Auto Review
After hauling around artists in a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban for four hours each day on the weekend of the Los Altos Rotary Club’s “Art in the Park,” I came to realize what a good vehicle it is.
As I picked them up at Los Altos High School, the artists jumped in the back with their art workd, and I may have carried more than the law allows.
Last Saturday, I test-drove a 2000 Suburban, and I was even more impressed. Although built on the same basic frame and powertrain as the Silverado pickup truck, this SUV has more power and a bigger cabin and the noise level is considerably reduced.
Even though the Suburban doesn’t feel big or ungainly in city traffic, its size is noticeable once you pull into a parking lot.
The turning circle is better than some large sedans, but its overall length still requires a bit more care when pulling out of parking spaces.
The Suburban doesn’t feel large because General Motors managed to make it feel smaller. This starts with getting in the vehicle. It’s simple to hike a hip onto the drivers seat and slide behind the wheel.
When I see a Suburban on Main Street in Los Altos, there’s usually a woman behind the wheel. Chevy says 60 percent of Suburban drivers are women, and 76 percent of Suburban buyers have children in the household. The average age of the buyer is 44.
The vehicle’s multiple seat adjustments are a plus, especially for shorter people. Those on the short side should have no problem finding the right driving position, and the large rearview mirrors help reduce blind spots. The high seating position can provide a confident driving experience.
Another nice feature are the small lights on the bottom of the outside mirrors. On a dark night, punch the keyless remote and they illuminate the area in front of the door.
Gauges are large, legible and nicely tailored. The heating, ventilation and air-condition controls in the lower center portion of the dash provide easy access.
A large central console between the front seats includes cupholders, plus a textured lid that doubles as a tray.
I also loved the nine-speaker audio system.
Access to the cargo section is by a top-hinged tailgate, preferable to the split tailgate of the past that required leaning across the outstretched bottom half in order to put something inside.
The Suburban I test-drove weighed in at 5,600 pounds. That’s almost three tons, but the weight is powered by a 5.3-liter, push rod V8 rated at 285 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque.
These engines trace their roots to the Chevrolet Corvette, since they do not have overhead cams or four valves per cylinder.
When buying an SUV, be sure to carefully analyze your needs before making the purchase. There is no need to buy the most powerful Suburban if you’re only taking the kids to and from the soccer game.
If you aren’t traveling over fields and muddy back roads, buying the two-wheel drive will save quite a bit of money
Base price of the Suburban is around $30,000, but the model year 2000 I tested listed at $38,000 and was loaded with extras.
My conclusion: The 2000 Suburban has all the features of a family sedan and the hauling capacity of a truck (Silverado).
It comfortably seats nine (the last row is fold and stow), tows 9,000 pounds with the its burly V8 engine and you can make it scream like a sports car.
The Suburban’s major competition comes from the Dodge Durango, Ford Excursion and Ford Expedition. The all-new Suburban has been powered-up, freshened-up and overall made better to serve loyal Suburban fans.
