Is the New Chevy Suburban Better or Worse Than the Old One? Let's Find Out! 

Nissan ad? Seriously???

Hands down,no question, that early 2000s generation of Suburban is and continues to be the best they have put out. Comfort, reliability, capacity, capability, ride, low cost of ownership. New is not always better and this is a great example.

With the 2001 Suburban, it definitely makes more financial sense to just fix or replace whatever breaks on it rather than buy a brand new one. I have an '01 Yukon and I'll be keeping it for as long as I can get parts for it. It's paid for.

I like how he wasn’t completely against the new truck from the get go and heard it out for what it had to offer but still brought up some very valid points in the end

David is such a voice of reason here. “It’s 86k?” “It has so much more complexity…why?” “It’s less useful” “Ground clearance is 6” “I have 10 more gallons in the tank and I get the same mileage as you”

Did you guys really place a Nissan ad in the beginning of your video?

He was hands down, one of your best guests on the show. Great energy & sense of humor.

As an owner of a 2004 Yukon. The GMT800 series of truck will forever be on the road! The power train is dead reliable, it can haul anything and everything. Plus, it’s so comfy!

That older era of seats was my favorite. And that window regulator is about 50 dollars and 25 minutes to fix.

That new one is nicer in every way but comfortability. Those plush seats in that old model are to die for.

We had an 80 Suburban. My dad bought it used in 1991 and it still ran like a champ. We were a big family, seven siblings and we all rode comfortably with the three rows of seats. It was white with a blue interior and it had the tailgate with a hand crank to lower the glass. We loved big Bertha!

The GMT800 chassis will always be superior to anything else GM puts out between the silverado, tahoe, and suburban. My first vehicle was a 2003 suburban 2500. Had 65k on the clock with vortec 6.0 under the hood when I got it. It's amazing how many high school students can cram into one(the passenger capacity is just a recommendation lol)

I agree with David on this one, I own both old & new, the new is nice with all it's comforts but the old is so much less complicated & cheaper to own & operate. My new sits under the porch while I'm driving the old.

Hes got a point, 65 grand for a new Suburban, while nice, but the 01 would just need a rebuilt 5.3 and Trans for maybe 7-8k and its good to go for another 20yrs.

Honestly, I am with Dave. Yea, the cabin on the new rig is awesome! But the increased complexity coupled with the high depreciation are a double whammy, imo. Incidentally, I have the same tires on mine as Dave uses. Rain, mud, snow, dry road - they are awesome. They don't look badass, but if you want to go - they are solid.

300k on a 4Lslippy is quite impressive I must admit. And that rig is spotless

I agree with David. There's less that could go wrong with the 2001. And if something does go wrong you have the money to get it fixed. I also live in Colorado and purposely buy vehicles at least 9 years old or older to get the lowest registration fees. They both get the same or similar gas milage. I've owned a luxury truck with all the bells and whistles before and I just don't care for them. Yeah, it's nice to own something new with all the features but sometimes those features are annoying too and can't be turned off or removed. Where older ones are easier to modify. I'd go for the older one even if I had the cash to buy new. Also think about it, how cool would it be to buy a fleet of 13 to 16, 2001 Suburban's for the same cost of just one 2022 Suburban?

I bought my 2001 Suburban LT in 2007 with 93000 miles on it. It now has 333000 miles and I drive every day to keep the miles off my 2013 GMC Yukon XL which I save for long out of town trips. I enjoy driving both and in all honesty prefer the 2001 for around my home area!

My dad said the best vehicle he ever had was a 94 Suburban. Two tone blue and silver. Peeling paint and original everything. Ran strong until it got hit in 2015 by an old ford bronco. 380k on the clock. It ran between North Carolina and West Virginia so many times for us 6 kids. I miss it. We rob parts off of it for my brothers 96 Silverado. You couldn’t ask for better. When GM meant something to people.

My dad had a 1999 Suburban that he parked w/ 498k miles. Then he jumped into a 2003 2500 w/ 6.0 (originally a U.P.R.R. fleet vehicle). I still drive that one today w/ 340k miles. No lights on the dash. I recently bought a 2022 Suburban Z71 w/ the 6.2. I love everything about every Suburban I've ever been in.

