2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country: We Drive It And It Drives Us

What better way to test a vehicle with mountains on the badge, than to take it up to the actual mountains? That’s exactly what I did when the kind folks at Chevrolet allowed me to take their beautiful 2024 Suburban High Country out for a week. On this journey from Los Angeles to the Mammoth mountain ski area, I put the High Country through its paces, testing GM’s implementation of Super Cruise, highway driving, urban driving, snow driving. I filled the vehicle with five other passengers and all our gear for a week-long ski trip.

The vehicle I tested was a 2024 Suburban High Country equipped with a 6.2-liter V-8 finished in Radiant Red on a bespoke Mocha interior, and, of course, GM’s Super Cruise self-driving tech. The High Country trim serves as the top-of-the-line model within the Chevrolet Suburban range. The Suburban starts at $79,900 with my tester optioned to $94,100.

In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, the vehicle reviewed in this article was driven on a daily basis throughout the course of daily life for a period of one week. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review our methodology policy.

2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country First Impressions

I must admit, my idea of a Chevy Suburban is significantly more pedestrian than the vehicle I was expecting. In the 1990s and 2000s family members owned Suburbans, Tahoes, and even my mother’s very cool two-door 1992 Blazer, but those were far more basic in just about every way possible. Those were simply cool looking trucks with stiff rides and a bunch of space to throw your kids and stuff into.

Not that you can’t do that with the new vehicles, but there’s nothing in the 2024 Suburban missing. Apple CarPlay, heated/cooled seats, helpful drive modes, adjustable suspension, adjustable second row seats, massive glass roof, a butter-smooth ride, plenty of power from the 6.2-liter engine, self-driving tech, and the list goes on. All that and then the High Country’s design and materials feel very premium. The beautiful mocha leather extends up to the very top of the dashboard. This, like many new large vehicles, has become a luxury car.

We live in an interesting automotive landscape where, yes, vehicles have become expensive, but then, there has never been more demand for innovation and feature-rich options. 94 grand is definitely a hefty price to pay for a people-mover SUV, but considering what I experienced, what you get for your money, and how much you can do with the Suburban in general, that number starts to shrink in your mind quickly. This could easily be your one-car solution providing as much luxury and tech as the world’s most advanced vehicles, but with the added perk of the Suburbans utility factor.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

Let’s be honest, most Suburbans will habitate in just that, a suburban setting. And for most, it will be more than enough vehicle to get the job done. In my testing, however, I found the best setting for the Suburban to be out on the open road, exploring this massive country we live in. I could easily drive (or let Super Cruise do the driving) across the country in complete comfort. At highway speeds, the Suburban settles brilliantly. Super Cruise automatically changes lanes for you, which seems absolutely bonkers, but it executes them well, and only under extremely safe conditions.

Maneuvering in city settings proved to be more of a slow, but steady task. The Suburban is by no means nimble or light on its toes. Steering and maneuverability is predictable and very manageable though. I found driving from pavement to snow a no-brainer as the quick responding drive modes and four-wheel-drive system react perfectly.

This seamless transition inspires confidence, a key indicator that the engineering behind the scenes is working for the driver.Behind the wheel, it’s easy to become comfortable with the carefree, flowy presence the Suburban exhibits. I can see why so many gravitate towards it for daily use.

Braking And Acceleration

Considering the size and weight of the Suburban, it accelerates with relative ease. The 6.2-liter V-8 puts out 420 horsepower but, more importantly, 460 pound-feet of torque. I believe these figures are preserved heavily with the 10-speed automatic that fires off shifts quickly and precisely when given a boot full of throttle. 60 miles per hour from a dig happens in 6.1 seconds, really not bad for a small building driving down the road.

It does a great job of staying in the power band at high revs, but shifts slowly, seamlessly and economically with low rev/low throttle applications. In some situations it seems to skip gears too, or maybe I was imagining that, but either way, great transmission tuning is always welcomed, especially around town. The only odd moments are up grades or mid-throttle applications where the 10-speed can’t decide which of the many ratios to stick with. I never went without effective power sent to the ground though.

If there is one place the Suburban could use a mechanical upgrade, it’s the brakes. While they are fairly fade resistant, initial bite and applying moderate pressure results in only OK braking performance and leaves me less impressed than I would have hoped. I’ve driven heavier vehicles with much better initial bite, a simple driving dynamic that can go a long way towards giving the driver a sense of security while behind the wheel. One overwhelmingly positive note is the braking performance remained fairly consistent when both alone in the vehicle and with 6 total passengers with equipment on board.

• Acceleration 0-60 MPH: 6.1 Seconds
• Braking: 70-0 MPH: 166 Feet

Performance Specifications

Chevrolet Suburban Fuel Economy

The 2024 Suburban is rated for a combined fuel economy rating of 16 MPG, which is on par with the fuel economy I experienced on the trip up to the mountains. For more attractive fuel economy performance, Chevrolet does offer the diesel version of the Suburban. The High Country offers a large fuel tank, so total available range was more than adequate for road trip duty.

