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For more years than Ford wants to remember, or admit, the ChevroletSuburban has had a lock on the full-size sport-utility market.

Suburban offered the ultimate sport-ute for those with large families orlarge boats or campers to tow. Needed to seat nine? You bought a Suburban–ortwo Ford Explorers.

For 1997, Ford finally built a rival to Suburban called Expedition, avehicle larger than the Chevy Tahoe, smaller than the Suburban, but withcapacity for nine.

Ford is selling every Expedition it can build, obviously meaning Suburbansare sitting idle on dealer lots.

Hardly. Dealers still live a hand-to-mouth existence trying to getSuburbans. Expedition has done little to stifle interest in the Chevy. Ifanything, Expedition has called more attention to the benefits of anine-passenger hauler.

Having just tested the GMC Yukon, we turned to the 1997 Suburban, basicallya Yukon with an extra 20 inches in back to accommodate a third seat and stillhave a spacious cargo hold.

Like Yukon, the Suburban featured 4WD with an electronic shift controltransfer case. Rather than fumbling with a transfer case on the floor, youpush a button in the dash to go from two-wheel-drive to four-wheel-drive. It’san easy step that removes the fear some have of trying to activate 4WD with atransfer-case lever and not being able to hit the spot needed to ensure allfour wheels are pulling.

And with a button, there’s no lubricant to adopt the properties of concretewhen the transfer-case lever isn’t used in a while.

One feature Suburban had that Yukon didn’t was a 6.5-liter, 190-horsepower,turbo diesel, V-8, an option instead of the standard 5.7-liter, 255-h.p.,gas-powered, V-8.

Diesel offers a big advantage over gas in that the fuel-economy rating isan estimated 16 m.p.g. city/20 m.p.g. highway instead of a paltry 12/16.Vehicles with more than an 8,600-pound gross vehicle weight aren’t tested formileage by the government, which allows an estimate.

GM officials insist they are working to boost mileage in Suburban andpromise a “significant” improvement in the future. But they point out that anyvehicle designed to haul nine people and their possessions plus pull a boat orcamper isn’t going to win the fuel-economy competition.

A diesel means those who travel long distances typically can make it atleast one way without having to search for fuel. Those who plow snow alsoprefer diesel because it means more driveways or parking lots per tank.

But a diesel has drawbacks. For one, start your 6.5-liter diesel Suburbanon a crisp winter Saturday morning when the sound carries extra loud and extrafar and watch the lights go on in the homes of your neighbors.

Diesels are known for their commotion, and the Suburban was loyal to thatcause. You will hear the noise in the cabin as well, which, if nothing else,makes your neighbors a bit happier.

A nother drawback is that even though you may have a 40-gallon fuel tank anddon’t have to stop all that often to fill, when you do you must 1) find astation that offers diesel, which often means a remote truck stop; 2) wait inline behind a truck getting 100 gallons of fuel before you can get $10 worth;and 3) carry a credit card because, if you’re running low on fuel, diesel canrun a dime to a quarter more per gallon than gas.

And keep in mind that the 6.5-liter diesel is a $2,860 option in Suburban.Perhaps the noise and fuel cost wouldn’t be as troublesome if the enginewasn’t so expensive.

Suburban’s reason for existence is that it is a behemoth, while the reasonit sells so well is that it doesn’t act like one. Credit the elastnomicvariable orifice, or EVO, system, if you would. That’s engineering mumbo-jumbofor speed-sensitive power steering that was recalibrated for 1997 to reduceeffort at low speeds, such as when maneuvering in parking lots. Suburba feelsmore limber.

GM also says it dramatically reduced the vehicle’s turning radius for ’97,which makes it feel more nimble, or as nimble as a nine-passenger vehicle canbe.

And as for those nine passengers, Suburban’s cabin is wide enough so youhave some “wiggle room” as Chevy calls it, space to move arms and legs withoutbumping into your ridemates.

Of course, you’ll need the wiggle room for occupants to work out the kinksin their legs should you skimp and not purchase the optional $225 runningboards. Without running boards, the best way to get into a Suburban is to . .. Come to think about it, without a running board, there is no best way to getinto a Suburban except by crane.