Once inside, the Suburban is roomy and friendly. The optional cloth bucket seats ($1,035) in our LS were okay, but didn't offer as much support as we would have liked. The LT's leather seats seem more supportive, but we think there's room for improvement here. Big and cushy, they are similar to the seats found in all of GM's full-size pickups and SUVs. Owners often disagree with our assessment.

Power-adjustable pedals allow shorter drivers to sit farther back from the steering wheel and farther away from the airbag, reducing the chance of injury should it deploy. Dual-level airbags inflate with less force in less forceful collisions. Sensors in the front passenger seat and seat belts measure the size and weight of the front-seat passenger and disable the airbag for child-size passengers.

The second row is quite comfortable and very roomy. Headphone jacks allow rear-seat passengers to listen to CDs while those up front tune in the radio. Even the third row is surprisingly comfortable for an adult; slide your feet under the seat in front of you, and you can ride back there for fairly long distances. But getting back there requires folding and flipping the second-row seat out of the way, easiest for younger people.

Part of the allure of the Suburban is its ability to haul vast quantities of cargo, and cleverly designed seating maximizes its potential. The third-row seatback folds down without having to remove the headrests, then the whole thing flips forward to substantially increase cargo capacity. A short prop rod locks it into place. The one-piece seat can be removed and is mounted on wheels, but it weighs 75 pounds, so removing it is a lot easier with a second person to help. After removing the third-row seat, flip the bottom of the second row forward, fold the seatback down (again, no need to remove the headrests), flip the floor extension down and you're looking at one of the biggest cargo spaces in the world of SUVs. It's nice and flat, so you could stretch out and go to sleep here. (We know. We've done it.) Loading cargo is easy because there's plenty of space for it. The spare tire lives underneath the vehicle, freeing up rear cargo space.