We bought this vehicle new in 2008. Initially, it was great overall. Very roomy, comfortable, and a smooth ride. No problems. Another great unexpected feature was how far we could go without stopping. Some friends and I drove from Idaho to Nevada once without stopping, well over 400 miles. This was accomplished due to the large gas tank and utilizing the cruise control to maximize fuel efficiency. Our kids like the large amount of space in the seats, and there is good leg room when transporting adults in the second row seats as well. However, we started having problems with the engine. It started using massive amounts of oil. It wasn't leaking. It was just consuming the oil somehow to the point where we could only drive about 1,000 miles before it was nearly out of oil. We went back and forth with the dealership on this issue for a couple of years. Through researching the problem, we discovered this was a widespread problem with the specific engine in the 2007 and 2008 Suburban models. This was a horrible experience trying to get the dealership to recognize and ultimately correct the problem. Ultimately, it required replacing the entire engine. The whole experience ruined any otherwise flawless vehicle. We still have it today. With the new engine, it is now problem-free, and it now has over 150,000 miles on it.

The best part about this car is that it has so much space. We can fit seven people in our suburban very comfortably, since we have captains chairs. We have three kids, so having the extra room is very crucial. The older two kids are able to get in and walk back to their car seats while I put the baby in her car seat that is in one of the captains chairs. Yes, you could get a Tahoe with similar seating, however, you would be missing out on the huge trunk! We recently took a weekend trip that required us to drive eight hours each way. The ride was as good as it could get—thanks to all the room we had in the car for riding activities, like coloring and even building Legos. We also have a DVD player, and it was nice to have the comfort of laying back and relaxing to watch movies during the drive. Without the trunk space, we would have needed to buy a separate carrier for the roof rack to put our stuff in. I really have nothing but great things to say about this vehicle. The only con, which I don't really consider to be a con because it is to be expected with any large vehicle, is that it doesn't get the same gas mileage as our Camry. We do spend a good bit in gas when we take it anywhere other than the grocery store or things like that, but it is so worth it. We feel so safe in this car. We don't stress too much about getting hurt in crashes, because we don't feel like we would get squashed like a bug. This is really the best family SUV you can get, without sacrificing your sense of style.