The Chevrolet Tahoe and the Chevrolet Suburban are two of the manufacturer’s largest and most popular vehicles when it comes to the family SUV segment. Not only do they provide a large seating capacity and tons of cargo space but also amazing functionality and practicality. In this article, you will get a closer look at the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Chevrolet Suburban, focusing on a number of criteria, including their performance, interiors, exteriors, and practicality.
The Chevy Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban are large and practical SUVs, with large bodies and powerful engines. Both models received a makeover for 2021, adding independent rear suspension and more room. The Chevy Suburban is a slightly larger and wider SUV than the Chevy Tahoe and offers more cargo room inside with its longer and wider frame. However, the Chevy Tahoe is the lighter and the cheaper of the two vehicles and has a higher towing capacity.
Trims Offered and Performance
The Chevrolet Tahoe comes in six trim levels, namely the LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country. The standard Tahoe is the LS, and it comes with a 5.3-liter V8 engine that puts out 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The LS also comes with LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility with a 10.2-inch infotainment screen, as well as a forward collision mitigation system.
If you choose the LT or RST, you get upgrades like driver seat memory settings, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, leather upholstery, a hands-free liftgate and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. More adventurous types might look to the Z71 with its special off-road capabilities like all-terrain tires, tow hooks, hill descent control and two-speed transfer case. The Premier trim features better handling with magnetically controlled shock absorbers, a 10-speaker audio system and an option for second-row bucket seats although that lowers seating to seven passengers.
The highest trim of the Chevy Tahoe is the High Country, which swaps the 5.3-liter V8 for a larger and more powerful 6.2-liter V8 that produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The High Country also features extras such as a Heads-up display, a surround-view parking camera system, and the special High Country Bronze accented grille. The Chevy Tahoe also has the option of a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, which produces 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque and offers good fuel economy. It also has a great towing capacity owing to its high torque.
The Chevy Suburban offers the exact same trim levels as the Chevy Tahoe, with the same engine and gearbox options as well as optional extras. Additionally, the Chevy Suburban does feature a larger fuel tank than the Chevy Tahoe at 31 gallons to the Tahoe’s 26 gallons.
Price and Value
The 2021 Chevy Tahoe is slightly cheaper than the 2021 Chevy Suburban. The 2021 Tahoe starts at $51,885 for the LS trim and goes up to $80,570 for the top High Country trim. The 2021 Chevy Suburban starts at $53,785 for the LS trim and goes up to $83,270 for the top High Country trim. Both cars are, however, competitively priced when compared to their competition.
In terms of fuel economy, both vehicles have the same engines and gearboxes and have the same economy figures at approximately 18 mpg combined highway and city fuel economy.
Size and Seating Capacity
The 2021 Chevy Tahoe is a large SUV at 204 inches long and 80.5 inches wide without mirrors. The vehicle also features a wheelbase of 116 inches and can seat up to eight people, depending on the configuration. The 2021 Tahoe is quite roomy, with the second row having a headroom of 38.7 inches and a legroom of 39 inches. The third row has a headroom of 38.1 inches and a legroom of 24.8 inches. The vehicle also features a cargo capacity of 15.3 cubic feet with the third row up and 51.7 cubic feet with the third row lowered.
The 2021 Chevy Suburban is 225.7 inches long and 81.1 inches wide. The vehicle features a longer wheelbase than the Tahoe at 134.1 inches and can seat up to nine people depending on the configuration. The 2021 Suburban has a headroom of 38.9 inches and legroom of 42 inches in the second row, and a headroom of 38.2 inches, and legroom of 36.7 inches in the third row, which is significantly more roomy than the Tahoe. The Suburban also features a larger cargo capacity of 41.5 cubic feet behind the third row and 93.8 cubic feet behind the second row.
The type of seats used in the Chevy Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban are the same. These seats have gotten a reputation of not being the best, with Edmunds explaining that they can be “overly hard” and “lack the support and padding needed for long-distance driving.” The seats, however, are leather and do have optional lumbar support as well as being heated and cooled in the higher trim models.
Safety Rating and Technology
Safety is very important in a family SUV. Luckily, both the Chevy Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban are quite safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded both the Chevy Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban four out of five stars for overall safety. Both cars performed well in the frontal and side-impact tests but were let down by a lackluster rating of three out of five stars in the SUV rollover test.
Both the Chevy Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban come with similar safety technologies. These technologies include Chevy’s lane departure warning system, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, a reversing camera, a tire pressure monitoring system, and a forward-collision warning system with automated emergency braking.
Reliability
As both vehicles share a lot of components, they should have very similar reliability records. The Chevy Suburban is known to be decently reliable with regular maintenance, and J.D. Power users rated it 83 out of 100 for reliability. The Chevy Tahoe was rated slightly more reliable by J.D. Power users at 86 out of 100. Both vehicles are, however, covered by a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile warranty for the powertrain.
To summarize, both these family SUVs are large and practical, offering seating for up to nine people and ample cargo space, but the Chevy Suburban slightly edges out the Chevy Tahoe as it is larger, offering more legroom, headroom, and cargo space, which is always important in a family SUV. However, the Chevy Tahoe does become very appealing when you consider it is slightly cheaper than the Suburban whilst offering the same performance. With this in mind, you can be confident that both these vehicles will serve you well, no matter which one you end up picking up.
No matter which one you choose, you can find great value at a fair price with the the Chevy Suburban or Tahoe.
