2020 Chevrolet Suburban

The line-up for the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban includes three trims. They are LS, LT, and Premier available in RWD and AWD configurations. The LS is the base trim which carries a price tag of $51,700. The standard features on it include; 18-inch aluminum wheels, LED daytime running headlights, rear park assist, hill start assist, an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, 6-speaker audio system, tri-zone automatic climate control, HD radio, cruise control, premium cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto integration, and keyless entry. A little up the trim ladder will fetch you the LT which costs $56,500. 

It adds leather upholstery, heated front seats with memory settings for the driver’s seat and side-view mirrors, a power liftgate, 9-speaker Bose audio system, and a few driver aids. Opting for the LT unlocks an exclusive additional package. The Enhanced Driver Alert Package on the base trim adds forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, power-adjustable pedals, and seat belt alert. The Z71 package on the LT trim provides off-road suspension, off-road tires, and underbody protection. 

The LT’s Luxury Package adds power-folding third-row seats, keyless start, hands-free liftgate, power-folding mirrors, heated second-row seats, memory settings for the steering wheel, and a few more features. The top-of-the-line trim is the Premier which will cost you $65,500. In addition to the features mentioned above, the Premier gets, 20-inch aluminum wheels, HID headlights, fog lights, 10-speaker Bose audio system, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, an adaptive Magnetic Ride Control suspension, adaptive cruise control, and more. The Premier trim also gets access to the 6.2L V8 engine which can be paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

Which trim should you buy?

The most desirable trim would be the Premier which will grant you access to the 6.2-liter V8 engine but we don’t think you should be spending that much on an already expensive trim. The trim which would fit you perfectly for the price is the LT. It adds a generous list of features in addition to those on the LS and you’ll also be able to opt for the trim-specific Z71 package. 

Not just the Suburban but all the SUVs in this segment have a sub-par fuel economy. “Big vehicles with big engines” is not exactly the recipe for good mileage. With the base engine and 4WD, the 2020 Suburban returns a fuel economy of 14/21/16 MPG in the city/highway/combined respectively. Pair the 5.3-liter V8 motor with the RWD and fuel efficiency will rise by 1/1/2 MPG in the city, highway, and combined respectively. Furthermore, the 6.2L V8 is not far behind as it provides 14 MPG in the city, 20 MPG on the highway, and 16 mpg combined when RWD is selected. Swap the drivetrain to the 4WD and you will get 3 MPG and 1 mpg less in the city and combined respectively. 

The Suburban and the Yukon XL come with the largest fuel tank in the segment. Both can hold up to 31 gallons of fuel, which provides the best combined range in the segment. That aside, the most thirsty SUV would be the Nissan Armada which also has the smallest fuel tank among all the rivals which ultimately results in a combined range of only 390 miles. Last but not the least, the Ford Expedition Max becomes the most fuel-efficient SUV in the competition. 

The interior of the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban is spacious, comfortable, and has a feature-filled cabin. The Suburban offers ample space for passengers regardless of the row. It seats 8 passengers as standard but you have an option to add one more seat while the topmost trim only allows seven people inside because of two bucket seats in the second row. Starting with the dashboard, the design and layout are simplistic yet attractive. Controls are within close range of the driver making it a less stressful driving experience. The seating position is excellent with plenty of outside visibility. 

Depending on the trim, seat adjustment, upholstery, and heating functions change. The base model LS gets a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a 6-way power-adjustable passenger’s seat. On the base trim, the second and third-row seats have a split pattern of 40/60. Furthermore, the Suburban also gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and tri-zone automatic climate control as standard. The LT adds heated front seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The top tier trim adds a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, and an option of heating the second-row seats as well. The base trim features premium cloth upholstered seats while the other two get leather upholstery.

The Suburban offers generous space inside but it does not stop there. It also offers a class-leading cargo space behind the third row of seats. A space of 39.3 cubic feet is quite unmatched by any of its rivals. The Yukon XL, being its corporate cousin has identical cargo space and interior space to that of the Suburban. Meanwhile, the Ford Expedition has quite an airy cabin while Nissan Armada does not disappoint in terms of interior space either but it is quite stingy when it comes to third-row legroom. Also, the Nissan Armada has the least amount of cargo space available in the competition. Highlights of the interior features are:

• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Premium cloth upholstery (LS)
• Leather upholstery (LT and Premier)
• Heated front seats (LT and Premier)
• Ventilated front seats (Premier)
• Memory settings for driver’s seat, pedals, and steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel (LT and Premier)
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Manual tilt and telescopic steering column (LT and Premier)

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Suburban features an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This system is extremely user-friendly and menus don’t take time in getting used to. The buttons and knobs are strategically placed below the screen to help the driver manipulate the functions. That aside, 2020 Suburban is packed with a lot of features to entertain you. It gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, HD radio, Bluetooth, 5 USB ports, and AM/FM stereo as standard. The base trim LS gets a 6-speaker audio system while the LS gets a 9-speaker Bose audio system. 

