Keep Polishing
Motor Trend|November 2020
BLESSED WITH EXCELLENT POWERTRAINS, CHEVY’S NEW FULL-SIZE SUV IS LET DOWN BY A DISAPPOINTING INTERIOR AND INSCRUTABLE TECHNOLOGY
JONNY LIEBERMAN
Keep Polishing

There’s a diamond in there somewhere.

Chevrolet launched the original Suburban during the first year of FDR’s first presidential term, in 1933. That makes the Suburban the longest-running nameplate in automotive history. I strongly suspect that 87 years from now, Chevy will still be selling these gargantuan people movers. It has been a fixture on American roads for a third as long as the United States has been a country.

Why such longevity? Because Americans need Suburbans. We’re big people with large families, husky friends, and an endless supply of outdoor toys, living in an expansive land filled with majestic redwood forests and shimmering Gulf Stream waters. This SUV was made for you and me.

When my European friends visit, they look at these extra-full-size Chevys and ask, “Anyone can just buy that? You don’t need a special permit?” But American SUV aficionados ask, “Do you think Chevy will ever make a 2500 version, with the big Duramax?”

I was raised to love Suburbans. We were a GM wagon family. But after the first time my dad rode in a Suburban, he spent the next seven years telling anyone who’d listen that Chevy’s largest product was the most luxurious thing he’d ever sat in.

I once spent a week driving a 1989 Suburban in full Duck Dynasty livery around South Carolina. I came away thinking it was GM’s high-water mark. For decades, no other vehicle could seat as many, carry as much, or go so many places. The launch of any new Suburban is a big deal, but especially so now that the Ford Expedition is a better SUV than the edition Chevrolet just retired.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Motor Trend.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Motor Trend.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MOTOR TRENDView All
MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
Motor Trend

MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH

THERE’S NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2024
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Motor Trend

THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR

Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2024
AGENTS OF ZERO
Motor Trend

AGENTS OF ZERO

WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2024
THEY LISTENED
Motor Trend

THEY LISTENED

THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 HIGHLAND FIXES NEARLY EVERYTHING WE HATED ABOUT THE OLD CAR

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2024
2023 Lexus RZ
Motor Trend

2023 Lexus RZ

Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024
2024 Land Rover Defender
Motor Trend

2024 Land Rover Defender

The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024
2024 Kia Seltos
Motor Trend

2024 Kia Seltos

If you’ve been a fan of Kia’s recent styling direction but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024
2023 Jeep Compass
Motor Trend

2023 Jeep Compass

When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024
2024 Hyundai Kona
Motor Trend

2024 Hyundai Kona

The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024
2023 Ford Escape
Motor Trend

2023 Ford Escape

The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasn’t ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, we’re pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, there’s some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2024