The GMT800 is the pinnacle of GM trucks. I've had 2 Sububans ('00 and '05) and they were such a great blend of comfort, utility, and durability. No displacement on demand but good power, probably the most comfortable seats ever, and TOUGH!

For some perspective - A 20 year old, well used (but loved) truck with 300,000 miles is getting better real world fuel mileage than a brand new state of the art truck with virtually no miles on it. I will take the GMT800 any day even with the miles.

"What happens when it doesn't work?" I like the way this guy thinks. :3 Edit: Love the fact that he'd still choose his old 'Burb over the new one! Same reasons I love old cars: easy to fix, cheap to maintain!

I love my 05 Tahoe Z71. 200k+miles and still runs strong.

The new one is more tech/ status symbol focused but the old one is like a comfy living room couch that’s functional, versatile, and easier to maintain.

The GMT800s were a hit from the beginning and it's no wonder people love them to death. Roomy, comfy and fairly easy to work on. The Denali is my favorite version and the thick leather seats are like eye candy. It feels good to just drive and kill some miles.

Just picked up an ‘02 Yukon XL 2500 with the 8.1. Haven’t driven it too much but I love the way it feels. Based on where GM is going with their large SUVS and pricing, I think I’m gonna keep it forever lol.

I’m sure the new one drives like a dream but I’ll take the old one any day of the week. David is 100% right! The older one is cheaper to repair plus a lot easier to repair. It will be interesting to see how the new one holds up over the next 20 years. All the added tech and safety features to the 2022 are great but it’s also more stuff to go wrong which means more repair costs.

I pay for RU-vid premium… I like you guys, but putting a Nissan Ad into your video with no indication of that doesn’t seem right. I get it, producing content costs money, but you guys get the views and now I would be suspicious of your Nissan reviews. Is it worth it?

I currently have two Suburbans at the moment, a 1996 GMC black SLT 2500 Suburban with the 7.4L 454 and the 4l80e transmission with 118K miles on it and the second Suburban is a 2004 LT 1500 with the 5.3L and the 4L60e transmission with 205K on it, both are 4x4 drive train. I love both of them and they are both very reliable vehicles. You can't beat a Suburban, I have carried so many baseball players from high school in the 2004 to events and everyone ALWAYS fight for the rear seats because kids are in their own world back there. I grew up with Suburbans and the 1996 was my parents last Suburban that was handed down to me. Also my buddy loved both my Suburbans so much he went out and bought a 1999 Suburban and loves it because he now overlands and camps in it with his wife and kid. They are truly one of the best vehicles made. I just wish GM would of made the Suburban with a 2500HD duramax instead of private companies making the duraburb. GM needs to wake up on what they have and listen to their customers with continuing to make the Suburban 2500 but adding the duramax and Allison transmission to it, that platform would be selling like hotcakes and GM wouldn't be able to keep them in their lots.

I pick the older suburban hands down, it's built far better than the new ones, and far less things to break, and it's easier to fix, and the parts are not expensive, parts are easy to get too.

My 2016 Silverado will be the last new vehicle I’ll buy. I’ll do the same as David: put a new engine and transmission in it before buying something new. Luckily I tuned out the AFM and what not when it had only a few thousand miles on it. Now I’m at 100,000 with just routine maintenance.

I pay for youtube premium to NOT watch ads, wtf seriously

Andre and David are great together. Keep more of these videos coming. Compare old vs older like GMT800 vs GMT400 sierras, suburbans. F150 generations, etc

My family has a 2001 as well, over 330k miles and still going strong

I’d take the older one any day. Still the best looking design.

I always love seeing David and Andre together on the channel. The GMT-800 SUVs are maybe the best GM ever made. The LS engines had no cylinder shutdown technology and as demonstrated will run for a long time with minimal problems. They had decent power too. The seats, especially the 2003-2006 versions are the absolute best GM ever made too. The new one is awesome too except for the price. But my complaint is the DFM system. What happens when it don’t work Andre is you bend a pushrod and get a misfire and have to have the top end of the engine tore down to replace lifters and pushrods. They need to do away with that system. It only gets 1 mpg better highway rating per the epa. So aside from the fuel saving technology, the new one is impressive. New vehicles in general. They are bigger, faster, heavier and more capable in just about every way and still get similar mileage (even without the DFM). They are pricey though.

