2000 Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL

By Bob Storck

While the image and capability of the Suburban family of sport utes may have been honed on ranches and in hard hat areas like oil fields, most of these behemoths are housed in upscale areas. The only bump in the road to GMC riches is a curious change in model terminology. The only difference between Chevy and GMC is in front and rear body panels, and a new name for the GMC— now known as the Yukon XL.

The new Suburban is an evolution of a product that was introduced in 1935. It adds four-wheel antilock disc brakes, three Vortec V8 engines (look for an Isuzu developed diesel soon), standard front seat side-impact airbags and more reliable electrical and cooling systems. For enhanced vehicle control, there are advanced systems on both 2- and 4- wheel-drive models. The fully automatic Autoride "Real Time Damping" system utilizes information from wheel height, steering and other sensors to vary shock damping, a remarkable benefit when trailer towing over rough terrain.

The frame is fully boxed for added structural stiffness to help reduce vibration, squeaks and rattles. There is increased headroom and hip room in all three seat rows. Still, there are competitive models with easier rear row access and the narrow running boards seem too narrow for comfortable use.

GM offers a sunroof for the first time in Suburban's history.

For a complete review, read: Powered-Up, Freshened-Up And Improved Overall by Joanne Brickman.