Skeetobite
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An objective owner’s perspective on the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban.
Specs and options:
Why do we get Suburbans? Well, with 2 adults, 2 teen kids, a mildly retarded 100 lb. dog, a cooler and all of our junk loaded up on road trips, everyone has plenty of space. Some bark chewers complain about the fuel burn, the carbon footprint and say they should be banned “because nobody can use all that space”. I’ll agree with them when we ban cargo pants, because nobody ever fills all of those pockets-
The 2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ is the 80th anniversary model. We have owned a 2007 Suburban Z71 and a 2011 Suburban LTZ. The Suburbans are the only vehicles we have bought as daily drivers for the past 21 years. We lease all of our other vehicles. We purchase the Suburban because of its tremendous and consistent resale value. We received $43k trade in value on the 2007 Z71 and $41k on the 2011 LTZ. Obviously both were held less than 5 years and had reasonably low mileage.
It took me a minute to appreciate the new exterior styling. Based on photos alone, it appeared ugly to me. Once I saw it in person at the Detroit Auto show, I began to change my mind. The odd way that the sheet metal extends into the headlights was a major drawback for me and then there was the squared off backside. In black, the new suburban reminded me of a giant hearse.
After an up close and personal look at a white diamond tri-coat paint job in the sunlight and I was sold. The super clean lines and tight finish on all of the body panels looks great. The light paint seems to break up the squared off tail for me. The doors fit tightly into the body instead of wrapping over the top, which truly does reduce the road noise.
Speaking of road noise, this is easily the most quiet vehicle I have ever owned. You can literally whisper while carrying on a full conversation at freeway speeds. While the 2015 LTZ has the magnetic ride control brought over from Cadillac and rides like a dream on smooth freeway surfaces, I have some regret in getting the 22” rims. They look great, but the ride is a bit more rough on bumpy Michigan roads than I experienced in the 2007 Z71 or 2011 LTZ. Both of these had 18” and 20” wheels respectively. I believe rougher ride is due to the reduced sidewall of the tires. I plan to get “winter wheels” and will size them accordingly.
We drove from Metro Detroit to Sarasota Florida and back, then two weeks later from Metro Detroit to Traverse City. Having made this trip several times in prior year models, I can tell you this was the most comfortable drive I have ever made. The experience was like riding a sofa to Florida and back.
Sliding into the Driver’s seat, the ergonomics were immediately familiar. Everything about the interior styling has changed, but it was exactly the same fit and feel from the driver’s perspective. From the pedals and steering wheel to the ride height and visibility, nothing seemed to change.
The interior is a drastic improvement of the clunky old plastic panels in prior year models. I won’t spend to much time on this because the available pictures actually show this extremely well. The stitched leather, plastic and fake wood inserts go well together and the updated buttons, bells and whistles were just distracting enough to get me a speeding ticket last week.
The entertainment system now plays BlueRay movies, but still no HDMI input port!? With 10 power/USB ports scattered around, everyone has plenty of power options. Also, we had up to 4 smart phones attached via the various usb connections and were able to access the music stored on each device, switching at will.
I do have a couple of gripes on the interior though. I don’t like the expanded width of the center console arm rest. Call me silly, but I like having my hand on my wife’s leg while driving. Yeah, after 21 years together we’re 50ish and still crazy about each other! I’m 6’ tall and I can’t reach her anymore. Ridiculous. It's great if you're trying to sneak a giant Christmas Ham over the border, but a little wide for my taste.
The updated touchscreen interface is clunky and not very intuitive. You have to dig down multiple levels to find the most commonly used features and you cannot display more than one page at a time. For example; a user should be able to split the map and radio screen, but you are limited to just one screen at a time. I will give GM high marks for the updated maps though. Very easy to see, great turn by turn audio and easy to see at night. This is a great improvement. GM could take a few pointers from the Ford Sync, which is superior but has plenty of it’s own problems.
Gas mileage is incredibly improved with the fifth generation 5.3L engine. We averaged 20.4 mpg during the trip to Florida and back. The info center shows you the overall mileage and then the mpg for the last 50 miles. We dropped to 17 mpg in the mountains. The overall fuel cost for this trip was about $300 less than we experienced in the prior years models.
I’ve read plenty of reviews by magazine hacks who drove the 2015 Chevy, GMC and Cadillac versions of this vehicle for about an hour. Most are pretty close but some are way off base. I can say that this behemoth still requires all of the room it can get in a parking lot. It still needs extra stopping distance and it still makes a big man look small when standing next to it.
Some have complained about the loss of cargo room with the fold down seats. GM raised the rear of the back floor so you get a flat surface when the seat are folded down. I honestly don’t know a single person who spends over $70k on an up level SUV with comfort and bling features just so they can haul 40 sheets of plywood or drywall. The truth is, you will have to carry about 5 less sheets of 1/2”. If you want a work truck, buy the LS model. If you want leather and bling, go for the LT or LTZ.
For towing, the max trailer package adds adjustable electric brake controls, transmission cooling and something else that I can’t remember. I hauled our 1,050 lb. trailer loaded with 1,950 lbs. of junk and barely noticed it back there. Nothing new, it’s a Suburban.
So there’s my early take on the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ. It’s easily the most satisfying vehicle purchase I have made to date. It’s my first white vehicle with a light interior and I love the color combo. Pictures do not do the vehicle justice for some reason. You’ll have to see it in person for a real perspective.
