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Family road trips, summer vacation, football games, prom king and queen—the old-school dream of American suburbia has been commodified for decades in the Chevrolet Suburban. This full-size SUV exemplifies a specific category of unwavering American values, refined for a new generation but emblematically unaltered.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country
Despite a major shift towards downsizing in the contemporary automotive landscape, the Suburban still offers buyers traditional V8 power, a massively spacious cabin with plenty of seatbelts, and enough towing capacity to haul the family boat or RV trailer. The Suburban simply refuses to back down.
For some, its statement of resilience alone is enough of a reason to buy one over any of its seemingly softer, downsized rivals, but does the Suburban offer enough competitive value over its competition to win over more objective buyers? Let’s take a look at how it holds up.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country
The Suburban High Country is an Escalade Lite
The High Country 4WD, the top-of-the-line model in the Suburban range, offers an extensive list of premium amenities. The full-size, eight-seater SUV sits on a cloud-like, adaptive, auto-leveling air suspension system with magnetic ride control and 22-inch (or optional 24-inch) wheels. It also has a claimed towing capacity of 8,400 pounds when equipped with the standard V8.
Inside, the Suburban High Country benefits from a 17.7″ diagonal „advanced color LCD display“ with Google Built-In compatibility, Bose CenterPoint surround 10-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row outboard seats, a heated steering wheel, head-up display, and three-zone automatic climate control.
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The 6.2-litre V8-equipped Suburban gets an EPA-estimated 14 miles per gallon in the city and 19 miles per gallon on the highway. While these figures don’t quite represent the best in its class, the Suburban’s fuel economy is relatively on par with its rivals – a noteworthy feat considering it still uses a naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engine.
Safety features include the typical suite of active emergency assists, HD surround vision cameras, and a unique „Teen Driver Mode,“ which „helps encourage safe driving habits for teens by providing an in-vehicle report card,“ according to GM. This mode also ensures that all safety features are enabled and active.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country
How do the Suburban’s domestic rivals compare?
Let’s begin by looking at the Suburban High Country’s domestic competitors. The creators of these full-size luxury SUVs know their audience well, specifically targeting the North American market. However, as the price point for full-size SUVs has gradually approached and even surpassed the six-figure mark in recent years, competition within the segment is more tense than ever.
Arguably, the Suburban’s most direct and most familiar competitor, the Ford Expedition Max, offers nearly identical value but is possessed by a different spirit. In its King Ranch guise, the Expedition Max starts at $86,655 and is aimed directly at the Suburban High Country. Unlike the Suburban, however, which received a major facelift, inside and out for 2025, the Expedition got an entirely new generation’s worth of updates.
2025 Ford Expedition Max Platinum
2025 Ford Expedition Max King Ranch – $86,655 MSRP
Powered by a 440-horsepower, 510 lb-ft of torque, 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6, the 2025 Expedition King Ranch benefits from slightly increased power over the Suburban’s 420-horsepower, 460 lb-ft of torque, 6.2-litre V8. The Expedition Max’s towing capacity is also noticeably higher, rated at 9,000 pounds.
The Expedition wins out in terms of fuel economy, too, with a rating of 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. While the Suburban can be optioned with a diesel powertrain in the form of the silky smooth, 305-horsepower, 496 lb-ft of torque, 3.0-litre Duramax turbodiesel straight-six, the Expedition cannot. If optioned with that diesel, the Suburban gains superior fuel economy compared to the Ford, with a rating of 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
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2025 Ford Expedition MAX Platinum
Besides having very different powertrains, the Expedition and Suburban aren’t so different other than in terms of style and appearance. Where the Suburban embraces its toughness, the Expedition aims for softer, friendlier styling, and its interior might even trick you into thinking it’s an EV at first glance.
The Expedition King Ranch is a solid contender against the Suburban High Country and offers a compelling value proposition. But, if you’re absolutely set on a V8 engine, there’s only one acceptable alternative to the Suburban High Country 4WD in its class, and that’s its very own cousin, the GMC Yukon XL Denali 4WD.