I remember when adaptive cruise control was called a foot and blind spot monitoring was called a neck.

I'm in the buy used and keep them for a long time camp as well. Also not a fan of all the technology in the new vehicles. I have a 2006 LBZ that I'll probably never get rid of, a 6.2 LS in my 2011 Jeep Wrangler, a fifth Gen Camaro with an LS and my son has a 2002 LB7 with 300k miles on it that looks like it rolled off the showroom floor so we prefer the older stuff with character. Mike

i had an '04 4x4 Tahoe Z71 (w/ G80) that I purchased brand new, and I maintained it religeously. However, I used it quite regularly as a 4x4 like you see on TV, and replaced an axle and other parts that I broke on those hunting adventures. What finally did it in at around 186,000 miles was Michigan's salty road winters. Virtually EVERYTHING was rusting out and the entire electrical system was going out on it by the time I sold it in 2019 as a parts vehicle to a guy who already had 3 other same vintage Suburbans and a Yukon. The leather interior on my '04 was still in fabulous condition, and the engine never burned a drop of oil (all MobileOne synthetic oil changes from new). Man, do I ever miss that old Tahoe!

They really did put a nissan ad in there video damn

I had a 2001 Silverado, loved it, wish I still had it. I now have a 2020 Silverado High Country with the 3.0 diesel. When the time comes, I’d buy another one. Love it. Mileage is outstanding when not towing the travel trailer and relatively decent when I am. If I needed a Suburban, I’d get the High Country with the 3.0 as well.

We have an 02 Tahoe LS and a 22 Yukon SLT. The cloth seats of the 02 are so much more comfortable than the leather of the 22. The bottom of 22 are hard and seem much more narrow than the 02. The 22 is massive inside compared to the 02. The 22 Yukon is probably the size of an 02 Suburban or Yukon XL. Overall the 22 is a great vehicle, but still love our Tahoe which is in great shape.

These are some of the best videos because David thinks out loud like many of us out here who like new tech but live in the world where account balances often speak last.

If GM would make a limited run Suburban like that old one, it would sell like hotcakes! The government safety regulations would probably not allow it though.

As the owner of an 04’ Tahoe I concur with David. New granny from the dealer (best price and by far the best warranty) only set me back $2,400.00 and the install was $700 So for $3,100.00 I’m god for another 225,000 miles. I rebuilt all the rear drive train myself. I did the brakes, rotors, shocks and installed greaseable I-joints on my drivelines. The only place I have a gripe is the electronics. They all work good, but there’s a couple glitches I have to get to the bottom of. We’ll have this forever!!! $86,000,00????? I can buy a small house for that much.

Got a 2002 z71, it has 2 problems: A wear out leather driver seat and the same thing on the window this guy has. These cars are just so reliable and comfortable. They are my true love.

This one was close to my heart. My third Suburban was a 2001 3/4 ton 4x4 with the 8100(496ci) engine. It was just broken in at 130,000 miles when it was killed by a ~ 250 pound 12 point buck. This was going to be my last Suburban, I'm getting older. I bought it new and it was the perfect truck for 15 years after I got used to the hatch instead of doors. My 2 older ones were both 3/4 ton 4x4's One was a 350 and the other was a 454. Both of these were over 160,000 miles when I got the bug for a new one. Besides brakes and tires I changed an alternator and dealer replaced a rear differential (G80 broke). I replaced the 2001 with a new 2016 4x4 5.3 6 speed auto. More car like than truck but very comfortable. Cylinder head replaced at first oil change. Chevy put a new crate engine in at 30,000 miles. 3/4 ton was no longer available unless you could find a fleet vehicle and it's towing was not rated any higher. Based on the performance of my 2020 Sierra AT4 6.2 L 10 speed. I would love to have a Suburban equipped that way on air bags(maybe) but I doubt it will happen on my current "fixed" income.

