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Chevrolet Suburban Z71 - 2005 Review
Overall 4.00 of 5
(by 1 user)
Comfortable ride with tons of interior space, great hauler!
SUV lover, daily driver, married, dependent on daily vehicle, Safety conscious, parent, suburban dweller
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| Cons |
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AUG
23
2007
There is also no debating that the Suburban is a BIG car. OK, HUGE car. But this is precisely the reason why we were drawn to the SUV in the first place. Our requirements for an SUV were as follows:
- Four wheel drive (winters in Chicago can be brutal)
- Second row captains chairs
- Third row seating
- Towing package
- Lift gate (not doors)
- Sufficient space behind third row for kid paraphernalia (strollers, pack-n-plays, toys, bikes, etc)
- Roof rack
The exterior is nice but there are pretty large gaps with the body panels. This doesn't concern me as much since the Suburban is really a truck and not a luxury sports car. The interior is very spacious and can easily accommodate 7 adults. The captains chairs for the second row are a MUST. As parents, its nice to have some physical separation between the kids - especially on long road trips. Some of the interior trim is cheap and plastic-y. Again, with three kids I need a car that is tough and can take a beating so I don't mind the non-elegant yet durable plastic parts. The leather seats on the other hand are very soft and comfortable.
The Z71 package is mostly trim with a few off-road specific options:
- Larger, more aggressive tires
- Larger wheels
- Off-road suspension
- Color-matched exterior trim (grille, mirrors, bumpers)
- Wheel arch flares
- Deflector air dam with fog lights
- rocker panel molding
- side assist step
- roof rack
We also optioned for the DVD entertainment system. Flip down screen with remote control and wireless headphones are great for those long hauls to keep the kids occupied.
One unknown fact about Suburbans (and many other domestic cars) is that they are Flex-fuel compatible. This means they can accept E85 (85% ethanol gas) or regular gas or any mixture of the two. If you live on the left or right coast this won't mean much to you since E85 gas stations are few and far between. However, here in Chicago and the Midwest, there are a large number of E85 stations since most of this alternative fuel is produced right in our backyard. Although E85 yields fewer miles per gallon than regular gas (by my calculations, 10 mpg compared to 13 mpg), it is readily available and usually cheaper than gas due to gov't subsidies and tax exemption status. To contradict my previous non-PC claim, I take some comfort in knowing that my Suburban can run on a fuel that is a renewable resource that puts money back into the pockets of our local farmers.
We've had very few mechanical issues with the Suburban and it has been a great family car.
Chevrolet Suburban Z71 - 2005 is recommended by esands
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