Yahoo Autos 2022 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban Review | Now with Android Automotive
Last year's complete redesign of GM's full-size SUVs was the most significant since the early 1990s, with the long-awaited switch to an independent rear suspension resulting in substantial improvements to the ride, handling, interior space and cargo capacity. The 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe and its extended-length Chevy Suburban sibling, which get a few key updates described below, are therefore more competitive against their scarce number of rivals. In fact, even if we might prefer the Ford Expedition's turbo V6 as a base engine and the Jeep Wagoneer's interior, the Chevrolets overall can be considered our new top full-size SUV choices.
The reasons? The available diesel engine, for one, which will save you many hundreds of dollars every year compared to gas engines, while returning the same torque figure (at a lower rpm) than the big 6.2-liter gas V8. The interior features compelling technology thanks to the new-for-2022 Android Automotive infotainment system. The driving experience is also quite good for a truck-based vehicle, especially with the air suspension and/or magnetic damper options. While we still think you should be sure you really need the extreme capabilities of a full-size SUV to justify the initial price and fuel cost over a large crossover, the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban are least excellent examples of the breed.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance, Towing & Fuel Economy
What they're like to drive | Pricing & Features | Safety Features & Crash Ratings
What's new for 2022?
After being completely redesigned last year, Chevrolet has made a few key updates to the Tahoe and Suburban. Inside, all but the base LS trim level gets a new 12-inch digital gauge display bordered by a traditional analog tach and speedo (the old display was 8 inches). Those same trims also come standard with a 10.2-inch touchscreen running an all-new user interface powered by Android Automotive software. Lane-keeping assist and parking sensors are also now standard, while Reverse Automatic Braking is added to the top trim levels' Enhanced Display and Alert package. Finally, the 6.2-liter V8 option is expanded to the Z71, RST and Premier trim levels, but with the exception of the Premier, it requires selecting one or more packages.
What's the Tahoe and Suburban interiors and in-car technology like?
Unlike past generations, the current Chevy Tahoe and Suburban get an interior that’s completely different than the Silverado pickup truck. That’s a very good thing. The dashboard is fairly low, and cascades downward in a gentle curve. It’s thinner and has nice brightwork and detailing that both makes the cabin feel airier and more premium than that of the Silverado. Controls are generally easy to use, and although the push-button transmission selector is a little odd, it's ergonomically placed.
When it comes to tech, all but the base Tahoe for 2022 features a new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs Android Automotive software as skinned by GM. This is not to be confused with Android Auto, which is a common car feature that allows the car's tech interface to control apps on your smartphone (Apple CarPlay is its iPhone equivalent). That's also in the Tahoe and Suburban, along with CarPlay. Though the name makes it confusing, Android Automotive is basically an in-car tech interface created by Google (Android) that different car companies can customize that utilizes the tech giant's various existing features. Among those, it integrates Google’s ecosystem nicely — Google Maps works well as the navigation system. However, the voice-activated Google Assistant (the Android version of Siri) requires an odd “warm up” period when you first start the car that locks you out of using voice commands for the first 20-30 seconds. That’s inconvenient when you want to get in and get navigation rolling, but at least the Google Assistant works flawlessly once it’s finally ready. Much of the other tech in the Tahoe/Suburban is top notch, as the 12-inch digital cluster is nicely laid out with multiple viewing options, and the large head-up display is just as well integrated. You can get a pair of 12.6-inch screens mounted on the headrests for rear passengers to consume content on, too.
How big are the Tahoe and Suburban?
Being full-size SUVs, the Tahoe and Suburban are sizable, and last year's redesign made them bigger than ever. The Tahoe grew the most with an extra 6.7 inches of overall length and 4.9 inches of wheelbase. The Suburban only gained 1.3 inches of extra length, but the wheelbase expanded by 4.1 inches. And while going to an independent rear suspension (IRS) didn’t add any external size, it did help expand the interior, which is vastly larger than before.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest interior gains are enjoyed by the more substantially expanded Tahoe. It picks up 3 inches of legroom in the second row, and a massive 10.1 inches in the third row thanks to the IRS and the consequent lower floor. The Suburban gains a little over 2 inches of legroom for each row. Importantly, the size increase is noticeable in practice. The third row in particular is pretty flat, but it's exponentially more spacious and comfortable than before. Even tall adults can sit comfortably back there now (versus almost no one), and although the Jeep Wagoneer and Ford Expedition's are still more comfortable and spacious overall, few other vehicles can top the Tahoe (or Suburban) for third-row space. We dive deeper into the Tahoe's newer, larger rear passenger area here.
