I bought this Suburban in June of 1992. If there is any car I wish could last forever and ever, it would be this one. I've already put over 282,000 miles on it and it still runs just as smoothly as it did the day I bought it.

Let me start out by explaining why I have a Suburban. I'm not married (but I will be this August), and I have no kids. However, I am a musician (see my review on the SWR Workingman's 10 bass amp) and have a lot of equipment to haul around. I also like to go skiing along with many other outdoor activities. My previous vehicle was a 1983 GMC 3/4-ton van with a 6.2L diesel engine. I loved that van, but the weak transmission, problem-plagued sliding door, and lack of 4 wheel drive made me shy away from vans altogether. Enter the Suburban.

The 1992 model year was the first year of a major body redesign since the previous one in 1973. This was a major improvement that provided a footwell for the passengers in the removable 3rd row seat, enabling them to ride without their knees in their faces. This also allowed for the 3rd row seat to be comfortably moved forward, thereby increasing the amount of cargo room behind it. The rear heat and rear A/C were also integrated into the interior (instead of some black box afterthought), garnished with an overhead climate control panel complete with foot/face and hot/cold blend in the backseat so those passengers can control their own climate. The sleeker exterior is a drastic departure from the traditional box-on-wheels, allowing for smoother aerodynamics, smoother handling, reduced wind noise, no whistling, and improved highway gas mileage. In short, this Suburban doesn't drive like a truck (like it's predecessors), it drives like a car.

I have used the trailer hitch only occasionally, but when I did, it handled very nicely, so much so that I forgot I was towing a trailer. I have also found this Suburban to be very comfortable on long road trips. I've slept in it many times.

The only major complaint I have with this Suburban is with regard to the brakes. They're typical GM truck brakes: soft, mushy, not very responsive. The Anti-lock system needs to be completely redesigned. Once they engage, they keep pumping until your foot is off the brake pedal, even when you return to dry pavement. HELLO?! I need my brakes NOW!

This Suburban got about 16.5 mpg when it was new, and still gets about 16 mpg now. Maintenance can be expensive, but if you stay on top of regular service intervals and invest in preventative maintenance, the return on your investment is worth it. Therefore, get those tune-ups. Because if this, the engine has always run smoothly and has always delivered the power I need when I needed it, even when I recently covered 3,000 miles in only 5 days.

This vehicle has not been free from problems that happen as a part of life. The real drawback with the Suburban is that the parts cost at least 50% more than regular passenger car parts. The following is the maintenance history of my Suburban (drawn from memory):

Replaced exhaust system aft of catalytic converter at 100,000 miles and again at 200,000 miles.

Transmission was severely tested at 8,000 miles when my ex-girlfriend accidentally slipped it into reverse at 60mph on the highway. The transmission needed no attention until it needed to be rebuilt at 141,000 miles. Now at 282,000 miles I need to get the torque converter checked out.

I've changed the brake pads about every 50,000-60,000 miles as they wear out. At 210,000 miles the left-rear cylinder ruptured due to age and rot, spewing brake fluid everywhere. The emergency brakes worked just fine (that's what they're there for). I had to get the entire rear brake assembly replaced, including new drums since the original ones were worn out.

The engine started to run very hot at about 160,000 miles. Replacing the radiator did the trick, but at a cost of about $900. It's a big radiator that also has the engine oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler integrated into it. Note: never ever go with a factory rebuilt/remanufactured radiator. They just simply plug up the cross pipes that are leaking, leaving you with less effective cooling surface area = hotter running engine = waste of money.

One day I was stuck in snow on a steep hill and needed my 4 wheel drive. I engaged it and the splines on the front drive shaft completely ground up on me. $600 at 175,000 miles. Otherwise the 4 wheel drive has been excellent (and very handy).

I've had to replace the fuel pump once. That was at 225,000 miles. I've replaced the alternator about 5 times, the last of which I did myself. It was very easy to do: 3 bolts, 2 wires, one belt, all in 20 minutes.

I mentioned in my CONS that the Suburban is not suitable for urban lifestyle. At just under 19 feet in total length, parallel parking in the city (especially Boston) is an unpleasant experience. Also at a height of 6 feet 4 inches, I cannot go into many parking garages that boast a maximum clearance of only 6 feet. For these reasons alone I'm glad I don't live or work in the city.

I could go on about the 1992 Suburban and how well it has treated me over the years and many miles, but I'll stop here for now. If you have any questions about it, feel free to email me.

Update for May 9, 2002 - Addendum

I just remembered that I replaced one of the evaporators in the a/c system, the front evaporator (the part that cools the air flowing through it). That happened about two years ago at about 220,000 miles. I took advantage of the opportunity to change the whole system over from R12, the ozone-depleting refrigerant, to R134a, the new standard and much more environmentally friendly refrigerant. As of today it still works like a charm.

Also, just a couple of days ago, I replaced the serpentine fan belt myself. This is one of those systems where one belt drives everything, including your alternator, water pump, a/c compressor, power steering, etc. If the belt breaks, you're in trouble. However, the belts are designed to last for well over 50,000 miles, but I would recommend installing a new one every year regardless since an old, dried up belt is the source of a lot of extraneous noise coming from the engine. Anyway, to make my point, the belt is very easy to change. I am able to remove the old belt and install a new one in under 3 minutes.

That's all for now. Hope this helps.

Update for June 29, 2004 - Addendum

I still have this Suburban. It now has 334,000 miles on it and it still continues to purr. I finally had to replace the ORIGINAL starter in December of '03 at 320,000 miles. I still have yet to have the torque converter in the transmission inspected. This truck won't quit!

Update for September 15, 2005 - Addendum

Just recently (about to weeks ago) I finally purchased a new(er) truck: a 2002 Chevy Suburban (look for my review coming soon). The '92 GMC Suburban is still in my driveway unregistered for the time being. But after 353,000 miles I guess I can't complain. Before retiring it, I did install a remote starter from DesignTech (www.designtech-intl.com) which came with remote door lock/unlock, panic/alarm, etc. for about $100 (installed it myself). The original radio/tapedeck finally died last summer, so for $100 I installed an Aiwa AM/FM/CD removable faceplate stereo.

In the spring my brakes went, in particular the left front disc (being the original) rotted out leaving the outer ring where the pads squeeze separated from the inner circle which is attached to the hub. The result? A hideous rumbling noise above 20mph and serious pulling to the right. Since I was on a road trip when this happened, I took advantage of a Sears Auto center. They did an awesome job. They replaced the discs, the pads, did a fluid exchange, broke my rear brake cylinders in the process, replaced them for no charge, and did an alignment. When they were done, the brakes were tight! Tighter than they had ever been! They were no longer mushy. Why GM didn't have them this tight in the first place is beyond me. Kudos go to Sears. Try them sometime.

It still starts, and still purrs. It just has nowhere to go yet, but I will miss it when it does leave the driveway.
Amount Paid (US$): 27000
Condition: New
Model Year: 1992
Model and Options: 1500 5.7L V8, SLE package, 4 wheel drive, class III hitch