Interior Design And Comfort

Usually, if a vehicle’s exterior is a let-down, I’d try and help its case by reviewing redeeming qualities on the interior, but this Suburban High Country model has nothing to be ashamed of inside or out. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the classic GM column shifter, or even an elegantly designed center console shifter, because the Tetris, Bop-it solution Chevrolet has implemented into the dashboard is really odd and, over the course of the week, I had the vehicle I couldn’t get used to its unintuitive action.

Literally everything else besides that is damn-near perfect. The volume and HVAC knobs appear almost directly in your palm in a natural motion. The wood and bespoke Mocha leather that fills the entire cabin is gorgeous, both in design and texture. Gone are the cheap plastic interiors from Suburbans of the past, replaced by a sea of impressively crafted soft-touch materials.

Seat comfort is high in the High Country, with tons of adjustability even in the second row. Third row seating is even accommodating, with enough room for even normal-sized folks. With access to USBC ports in each row of seating, nobody’s devices will go uncharged. Third row seats are easily adjusted from the rear cargo area via buttons, making cargo storage a breeze.

The Suburban might be huge, but visibility is great, especially considering I could toggle the rear-view mirror between a camera view of behind, and a normal mirror. Cameras and sensors go a long way towards parking and maneuvering the big Chevy. Road noise has been dramatically reduced in the Suburban, in a way that matches its ridiculously smooth ride.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

Technology in the Suburban is impressive. It uses GM’s current corporate system for infotainment that is easy to navigate, connect to, and never overpopulated with useless fluff like some other systems can be. Apple CarPlay works well, and I was even able to utilize the onboard wifi for those needing to finish up some work before hitting the slopes. The two screens located on the front seat backs for the second row allowed for some connectivity as well. At one point during our journey to the mountains, the whole car was filled with wonderfully average singing voices in our own version of carpool karaoke.

Along with the infotainment is the added benefit of GM’s Super Cruise, a technology I never expected in a mass-people mover like the Suburban. It works well on road trips, making its own lane changes, and allowing for moments of rest for the driver by taking over completely. You’re free to stretch or take a moment to adjust yourself to become comfortable.

When the system needs the driver to regain control, it’s very intuitive, warning visually via the steering wheel-mounted light, and physically via a vibration through the seat. It uses a camera to monitor driver actions, and as long as you pay attention, it will do the hard work for you. I found this system to work best in highway scenarios.

Cargo And Storage Space

Cargo capacity and loading are both excellent in the Suburban. With a simple push of a button, the third row folds flat, allowing for a massive expanse of interior space that makes our ski equipment look tiny by comparison. In doing so, no sacrifice of space occurs for second or first row occupants. Fold the third and second rows down, and you basically have the space of a full pickup truck bed, but with the added benefit of a covered space.

Since the second row in the High Country consists of captains’ chairs, the flow-through center allows for even greater storage space with all second and third row seats folded. We used this space for a large ice chest. The interior space in the Suburban allowed for six people to comfortably fit all our equipment, luggage, and snacks for half a week in the mountains. Great job Chevrolet!

2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country Vs. Its Competiton

Key competitors include the Ford Expedition, representing a long-standing rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford, as well as the new re-invigorated, re-imagined Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The big three are currently at war with each other about who can offer the most complex three-row mega SUVs. Arguably knocking on the door of full-on luxury cars, the Suburban, Expedition, and Grand Wagoneer are jam-packed with tech, upscale materials, and enough creature comforts to give the Europeans a serious run for their money. In the end, all three excel at hauling groves of people long distances, while taking along everyone’s baggage, and maybe a small boat or jet skis the weekend.

How The Chevrolet Suburban Compares To The Ford Expedition

• 	2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country	2024 Ford Expedition
  Model	Suburban High Country	Expedition
  Engine	6.2L V-8	3.5L Twin Turbo V-6
  Transmission	10-Speed Automatic	10-speed
  Horsepower	420 HP	380-440
  MSRP	$79,900	$56,075
  Fuel Economy	16 MPG (combined)	19 MPG Combined
  Towing Capacity	7,700 Pounds	9,300 Pounds
  0-60 MPH	6.1 Seconds	6 seconds

Chevrolet and Ford have been duking it out in the SUV fight for decades. This fight continues in 2024 and is as fierce as ever. It’s clear though, that these American strongholds take a slightly different approach. If you’re looking for more overall utility in your SUV, the Expedition might appeal to a greater audience with a lower price tag and more power to tow. If you seek a bit of lux and glam in your full-size SUV, the Suburban offers more of that than Expedition, offering a more complete one-car solution.

Performance

While both the Suburban and Expedition only weight within 100 pounds of each other, it’s worth noting that the Ford puts out 20 more horsepower and a healthy 50 more pound-feet of torque from it’s 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 versus Chevrolet’s 6.2-liter V-8. Turbocharging is the key player here, as those horsepower and torque figures are more accessible for more of the rev range, giving drivers a better sense of power in towing situations.

The Expedition does offer a slightly higher towing capacity, but V-8 lovers will find it hard to pass up GM’s wonderfully predictable 6.2-liter in the Suburban. Expedition also returns a few more combined MPGs at 19 combined versus the Suburbans 16 MPG combined. Both offer a similar overall range.

