2025 Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban First Drive: America’s Favorite People Movers Get Facelifted

When combining all of its full-size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, General Motors currently controls more than 60% of the segment. That’s huge. Huge enough to motivate The General to give its Chevy big-boys a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year.

Because, yes, it’s already been four years since the current, fifth-generation trucks hit our roads. I flew down to Texas, attended the State Fair and hung out at Texas Motor Speedway with the updated Tahoe & Suburban to rediscover why they remain America’s first choice for moving people around.

2025 Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban First Impressions

The Tahoe’s square and stubby presence (the longer Suburban mitigates that impression) remains intact. It’s essentially the same truck as before. The biggest changes come from the front fascia. The headlights are now a full LED setup across the lineup, with redesigned grilles on all trim levels, as well as a slightly restyled front bumper. Those LED headlights also come with a cool animation when unlocking the truck.

Out the rear, there’s a new LED taillight design as well, and every version of the Tahoe and Suburban gets a new set of wheels that matches its respective target audience. The High Country pictured here, wears a set of stylish 24-inch rims, the largest to have ever been fitted onto GM’s full-sizers. New paint colors were also added, my favorite being Cypress Grey, which is actually light green.

Do I like the way the Tahoe/Suburban looks? The facelift definitely helps, and the RST versions have always looked ultra badass. But in terms of looks, I still prefer the GMC Yukon.

Exterior Dimensions

2025 Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban: Differences Between The U.S. And Canadian Market

Both markets sell the Tahoe and Suburban under six different trim levels, with essentially identical levels of equipment and features. The main distinction is that the Canadian market offers standard four-wheel drive on all trims except for LS and LT. Also, in Canada, the Z71 is actually cheaper than the RST. The reason? Based on market research, the Z71 is more popular than the RST north of the border. For each trim level, you’ll need to add $3,000 USD ($3,500 CAD) to unlock the Suburban.

U.S. Versus Canada Lineup Breakdown (model tested in bold)

Driving Impressions And Performance

Although GM says it’s made changes to the Air Ride suspension and the MagneRide adaptive dampers for improved ride and handling, it’s really hard to notice the difference. I drove down to Cape Cod with the family in a fully loaded GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate in August. It drove the same way as this updated one.

But that’s also great news, as GM’s large SUVs have fantastic road composure given their size. They’re also surprisingly stiff given their body-on-frame configuration, and respectfully quick off the line when powered by the more powerful 6.2-liter V8. Nothing changes in that respect, by the way. The 6.2 still churns out a stout 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft. The more humble 5.3L V8 is no slouch either, providing an ample 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft.

If gasoline isn’t your fancy, you’ll be happy to know that the Tahoe/Suburban can still be had with a diesel (Duramax) 3.0-liter inline-six. It’s now good for 305 horsepower and an impressive 495 lb-ft of torque (up from 277 hp/ 460 lb-ft).

The big news for 2025 is that the Duramax engine is now offered on the Z71 as well. It also comes standard with four-wheel drive now. All three engines are paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission, with max towing for the Tahoe rated at 8,400 pounds (8,200 lb for Suburban), the lowest in the segment.

My time with the trucks was mostly spent with the 6.2-liter V8. Punch the throttle and the Tahoe/Suburban immediately shuffles down a few gears and gets moving in a pleasantly refined way. Contrary to its two main competitors – the Ford Expedition and Jeep Wagoneer – which both require turbo power to get moving, this Chevy is still all V8, providing a linear and consistent power band as well as an engine note that has become all too rare in today’s automotive landscape.

One could argue that GM is lagging behind in terms of efficiency and, perhaps more importantly, greenhouse gases with its V8s. I do wish these rigs came with some form of hybrid assistance. But these engines remain highly capable and have proven their worth many times over.

Performance Specifications

2025 Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban Fuel Consumption

Since all three drivetrains are essentially identical, there are absolutely no improvements at the pump for the 2025 model year. It’s the same story for the Duramax which, although its internals have been revised, consumes the exact same amount of diesel as before. As for me, since I drove these trucks in a controlled environment and for a very short distance, I was unable to assess real-world fuel economy. I’ll need to live with the Tahoe/Suburban during an entire week in my neck of the woods to properly evaluate them.

EPA Fuel Consumption (Tahoe)

EPA Fuel Consumption (Suburban)

Interior Design And Comfort

The Tahoe and Suburban brothers were already rather great in terms of comfort and general passenger space, so none of that changes for 2025. The second row can still be optioned as a two-seater captain’s chair setup, or with a three-seat layout. There’s even the possibility of adding a ninth spot up front on the base, LS model. Although I highly suggest keeping that one for kids due to its small size.

Third row access and seating in a Tahoe remains segment-competitive, but if you plan on carrying tall passengers back there, I suggest opting for a Suburban for the extra legroom. All seats are comfortable and supportive, no matter the trim level. There’s never a shortage of passenger space.

Most of the cabin changes happened up front where the entire dashboard design was revamped, mostly due to the addition of GM’s signature 17.7-inch tablet layout. It comes standard on all trim levels and significantly updates what was previously a dated dashboard. Gear selection is back on the steering column to make space for the tablet.

GM also made sure to keep physical piano keys for key functions such as climate control settings, while the audio volume is still operated via a large knob dial. The massive and brilliant modular center console is still there. It moves rearward for added utility for the second row while incorporating a slew of neat storage solutions in the process.

Interior Dimensions (Tahoe)

Interior Dimensions (Suburban)

Technology And Ease Of Use

The new system’s interface is essentially the same Google-based system that GM also offers in its electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer and Silverado EV, except it preserves Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. I wrote a feature about why that is, which you can read here.

Generally speaking, it’s a neat system thanks to its clean graphics, ease of use and customization features. The main digital readout is also entirely customizable based on pre-configured menus. There’s a bit of lag during its operation, but the overall presentation is sharp and loaded with useful information.

GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous technology – which I personally adore – is now available on all Tahoe and Suburban trim levels except in the base LS. As for data, GM throws in a three-year complimentary subscription to OnStar which includes a connectivity plan to operate the native system.

Cargo And Storage Space

One of the main reasons American consumers love their Tahoes and Suburbans is due to the amount of cargo space they offer while still allowing them to carry the family. For 2025, their numbers remain unchanged, and unchallenged. For reference, a Tahoe offers more total cargo space (all seats lowered flat) than a Ford Expedition (104.6 cu-ft) and a Jeep Wagoneer (116.7 cu-ft). Even the almighty Expedition Max and Grand Wagoneer are no match for the Suburban’s class-leading cargo space.

Still The Right Formula

In a world of climate urgency, we all need to ask ourselves if we still need V8-powered full-size SUVs. It’s also somewhat of a letdown to not see GM – a carmaker that takes electrification very seriously – still not offering these things with some form of electric assistance.

But at the end of the day, what large North American families still need, is a spacious, reliable and highly capable people mover that they can hang onto for a long time. And that’s precisely the kind of familiar formula Chevrolet still offers with the Tahoe and Suburban lineup. There’s no denying how versatile these things are.

Thanks to a wide range of available trim levels and a trio of superb engines, the big Chevy twins are set to continue dominating the segment.