2021 Chevrolet Suburban

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban competes against the Ford Expedition MAX and 2021 GMC Yukon XL. The GMC Yukon XL is mechanically the same and shares most of the mechanical parts with the Suburban. The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban offers a lot to impress a buyer, and becomes one of the better choices in many aspects. The standard engine under the hood of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is a 5.3L V8, but you also get an option of a bigger 6.2L V8 in the High Country trim. 

The Chevrolet Suburban has a total of 6 trims on offer. The most affordable option is LS trim, which gives you entry to the Suburban lineup. The standard feature list on offer is good enough, but upgrading will be a good idea. If you are looking for great performance then you have to go to the High Country trim, as the 6.2L engine is limited to that trim only. But, the top trim gets very expensive and is not the best option from the value proposition.

There is a good list of features on offer right from the base trim, but some of the safety features are limited to the higher trims. The higher trims do not justify their price and are a very expensive option for the segment. You can opt for optional packages for safety features and entertainment features on the lower trims.

Which trim should you buy?

We recommend going for the RST trim as it covers all the basic features of comfort and convenience. It also opens the door for the rear seat media to keep the passengers entertained in the rear seat. You also get bigger 22-inch wheels, which gives the big SUV a nice stance. The value proposition is also well taken care of in the RST trim, as it gives the complete look to the Suburban. You can select the optional package if you want any specific features.

The Chevrolet Suburban is powered by a standard 5.3-liter V8 except for the High Country trim. The base 5.3-liter V8 produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. The engine produces enough power to handle your daily drives very well without any hesitation. The engine is mated to a standard 10-speed automatic transmission across the trims. 

The transmission also remains the same for the bigger 6.2-liter V8 in the High Country trim, which produces 420 horsepower for the extra punch that you need. The base engine never feels under power and is good enough to push the Suburban in all driving situations. But, if you want even better performance then the 6.2L V8 is the engine of choice for you.

The 2021 Chevy Suburban takes 7.2 seconds to reach 60 miles an hour from a standstill. The quarter-mile comes in 15.7 seconds. GMC Yukon XL which is powered by the same engine has a similar performance on offer, but it takes a slight 0.2 seconds to complete the quarter-mile run. The 2021 Ford Expedition MAX has a smaller 3.5-liter V6 but produces more power and torque, thanks to the twin-turbo. The 2021 Ford Expedition MAX is also faster by straight 1 second in the 60 mph run. 

How well does the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban handle?

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is still a large SUV, and you feel the length while driving the car. You can never ignore the length of the car in the narrow streets or even on the highways. Still, Chevy has done a great job in making the large SUV more agile and easy to handle. The car handles like a small SUV, and the newer independent suspension also helps the handling. The steering wheel is very responsive and gives great feedback. It makes changing the lanes easier and gives confidence while driving the 2021 Suburban.

The ride quality is also very comfortable, and it soaks all the road undulations very well. The independent suspension doesn’t only help the handling of the SUV, but also helps the ride quality, and the air suspension is also there to assist the ride. Independent suspension and adaptive air suspension make the ride smoother, but the comfort still lacks because of the high truck-like build.

How good is the braking performance of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban?

The Chevrolet Suburban is a heavy SUV that weighs 5616 pounds, and it is very crucial to use good enough brakes to stop the big SUV in an emergency. Chevy has used 17-inch brake rotors in the front and rear wheels, which does a good job of stopping the 2021 Suburban in just 127 feet from 60 mph. The brakes feel progressive enough in everyday conditions, still, you can not expect the same bite as a smaller-sized SUV. 

The Chevrolet Suburban offers good braking performance, and the larger brake rotors handle everything very well. Ford Expedition uses a smaller 13-inch rotor at the front and 13.5-inch rotors in the rear. The 2021 Ford Expedition takes 130 feet to come to a standstill from 60 miles an hour.

We do not expect great mpg figures from an SUV of this segment, as they are already very big and bulky. The V8 engine also doesn’t help the fuel economy. You can expect 16 mpg of fuel economy in the city driving conditions, which might increase to 20 mpg on the highway. If we combine both the situations then you can expect mpg figures in excess of 18 miles per gallon. The fuel economy will further fall for the bigger 6.2-liter V8 engine for obvious reasons. The 4WD drivetrain will also dip the mpg figures further. 2021 Chevy Suburban comes with a larger fuel tank with a capacity of 28 gallons, which provides a good enough range for long journeys.

The 2021 Ford Expedition MAX is able to deliver a slightly better fuel economy than the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The smaller engine and slightly lighter weight help the 2021 Ford Expedition achieve better mileage. The tank size is slightly smaller than the Chevy, but the difference is not much. The Ford Expedition delivers a better range in every driving condition. The 2021 GMC Yukon XL has the same engine with similar mechanicals, so the mpg figures remain the same.

