Chevy’s full-size SUVs head into 2025 with a mild refresh outside and a significantly different atmosphere inside. And by different, we mean better. The 2025 Suburban and Tahoe pull off a neat trick: They capture the tidiness of a minimalist cockpit without sacrificing physical controls.

Meanwhile, engineers coaxed a bit more power from the turbocharged 3.0-liter Duramax diesel engine. That news could get lost amid the snazzy new interior, but it just might be the best low-key improvement for these big people movers. Make no mistake—the larger-than-life Suburban and slightly smaller Tahoe still drink oceans of fuel, whether you choose a V-8 or the six-pot diesel. But the Duramax is your only hope of achieving over 20 miles per gallon, and frankly, it makes all the power you need. Even if you opt for the new 24-inch wheels, the largest ever offered from the factory for these big SUVs.

Chevrolet has been on a hot streak with interiors recently. The updates for 2025 bring the Suburban and Tahoe in line with the Bowtie’s other SUVs, namely with a large center touchscreen blending into a digital driver display. Here, the center screen is a bold 17.7 inches, matching the next-generation Traverse both in size and shape. It flows into the 11.0-inch driver display, and that’s the standard-issue layout for every trim—from the entry-level LS to High Country. Tucked below the central display are wide climate control vents, and below that, a neat row of knobs and buttons to quickly (and intuitively) control the climate.

Photos don’t do the updated interior justice. Screens dominate the front cabin, even in something as large as the Suburban RST I drove through the backstreets of Fort Worth, Texas. The result is a vehicle that feels thoroughly modern inside while still having convenient, tactile controls for commonly used features.

Christopher Smith / Motor1

Chevrolet told me physical buttons are important for this segment and they have no intention of removing them. That’s “good,” but the way Chevy blended analog and digital elements in this interior elevates my assessment of the vehicle to “great.” Few automakers have it balanced as well as Chevy right now.

Accessing all but the most buried vehicle settings (which you shouldn’t do while driving anyway) is a snap. That includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are still among the suite of systems in the Tahoe and Suburban. A Chevy spokesperson was noncommittal when I asked about the future of the popular tech, which General Motors pledged to eventually cut from all its vehicles. But for the foreseeable future at least, both are still very much a part of the Tahoe/Suburban experience. If you don’t have your phone handy, Google is the default system for navigation. And it’s still the best in the business.

Christopher Smith / Motor1

Pros: Delightful Diesel, Smooth Ride (Even On 24s), Perfect Blend Of Analog And Digital Tech

Things aren’t all hugs and puppies inside, however. Amid the modernized cockpit, Chevy adds an honest-to-goodness column-mounted shifter for 2025. It’s identical to the small stalk used in the Equinox and Traverse, but this isn’t an old-school PRNDL mechanical linkage. It’s digital and easy to use; Simply pull back and down for drive, or back and up for reverse. Park is engaged with a button on the end of the stalk, but there’s a problem.

The self-centering lever can inadvertently engage reverse if, say, it slips out of your fingers while going into drive. This happened to me a couple of times during my short first-drive experience. And I also once engaged reverse when I thought I was in park, but that was purely my mistake. Years of driving a column-shifted Silverados have conditioned me to shift up for park, but it’s a habit that all experienced PRNDL drivers could find difficult to break.

More worrying is the “bounce” from drive to reverse that can happen. If you don’t glance at the driver display or notice the “R” illuminated on the stalk before setting off, accidentally reversing into something is a legitimate possibility. And let’s be honest for a moment—engaging drive on an automatic transmission generally doesn’t elicit the most attention from a driver. I can easily see this becoming an issue that eventually leads to either a redesign or a safety recall.

Christopher Smith / Motor1 Christopher Smith / Motor1

With the right gear finally engaged, though, I can say the 2025 Suburban and Tahoe feel pretty much like last year’s models. That’s because the 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8 engines carry over unchanged, along with the 10-speed automatic transmission and multi-link suspension. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a full-size SUV with more space for cargo and passengers—up to nine if you choose the LS and nix the front bucket seats for a split bench.

The ride is still comfortable too, even with new 24-inch wheels wearing Bridgestones with a 40-section sidewall. I expected a tooth-jarring experience on the big wheels, and to my defense, there is noticeably more harshness with the 24s. But that only comes through on truly broken roads, and even then, it’s easily tolerable. If you often find yourself on dirt roads, I’d recommend sticking with the smaller rolling stock. But there’s no denying the visual punch of the 24s on something as big as a Suburban.

Christopher Smith / Motor1

Cons: Column Shifter Isn’t Foolproof, Gas Engines Still Thirsty

Be it dirt roads or paved ones, I definitely recommend the 3.0-liter I-6 diesel over the V-8s. The refreshed Suburban/Tahoe now has the 305-horsepower version of the mill, but of greater benefit is the engine’s 495 pound-feet of torque. That’s a 35 lb-ft increase and you feel it for everyday driving. I sampled this engine in both a Tahoe Z71 and flagship Suburban High Country; The torque lets you easily flow with slower-speed city traffic, but there’s still enough punch to cruise at 80 mph on the highway.

It’s an efficient choice, too. When I stepped out of the High Country diesel, the on-board mileage display sat at 21 mpg—an impressive number considering a bunch of journalists had been hot-footing it for several days. The RST and its 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 showed just 15.5 mpg, but it’s worth noting these aren’t official EPA stats. Those ratings will come later, but I have little reason to believe they’ll be far removed from my real-world experience.

Christopher Smith / Motor1

As for price, stepping into the full-size, body-on-frame SUV world isn’t cheap. The most basic 2025 Tahoe LS with two-wheel drive now starts at just over $60,000, but you at least get the handsome tech-focused interior and a plethora of standard driver-assist systems. At the other end, a well-equipped Suburban High Country is $86,195, placing it decidedly in the luxury realm. It’s only a few hundred bucks away from an entry-level Cadillac Escalade ESV.

Chevrolet calls the $60,000-plus Suburban and Tahoe LS “affordable” and important for buyers entering the large three-row segment. We’ll see how those buyers respond when the refreshed models reach dealerships, which will happen by the end of the year.

Competitors

Ford Expedition Jeep Wagoneer Nissan Armada Toyota Sequoia

Competitor Reviews

The Toyota Sequoia Is Fun but Flawed
The Nissan Armada Still Feels Premium Despite Its Age
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