Specs and options:
- LTZ package
- 22” Wheels with chrome inserts
- Entertainment system/sunroof
- Max trailer package
- 4 wheel drive
- White diamond tri-coat paint
- Cocoa/Dune
- MSRP: $73k +/- a little
Why do we get Suburbans? Well, with 2 adults, 2 teen kids, a mildly retarded 100 lb. dog, a cooler and all of our junk loaded up on road trips, everyone has plenty of space. Some bark chewers complain about the fuel burn, the carbon footprint and say they should be banned “because nobody can use all that space”. I’ll agree with them when we ban cargo pants, because nobody ever fills all of those pockets-
The 2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ is the 80th anniversary model. We have owned a 2007 Suburban Z71 and a 2011 Suburban LTZ. The Suburbans are the only vehicles we have bought as daily drivers for the past 21 years. We lease all of our other vehicles. We purchase the Suburban because of its tremendous and consistent resale value. We received $43k trade in value on the 2007 Z71 and $41k on the 2011 LTZ. Obviously both were held less than 5 years and had reasonably low mileage.
It took me a minute to appreciate the new exterior styling. Based on photos alone, it appeared ugly to me. Once I saw it in person at the Detroit Auto show, I began to change my mind. The odd way that the sheet metal extends into the headlights was a major drawback for me and then there was the squared off backside. In black, the new suburban reminded me of a giant hearse.
After an up close and personal look at a white diamond tri-coat paint job in the sunlight and I was sold. The super clean lines and tight finish on all of the body panels looks great. The light paint seems to break up the squared off tail for me. The doors fit tightly into the body instead of wrapping over the top, which truly does reduce the road noise.
Speaking of road noise, this is easily the most quiet vehicle I have ever owned. You can literally whisper while carrying on a full conversation at freeway speeds. While the 2015 LTZ has the magnetic ride control brought over from Cadillac and rides like a dream on smooth freeway surfaces, I have some regret in getting the 22” rims. They look great, but the ride is a bit more rough on bumpy Michigan roads than I experienced in the 2007 Z71 or 2011 LTZ. Both of these had 18” and 20” wheels respectively. I believe rougher ride is due to the reduced sidewall of the tires. I plan to get “winter wheels” and will size them accordingly.
We drove from Metro Detroit to Sarasota Florida and back, then two weeks later from Metro Detroit to Traverse City. Having made this trip several times in prior year models, I can tell you this was the most comfortable drive I have ever made. The experience was like riding a sofa to Florida and back.
Sliding into the Driver’s seat, the ergonomics were immediately familiar. Everything about the interior styling has changed, but it was exactly the same fit and feel from the driver’s perspective. From the pedals and steering wheel to the ride height and visibility, nothing seemed to change.
The interior is a drastic improvement of the clunky old plastic panels in prior year models. I won’t spend to much time on this because the available pictures actually show this extremely well. The stitched leather, plastic and fake wood inserts go well together and the updated buttons, bells and whistles were just distracting enough to get me a speeding ticket last week.
The entertainment system now plays BlueRay movies, but still no HDMI input port!? With 10 power/USB ports scattered around, everyone has plenty of power options. Also, we had up to 4 smart phones attached via the various usb connections and were able to access the music stored on each device, switching at will.
I do have a couple of gripes on the interior though. I don’t like the expanded width of the center console arm rest. Call me silly, but I like having my hand on my wife’s leg while driving. Yeah, after 21 years together we’re 50ish and still crazy about each other! I’m 6’ tall and I can’t reach her anymore. Ridiculous. It's great if you're trying to sneak a giant Christmas Ham over the border, but a little wide for my taste.
The updated touchscreen interface is clunky and not very intuitive. You have to dig down multiple levels to find the most commonly used features and you cannot display more than one page at a time. For example; a user should be able to split the map and radio screen, but you are limited to just one screen at a time. I will give GM high marks for the updated maps though. Very easy to see, great turn by turn audio and easy to see at night. This is a great improvement. GM could take a few pointers from the Ford Sync, which is superior but has plenty of it’s own problems.
Gas mileage is incredibly improved with the fifth generation 5.3L engine. We averaged 20.4 mpg during the trip to Florida and back. The info center shows you the overall mileage and then the mpg for the last 50 miles. We dropped to 17 mpg in the mountains. The overall fuel cost for this trip was about $300 less than we experienced in the prior years models.
I’ve read plenty of reviews by magazine hacks who drove the 2015 Chevy, GMC and Cadillac versions of this vehicle for about an hour. Most are pretty close but some are way off base. I can say that this behemoth still requires all of the room it can get in a parking lot. It still needs extra stopping distance and it still makes a big man look small when standing next to it.
Some have complained about the loss of cargo room with the fold down seats. GM raised the rear of the back floor so you get a flat surface when the seat are folded down. I honestly don’t know a single person who spends over $70k on an up level SUV with comfort and bling features just so they can haul 40 sheets of plywood or drywall. The truth is, you will have to carry about 5 less sheets of 1/2”. If you want a work truck, buy the LS model. If you want leather and bling, go for the LT or LTZ.
For towing, the max trailer package adds adjustable electric brake controls, transmission cooling and something else that I can’t remember. I hauled our 1,050 lb. trailer loaded with 1,950 lbs. of junk and barely noticed it back there. Nothing new, it’s a Suburban.
So there’s my early take on the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ. It’s easily the most satisfying vehicle purchase I have made to date. It’s my first white vehicle with a light interior and I love the color combo. Pictures do not do the vehicle justice for some reason. You’ll have to see it in person for a real perspective.