That's a big positive for the second row bench. No hole in the floor when all seats are folded flat. When we first got our '17, I kinda thought the captains would be more comfortable and leave a bit more leg room for someone in the third row, but now I'm really glad that we have the bench.

I like being high 😂

I've got a 2003 4.8L Chevy Tahoe, mine thankfully has been well maintained with OEM mechanical and electrical parts (and no parts from O'Reilly or AZ). She's still kicking at 322000 miles. These vehicles are built like tanks and will last!!

I had a 1990, 1999, 2000, and another 2000 Chevy Silverado. All was over 200,000 and ran like a champ. Never had problem with engine or transmission. Main problem was the frame was cracked between cab and bed unlike SUV. I was so happy when I first purchase my 2019 Chevy Silverado. And boy was I disappointed! I had 3 recalls in one year. The screen was acting weird, the transmission would jump sometimes. Hate the auto shut off. So I sold it right back to the dealership. And started back driving my 2000 silver I still have. It got 220,000 and im expecting it to get 300,000 MI no problem.

Nice test/comparison. It's also good to hear the opinions of someone as well balanced on the price/value proposition as David is.

I had a 2004 Hummer H2 and my cousin had a Suburban we both had removable 3rd row seats and once you take them out you almost never put them back in . Edit : the old Vortec engines were tanks . I had the 6.0 the only issue I heard of back then was the transmission in the SS truck. Ahhh the good old days .

Water pumps were a problem area for the older ones, but they were leaps and bounds more reliable than modern Suburbans. I had a 2004 Silverado and it was great, but it went through 2 waterpumps.

If the worst thing about your SUV is storing the third seat because you don't have a big family it's a pretty good truck. You can fit plenty of sheets of plywood in the back. The cloth seats hold up great. I put some bigger wheels on my 05 from a 2018 Suburban to get rid of rear end sway on the highway. Very good move if your wheels are looking rough.

My mom had a 2001 Suburban 2500HD with the 8.1 V8. I loved that car. I would have bought it from her if she hadn't sold it before I got my driver license. 😔

10th September 2003 I remember my dad pulling up to my school in his brand new suburban to pick me up . This video brought up so many memories 😪

My parents have had 3 different generations of Suburban starting in 86ish. I remember taking and completely pulling out the 3rd row seat when we needed that extra room.

The new ones are just to expensive for most of us it's turned into a house payment instead of a car payment

Bought a 22’ Suburban HC earlier this year. 2 biggest complaints are you must order one with the bench seat in the second row. Once you request the second row the interior color forces you to black…you lose the mocha color. Other than that it’s an awesome vehicle, far superior to the 20’ Expedition it replaced.

I also agree with David at the end; I can't see myself ever buying new. Even as risky as buying used is, it is still cheaper than new cars. They are just too expensive. And, if I am getting a new car, I am going to go for the top of the line/ options that I want.

Got my old 2001 Chevy Suburban with 479xxx miles and still Towing yes TOWING! Try that with the New one!😎👊 Dint even saw the video but I bet the new Suburban can even compete. 🔥

These types of videos are the ones I've wanted to watch. comparisons between new and old. I have a 2006 Durango limited, and I've been wanting to see a comparison with the new ones. good content

David is the smart one. I agree with him there’s now way that I would but a new vehicle, one being price, the other being what I’ve heard about GM making mandatory subscriptions for navigation, etc. David is like my wife & I, we don’t need all of the bells & whistles. We have a 2002 Yukon XL with the SLT trim, heated leather seats (front). It has the 5.3L engine I only had to replace the water pump. David I thought that $74.00 per year to register ours was bad, it’s cheap compared to yours. We have one in March, April, August $74.00 each time. Love what you do, keep’m coming

Owner of THREE used GMC Tahoes since the 90’s; all bought with 60K-80K miles on ‘em. Affordable prices, but all three took a LOT of maintenance. But, super comfortable, and the PERFECT size for family needs. They drove me to work every day (2 mi) and family transport around our area. But, several times a year I was replacing one part and another. Kept each for ten years. Sold the third and last one six months ago, as we are now empty-nesters. Great feel, great drive, great 4-hi & 4-lo for snow. Price of ownership was 2-3K maintenance for most years.