Comfort

It used to be that the Expeditions and Navigators of the world were the ones to choose when ride quality and interior comfort were being considered. Now, though, GM has vastly raised the bar by implementing the positively brilliant MagRide in conjunction with air suspension to create a system that provides a nearly unmatched ride, bar-none.

Where Expeditions of the past have become more focused and composed on-road, a small sacrifice in ride has been made, this is the constant trade-off manufacturers face when developing any vehicle. Thanks to technology like MagRide, the Suburban is able to achieve the unthinkable, a (relatively) flat handling dynamic, with a float on a cloud ride, a trick the engineers at Ford haven’t quite mastered yet.

Technology

Technology really is a mixed bag between the Suburban and Expedition. While the Expedition has a massive potrait-style infotainment screen taking up basically the entire center stack, it’s the Suburban with the superior self-driving tech. Super Cruise simply works more confidently than Blue Cruise, giving drivers more confidence in the system. Both offer rear-seat entertainment screens and easy-to-use Apple CarPlay, intuitive drive modes, and configurable digital gauge clusters.

How The Chevrolet Suburban Compares To The Jeep Grand Wagoneer

• 	2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country	2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
  Model	Suburban High Country	Grand Wagoneer
  Engine	6.2L V-8	3.0L Twin Turbo I-6
  Transmission	10-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic
  Horsepower	420 HP	510 HP
  Torque	460 LB-FT	500 LB-FT
  Driveline	4WD	AWD
  MSRP	$79,900	$92,540
  Fuel Economy	16 MPG (combined)	17 MPG Combined
  Towing Capacity	7,700 Pounds	9,800 Pounds
  0-60 MPH	6.1 Seconds	5.9 Seconds

Being the new one on the block certainly helps establish a fresh image for drivers. A space once dominated by GM and Ford is now, for the first time in decades, being truly challenged by the likes of Jeep/Stellantis. The Grand Wagoneer debuted Stellantis’ new “Hurricane” engine, while also offering a true competitor in the luxury and full-size segment. The Suburban may not be able to tow as much as the Grand Wagoneer, but its Super Cruise self-driving tech is a standout among the two, as is its proven small block V-8 engine. We’ll see if time is kind to the new Hurricane inline-six.

Performance

With 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, the Grand Wagoneer spits out 90 more horses and 40 more pound-feet from an engine that is less than half the size of the Suburban’s. The Jeep’s 9,800-pound max towing capacity is a result of such grunt, a number the Suburban can’t match. This is however, just a metric out of the factory, and remains unproven. Every new engine, including the Mopar’s inline-six must be able to withstand years of abuse and towing in order to win over drivers.

The Suburban’s V-8 might be down on power, but it’s less complex design has allowed it to become the golden standard of muscle when it comes to vehicles in the segment. Both are capable beasts, and offer great transmission options. The 10-speed from GM is fantastic when the going gets tough, but Jeep offers another type of golden standard component, the highly coveted ZF 8-speed automatic, an industry favorite.

Comfort

The Grand Wagoneer was built with a high level of luxury in mind, and the pricing reflects that. The Suburban, specifically the High Country model, reflects that same outlook on the full-size SUV segment. Both offer stunning levels of comfort in the form of compliant rides, and seating that royalty would be lucky to enjoy. Where the Grand Wagoneer offers a rear center control screen and center console, the Suburban opts for an empty flow-through design, allowing occupants to decide what they want to use the space for. While that may not seem like a luxurious solution, we should remember, these are still “utility” vehicles, right?

Technology

Where the Chevrolet Suburban has four screens for infotainment purposes, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer utilizes no less than seven. Four up front for controlling basically every function of the vehicle and two rear entertainment screens with a center control screen. For passengers, the Jeep is probably a win in the tech department, but once again it is GM’s Super Cruise that remains its best trick up the sleeve and will surely win over the actual drivers of these types of vehicles.

Our Recommendation For Which Model You Should Buy

In my eyes, there are really three ways to go here. One way would be to choose a base model to keep costs down, as perhaps, most drivers wouldn’t find much use for the ultra-luxurious features that are offered in GM’s large SUVs. Another scenario would be to go full Cadillac Escalade V for those who need the best of the best in absolutely every category whilst remaining a GM fan, with money being no object. Then there’s the case for the Chevy Suburban High Country, which gives you enough luxury to feel like your hard-earned money has gone to smart use.\

n upgraded model is coming for the 2025 model year, too. By providing all the fancy tech and some seriously upgraded interior materials, it serves as a Goldilocks car. You really receive a ton of vehicle for the price, with the understanding that a Suburban is still rugged. You can take it to the snow or the mountains, throwing cargo in it or a bunch of people without worrying about it becoming too dirty.

Then, it does take care of its occupants better than ever, providing a sense of occasion, something Suburbans of the past just couldn’t pull off. Even the exterior styling is sporty, with a slight shark-nose front end and a quad exhaust out back. If you want your cake, and to eat it too, I’d say the High Country is a stellar way to go.