Chevrolet Suburban reborn in a new package rigged with power
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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SILVERTON, Colo. -- Climbing up highway 550 to the Molas Divide, a saddle in the San Juan Mountains set more than two miles above sea level, vehicles naturally struggle for power without much oxygen in the thin Colorado air.
Despite the extreme altitude, a four-wheel-drive version of Chevrolet's enormous Suburban sport-utility wagon drew from a husky V8 engine to virtually scoot up the steep route etched into mountain slopes, passing slower traffic in the process.
Providing crisp acceleration at sea level for a behemoth of a vehicle that stretches for more than 18 feet in length and weighs more than 3.5 tons would be impressive, but to do so at high altitude indicates that something powerful goes to work in the big wagon.
Actually, a variety of strong mechanical systems work in concert to make this particular Suburban act so lively. It's part of the new generational designs which carry more powerful engines, increased capacities for hauling passengers and cargo, plus improved ride and handling characteristics, even more on-board safety gear.
In effect, everything about the Suburban has been redesigned, remodeled and rebuilt -- as nothing from previous editions carries forward to the year-2000 models, save for the revered Suburban nameplate, which traces back through Chevrolet's model history to the 1935 Suburban Carryall.
That original idea for the Carryall -- a boxy steel wagon built on the chassis of a truck with seats for eight, four doors for people and a rear gate for cargo -- endured through time, eventually spawning the modern concept of a sport-utility wagon in gigantic dimensions with enough room to haul a troop of Scouts plus all of their gear and still have enough spark to move the big package down the road at a respectable pace.
The Suburban became a wildly successful vehicle for Chevrolet, generating fierce loyalty from those who needed the room, the power and the big-time towing capacity.
Regardless of its sales success, Suburban in editions as late as 1999 was essentially an unwieldy vehicle -- a hassle to drive, difficult to maneuver in traffic and clearly lacking in comfortable interior fixtures.
The new issues cure those past problems, in turn transforming the Suburban into a luxuriously comfortable machine which, despite the size, handles as easily as a smaller wagon and installs some high-tech concepts for vehicle control and safety. Suburban in new format seats up to nine people, comes in half-ton 1500 or three-quarter-ton 2500 series and applies either four-wheel or rear-wheel-drive mechanism.
A boxy package expands in height and width while actually paring wheelbase by 1.5 inches and overall length by a fraction. The increased dimensions translate to more room inside the cabin for passenger heads, legs and shoulders.
To create what amounts to the first tire-to-top Suburban remake in eight years, designers began with the full-size truck chassis of Chevy's Silverado pickup.
The structure utilizes an innovative three-piece modular frame with hydroformed front and rear frame sections which increase strength and rigidity, aid the assembly process by eliminating hundreds of weld points, and reduce squeaks and frame vibrations due to the good fit with suspension elements.
Front and rear track widths were expanded to form a broader and more stable platform. Interestingly, cabin floor height drops by an inch for easy step-in by riders yet the chassis maintains a generous ground clearance of ten inches.
&&& A revised suspension system includes independent front components with modular cast-iron lower control arms and coil springs on the heavier rear-drive edition or a torsion bar for the lighter rear-drive and all four-wheel-drive versions. In back, a five-link coil spring system takes the place of the previous leaf-spring design to generate a smoother ride quality. Further, an optional Autoride rear suspension device incorporates continuously-variable road-sensing damping with air-leveling shock absorbers for precise control.
&&& These changes to the suspension package reduce the size of the vehicle's turning circle by substantial measures -- with the diameter decreasing by 1.5 and 2.4 feet for rear-wheel and four-wheel-drive models, respectively, which corresponds directly to improvements in maneuverability and, particularly, the ease of parking a Suburban.
Power to motivate the new Suburban stems from the Silverado's trio of Vortec V8 engines as linked to automatic four-speed transmissions.
These three Vortec V8s, smaller in size but more powerful than the previous Suburban V8s, begin with a 4.8-liter plant which kicks up 270 hp. It's the standard on Suburban's 1500 series, but an optional 5.3-liter V8 reaches to 285 hp.
The 5.3-liter V8 becomes the main plant for Suburban's 2500 units, which also list an even large V8 -- at 6.0 liters and 300 hp.
Due to the increased strength and torque capacity of these engines, new trailer ratings work, ranging from a 9000-pound trailer for the Vortec 5.3-liter V8 in a Suburban 1500 2WD model to 8800 pounds with the 5.3-liter V8 in a 4WD 1500, and 10500 pounds for the 6.0-liter V8 with a Suburban 2500 in 4WD or 2WD.
&&& Automatic transmissions with the optional trailer-pulling package add a push-button on the shift lever designed to expand the time between gear shifts and quicken the sequence to assist in pulling a loaded trailer.
Both the 1500 and 2500 provide four-wheel traction coupled to the Autotrac system of an active transfer case for on-demand all-wheel traction. A dash-mounted switch allows quick shifts between full-time all-wheel traction, rear-wheel or four-wheel high and low settings.
The expansive cabin design gains even more space for cargo in the back bay due to the reposition of a spare tire below the rear deck. Rear gate systems consist of two different designs -- either the standard swing-out dual cargo doors or a new top-hinged aluminum lift gate with glass panel which swings up independent of the door frame.
Seating was redesigned for increased comfort and better function. A bench or twin buckets mount up front, followed by a choice of second-row bench or new buckets, and a new third-row bench in sections which fold and flip forward to make more room for cargo.
New instruments include analog gauges with speedometer and tachometer, plus a screen display of messages for engine management. Numerous storage spaces show up around the cabin, with as many as five 12-volt power outlets. Also, the Suburban produces deluxe appointments with optional leather seating, rear air conditioning, a 12-disc CD changer, and secondary fuel tank on the 2500 to extend the cruise range.
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| 2000 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Super-size sport-utility wagon
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| Model Options: |
Super-size sport-utility wagon
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| Wheelbase: |
130.0 inches
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| Overall Length: |
219.3 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 4.8-L V8
OHV 5.3-L V8
OHV 6.0-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Rear 4x2, 4x4 Autotrac
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
4.8 V8: 16/20 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 27,000 to $ 44,000 |
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