Cargo space expands significantly, too, compared with the smaller previous models. Behind the third row seats, the Tahoe has 25.5 cubic feet of space, an improvement of 10.2 cubic feet. That's theoretically about a 6-cubic-foot advantage over the Expedition on paper, but in real-world testing, we found the actual difference to be negligible. The Jeep Wagoneer, meanwhile, has appreciably more than both. Still, it's a genuinely large space for a three-row vehicle. Of course, if you plan to routinely travel with all three rows filled, opting for the Suburban and its added cargo space is a good idea. Its cargo space behind the third row swells to 41.5 cubic feet (an increase of 2.2 cubic-feet from before). We should also note that the switch to an independent rear suspension last year has significantly lowered the floor and therefore liftover height.
What are their fuel economy, performance and towing specs?
The 2022 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban have three different engines to pick from. The base engine is a naturally aspirated 5.3-liter V8 making 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. It’s coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission and available with either rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. With RWD, both Tahoe and Suburban return 15 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway and 17 in combined driving. 4WD lowers those estimates to 14/19/16. These figures are worse than those of the more powerful Ford Expedition.
Available on the Z71, RST, Premier and High Country is a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. It makes 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Like the 5.3-liter engine, it comes with a 10-speed automatic and either rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. City and highway fuel economy differs somewhat by drivetrain, trim level and Tahoe or Suburban, but all versions with this engine get 16 mpg combined.
A unique offering for the GM full-size SUVs is the diesel 3.0-liter inline-six. It’s the only engine like it in the class. It makes 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque and will also get the 10-speed automatic. It obliterates the fuel economy of the engines, with 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined for the 2WD Tahoe and 20/26/22 with 4WD. The Suburban is basically the same. You could save hundreds of dollars on fuel every year by going with the diesel.
Towing capacities are between 7,500 and 8,000 pounds depending on body style, engine and drivetrain. The diesel is the best choice, but only slightly. A tow package increases capacity across the board and actually results in the 5.3-liter being slightly better, but again, the difference is small.
The longer Suburban, pictured above.
What are the Tahoe and Suburban like to drive?
There are a wide array of Tahoe and Suburban powertrain and chassis combinations, and we haven’t driven them all, but the versions we’ve driven have been impressive. Four suspension offerings are available: a fixed steel spring and shock system; an air suspension; a steel spring suspension with magnetic dampers; air suspension with magnetic dampers. We haven't sampled the base system, but we would nevertheless suggest a Tahoe or Suburban with the magnetic dampers. It provides a glassy smooth ride, limited body roll, and its controlled enough to eliminate nearly all the shimmies and shudders that crop up in large, body-on-frame vehicles.
The air suspension on its own lets those body wiggles through more, but is still pleasant. In the default comfort mode, it rides fairly soft with moderate body roll, and the sport mode stiffens things up noticeably, but without becoming uncomfortable. Regardless of suspension, you get the same steering, which is excellent. It’s nicely weighted, and quite precise. And even with the more roly-poly base air suspension, the truck handles well with good turn-in and a stable, composed feel even over bumpy corners.
We’ve also now driven Tahoes/Suburbans with every available engine. The 5.3-liter V8 provides perfectly adequate acceleration, but it's no match for the Expedition silky smooth and far more powerful turbo V6. The 6.2-liter is a much better contender and does liven things up a bit, though we still wouldn’t call it fast. Ultimately, we think the Duramax diesel is the best choice. It certainly won't be fast, either, but its benefits are many. Its peak torque matches the 6.2-liter, but occurs at 1,500 rpm rather than 4,100. That makes it well-suited to towing and results in acceleration that feels stronger off the line. Importantly, its fuel economy will also be substantially better than the gas V8s.
