2025 Chevrolet Suburban Review: Staying Fresh 90 Years Later

Since its roll-out in 1935, the Chevrolet Suburban has been the longest-running nameplate in the auto industry. For the fifth year of the truck’s current generation, Chevrolet has revamped the 2025 Suburban and its shorter-wheelbase doppelganger, the Tahoe, as it plans to remain the number one brand in full-size SUVs. New lights, grilles, and fascias, a new interior, more standard safety features, and an upgrade and expansion of availability of its segment-exclusive diesel powertrain aim to keep the duo at the top as competition from Ford, Jeep, Toyota, and Nissan continue to improve as well.

Chevrolet invited us to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, near the Arlington plant where its full-size SUVs are built, to experience the full lineup of RWD and 4×4 Tahoes and Suburbans. The most noticeable change in the big utilities is new lighting and grilles across the board. The changes are subtle, as the new grilles still tie the SUV lineup into the popular Silverado pickup, but adopt an even more dramatic interpretation of the C-shaped lights up front.

The redesign inside is more dramatic, where a new interior hinges on a new dash. A 17.7-inch screen is standard across all trim levels of Tahoe and Suburban. The screen has plenty of real estate to display navigation using built-in Google Maps or wirelessly link with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay while also giving details on the audio system or trailering information. For those who are wary of large screens, there are still buttons for the HVAC controls located just below the screen, and the power switch and volume knob are within easy reach of the driver. Additional buttons are located to the left of the steering wheel, near the driver’s knee, for functions like traction control, the surround vision camera, the suspension mode selector and ride height adjuster, and the trailer brake controller. The buttons are easily reached and keep the center stack area from being too cluttered. Combined with the large, customizable driver information center and the optional head-up display, any driver can find a combination of gauges and displays to suit their desire.

The wide center screen dictates other changes for the interior. A column shifter is now standard across the Suburban and Tahoe lineup, replacing shifter buttons previously located on the dash. This is a major upgrade. The new shifter is familiar to use for anyone used to column shifters, but since it’s purely electronic it can swap a large, clunky lever for a more compact stalk. Pull it back and pivot it up for Reverse, pull back and down for Drive. Park is engaged by pressing a button at the end of the stalk.

Specs: 2025 Chevrolet Suburban

• Price: $61,500 base
• Powertrain: 5.3-liter OHV V-8
• Output: 355 hp, 383 lb-ft of torque
• Layout: Front-engine, four-door, 7–9 passenger sport utility
• Weight:  5680 pounds
• EPA Fuel Economy: Not yet rated
• Competitors: Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada

Besides aesthetics, another significant change for 2025 is the optional Duramax diesel, the full-size SUV segment’s only available diesel. The 3.0-liter inline-six has impressed us with its fuel economy and responsiveness in pickup truck duty, and now the improved diesel has rolled out across the SUV lineup as well, replacing the original iteration of the engine, the LM2, which produced 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The new LZ0 version produces 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. It’s also now available with the Z71 trim—a first for the diesel—thanks to new packaging that allows the charge cooler to work with the high-clearance front fascia. We suspect that you can credit the LZ0’s status as the base engine for the ZR2 Silverado for speeding that process along.

Just like in the Silverado, the Duramax 3.0L makes its presence known through its engine note, but it’s not deafening or even unpleasant, just noticeably different than the gasoline V-8s, and noticeably diesel. Despite being down on peak horsepower compared to its gasoline V-8 alternatives, the boosted torque curve means there’s more power available low in the rpm range. EPA fuel economy numbers aren’t out yet for the improved Duramax in the Tahoe and Suburban, but they shouldn’t deviate much from the 2024 model year, where the Duramax achieves a combined rating of 22 mpg on 4×4 models and 23 mpg on the RWD Suburban, and 24 mpg on the RWD Tahoe. Those figures represent about a 35 percent improvement over the fuel economy of the 5.3-liter V-8, which feels the weight of the Tahoe and Suburban. For those looking for more oomph, the 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 is available on Premier, RST, and Z71 trims and makes fantastic noise on its way to pushing the big utilities up to speed with little effort. Pick the diesel for economy, or the 6.2-liter for assertive power. The venerable 5.3-liter is no slouch, but with the Suburban tipping the scales at nearly 6000 pounds, it’s got its work cut out for itself in these applications, and the fuel economy isn’t much better than the 6.2, which is standard on the most luxurious High Country trim.

On the road, the Suburban impressed us with just how easy it is to drive. The LS handles well, with an assertive steering response and a smooth ride. Higher trim levels, which come with larger wheels than the 18s found on the LS, were optioned with Magnetic Ride Control to smooth out potholes and make expansion joints imperceptible. Optional four-corner air suspension with Magnetic Ride Control is also optional and auto-levels based on load, but we drove solo, so we can’t comment on how these people-movers do when full of passengers. We can say that Magnetic Ride Control remains impressive and we wouldn’t be surprised if the top Suburban trims, now available with 24-inch wheels, cribbed some of the suspension tuning from the Escalade.

Carried over from the 2024 models, Chevy Safety Assist is standard and bundles enhanced automatic emergency braking, lake keep assist, forward collision alert, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, and IntelliBeam, Chevrolet’s automatic dimming hi-beams. For 2025, side bicyclist alert, rear pedestrian alert, and rear cross-traffic braking were added to the list of standard safety features. Chevrolet has also included enhanced automatic parking assist and HD Surround Vision as standard equipment for all trim levels, making it easier to squeeze the big machines into tight spots. These added safety features might tip some cross-shoppers into the Chevy camp, and it’s impressive that they all come with only a minuscule bump in asking price. Chevrolet seems to know what its customers want in this segment, and the big utilities give buyers even more reasons to come back and choose a Bow Tie again.

2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban

Highs: Improved interior and safety features across all trim levels, great ride quality, finally a Z71 diesel.

Lows: Tahoe and Suburban lack some of the luxury amenities offered at GMC, 5.3L V-8 could use more power.

Summary: Tahoe and Suburban give customers a reason to come back with improved standard safety features and value across the lineup.