2005 Chevrolet Suburban Preview

Size Does Matter

Whether you're driving around your family or a head of state, the Suburban offers plenty of size and comfort.

Should You Buy This Car?

For reasons that are patently obvious, Suburbans are most popular with people with large families who live in the suburbs -- and the Secret Service. The former group likes the fact that it's big and safe. Come to think of it, so does the latter.

The question is, if you aren't shepherding around lots of children or protecting heads of state, do you really need this much car? There are plenty of SUVs that are just as rugged:

• Chevy's own Trailblazer -- but that's much smaller.



• Ford's Escape. You could park two of these in the same space the Suburban occupies.



• And the more luxurious BMW X5 or Range Rover.

Any of these gets better gas mileage and is infinitely easier to park than the Suburban.

Furthermore, even if you have kids, there are certain drawbacks to this much car. For example, if Junior is all the way in the third row whacking his sister in the head in the second, it's much harder to reach over and smack him. That's where sedans have a distinct advantage: It's far easier to keep kids in line in smaller cars. With the Suburban, you have to park and then crawl back several miles to make your point to Junior.

Assuming, however, that your family is perfectly behaved and such acts of parental discipline are not a concern, then the only other reason militating against a Suburban is if you are the type of person who lays awake nights worrying about America's dependence on fossil fuels.

If this sounds like you, you probably have about as much interest in the Suburban as a vegan has in a juicy T-bone. On the other hand, if you're more of a carpe diem sort and what you want is a big, comfortable SUV that can handle a fishing trip in the woods as easily as a run to the mall, the Suburban is for you.