Love our 2001 LT 2500 I've had it since 115k mi, now with 250k mi. The only parts I've personally replaced were standard consumables and the water pump @ around 180k. The only mechanic to touch it in my care was for a total brake line replacement. One line rusted out(we live in the rustbelt) so I ended up spending $1800 to have it all replaced. I just didn't have the lift capability to be able to do it myself. Looked like a nightmare of a job for dirtback repair, all that twisting and turning long tubes without any clearance, no thanks. Bought a 2015 Colorado Z71 recently, as the Suburban was my daily runner. My kiddo now enjoys starting her weekly and taking it on an (20 acre) on-property "joyride" with his Pops!

I've got an 2006 suburban that we purchased in 2020. It's got 270K on it now and the only thing that needed to be replaced outside of regular maintenance (hoses, brakes, ect) were the valve cover gaskets, a wheel bearing, and the T case encoder motor. It doesn't burn any oil in 5,000 mile intervals, and I just got a really positive oil analysis from Blackstone. Its a hell of a truck and I plan to keep it running as long as possible

More new vs older model mashups!

Wife and i have an 02 z71 suburban with 246k miles on it. We purchased it with 231k last year. We now commute 90 miles 1 way for work and its a great truck. It has the G80 and in michigan winters i dont use the 4 wheel drive much.

I’m 287k with my 03 suburban and it’s still running great. This video made me wish I had 4wd though for when we take our pop up camping in the mountains.

The old man sounds like a reflected nice guy. I was thinking about replacing my old beater this year. But when I look at the service cost of those new vehicles I realized that it's much more expensive to have a new car than an old beater

Had a 2000 Silverado that I owned for 14.5 years and that thing was a tank. besides routine maintenance, the only replacement parts were either natural wear and tear or from me being younger and driving like a jack ass. Loved that truck and still like them better than the new ones!

Rip that ad not generated by youtube was frightning.

Great vid. A mid 2000's Z71 does it for me at 1/10th the cost

My 2007 LTZ lifted 7 inch 35' tires is a keeper...I love my Surburban and it's a eye catcher...238000 miles and running like a new truck. I don't drive her as much but she is a diamond. No engine lights and still looks new.

I drive a 2001 Yukon XL, 2500 with the 6.0. It's slow, heavy, gets terrible mileage, and I love it. 160k miles, and never left me stranded. I sold my 2019 Silverado, it was a hunk of junk!

I love an old Burban just screams family and good times.

I have a 2002 with a little over 300k, love it. Wish I didn't live in an area where I have to worry about rust because it does a lot of damage, but it's still going strong.

I loved this video. I have ,used to me ,07 Yukon Denali with 6.2 and love it. Worked through all the quirks but love it. Wish it where a 2500!

The Nissan ad was weird and thought RU-vid took me to the wrong video, but still a great demo/review!

The new one has terribly uncomfortable front seats. Not too surprising when you understand they are the same underneath as in the equinox.

I have one 96’ Chevy k2500 7.4 454 v8, and one 96’ Chevy k2500 6.5 diesel… both easy daily drivers. Diesel has over 234k miles and gas has 147k miles. In love with them beyond words! Would rather keep the old bodies than the new ones. Plus i can still work on them compared to the new computer driven ones. Loved the video!! Love suburbans!!!

My dad still has his 2001 Yukon xl Denali he bought it second hand but it was still pretty new it had under 15k miles in 2003 we lived in Bay Area so due to his job he would be send to San Diego or Los Angeles and he would sleep in the back make the bed in the rear which save him motel money. But he had friends he would camp out. His truck is still all stock if I’m not mistaken is reaching 500k miles original trans and engine. He had swap twice the front diff in the lifespan. The truck is in his garage in Mexico

i have the 2003 LT w/4wd and love mine to death as well. i have to agree that the new Burb is nice and advanced but the older ones are easier and cheaper to maintain. Another great video.

