I have always liked the big boxy style of these trucks, and 1999 was the last year they came this way.(now they are a bit more curvey) I wanted a truck that could handle a 4x8 sheet of plywood or drywall and also be able to transport at least 4-6 adults in comfort. A pickup is great for the former, terrible at the latter. Well, as anyone who owns one knows, a suburban does both! THIS IS A TRUCK!!!! so you cannot buy one and then complain about how large it is,or how bad the gas mileage is because the bottom line is that IT IS A TRUCK- however, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy to drive and how responsive the steering is. I live in Jersey and therefore have to negotiate traffic circles and jughandles( we are the land of no left turns!) the suburban handles these without complaint. Although it is a truck, it does not have AS high a center of gravity as a typical full size pick-up or its larger competitor the Ford Excursion.
The truck I have came loaded with many of the popular toys such as power heated leather front seats that are extremely comfortable with a power lumbar support and infinite adjustability as far as up and down, tilting, and back and forth. If you cannot find a good driving position, you are not trying hard enough! There is a great sound system(AM/FM cassette cd) that sounds terrific! there are power mirrors with a defroster, power windows and doorlocks,power hatch release, a myraid of cup holders and storage cubbies, rear seat passenger air conditioner with independant controls( very nice that passengers can set thier own climate)a flip down tv screen with vcr, and a third row seat. CAN YOU SAY ROAD TRIP? I have transported 6 passengers and a large dog comfortably.The dog fit behind the third seat in the cavernous cargo area. The tailgate is the drop down variety(like a pick-up) as opposed to the more common barn doors. I prefer this design as it allows easy transport of items that hang out the rear window, while allowing the rear door portion to stay shut. This is also nice when loading or unloading packages in the rain as the rear window glass acts as an awning. I can also use the rear tailgate as a seat or work surface.My truck also has the rare 6 roof mounted amber marker lights.(great for safety and visibility)
Creature comforts aside, this truck can work as well. I do a lot of remodeling and have successfully fit all the bathroom fixtures and cabinets for my brother in laws bathroom remodel in the back by easily removing the third seat and folding down the second row of seats.(This converts your suburban to what basically amounts to a pick-up truck with a cap).Tons of tools and tool boxes fit behind the third row of seats with ease.
Performancewise, the suburban handles well for a vehicle of its size, accelerates briskly(I have the smaller 5.7 liter v-8, there is also a big block 7.4 liter available)and stops easily.There is a large 44 gallon gas tank to keep the suburban fed on long trips. I do not know my MPG but I do not think its as bad as many people think.
the fact that the suburban can do all that I have mentioned only gets better when I tell you that it can do it in all kinds of weather conditions thanks to its shift on the fly, pushbutton four wheel drive. There is even an autotrack setting for when roads are a combination of icy and dry(the truck senses and adjusts the 4wd system to fit the driving conditions)
as a downside, there are some minor fit and finish issues that I might have found noteworthy had I bought the truck new, such as speaker grills on the doors not fitting well, and door switches sitting low in the armrest.(this could even be from previous owner neglect).
Overall, I could not be happier!
Amount Paid (US$): 16,500
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: slt