Texas was the most appropriate place to debut the new 2025 Suburban and Tahoe. Everything in Texas is big, and that goes for Suburban and Tahoe. They make big power, have big towing capacities, showcase extra-big interiors, and are the bestselling full-size SUVs in the U.S. of A.
They’re also ubiquitous in Texas and might as well be the state’s official vehicles. In fact, they’re made at General Motors’ Arlington, Texas, factory, which has been turning out vehicles for 70 years.
Fun fact: The Suburban is the longest-running American vehicle nameplate and celebrates 90 years in 2025.
In short: These popular full-size SUVs already have a winning formula. This refresh and the addition of the Duramax diesel on the Z71 should ensure these Texas-sized American SUVs remain big favorites with North American buyers.
- Engines: 3.0L turbodiesel I6, 5.3L gasoline V8, 6.2L gasoline V8
- Horsepower: 305 hp, 355 hp, and 420 hp, respectively
- Torque: 495 lb.-ft., 383 lb.-ft., and 460 lb.-ft.., respectively
- Drivetrain: 10-speed automatic, RWD or 4WD
- Maximum towing capacity: 7,800-8,200 lbs. (Suburban); 8,000-8,400 lbs. (Tahoe)
- Maximum cargo capacity: 144.5 cu. ft. (Suburban), 122.7 cu. ft. (Tahoe)
- Mileage: TBD
- Starting MSRPs: $60,495 (Tahoe), $63,495 (Suburban) + $1,995 destination charge
Pros
- 3.0L turbodiesel is smooth, quiet, and now available on Z71
- Lots of options to configure the way you want
- New infotainment screens are great
- RST trim offers sporty looks and performance
Cons
- Stiff, jittery ride at slower speeds
- Spongy, rubbery brake feel
- No 12V DC plugs
- Could use more USB outlets
2025 Chevrolet Suburban & Tahoe
Big in America
You don’t truly understand how popular the Suburban and Tahoe are until you go to Europe, where they’re almost nonexistent. After returning from 5 weeks overseas, I was reminded how big U.S. vehicles can be, and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe are among the largest.
I’m not size shaming — the U.S. is a big country, Americans tow big boats and trailers with their full-size SUVs, and they buy lots of them. Chevy sold 163,148 Suburbans and Tahoes (combined) in 2023. Heck, 90 years of Suburban sales (and 30 of Tahoe) can’t be wrong.
Don’t Mess With Success
For 2025, Chevrolet made updates to its full-size SUV lineup without messing with success. Changes to these vehicles include refreshed exteriors, new lighting, a bigger 24-inch wheel option, new interiors, ride and handling enhancements, and the addition of a new 3.0L Duramax turbodiesel for the off-road-centric Z71.
There are a head-spinning number of options available. Each SUV offers six trim levels, three engine options, four wheel and tire packages, and a variety of interior options with the ability to seat seven, eight, or nine passengers. While it’s dizzying to configure, it allows buyers to get that just-right rig.
Exterior Design
All six Suburban and Tahoe trims — LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country — get a revised front fascia. This includes new sleek daytime running lights (DRLs) with a thinner, yet more prominent look thanks to an angled prism. The dual C-shaped lights give it the current Chevy family look, too. At the back, these SUVs also get new animated head- and taillights.
The adventure-oriented Z71 has its own distinctive style with a high-approach front end, red tow hooks, silver lower grille bezel, and the inclusion of skid plates. The Z71 also includes standard 20-inch wheels with Goodyear all-terrain tires.
Speaking of wheels and tires, the SUVs can be had with a variety of different wheels and tires ranging from 18 inches on the LS to massive 24-inch donk-like rollers with 40-series Bridgestone Alenza tires on the High Country.
There are 20-inch and 22-inch options in between, including 20-inch Firestone Firehawk Pursuit rubber — the same you’d find on a law-enforcement vehicle. Whether you’re looking for a work rig, something athletic, an off-roader, or an SUV with urban appeal, there’s a wheel and tire package to suit shoppers’ wants.
Power Potential
For engines, Suburban/Tahoe buyers can select a 5.3L EcoTec3 V8, a 6.2L EcoTec3 V8, or a 3.0L Duramax turbodiesel inline-6, which is available on the Z71 for the first time. Not every engine is available in every trim, however.
The first vehicle I drove was a Suburban Z71 with the LZ0 diesel engine, which makes 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of twist. It was remarkably quiet and smooth, and hardly sounded like a diesel mill. It was great to drive and was my favorite engine of the lot thanks to plentiful power, ample torque, with quiet operation.
EPA fuel numbers haven’t been released, but the diesel Tahoe I drove was getting 20 mpg over 200 miles of driving in mixed conditions (by lead-foot journalists), and an engineer said he was able to get 28 mpg on a cross-country trip.
The outgoing 2024 Tahoe was rated at 28 mpg highway in 2WD guise. FYI, fuel tank sizes are approximately 28 and 24 gallons for Suburban and Tahoe, respectively.
Next, I drove a base-model Tahoe LS with the 5.3L V8. Acceleration was average but, believe it or not, models equipped with the 5.3 and 2WD have the highest maximum towing ability — 8,400 pounds — of all models. It is, however, the least exciting to drive.
