which project many of your smartphone's apps directly on the screen, are included as well.

High-tech options include a surround-view camera, a head-up display, and a dash cam that uploads recorded footage to a cloud-based file system.

When it comes to safety tech, the Suburban will get Chevy Safety Assist, a suite of active and passive safety systems, as standard. It includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane keeping assistance with lane departure warning, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, and automatic high beams. For those who tow often, there is also a new trailer tire health indicator, a boat ramp assist feature, and a system that will show guidance lines for the trailer as well as the Suburban itself.

Another new addition is the Super Cruise, Chevy's hands-free driver assist system. It's available on all Suburban trims except the base LS. Super Cruise works in conjunction with the adaptive cruise control and allows you to take your hands off the wheel on mapped highways and when certain conditions are met. During our initial drive of the Suburban, we found the system to be easy to use and helpful for reducing fatigue.

How's the Suburban's storage and towing?

The Suburban remains a massive SUV with the option to seat up to eight passengers. It also offers up to 41.5 cubic feet of cargo volume with the third row folded up. With the third row down, it offers a cavernous 93.8 cubic feet of free air to work with. If you fold down every row (apart from the front two seats), you get a truly gargantuan 144.7 cubic feet of room. It's safe to say that when it comes to hauling gear, TVs or even Christmas trees, the Suburban is fantastically well equipped for the job.

The Suburban can tow up to 8,200 pounds with the standard 5.3-liter V8 when properly equipped. The 6.2-liter V8 can tow up to 8,000 pounds, and the 3.0-liter diesel motor can pull up to 7,900 pounds.

If you’ve decided a large three-row is what you need, it’s easy to recommend a Suburban. Folks who have space and budget for a Tahoe will likely barely notice the Suburban's extra length when driving in normal situations. And if you actually want to move that many people, you’ll want the Suburban's extra cargo space. Buy a Suburban with Super Cruise and the diesel engine and you’ll have a strong, efficient, tech-filled family hauler that’ll put back miles like Joey Chestnut crushing hot dogs.