Goodbye 2500 Suburban

Legally, without an endorsement on the license or without a non-commercial Class A, towing a tag trailer over 10K is not allowed by the DOT.

So legally, why build a family station wagon that can tow 12K, when that means producing, inventorying, and building two suspension systems and powertrain systems for one vehicle platform that already suffers from slow sales, higher fuel costs, and more complaints about ride quality when empty?

I don't want to see the 2500 go. I don't see the point of selling a badge number either, without the beef to back it up. If it doesn't do the duty of a 2500, let it go, economize with commonality of all parts, bump the 1500 capacity by enough to drag 9,999K with all passenger seats filled, and call it what it's been called forever.. the Suburban. Plain and simple. Family wagon. Station wagon.

I'd like to see that name brought back into automotive parlance. The station wagon. Going to the station dear, to pick up the inlaws and their baggage. And boy do they have baggage!

So did your projected life time fuel costs.


(ducks and runs)

The resale value on mine just took a jump. :B

Looks like its true. The Suburban 2500 is gone. Sad.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/06/2014-gmc-yukon-yukon-xl-get-slight-updates-rpo-central/

Not sure there is any solution left for a large family that wants to tow a heavy trailer.

We have an 04 8.1L with 4.10 gears. We use it to tow a 10,000 lbs. Sprinter. Since there is nothing built today that can replace this seating capacity and tow rating, I guess I will have to keep it FOREVER.

Anybody know a good mechanic?

Ben - GM has to make a profit. If there are not enough individuals buying the 2500 to justify the expense, they will not. If the individuals that want one were willing to pay whatever it takes, then GM would build the few.

In regards to comparing the 2500 8.1 to a Ecoboost, I have indicated that the 6.0, 6sp, and 3.73 was as good for towing from a power perspective.

There was a thread on here recently posted by a guy that was towing heavy with his 2500 (same truck as I have with the big block) and reports that likes his F150 EcoBoost V6 better. With the right engine, 6 speed trans, and a few suspension mods, wouldn't take much to make a single Suburban model that was economical for the soccer moms and also had decent towing capabilities, so no need to have a separate 2500 model in the line up.

The car mags are already posting spy shots of the redesigned '14 Suburban, so the brand is staying around for sure, the only question is whether they will continue to offer a separate 2500 model.

Would be great to see the Duramax/Allison in a Suburban...I know GM fans have been saying this for years....

Hope not, but worried that the ID managers of the Suburban (not the same person
for the GMC Yukon XL side of the house) don't continue to be blind to this very
small niche market segment...which has HUGE bragging rights (longest continuous
running model/badge line in automotive history and the most recognizable badge
in the world)

Historically, this person who makes north of $500,000/year, does NOT get towing

Hidden receiver, so forced engineering to come up with the dumb receiver for the
GMT800's.

Then the dumb 1,000 lb limiting factor for the GMT900's

But...I am in the clear minority wanting 'truck' or 'towing' attributes in a SUV...

I saw two order guides for MY2014. The commercial/fleet sales one had the 2500 Burb, the regular did not.

The only thing I have seen that is being cancelled is the Suburban/Tahoe hybrid. Haven't seen anything on canceling the 2500. Do you have a link to that?

I must have missed it when you posted it previously. I tend to agree with you, I think it got squeezed out by evolution....the half tons got more capable, and the HD trucks got more comfortable, so the role of the 2500 Burb as the roomy comfortable HD tow vehicle is not as well defined.

The 1500 Yukon XL gets the 6.2L engine and a big tow capacity, and the HD crew cab trucks off a lot of comfort for the heavy towing crowd.