2025 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
2025 GMC Yukon XL Denali 4WD – $84,995 MSRP
The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali, which also received a major facelift for the 2025 model year, starts at $84,995 when equipped with the 6.2L V8. Opt for the diesel, and the MSRP jumps to $89,460. For the most part, the Yukon is essentially identical to the Suburban, albeit with unique, minor styling changes inside and out.
Deciding between these two models is mostly a matter of aesthetic preference. Both the Suburban High Country and Yukon XL Denali have adaptive air suspension and magnetic ride control. They can also be equipped with the exact same powertrains (the 6.2L V8 or 3.0L Duramax turbodiesel straight-six).
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So, while there are technically two V8-powered options in this segment at this price point, they are essentially identical twins. However, the High Country is the highest package available for the Suburban, while GMC has two trims above the Denali: the AT4 Ultimate starting at $98,795 and the Denali Ultimate starting at $104,795.
2025 Jeep Wagoneer
2024 Jeep Wagoneer L Series III – $89,320 MSRP
Lastly on the list of the Suburban’s domestic competitors is the Jeep Wagoneer L. Jeep’s SUV offering ditched the 6.4L Hemi V8 in 2024 for an all-new, 420-horsepower, 486 lb-ft, twin-turbocharged 3.0L Hurricane straight-six. The Wagoneer L’s towing capacity is best in class, rated at 10,000 pounds, and also benefits from air suspension like the others.
Although its new straight-six is smooth as butter to operate and immensely powerful, its questionable long-term reliability concerns many who resent the disappearance of the beloved Hemi V8. The downsized powertrain doesn’t affect fuel economy, either, with an essentially identical rating to its V8 predecessor of 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.
Official pricing for the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer L is not yet available, but the top-trim 2024 Wagoneer L Series III had a starting MSRP of $89,320 for some added perspective.
2025 Land Rover Defender 130
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A new challenger has appeared from overseas
While Japanese brands that offer full-size SUVs tend to focus on Tahoe-sized models, such as the Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia, one imported outlier chases after the larger Suburban: the Land Rover Defender 130.
With seating for up to eight people, the Land Rover Defender 130 X-Dynamic SE starts from $81,400 and comes equipped with a 395-horsepower, supercharged or turbocharged, mild-hybrid 3.0L straight-six. That powertrain further benefits from four-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, a Meridian surround sound system, and countless additional luxurious features and amenities.
The Defender 130’s towing capacity isn’t far off from the Suburban’s, with an 8,201-pound rating. The Defender does benefit from improved fuel economy, however, with a rating of 17 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Although the Defender follows the trend of the Suburban’s rivals in using a turbocharged six-cylinder power plant, a V8 engine is still available, albeit at a significantly higher cost.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country & 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71
Final thoughts
If you’re a die-hard V8 fanatic, there really is no alternative to the Chevrolet Suburban High Country 4WD at its price point besides the essentially identical GMC Yukon XL Denali 4WD.
But, even if you’re not fussed about your full-size SUV’s powertrain, the Suburban High Country still offers on-par value within its segment. With comparable fuel economy, likely superior long-term reliability, and a fresh facelift that modernizes the SUV’s style without sacrificing its old-school charm, it’s hard to beat the Suburban’s appeal.
2025 Chevrolet Suburban High Country
One exception, however, is if towing is a major priority for you. Unfortunately, the Suburban has one of the lowest towing capacity ratings among its classmates. The Ford Expedition beats it out by 600 pounds, and the Wagoneer L wins this arms race with its astonishing 10,000-pound rating. This could be a deal-breaker for those who need to tow heavy cargo on a regular basis.
Do you have a favorite amongst this honorable list of gargantuan, full-size, four-wheel drive SUVs? Do you agree that the Suburban High Country offers admirable value, or do other options mentioned speak to you more? Let us know how you feel in the comments – we love to hear your thoughts!
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