Finally, I piloted the sporty Tahoe RST with the gusty 6.2L V8 and the performance package. The high-performance intake, throaty exhaust note, and Firestone Pursuit tires made this more fun to pilot than a 5,877+ pound SUV should be.
Tahoe RST models have sub-6-second 0-60 times, making this an SUV sleeper, at least in a sprint. It also includes upgraded Brembo brakes to help slow this quick SUV down.
Transmission, Drivetrain, and Chassis
Despite a glut of options, Suburban and Tahoe get one transmission: a Hydra-Matic 10L80 10-speed automatic. The gearbox shifted smoothly and worked as expected. Tap the L button on the steering wheel, and you can select your own gears using paddle shifters.
All models (except Z71) have standard 2WD, and are available with Autotrac 4WD, either with the single-speed transfer case (LS, LT, RST), or the two-speed transfer case (Z71, Premier, High Country) for more control off-road.
These are body-on-frame vehicles with fully independent suspension, but there are three different suspension choices: a traditional coil-over spring/shock combo, Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) shocks with coil springs, and Air Ride Adaptive Suspension (using MRC shocks).
The LS and LT get standard shocks and springs; Air Ride is available on RST, Z71, and High Country; MRC is standard on Premier and High Country, and available on RST and Z71. So. Many. Options.
These are big SUVs, and the brakes feel like it. While they don’t require lots of pedal effort, they felt spongey, like there was a big rubber ball under the pedal. I realize these are heavy, full-size vehicles and not car-based crossovers, however. Conversely, the steering was remarkably precise, and, despite the vehicles’ sizes, they felt surprisingly nimble and easy to drive.
I didn’t get any real off-road experience with the Z71, but I did play with its low range on a small dirt patch out of town. The push-button 4WD is easy to use and worked as you’d expect. Locking differentials are not available, but a rear limited-slip differential is standard.
A Full-Size Driving Experience
Around town, Suburban and Tahoe — regardless of suspension — have a firm, truck-like ride. At slow speeds, there’s rubbery kickback over expansion joints that transfers into the steering wheel. At highway speeds, things smooth out, and these Texas-sized SUVs feel at home at Texas-like speeds of 75+ mph. Wind and road noise are minimal.
Those who love big vehicles will be comfortable in either the Suburban or the Tahoe (which is about 15 inches shorter). Thankfully, there are a host of cameras and parking sensors allowing drivers to more easily park these behemoths. But driving in downtown Dallas or through narrow construction zones makes you realize how big these SUVs are.
Updated Interiors
Another big update for 2025 are the interiors. Most notably, these SUVs get an all-new standard 17.7-inch infotainment screen paired with an 11-inch driver information center. This creates a wide, brilliant display with gobs of information.
Overall, I’ve been happy with GM’s latest infotainment iterations, such as the one on the Traverse, and this continues. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available; Google Maps is the included navigation.
Other available interior niceties include an available 15-inch heads-up display and rear headrest monitors for middle-row passengers, which now display trip information for fewer “Are we there yet?” questions.
New center consoles with available wireless charging are available, there’s a new steering wheel design, and select models get unique treatments, such as red stitching (RST) and wood décor (High Country). All rigs get updated furnishing with both the love-it-or-hate-it piano black and Galvano chrome. Chevy has also added more soft-touch bits.
There wasn’t an official statement on how many USB ports there were, but I counted six: 1 USB-A and USB-C up front, 2 USB-C in the second row, and 2 USB-C in the third. I figured there’d be more if you could carry up to nine people. Also, like so many other GM-made vehicles, there are no 12V DC plugs. Most models at the drive event featured two 120V plugs, however.
The biggest interior difference? Suburban offers more cargo space behind the third row.
Safety in Spades
Chevrolet made the Suburban and Tahoe safer than ever. Included are enhanced automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with departure warning, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, and IntelliBeam headlights that turn high beams on and off automatically over 25 mph.
New safety items include intersection auto emergency braking, side bicyclist alert, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic braking, and blind zone steering assist.
The company’s excellent hands-free Super Cruise driving is also available, though not on all models. There’s also the AutoSense power liftgate, which Chevy lists as a safety feature, but simply opens the back when it senses the key fob behind the vehicle.
Not listed as a safety feature is trailer navigation, boat ramp assist, and trailer tire health. The trailer navigation works with Google Maps to show the best routes for those with a trailer in tow. Smart.
2025 Suburban & Tahoe Review Wrapup
If you want to seat up to nine people, tow 8,400 pounds, and have as much as 144.5 cubic feet of cargo volume, Suburban and its shorter Tahoe sibling are right up your alley. While not bigger, they are better.
You can also get them with pretty much every option under the sun, and they have an impressive list of standard features. So, while everything may be bigger in Texas, the Texas-sized Suburban and Tahoe are likely to remain popular in all 50 states.
The new Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe will be available later in 2024. Prices start at $58,500 for a Tahoe LS and $61,500 for a Suburban LS, with the destination charge being another $1,995.
