GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

Car reviews - Holden - Suburban - 1500 LT 5-dr wagon

Our Opinion

We like
Space, grunt, fortress-like feeling of security
Room for improvement
A byword for conspicuous consumption, American excess and lack of taste

10 May 2001

HOLDEN let loose a piece of automotive Americana - the huge Suburban - on an unsuspecting Australia in February, 1998, to obtain a slice of the LandCruiser-dominated country towing market.

Big is best with Suburban, boasting seating for nine, a pair of the biggest capacity petrol and diesel engines on sale in four- wheel drive form and a Range-Rover like price.

But it lacks refinement and quality, and feels low-rent with slap-dash build quality inside and out, with hard plastics and cheap materials.

Suburban excels at towing over vast distances on rough roads so it is best considered an all-terrain wagon version of a large ute. It is a truck with tough workhorse underpinnings so forget about sharp, responsive steering, well tied down suspension or a firm, progressive brake pedal feel.

In vivid contrast to the Outback, around town the free play in the steering, the roly-poly suspension and the spongy, long travel brake pedal make precise positioning taxing and tiring.

The 5.7-litre petrol engine rumbles obligingly quietly through the rev range, though with so much torque on tap so low down you will sweep along at well under 2000rpm all day. The old iron lump revs freely to 5000rpm without waking the dead while the four- speed overdrive transmission is unobtrusive.

The accelerator pedal on the 6.5-litre turbo-diesel version is practically obsolete. A tiny dab is all you need to get it moving and then the 800rpm tick-over is enough to keep you moving along at the urban speed limit.

Interiors are bathed in a sea of standard issue mid-grey plastic which co-ordinates nicely with the blue-grey leather seat upholstery on LT or quality tweed weaves on lower spec models. The base turbo-diesel has vinyl floor coverings for easy hose- out.

There are storage spaces everywhere while the door pockets swallow large-size map books. There are 10 cupholders.

Despite its old-world design, the creaky dash manages to arrange most switches within easy reach. But the obscured handbrake is positioned too far forward and under the dash.

The deafening full-size ventilation system was well up to the task of providing chilly air to cool the vast cabin.

Switching to four-wheel drive or low range is push-button easy, as is loading, thanks to the split tailgate.

The Suburban's easy-going nature will win friends if used on open plains, not in the close quarters of a bustling city. There is a price to pay for being the biggest.

- Automotive NetWorks 09/06/1999

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

GoAuto can help you buy a new Suburban

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Motor industry news

GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events.

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here