Review update: 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excels at family life
The Chevrolet Suburban is the largest passenger vehicle on the market and it’s popular for a reason: It’s fantastic at hauling everything and everybody.
With a TCC Rating of 6.3 out of 10, the 2022 Suburban makes a strong case for itself with the ability to haul the family and its gear, terrific ride quality, and quick folding third row. But it’s massive and lacks family-friendly features offered by rivals.
Here’s what I learned hauling the family around town in the 2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier for a week.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Hit: All the space
The interior of the Suburban is palatial. It can hold up to nine passengers, though my Premier tester only had seats for seven thanks to second-row captains chairs. There were zero complaints from my wife, two kids, and two parents while riding happily together in the Suburban thanks to its 42.0 inches of leg room in the second row and 36.7 inches in the third row. At the same time it hauled three massive suitcases, a huge duffel bag, three backpacks, and three computer bags without compromising rear visibility or requiring a game of Tetris to keep the cargo below the rear seat back.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Mis: Can only tuck and tumble
Pulling a lever folds the second-row captain’s chair for access to the spacious third row, which sports 2.2 inches more legroom over the outgoing model. But the Suburban lacks the ability to tilt and slide the second-row seats with a booster or car seat strapped to it, unlike a Ford Expedition or Jeep Wagoneer. A convenient feature for families with little kids.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Hit: Goldilocks ride
My $79,370 4WD Premier model rode on adaptive dampers with the simple steel suspension rather than the available air suspension. It just might be the Goldilocks suspension setup for the Suburban. It’s not as firm as the air suspension translating to a more settled ride over expansion joints and broken midwestern pavement. There’s slightly more body roll than models equipped with an air suspension, but the comfort tradeoff in day-to-day driving seems worth it for this family cruiser.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Miss: Hilariously big
At nearly 226 inches long, which is 1.3 inches longer than the outgoing model with an extra 4.1 inches in the wheelbase, the Subruban’s the largest thing in parking lots outside of pickup trucks. It’s massive in every sense of the word. The hoodline’s high, the front is imposing, and the available surround-view camera system is a must-have to see around this thing. Prepare to live life with three-point turns in the Costco or Park ‘N Fly parking lot. Measure your garage twice before you buy a Suburban.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Hit: Folds fast
The power-operated third row in the Suburban is the quickest folding setup on the market outside of its siblings, the Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade (which all share the same design and mechanisms). When it’s 10 degrees below Fahrenheit outside nobody wants to wait for a third row to fold, and with the Suburban no one will. It’s shockingly fast in both directions.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Miss: Needs more light output
No 2022 Suburban offers fog or driving lights, even the off-road oriented Z71 model. With a hoodline that’s chest high (I’m 5-foot-10), the LED headlights sit up high and the light disperses accordingly. While the IIHS has yet to rate the Suburban’s lighting system, there’s a distinct lower section immediately in front of the Suburban on dark backroads or side streets that’s not lit well by the headlights. Fog or driving lights would solve this problem. The related GMC Yukon has LED fog lights as standard equipment that solve this issue. The Suburban needs them.
The Chevrolet Suburban continues to be the benchmark all-weather family mover that can haul people and carry all their things at the same time. But it could use more accessible second-row seats, and owners should have a big garage.
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2022 Chevrolet Suburban 4WD Premier
Base price: $54,045, including destination
Price as tested: $79,370
Powertrain: 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, 10-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
EPA fuel economy: 14/19/16 mpg
The hits: Huge interior, comfortable ride, quick-folding third row
The misses: Second row doesn’t tuck and tumble, it needs fog lights, three-point turns required