Camping with the 2017 Chevrolet Suburban Midnight Edition

Real-World testing of GM’s large SUV.

Loaded up with sleeping bags, tents, food and a variety of gear, we head north in a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban LT Midnight Edition to camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Long considered the best SUV for large family road trips, we set out to see for ourselves how good it is as well as how many heads the Midnight Edition would turn.

As the longest-running nameplate in Chevrolet’s history, the Suburban is also one of their most well-known SUVs. Even through rising gas prices, the growth of electric vehicles and fickle consumers, the Suburban continues to be a consistent seller for the brand. It is easy to see why.

Measuring out 224.4 inches long with three adult-sized rows of seating plus additional cargo room behind when the third-row is up, the 39.3 cu. ft. of cargo space (121.7 cu. ft. with all seats down) inside the Suburban is hard to fill up to its max. We tried. We didn’t get even close.

One final note on cargo space is the hidden storage area underneath the rear floor mats. Engineered with several compartments for small storage, this is a great space for essential road trip emergency items and is a very smart use of what would be wasted space.

After filling up the Suburban the best we could, we hit the roads on our 3.5 hour journey north. What is truly surprising about this latest edition of Suburban is how composed it is for the size of vehicle. Powered by the 5.3L V8 mated to a 6-speed transmission and riding on 20” wheels as part of the Luxury Package on our test model, the SUV returned a very smooth ride on the pavement even when crossing over less than ideal roads.

Complementing the smooth ride was the responsiveness of the vehicle. Sure, it isn’t a sports car, but the Suburban responded well to steering wheel inputs and it certainly didn’t feel like it was hurting for power when passing as the 355 HP was put to good use. 

Finally, and most remarkably, it didn’t feel big. Instead, it felt like the 130 inch wheelbase was the ideal measurement for the large SUV. In other words, when making turns, it didn’t feel like we needed additional time for the rear to catch up.

While in the Rapid City, SD area, we had the chance to drive on the Needles Highway. This is a historic, scenic byway, that critics called impossible to build back in 1922. It runs 37.8 miles through the Black Hills with numerous curves and single-lane tunnels blasted through the rocky terrain. We drove the entire length, catching glimpses of Mt. Rushmore throughout, to get from lake to lake and we were really pleased with the Suburban’s performance. While the road is much better suited for small cars, the large SUV handled it quite well and didn’t make any of our passengers nauseous – an easy thing to do on this highway.

Behind the wheel, the Suburban offers a good amount of visibility and a comfortable cockpit type feeling. There is a large center console separating the passenger and driver as well as integrated center stack enhancing the cockpit feel. HVAC controls, cruise and radio controls are all within reach and the adjustable brake and gas pedals makes it ideal for drivers of all sizes. Cup holders in the door and the two below the center stack are good for long trips and the secret storage behind the stereo can easily hid a wallet or other valuable items away from prying eyes. Finally, there is a small storage space above the cup holders which could be a bit bigger for a cell phone storage option.

Besides the cargo space, power and nimble driving feel for its size, the Suburban is packed with a host of other nice road-trip and camping items like the rear power outlet. Chief among them has to be the 4G LTE Wi-Fi which we used quite often throughout our four days of camping. While we enjoyed the surrounding area, a 100 degree heat wave moved through the area and the Suburban became our oasis away from the heat. Letting it idle, we cranked the A/C and cooled off at various times. Interestingly enough, the Suburban idles really quietly with some nearby generators putting out more noise than the vehicle. In fact, it idles so quietly, one time we accidentally left it running while we headed into the store for a few minutes. While leaving it running was obviously a mistake, it was telling on how quite it idles.

After a long four days camping in really hot temps, it was a relief to head back home to central A/C. Loading up the Suburban, we headed south tired and hot from the days of camping. The Suburban’s comfortable seats, cool A/C and comfortable ride were a welcome relief. In fact, we put nearly 700 miles on the SUV during our week of driving and not once did we not want to drive it nor stop looking at it with the blacked-out styling of the Midnight Edition.

While the size is ideal, the fuel economy will put a dent in your wallet. Our test model returned 16.4 MPG throughout our week of driving which was kind of close to the EPA rated 15/22/18 city/highway/combined. We blame our spirited driving style for the not hitting the EPA number.

In the end, it is simply easy to see why it is the family vehicle of choice for large families. While our $66,020 test model may seem like a lot of money, you truly do get what you pay for.