2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban Up Close: Living Large, Feeling Smaller

Liking a new full-size SUV is a bit like a guilty pleasure. Yes, it’s enormous and gets horrible fuel economy. True, it’s probably far more physical vehicle than most people driving one actually need. And yet, there’s no denying the simple luxury of room — having space to spread out, not being confined into a tiny cockpit or an uncomfortable seat, or being able to sit above most other traffic around you (provided they’re not also in a full-size SUV, which they probably are). The sheer size is a big reason why people keep buying the Chevrolet Tahoe and its longer, older Suburban brother — and now, for the 2025 model year, the company has given both SUVs a mid-cycle refresh to help make them feel smaller and add new tech.

Related: 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban: Smoother Super-Sized SUVs

Slick Looks

There’s no denying the size of the Tahoe and Suburban; they’re just massive. But Chevy’s trying to take some steps to make them feel not as big anymore, and some of them are noticeable. The styling isn’t part of it; the refreshed look still telegraphs the SUVs’ bulk, with a wide stance and flowing slab sides that look clean and sleek, but still tall and blocky like a proper truck-based SUV should.

The signature light elements up front are now larger and more pronounced on the Tahoe and Suburban. The slimmer headlights just under the hood opening aren’t headlights at all, either: They’re now the daytime running lights. The actual headlights are smaller projector-beam affairs located lower in the grille, where they may not blind whatever small sedan they end up behind at night. The overall look is sleeker and still attractive, but it doesn’t honestly feel any fresher than the outgoing model. It’s just a little different-looking.

Nicer Inside

Where the big payoff comes in the new 2025 Tahoe and Suburban is inside, where the SUVs get the big upgrade to the display technology that GM is rolling out across its lineup. The 17.7-inch digital multimedia touchscreen is big, bright and well positioned, and it doesn’t look like someone glued an iPad to the dash (as in the current model). Even better is that Chevy hasn’t yet decided to go all in on touch-sensitive controls, so you still get hard buttons for frequently used things, which instantly makes this interior a winner in my book.

The High Country trim’s interior now features real wood and leather, which is also a welcome development given that this model is going to be ridiculously expensive and should have an interior to match its price tag (the starting price for the cheapest 2023 Tahoe High Country is about $75,000, which is a lot of money for anything with a Chevrolet badge rather than a Cadillac one).

The lower dash is also designed to help the big SUVs feel smaller, and it works to some degree. One chief complaint about the outgoing model is that its visibility out was a bit compromised by the cliff-face dash and high hoodline, and that should be a bit better in this new model. We’ll need to actually drive one on the street and not just sit in one in a studio, however, to make the call on whether Chevy has succeeded there.

Steady Power

The area we can’t yet evaluate is the refinements and adjustments Chevy engineers have made to the ways in which the vehicle drives. Supposedly, the enhancements are meant to help make the Tahoe and Suburban feel smaller and more manageable through redevelopment of their suspension and control systems.

The recalibrated adaptive air suspension, Magnetic Ride Control shocks and steering are meant to help make these behemoths more refined and comfortable. Frankly, I didn’t have a problem with the current-generation models, as I already felt that their ride, handling and steering feel made them feel like smaller vehicles than they were, so I look forward to trying the new versions.

Unchanged are two of the three available engines, with the standard 5.3-liter V-8 and optional 6.2-liter V-8 carrying over; Chevy’s excellent 10-speed automatic transmission also proliferates across the entire lineup. The new, more powerful turbo-diesel 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine is also an absolute gem. I’ve actually driven this updated unit in the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 recently, and it remains my favorite powertrain option in the Chevy truck lineup. It’s torquey, quiet and even reasonably fuel-efficient, making it truly the one to get for these big SUVs, in my opinion.

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So for these new 2025 models, the reasons people buy a Tahoe or Suburban will still be satisfied; the upgrades, refinements and features that the new models have should prove just as popular to buyers as with the outgoing versions. Prices aren’t available yet, but don’t expect any big changes from prior years — everything’s only getting more expensive. But price doesn’t seem to be stopping Chevy from selling as many of these SUVs as people want.

More From Cars.com:

• Compare Trims on the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe
• 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe: 6 Pros and 3 Cons
• 3 Things We Love About the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country’s Interior
• 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Adds Super Cruise Self-Driving System
• Research the Chevrolet Suburban

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