THE VENERABLE CHEVY SUBURBAN
The Chevy Suburban first put rubber to road in 1934, making it one of the longest-living vehicle models in auto history. This vehicle could be be viewed as the great-grandfather of today’s SUVs. It was developed as a “station wagoned-bodied” version of the popular Chevrolet pickup truck. Although I have never owned one (I’m a true-blue Tahoe man) I recently had the opportunity to drive to the Association of Great Lakes Outdoors Writers annual conference in Branson, Missouri.
The obvious advantage of the Suburban is the extra pace. With a third-row of seats, it easily and comfortably transports the driver and six passengers, with extra storage to boot. For the sportsman with extra gear, the third row seats detach and can be completely removed from the vehicle for additional space.
With 4-wheel drive, trailer towing package, heavy duty suspension and a 15,000-pound towing capacity, there is no disputing this is all truck.
Now for the high-tech side. In addition to, well, power EVERYTHIING, the Suburban can offer wifi-on-the-fly. The hotspot allows passengers to receive internet access anywhere, anytime. Laptops, ipads, kindles, smart phones— whatever your device, your passengers are “plugged in”. Which basically mean you may never have to hear “Are we there yet?” on road trips ever again.
If internet access isn’t enough, It also has a built-in DVD player with stereo surround sound and TWO screens that drop down from the ceiling, enabling the third row passengers to enjoy a movie. Wireless headphones are available so the driver does not have to hear the movie (and not get to watch it.)
Oh, I almost forgot safety. It’s one of the safest vehicles on the road, having won NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) 5-star ratings.
With all the luxury of any other vehicle including built-in GPS navigation, power sunroof and heated and cooled seats, I have a hard time calling this a truck. Whether hauling hunting and fishing gear or kids, the venerable Chevy Suburban is the ultimate Sportsman’s Truck.
Check out 11 generations of the Suburban in the photo gallery. How many manufacturers can claim 11 generations of one truck line?