This really shows how much better old suburbans are and how bad the new ones have gotten. I think the happy medium is the k5 Tahoe conversion. I would love to see you guys drive a 2 door one of those offroad.

Hey Andre definitely Enjoyed the video and Dave's commentary and comparison Of the 2 suburbans 2 thumbs up

Great video. Im like David now. I have a 2017 Z71 Tahoe I bought brand new, now at 56K miles. Looks brand new in and out, still has a key to start and has remote start. I love this truck. I was always the guy that had to have the latest, but the new Tahoe just got too big. Mine is paid off, never have has one issue. Im at the point where I can afford any vehicle out there but the older stuff is now more appealing. I picked up a GX 470 with 180K miles and its like new in and out. I just appreciate older, well made, uncomplicated BOF vehicles. Probably add a 80 or 100 series LC to fleet eventually.

i have a 2006 ltz suburban awd 6.0 L with 270k, the last year b4 dod (displacement on demand). the dod fails and damages camshafts and lifters,the 10spd trans has smaller clutches in it than the 4spd. so it will last longer. the electric gear selector might fail, the high hood line means less frontal view, irs rear suspension has cv axles which will eventually need replacement, plus no matter how high you set the height the lower control arm will still have the 6.5 clearance with the ground. for me the '01 to '06 is the better and cheaper to maintain truck. i also owned a 93 burban. and it was very low maintenance.

I would definitely buy a used suburban over the new. With the older models especially anything under 06 you don't have to worry about the dumbest deactivate mod they have.

Great video. We live in the past and close to the present. I drive a 05 2500hd 6.0. My wife drives a 19 Tahoe. Love them both and plan on them staying around for a long time

Bro I thought I had a ad at 0:00. I was like "where is the skip button". But back into topic, I really do love the older Tahoe/Suburban

Both the GMT800 and T1XX generations of the Suburban are great. I’ve had fond memories with my mom’s old 2002 Suburban when I was younger. The new T1 model is my favorite generation of the Suburban so far, and I’m eager to see what the 2025 MY refresh has in store. Do y’all have plans to test this new Suburban again in the future?

I own the 2004 Z 71 package. Picked it up for three grand. I’ve put a couple of grand into it. Just rebuilt the front driver seat like new. I love it. Best all-around vehicle I’ve ever owned. Comfortable, luxurious, practical, easy to work on. I use it daily for work towing a utility trailer. And use it for travel as well. 19 miles to the gallon highway. 13 to 14 miles per gallon towing a trailer. I am looking for another one. I want to own a pair

I used to tow heavy inflatable boats on a gravel shore with these and the older models. Excellent off-road especially on gravel

I've had a 04 z71 Tahoe for 5 years and it's hands down my favorite vehicle I've ever owned, my next will be a 2000-06 suburban. I have put my Tahoe through absolute hell and it still runs and rides good, winter is so much fun.

My family of 6 sleeps an hour 2015 suburban LT on camping trips. I must agree that generation of a cloth seats is far more comfortable then the new leather seats.

I got news for that dude with the 2001 Suburban. It has a 32.5 gallon tank. Not 38. Only the 3/4 ton Suburban's in the GMT800 platform had the 38 gallon tank. Surprised he doesn't know that since he has 296,000 miles on it.

I agree with staying with the old as long as no major corrosion. There is no way I'm paying 70 to 90k for a vehicle. Just spent 6k to replace tranny on my 2009 Tahoe with 178k miles. It runs like new again. I've trailered my boat from NY to Fl once or twice a year with the Tahoe. Should be good for another 10 yrs, I hope. While at the dealer getting the Tahoe evaluated I browsed the showroom floor and saw a Tahoe with similar features as mine for 72k...sure I don't have all the collision avoidance stuff but if you need that to avoidance an accident it may be time to turn in your driver's license.

Love the old school suburban, amazing story! Glad Dave kept this, and loved his perspective on both, he’s right!. It definitely part of the family. GM should definitely show the appreciation of Dave with his suburban.