Last week, Chevrolet loaned our family a brand new 2022 Suburban 4WD Premier for a week. The Suburban was delivered to our home and Charlie and I were like little kids in a candy store – or in this case, two adults playing in a brand new spacious car. Can I add how much I love the new car scent? We both sat in the front seats, then the two captain seats, and then the third row seats. Chevy really means it when they say the Suburban offers best-in-class seating with second-row leg room! We then opened the trunk of the Suburban and looked at each other in amazement with all the room in the back. Talk about best-in-class cargo (with a volume of up to 144.7 cu. ft). The Suburban had all the room our family needed. Oh and no more having to manually push the rear seats back, there are buttons for it in the back that will do it for you!
Taking the 2022 Chevrolet Suburban on a Short Road Trip
We thought it would be fun to take the Chevy Suburban on a short road trip….and we knew the perfect place to go – to a tree farm to chop down our own holiday tree! So on Sunday, we packed the boys in the Suburban and headed to Dudeck’s Pine Country in Indiana to chop down a tree. The boys all sat comfortably in their seats. The twins loved having their own monitors, which are pretty big – 12.6 inch diagonal LCD HD touchscreens. Luke loved having the whole third row to himself. The Family Technology was such an added convenience to us.
Dudeck’s Pine Country is a beautiful tree farm. We try to go every year there since I love how big the place is and the miles of trees just makes me a sense of peace, especially in the midst of a busy holiday season.
The Features I Like Most About the Chevy Suburban
I love how roomy the Suburban Premier is and watching the boys run around in the back when we first showed them the car. Even the front passenger seat has the room and comfort I needed on a short road trip. The other feature I like about the Chevy Suburban nine camera views on the front monitor. I was blown away by how clear and helpful all those camera views are. I even tried to parallel park the Suburban and found the cameras so useful and helpful. Lastly, I know this is a small detail but I love that your can push the buttons in the trunk to move the rear seats down. So very convenient and mind blowing to me.
Charlie’s Chevy Suburban Driving Experience
Since Charlie did the most driving the family around in the Suburban and a huge car fanatic, I wanted him to share his experience. Also, he knows more about the technical aspect of the car than I do. Here’s what Charlie has to say:
“Everyone knows the name Chevy Suburban – it’s always been the biggest SUV on the road. That’s how it was when I was a kid growing up and it still holds true today. This is my first time driving one and yes the Suburban is a huge vehicle but this 2022 Suburban drives like a much smaller car. The 6.3L V8 in this one is not the biggest engine in the lineup but it moves this rig extremely well, both from a standing start or when passing on the highway. Our car also had the 10-speed automatic transmission which proved its worth at highway speeds. Downshifts are absolutely immediate and suddenly you’re in the right gear and moving with the speed you were looking for. It also seems to read your mind when you’re not quite done, holding a lower gear just a bit longer while you complete your maneuver.
However, the single most effective component of making this Suburban drive like a much smaller car is the magnetic ride control. I’m happy to see these shock absorbers make their way into all sorts of GM vehicles as they are a marvel at keeping your car planted and controlled. Bumps are absorbed and isolated without any disruption! There’s no vibration or shudder echoing throughout the car. There’s no need for steering correction when you hit a bump. This car just travels along as it should – smooth and precise. You forget how big the car is! As an engineer and gearhead, I love keeping up with the technology. Knowing what was going on underneath left me with a grin the whole weekend. I was literally looking for bumps in the road and aiming for them just to see how the car reacted. Leyla never even noticed…
Inside there are buttons everywhere, and I love it. I’ll take a dedicated button or switch over a touchscreen menu option (and the frustrating search for it) any day! With so many buttons, some are obscured from view and I found myself occasionally having to look for the right one. This would become more natural after a short time of ownership. For the most part, buttons are where you need them. The volume control on the BACK of the steering wheel is genius! They’re big chunky buttons that are easy to feel even with gloves on, which is great for your most-used control.
I wish we had more time to spend with this 2022 Suburban. I’d love to try out the smart trailer integration functions and the associated hitch view camera guidance. (Maybe next time we’ll rent a boat for the weekend???) But overall, this is a fantastic vehicle that is capable enough for anything you need yet easy to live with and drive every day.”
Picking and Chopping our Christmas Tree
We normally go with a Douglas Fir tree because of the soft needles. So we went the area with all Douglas Fir. The boys and Charlie normally pick the tree since I like to decorate it. Before we chopped our tree, we found it very useful to go through some tips Chevy gave us:
Chevy Holiday Tree Chopping Tips 2021
- Be prepared: Always make sure to measure the space in your home and car so you know exactly what size tree will fit as you pick one out. Don’t forget to leave enough room for the tree topper!
- Stay warm: Bundle up, wear boots and bring a pair of gloves to make sure you stay warm when chopping down your tree. Be sure to bring something to kneel on while you cut your tree down.
- Choose Wisely: Most tree farms have a lot of options to choose from, so take your time and inspect the trees before you pick one out. The National Christmas Tree Association recommends testing out the branches to make sure the tree isn’t too dry or unhealthy.
- Chop Chop: Cut your tree low to the ground and straight across. Have a buddy pull the tree slightly away from the side you’re cutting to prevent the saw from binding and make it easier to cut all the way through.
- Use Cross-Rails: If available, properly installed cross rails on the roof of your vehicle are the preferred way to transport the tree home. Creating a hitching post with the roof rails makes it easier to tie the tree down.
- Use netting: All trees should be put into netting or a sleeve for easy transport.
- Stump first: With the tree in its proper sleeve, position the tree stump-end towards the front of your vehicle. It’s the most aerodynamic way to transport your tree home.
- Tie it down tight: Lay your tree directly overtop the cross rails, loop twine over and around, and repeat to cinch with a “figure-8” motion. This will help protect the tree from moving around while you drive.
- Stabilize the tree: You can always use more twine and crisscross across the street for extra support if you need it.
- Don’t forget to water your tree: Make sure you put your tree into water immediately when you get home and place it away from heat sources like fireplaces or radiators that can dry it out. The tree will drink up a lot of water the first couple of days so make sure to constantly check on the water level throughout the season. Help keep it alive and healthy all holiday season long!
Dudeck’s Pine Country was able to do tips # 6 – 9 for us!
Thank you Chevrolet for the fun family adventure!