The Premier ups the ante further by featuring a 10-speaker Bose audio system. All trims have a 4.2-inch multi-color driver information center as standard. The LS and LT trims get optional features such as 4G LTE Hotspot compatibility, rear-seat entertainment, touchscreen navigation system and wireless charging pad are also available on the 2020 Suburban. Most of these features are standard on the Premier trim. Highlights of the infotainment features are:

• 8-inch touchscreen
• Bose audio system
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Wireless charging
• Navigation system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Rear entertainment system 

The exterior of the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban follows a boxy, upright, and muscular theme. It is huge and has a commanding road presence wherever it goes. The front fascia of the SUV comprises a massive horizontally chrome-slotted grille with a big Chevy bowtie in the middle. It is followed by awkwardly yet stylishly shaped, two-tier projector-beam LED daytime running headlights. The Premier gets exclusive HID headlights and front fog lights. You immediately notice the Suburban’s ridiculous size when you view it from the side. 

It sits on 18-inch aluminum wheels as standard which can be upgraded to 20-inches on the top-tier trim. It also features heated power auto-dimming side-view mirrors and roof-mounted side rails. The rear end of the car follows the upright theme. The roofline is monotonous with no slope whatsoever. This makes the rear end look tall. It is characterized by big taillights, a rear lip spoiler, a power liftgate, a huge body-colored rear bumper, and a single exhaust outlet.

Dimensionally, Suburban is by far the largest vehicle in the segment. It features a 130-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 224.4 inches. Such stupendous dimensions result in a curb weight of over 5400 pounds. However, the stance of the Suburban is comparatively low because of its 7.9-inches ground clearance. The Suburban and the Yukon XL have identical dimensions. The Expedition Max has the highest ground clearance and the biggest wheelbase. On the opposite side, the Nissan Armada has the shortest wheelbase. Highlights of the exterior features are:

• HID Headlights (Premier)
• LED daytime running headlights (LS and LT)
• LED taillights 
• 18-inch aluminum wheels (LS and LT)
• 20-inch aluminum wheels (Premier)
• Power liftgate
• Roof-mounted side rails

The 2020 Chevrolet Suburban earned a 4-star safety rating from the NHTSA while IIHS scores are unavailable just like last year’s model. The standard safety features on the base Suburban includes cruise control, rear Park Assist, backup camera, and a theft-deterrent system. Climb the trim ladder and you can get the automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane-keep assist with lane departure warning on the LT whereas the front and rear park assist, lane change alert with side blind zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the Premier. Highlights of the safety features are:

• Lane departure warning with lane keep assist
• Forward collision warning
• Rear park assist 
• Automatic emergency braking
• Rear-cross traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control
• Forward collision warning

2020 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2020 Ford Expedition Max

The Ford Expedition Max gives the Suburban a tough time in terms of performance. It has a better-powered engine and a higher towing capacity than the Suburban. Furthermore, it also manages to provide a slightly better fuel economy than the Suburban. The Suburban, however, is $4,000 cheaper than the Ford and also offers more standard features. It proves to be a better value-for-money SUV than its fellow American rival.

2020 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2020 Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada is by far the most affordable 8-seater SUV in the segment. Not just that, the Armada has the biggest engine in its class which delivers more staggering power than the Suburban. The Japanese SUV is well-known for its high reliability and its feature-filled cabin. All of these aspects are in favor of the Armada except fuel economy. This Competitor from Nissan also has less fuel storage capacity in comparison. 

2020 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2020 GMC Yukon XL

The Suburban and the Yukon XL are almost identical vehicles as they both come under General Motors. Both are fitted with the same engine that provides identical power figures and mileage. There is not much to differentiate between the two. In this very closely matched comparison, we feel that Chevy offers a better deal than GMC as it is $1,700 cheaper.

It's hard to find flaws in the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. Compared to rivals, it is dimensionally the largest, offers excellent interior space and luggage storage space. The Suburban is adequately powered and is packed with standard features. Apart from its sub-par fuel economy and its mediocre driving experience, it is a decent package. But Suburban is most likely going to get a full redesign and the 2019 model does not differ that much from the 2020 model. Therefore, you can either go for the 2019 Suburban to save money or wait for the new redesigned 2021 model.