2000 Chevrolet Suburban LT 4X4

Random vehicle blog…………………tonight the wheel has selected…

2000 Chevrolet Suburban LT 4X4

When Chevrolet redesigned the Suburban for 2000, I was already looking for a new SUV.  I wanted a big one and had come close to getting a Ford Excursion (something I would do repeatedly later).  I already had a Chevy Tahoe however, so I waited until the new Suburban was released in late '99.  I decided that I had to have one so I ordered one to be built exactly as I wanted.

I took delivery of it on Valentine's day of 2000.  The sticker price was about $43,000, which, at the time, was a lot of money for an SUV (seems like that's base model money these days).  I ordered the 4X4 LT package with every option available except a sunroof. 

I custom ordered the truck with a two-tone charcoal leather interior.  It had a third row seat which could fold up or come out altogether, and back seats that folded down to make a HUGE, flat rear cargo area (or puppy play pen).  It also had about every amenity you could imagine.

It had heated memory seats, an outstanding multi-zone climate control system, and also included OnStar.  With the built in GPS system, the OnStar people could direct me to any location, unlock my doors, diagnose engine problems, and even call an ambulance if my air bags deployed.  I, however, used the service more often to find and make reservations at restaurants and movies than anything else.

The biggest difference between this truck and the Tahoe, other than the extra length, was the ride quality.  The Tahoe wasn't bad, but this truck rode great.  It was smooth and quiet and a real joy to drive.

I avoided repeating my mistake with the Tahoe by ordering this truck in my old favorite, black.  It didn't fit in my garage at the time, but it was never too difficult to cool down in the summer.  Chevrolet really did do a great job engineering this vehicle.

It had a few odd rattles, all of which were fixed once I got it to the shop, but no real problems to speak of.

It was a good looking and functional truck that served me well for exactly one year.  I sold it to a man in Oklahoma City the day after Valentine's Day of 2001.  My biggest regret was that I didn't wait six months to buy it when the dealers started dropping the prices. 

Romeo was sad to see it go, but he liked the next truck just as much (he wasn't too picky).