2021 Chevrolet Suburban Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The front-end design of modern Chevrolet trucks and SUVs can be generously described as polarizing. Past generations have often erred on the conservative side design-wise, and as a result, age gracefully. Time will tell with the current line of trucks and SUVs, but it already looks like an uphill battle.

It seems Chevy designers have been cribbing the Camaro design language onto these vehicles, stretching them out over their massive frames. The combination of small headlights and large, busy grilles doesn’t do them any favors, and the Suburban is no different. One redesign of a Camaro was so disliked that the automaker performed an early refresh. Perhaps the same will become of the Suburban, Tahoe, and Silverado, but unlikely.

Thankfully, the interior is a different story because it largely remains the same. It may look different, but the controls are in the same place, which is what matters. The radio and climate controls are where they should be, and there are plenty of redundant controls to the touchscreen that rises from the dash. The screen is framed up by a chrome strip that drops below it and is ideally angled to reflect sunlight directly into the driver’s eyes. There must be a lot of cloudy days in Detroit.

Trim-levels for the Suburban include LS, LT, Z71, RST, Premier, and the range-topping High Country, which we drove. The LS comes standard with the aforementioned infotainment system, as well as 18-inch alloy wheels, a trailer hitch, power-adjustable front seats, tri-zone climate control, remote keyless entry, remote start, a WiFi hotspot, and a wall-style power outlet. Moving up to the LT trim adds a hands-free power liftgate, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a wireless charging pad, and a nine-speaker Bose premium stereo.

The Z71 is the rugged off-road-inspired trim. It has unique styling that actually fixes some of the flaws with the rest of the trim lineup. It’s just as aggressively styled as the rest, but it’s more appropriate for an off-road model. The Z71 comes exclusively with four-wheel drive (4WD) with low range. It adds tow hooks, added skid plates, and all-terrain tires. If the Z71 is the off-road trim, the RST is the on-road “performance” trim. It comes equipped with sharp 22-inch wheels, dark exterior accents, and a black interior with red stitching. Moving up to the Premier trim adds an adaptive suspension, navigation, power-folding third-row seats, and heated-and-ventilated front seats.

We drove the range-topping Suburban High Country, which is Chevy’s equivalent to the GMC Denali line. Our test model came with the High Country Deluxe package. This $5,500 option included the adaptive air suspension, power-retractable running boards, a massive panoramic sunroof with a power retracting sunshade, and a number of driver assistance features. It also featured the curious power-sliding center console (more on that later) and the $1,995 rear-seat media system. The latter consist of dual seat-back 12.6-inch HD screens.

The High Country has woodgrain and leather but lacks the soft-touch materials you would get in a true luxury SUV. The headliner is technically leather but it feels hard to the touch. There is lots of hard plastic despite being such an expensive vehicle.

The High Country is more akin to an upscale pickup than a luxury SUV. Even so, you’ll find better cabin quality and fit-and-finish in a Ram 1500 Limited.

The standard engine in the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is a 5.3-liter V8. It puts out 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. Chevy also offers a stout 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-liter V8 equipped with the Max Trailering package can tow up to 8,300 pounds.

Our test vehicle came equipped with the newly available Duramax turbodiesel engine. The 3.0-liter inline-six generates 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. All three engines route power through a 10-speed automatic transmission, with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) or available 4WD.

The diesel engine has great pickup and its V8-level torque provides plenty of grunt from a standstill and getting up to highway speeds. The Suburban shines by providing truck-like capability in a vehicle that can also seat seven or eight people. Given that it’s a diesel, the auto stop-start is very pronounced. Luckily, the defeat button is easy to find (on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel).

The Suburban’s truck-based underpinnings are revealed in its handling—both the good and the bad. The brakes are terrific. They provide tons of stopping power, while the pedal feel is soft, yet accurate. It’s important to have this confidence-inspiring stopping power in a vehicle of this size.

The Suburban finally gains an independent rear suspension, which helps give it a more compliant ride than before. GM has incorporated this set up just 17 years after it was adopted by Ford in the Expedition. The Suburban still has body-roll as you would expect. There are also some truck-like tendencies, such as chatter over bumps in the road at higher speeds. It’s also susceptible to crosswinds and turbulence from semi-trucks. But otherwise, the Suburban is incredibly smooth over most driving surfaces.

The Suburban’s massive cargo space will be one of the most commonly appreciated features for most owners. With the rear seats folded, it provides a cavernous 144.7 cubic feet of cargo space. Even with the second-row seats in use, 93.8 cubic feet of cargo space will be more than enough for most road trips. The 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space provided behind the third row is in the same neighborhood as that of many small crossovers.

The passengers are provided with a commanding view of the road, as well as tons of head- and legroom. The second-row captains' chairs in our test model were impressively spacious. The front passengers will never need to move their seats up to accommodate the second row.

As mentioned, the control layout is similar to the GM pickup truck lineup, which is a good thing. The main difference is the button shifter design, which is an unfortunate departure. It’s not overly difficult to use, but will never be as simple or intuitive as a basic column shifter.

Speaking of complex, our test model also featured a power-sliding center console. This is the very definition of a solution in search of a problem. The sliding function is slower than if it were just on latch-released rails, and it’s just one more button you have to go searching for (It’s in the overhead button console). These issues are overshadowed by the sheer volume of passenger and cargo space provided by the Suburban.

The Suburban comes standard with a 10.2-inch touchscreen that runs GM’s intuitive infotainment system. It has crisp graphics and a sensible layout. If you ever get lost in the menus, there’s a helpful home button below the screen. This system also comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. When combined with the available wireless device charging pad, it’s a very convenient setup.

A navigation system is available (but not necessary with CarPlay and Android Auto), as is a rear entertainment system with large touchscreens. The available head-up display is also helpful and provides large, easy-to-read graphics that are never in the way.

The Suburban comes equipped with automatic emergency braking, forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, and rear parking sensors. It also comes with the Teen Driver system, which allows the owner to set speed and volume limitations for the second set of kets. This is intended for parents to promote safe driving habits in younger drivers.

Optional safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic assist, front parking sensors, and a surround-view monitor camera system. It should be noted that some of these optional safety features come standard on competitors, like the Ford Expedition.

There are some unique features that Chevrolet offers as options, including the rear-view camera mirror and the Safety Alert Seat, which vibrates the seat for alerts. It’s far more intuitive and helpful than it sounds.

The most efficient version of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is the diesel engine with RWD. It returns EPA-estimated fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. Our 4WD diesel Suburban returns 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. In our week of combined city and highway driving, we observed fuel economy of 23.3 mpg.

With the 5.3-liter V8, the RWD Suburban returns 16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined. With 4WD, the 5.3-liter V8 15 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. The RWD Suburban with the 6.2-liter V8 returns 15 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. With 4WD, this engine returns 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, 16 mpg combined.

Base MSRP for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is $51,700 for the LS. The LT trim starts at $56,500 and the Z71 trim starts at $61,900. The sporty RST has an MSRP of $59,800 and the more luxury-minded Premier starts at $65,300. The range-topping High Country trim has a starting price of $72,300. Our 4WD High Country trim starts at $75,300, and with options, comes in at $81,700.

You could argue the price of our test model puts it squarely into luxury SUV territory, but consider that a Range Rover starts at $92,000. The Suburban’s pricing is more in line with a high-end, quad-cab pickup truck, and that’s fitting. The Suburban has space and capability that make it a more comfortable alternative to a lux truck. The Suburban’s truck underpinnings indicate its purpose. It’s a high-tech, well-equipped tool for a job, just one slightly more comfortable than a pickup.