2002 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3 from North America

Summary:

Lovable Beast

Faults:

Nothing so far, haven't had it very long.

General Comments:

Amazing how smooth the engine purrs like a kitten still at 170k miles.

Still looks great and is a pleasure to drive.

Hauls huge amounts of stuff around, which is one of the reasons I bought it.

Very comfortable interior, seats are like sitting on a comfortable oversized chair, and with a high driving position, very good visibility all around. Feels safe and it's easy to see traffic. Makes driving a little more relaxing.

The vehicle is now 14 years old and everything still works, and still is holding up fairly nicely for the most part.

I have had over 30 different cars of all kinds, and I never knew Chevy made such a solid vehicle. Just lifted it a few inches, put some mud terrain tires on it; went from looking like a mommy mall cruiser soccer wagon to a badass beast.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th May, 2016

2002 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3 liter from North America

Summary:

Comfy, roomy, great SUV!

Faults:

Left front axle seal cracked. Apparently this is common problem for GM vehicles this size. So far this is the only one that has cracked.

Driver's side mirror, which has electronic controls and a heater in it, malfunctioned. I saw multiple images on stormy days, and it wouldn't defrost. It's kind of expensive to replace, but it was worth it.

Had one blown audio speaker when we purchased it (but this was due to previous owners, not the manufacturer).

General Comments:

The LS model of the 2002 Suburban has room for 9 people. Where the middle console would be in the LT, there is a small seat with a fold-down storage compartment/armrest.

The seats are comfortable and can be adjusted several ways for height and back support. The lumbar support is manual on our vehicle, as well as the tilt, and the front and back height adjustments are electronic, as is the control that moves the seat closer to the steering wheel or back.

There is plenty of nice lighting in the cabin.

Running boards are standard, so no lifting kids in and out (and no hoisting for short mamas). Also, each entry (except the rear and driver's side) have a handle to hold onto to assist in entering the vehicle.

The air conditioning works so well, that our kids frequently ask us to turn it down or off (the rear unit can be controlled from the middle seats of the car as well).

There are so many features we appreciate that we cannot list them all, but I will mention a few we like. The vehicle has the ability to sense how light or dark it is outside, and adjust its lights inside and out accordingly. The car always has running lights, but if it is a cloudy day or turning to evening, it will turn on the full outside lights and brighten the interior display lights. When the vehicle is turned off, the lights all go off. No more leaving the lights on accidentally on rainy days and draining the battery!

Also, when the car is turned off, it maintains something they call "auxiliary power." It keeps the clock and radio on, as well as keeping power to the windows and wipers, for 20 minutes. So if you turn it off and left the windows down, you can zip the windows back up before exiting the vehicle. Or, if you are like my husband, and you want to hear the end of a symphony and hear them announce who wrote it, but don't want to waste gas, or if you're just waiting for someone and don't want to waste the battery, you can listen to music while you wait.

In the middle row of seats, the middle seat has a fold down portion that has a tray/cupholder area -- really nice for older kids or adults on a trip. (We have not used it yet, but we see its future potential!)

There are two or three power outlets, two in front, one in the rear -- plenty for chargers and other needs.

Our model has a hatch-style door, which comes with a loop to grab to pull it down. Great for short people. I believe this model year and some subsequent can also be purchased with "barn doors," or a pair of large doors that open to the left and right, if you prefer.

The cabin is relatively quiet, especially compared the minivan we upgraded from. I don't feel like I have to yell to communicate with my children under normal circumstances.

The stereo unit/CD player that comes with the vehicle is easy to use; speakers are fairly good. We always seem to buy a used vehicle with one speaker blown out (this is our third one), so our ability to tell just how good the sound system is has been hampered.

Comes with 4-wheel drive (which we have liked in mountainous terrain and bad weather). It has different options for usage (DO read the owners' manual). We really like the setting that detects whether all 4 axles need to be engaged or not (usually used for bad weather).

It has plenty of room for children in large car seats and bigger kids to sit all together without feeling squished. The middle row can easily accommodate any size adult. The back row even has decent room, though I think a tall person might feel a little tight back there.

On-Star is available if you want it, and it comes equipped with the necessary buttons.

It also has buttons for controlling your garage door or doors, if you have any.

The side mirrors have a defogger/defroster.

Roof rack also comes standard.

The engine gets up and GOES unless seriously loaded down.

Overall, we have LOVED this vehicle! It is comfy, roomy, has tons of great features, tons of room, really good hauling capacity, and has been a reliable, good choice for our family. Everyone we've ever talked to that owned a Suburban or do own a Suburban cannot stop talking about how much they love it, and we have become fans ourselves!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th September, 2010

3rd Oct 2010, 16:53

My wife and I also have a 2002 Suburban LS with 4 wheel drive. Ours has only 51000 miles on it, and it's pewter in color. Like you, we absolutely love ours. It is extremely reliable, and well cared for. We know a few people that have them, and they are madly in love with theirs. We will keep ours. We just may seek a low mileage 2002 like ours as our 3rd vehicle.

4th Oct 2010, 11:14

In 2009 the Suburban had the highest resale value of any SUV on the market. That is no surprise, as they are by far the best in their class.

3rd Dec 2010, 10:44

I have a 2003 Chevy Suburban. It is a replacement for my 1998 GMC Suburban (which I still have and use). We are Suburban people. Love the roomy interior, the comfy seats, and the good gas mileage (about 19 MPG in the 2003, using NO Ethanol fuel).

Also we tow a boat and a horse trailer on occasion. There is plenty of power for towing. Plenty of power for passing on the interstate.

I can't say anything bad about this truck. We love this truck. I highly recommend this vehicle.