The Suburban's profile is elegant in its simplicity, no lines drawing the eye up or down, just a smooth clean surface from one end to the other like an aircraft. Big boxes are best carried in big boxes, not sloping hatchbacks.

The Chevy Suburban has a square-jawed face that's smooth and rugged at the same time, a twin to the shorter Tahoe. The mesh grille is split by a gold Chevy bowtie, and the daytime running lights use separate lamps and can be switched off for after-dark campground arrivals. The bumper fascia reveals a low license-plate holder sandwiched by openings for tow hooks, with small round fog lamps at the corners like single teardrops falling from the headlamp eyes. The seam between the fascia and fenders is very tight, and a good indication of GM's solid body quality on the current generation of trucks.

The hood has two long bulges at its sides, reaching almost from windshield to grille; Chevy calls these twin bulges the power dome; we call them a good way to keep such a large expanse of otherwise-flat steel from fluttering, just as long-cab pickups have grooves on the roof. For aesthetics we would prefer if the roof-mounted antenna were centered but long, flat cargo on the roof might present a problem.

The rear liftgate is vertical, and the rear window opens independently, with both the manual and power liftgate, which is aluminum, reducing the weight and thus the effort to raise and lower it. Rear wiper coverage is average at best. The barn-door side-swinging rear doors of the predecessor model are no longer offered.

Although the lines remain the same, the Suburban's ultimate appeal depends on which trim level and wheel style and size you choose. Some are nearly void of chrome while the Z71 adds machismo with sizable fender flares and side steps so short drivers can get in and tall ones can mess up their pant legs.

The standard wheels are five-spoke, 17-inch aluminum. Polished wheels are available. Also available are 20-inch wheels that look good, but we think they are too big for grown-ups. Taller tire sidewalls yield a better ride and in most consumer-magazine testing those large-diameter wheels don't go, stop or handle any better, they just ride harder so we prefer the 17-inch wheels. The Z71 package comes with 18-inch wheels.