The interior of the Chevrolet Suburban has a lot of improvements this year. One thing that you will notice as soon as you get inside the cabin is the amount of space on offer and the practicality of the cabin. There are so many options for storage inside the cabin, that you will never run out of storage. The material used inside the cabin is also good enough and doesn’t feel cheap at all. The cabin controls are nice and easy. The driving position is also very good, and you get a great view of the road ahead. 

There are some ergonomic issues with the driver controls, and the gear shifter also takes some time to get used to. Other than that you have ample space inside all the rows. You can adjust the legroom in the second row by sliding the seat forward and backward. It will also help the space for the third-row passengers. The third-row seats have enough space for adults, which further enhances the practicality of the SUV.

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban has a longer wheelbase, gives more space inside the cabin, and you also get good cargo space. Space is on power with the Ford Expedition MAX, and the cargo space is more than the Expedition MAX. Yukon XL has almost identical dimensions. Here are some of the interior features of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban:

• Good space in all the three rows
• Easy cabin controls
• Comfortable seats
• Option to adjust legroom for second and third-row passengers
• Big panoramic sunroof

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban?

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban comes with a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment display features Chevrolet Infotainment System 3 Plus and various other connectivity options. You get a 9-speaker Bose system for audio, and you always have the option to upgrade to an even better 10-speaker Bose system. You can connect both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly to the infotainment system. 

There are multiple ports inside the Suburban for all your devices, and you will never run out of ports. You also get Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi hotspot, and an all-access trial package of SiriusXM. For rear passengers, Chevy gives you the rear-seat entertainment package that includes two large 12.6-inch screens in the back seat. Here are some of the infotainment features for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban:

• 10.2-inch touchscreen display
• Chevrolet Infotainment System 3 Plus
• 10-speaker Bose audio system
• Bluetooth and WiFi Hotspot connectivity
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• An available rear-seat entertainment package

The Chevrolet Suburban looks very subtle from the outside. There is not much drama going on, on the exterior. 2021 Suburban gets a big chrome grille in the front that looks good on the front. The side has not much styling, and it looks very plain from the outside. The side looks very long, which it actually is. You can see the 20-inch, or 22-inch alloy wheels on the side, depending on the trim. On the back also there is nothing much to talk about, you get the Chevy logo on a chrome strip, and right below you get the badging of Suburban.

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is the longest SUV of the lot, and the wheelbase is also bigger than the Ford Expedition MAX. The 2021 Ford Expedition MAX takes the lead when it comes to the width of the vehicle. None of the SUVs in the comparison can be termed as small, as they all are very big and you feel that out on the road. Here are some of the exterior features of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban:

• Panoramic sunroof
• 20-inch or 22-inch alloy wheels
• Hands-Free power tailgate
• Independent Suspension 
• Automatic LED headlights

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated 4 out of 5 stars to the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. Many safety features are limited to the higher trim models, so it is a good idea to go for a safety package to get more safety features. The Suburban is built on a truck platform, which makes it one of the toughest built SUVs. In the higher trims, Chevy has packed in many safety features to keep you safe in the vehicle.

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban has features like Dusk Sensing Headlamps, Pre-Collision Safety System, Post-Collision Safety System, Remote Anti-Theft Alarm System, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban also offers advanced driver assistance tech like emergency brake assist and other similar features.

• Emergency brake assist
• Dusk sensing headlamps
• Pre and post-collision safety system
• Remote anti-theft alarm system
• Tire pressure monitoring sensor

2021 Chevrolet Suburban vs. 2021 Ford Expedition MAX

The Ford Expedition gives a good competition to the Chevrolet Suburban. It has good space inside the cabin, the cargo space is also decent, and the engine offers more power than the standard engine that goes in the Chevy Suburban. The fuel economy is also better. Still, the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban comes as a better choice as it has more space inside the cabin and cargo. It also offers a better cabin, and the practicality is also better.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban vs. 2021 GMC Yukon XL

The GMC Yukon XL shares the same engine and mechanicals as the Chevrolet Suburban. It has some minor changes inside the cabin and offers better interior quality than the Suburban. Some other bits are also changed to differentiate it from the Chevy Suburban. But the Yukon XL is more expensive than the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, and it doesn’t justify the price point. The upgrade is not worth the extra price and Chevy offer better value between the two.

The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is a better choice in the segment in various aspects. You get good space inside the cabin, great cargo space, a powerful engine, and much more. The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban also takes care of the practicality aspect very well. The entertainment is well taken care of with the large 10.2-inch screen, and you can also opt for the rear-seat entertainment package. The SUV handles very well for such a large size SUV, and changes lanes easily. The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban offers a good package, especially the mid trims.