Why the 2024 Chevrolet Suburban High Country Is Better Than Some Luxury SUVs

Cars are expensive these days, no two ways about it; in 2023, the average price of a new car was just over $47,000, according to Automotive News. I’m fairly desensitized to sticker shock at this point, but a new car occasionally will cross my driveway with a Monroney that sends me reeling. So, when I learned the ruby red — er, Radiant Red Tintcoat — 2024 Chevrolet Suburban test car I had for a week exits the dealership show floor for no less than a searing $94,795 (all prices include destination), you’d think I’d keel over. Ninety-four grand? For a Chevy?

Related: 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban: Smoother Super-Sized SUVs

But I didn’t — and furthermore, while this might not be a “deal,” the weeklong drive cemented the idea that GM’s full-size SUVs make a more compelling case as luxury leviathans than some products from Mercedes-Benz or Lexus.

This take only works when you consider the supporting evidence.

Size Matters

It’s a lot of money, but it’s also a lot of truck. And I do mean truck — under the boxy butt of the ‘Burban are the bones of GM’s Silverado full-size trucks, giving the Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV a rock-solid body-on-frame platform that, when equipped correctly, can take the whole family to your remote alpine cabin while towing the moon.

You’re getting a ton — or around 3 tons, in the case of the Suburban — of SUV for your cash, and while you can nab a big-body Mercedes-Benz GLS or Lexus LX 600, you’re simply not going to match GM’s full-sizers for interior space and hauling capability outside of the Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator or Jeep Wagoneer.

There’s so much real estate in which to stretch out, you’ll find a full house of folks feels more like a living room chat than a cramped dinner run, especially in the longer-wheelbase Suburban. It’s subtle, but the ability to lounge rather than simply sit is far more pampering than the “normal” cockpits found in smaller luxury SUVs.

This is as true of a $61,195 base Suburban LS as it is my ritzy $95,000 High Country, though you’re getting quite the load of features for that extra $34,000 or so. Aside from standardizing the big 6.2-liter V-8, extended leather upholstery and a head-up display, the High Country has the premium bits from lesser trims, including a 10-speaker Bose sound system, 12-inch digital driver display, wireless charging, available second-row entertainment system, heated steering wheel, and heated and ventilated front seats.

So, there’s plenty to play with, even if the max Suburban leaves a selection of cosseting hardware like massaging front seats and an 18-speaker Bose system on the table in deference to the GMC’s equivalent $102,000 Yukon XL Denali Ultimate. Those wishing to stick with the Bow-Tie brand can add an adaptive air suspension and power-retractable side steps (two Denali Ultimate features) to the High Country.

Long-Hauling Super Cruiser

Based on my drive of an air-ride High Country, you absolutely should stick with Chevy, too. Even in base form, these full-size SUVs are, in no uncertain terms, apex road trippers. Their heavenly combination of speed-shrinking size and long wheelbases devour miles and hit “mute” on broken pavement before it has much of a chance to disrupt your easy cruise. I pointed my High Country north from my Los Angeles home for a blitz up to Santa Barbara, Calif., for a weekend, and found it more comfortable and isolating than most crossovers and sedans from real-deal luxury brands.

The same goes for any passengers. Kiddos and bored adults in the second row can futz with the dual 12.6-inch screens mounted on the front seatbacks, which offer device projection and include a pair of wireless headphones. More of a laptop person? I used the cavernous cabin as a mobile office, taking a video meeting just off the highway with the Suburban’s onboard Wi-Fi hot spot and household power outlet in the second row.

Crucially, the High Country offers GM’s trick hands-free Super Cruise tech as an option, which pushes the SUV’s long-legged personality even further. It’s admittedly disconcerting to partially cede control of the 6,000-pound V-8 bus to programming and sensors, but Super Cruise is as impressively effective in the big wrapper as it is in smaller fare. At no point was I truly nervous beyond the High Country’s sheer size on U.S. Highway 101 even when the road and coastline turned squiggly.

Stealthish Wealth

The Yukon Denali’s status as the vehicular “stealth wealth” king is all but common knowledge at this point, but there’s a clear message conveyed when someone parks a black GMC in the driveway instead of a Rolls, Range Rover or Escalade. If you are someone who seeks to fly under the radar, spec your High Country in black, silver or white and you’ll appear more as a livery shuttle than low-key mogul. Really, most folks would see your new black Suburban and think you’re doing well, but not $95,000 well. “Did you hear? The Joneses got a new Mercedes! [It’s a base C-Class.] Aren’t they quite the show-offs. [Price with destination: $48,100.]”

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Go Anywhere, Do Anything

Remember: Versatility is the name of the game here. With the high-spec 6.2-liter V-8, the Suburban burbles around with 420 horsepower and 460 pounds-feet of torque, thick enough for a mighty 8,200-pound tow rating in rear-wheel-drive form with enough power to terrify anyone ahead of you on the on-ramp and harass BRZs, WRXs and GTIs between stoplights. And if you instead choose the Z71 variant, you’ll be able to (subtly) flex on the folks at the trailhead.

Either way, what a lovely thing GM’s full-sizers are, year after year. If all this opining has you headed to Cars.com’s listings, make sure you don’t wait for the 2025 Suburban and Tahoe, which get a range of significant improvements.

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