Suburban Question

If you own a Suburban, could you please help me out? In what seating positions are there LATCH and tether anchors?

If you do own a Suburban, what kind of mileage are you getting?

I'm not finding much else that gives me the tow ability I need and the seating as well, so we may end up going with a 'burb sheerly by default.

Thanks!

Tanya
CPST

My '05 Suburban gets 21-23 Highway and about 18 city (better than our Trailblazer or Durango when we had them).

There are LATCH anchors in the middle row- center position and passenger side position (you can used both at the same time for 2 different seats because they are independent). No lower anchor behind the driver. There is a RF tether anchor under/on the front passenger seat that can be used for the center or passenger position. ALL three middle row seats have tether anchors. In the third row, there is only one tether anchor (middle), no lower anchors.

This is my second Suburban. I love them.

What year are you looking at? The older Suburbans won't have LATCH, and may need tether anchors installed if they haven't been already, whereas the newer ones will be set up much like ali's mom said. Mileage will also vary with the size of engine you get with it too :twocents: .

beeman said:

What year are you looking at? The older Suburbans won't have LATCH, and may need tether anchors installed if they haven't been already, whereas the newer ones will be set up much like ali's mom said. Mileage will also vary with the size of engine you get with it too :twocents: .

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I'm hoping to be in the 2000's or newer. I'm trying to figure out what year they started putting l/s belt in all/most of the seating positions (even one additional l/s would help me out a lot).

We'll most likely be looking at a 2500 model, sans the 4x4. I've no need for the 4x4, but the higher towing capacity I do.

Tanya
CPST

Holy smokes! The Ford E-series 15 passenger van has a HUGE payload capacity. 20,000 GCWR. Yowza.

I've always shied away from the larger passenger vans b/c of the rollover rate, and the lack of headrests for the rear occupants. I know I've seen some with different seats in them though. Hmmm....

Tanya
CPST

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-E-Series-Van-MINI-BUS-VERY-NICE-2006-MODEL-14-PASSENGER-MINI-BUS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6224QQihZ002QQitemZ120249629586QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
If you look at the pictures of the seats, on the left side seats two of them look like they have a tab at the middle top. Any idea what that is? And also, does that look like LATCH on there on those two seats as well?

I wonder what kind of miles to the gallon that things gets, and how comfortable the seats are.... lol....

Tanya
CPST

We rented one of those vans when we went on vacation. The ride is HORRIBLE! We had 11 adults and 3 of us were sick after the 1 hour drive. It swayed all over- it wasn't even really windy. The driver (who also has a Suburban) travels and rents cars often, and said it was the worst rental he has ever driven.

ali's mom said:

We rented one of those vans when we went on vacation. The ride is HORRIBLE! We had 11 adults and 3 of us were sick after the 1 hour drive. It swayed all over- it wasn't even really windy. The driver (who also has a Suburban) travels and rents cars often, and said it was the worst rental he has ever driven.

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Thanks for the info! That one is WAY out of my price range, but that's good to know for future reference.

I think we're still mulling the Suburban - I just don't know how comfortable I am with the design of the larger passenger vans, even with the daullie wheels.

Tanya
CPST

We just traded my 05 Suburban, I never got more then 15 city MPG, not sure why or how the OP gets 18 but whohoo Until 07 there was a lap belt in the center 3rd row. We now have an 08 but DH drives it and I have an Ody. We needed the towing option too but I hated dealing with getting the kids and out of the Sub and the car seat issues. I have 5, 3 in seats. If you harness 3 you need to either put one in the center 3rd row or lose the ability to flip/slide the 2nd row outboard seat so access to the 3rd row is a PITB. Although TBH I would feel ok (and did) use the center 3rd row TA for a car seat in the drivers side position. In the 08 and other models this is allowed but nothing in writing says it is ok in the 05 The other thing that annoyed me was the center 2nd row kind of dips down and the lap portion of the belt rides up high on passengers, there also is no head rest so although the seat back is high it was never high enough for any of the kids who were tall enough to not need a booster. The 08 is designed stupidly too for child passengers, the center 3rd row has a L/S but no head rest, the seat belt anchors are maybe 10-11 inches apart and it does have a TA but the anchors sit close to 2" from the bight. We have a GN there, one non boostered kid sits on 1 side and another in a Britax Star Rise Comfy. I have an 18m old who rides in a RF MA and in the 05 Suburban (with bench) he had no leg room, the seat is straight up and the way it is designed his legs were squished by 15m. We switched him to an old style base RA and it was better. He rides in that in a Captains Chair in the 08 but that design does give him more leg room too.

I miss driving my Suburban a little but at 5'2" it was just too big for me. For every day driving and getting kids in and out it was tough. I love love love my Ody..sorry that doesn't help you since towing capacity is 3500w/ the tow package.

My aunt and uncle also have a Suburban, but theirs doesn't get as good mileage as mine does because of the different package they have (load stabilizer, different 4X4 system, etc.). Our Tahoe gets a lot less MPG than the Suburban.

Ah yes that would explain it.

I have a 2000 suburban 1500 series (no latch) that we used to tow a 30ft travel trailer with and it gets really good gas milage (not sure of the exact # I'll have to ask my dh). I am only 5' 3" and 120 lbs and it is alot of vehicle for someone my size but I have been driving it for almost 5yrs now and will be for at least another 2yrs. The second row has a tether for each position and all 3 postitions work great with carseats (the center with lap belt only can give a little problem once in a while you just have to work with it a little). The 3rd row can be a pitb to both access and install seats. There is only one tether in the 3rd row (outboard passenger position) and the center has a lap only belt that is forward of the seat bite. The GN does install well in that position but was nearly imposible to buckle my dd in her TB and left only a narrow space for the other seating position.

sixmaybemore said:

I'm hoping to be in the 2000's or newer. I'm trying to figure out what year they started putting l/s belt in all/most of the seating positions (even one additional l/s would help me out a lot).

We'll most likely be looking at a 2500 model, sans the 4x4. I've no need for the 4x4, but the higher towing capacity I do.

Tanya
CPST

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In the old body styles starting around '03/'04 is when they started puttling l/s belts in all positions in the 2nd row. The 3rd row is l/s belts outboard & lap only in the center.

I have an 04 'burb

It has L/S in all 2nd row seating positions, but only the two outboard 3rd row positions. LATCH in center and pass 2nd row, TA on front seats (for rear facing), all 3 2nd row, and 1 3rd row.

I get about 17-17.5 MPG - but we do very little city driving. This is my second burb and we will be replacing it within next year, I LOVE them.

sixmaybemore said:

I'm hoping to be in the 2000's or newer. I'm trying to figure out what year they started putting l/s belt in all/most of the seating positions (even one additional l/s would help me out a lot).

We'll most likely be looking at a 2500 model, sans the 4x4. I've no need for the 4x4, but the higher towing capacity I do.

Tanya
CPST

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I have a 2001 (the GMC Yukon XL-same as the Chevy Suburban) and I do not have LATCH but I do have tether anchors. We get about 16-18 mpg in the city. More on the highway.
You will get less mileage with the 2500 because it is heavier. I have 4x4, need it for winter as well as our vacation home, the road in there is often 4x4 only.
Adding that I have lap only belts in both center seating positions, 2nd and 3rd row, l/s belts in all the others. I have a bench seat in the 2nd row, not the captains chairs, obviously. The lap belt in the center seating positions is ok for carseat use though, as it is not one that locks only in an accident.

mom2acrew said:

If you harness 3 you need to either put one in the center 3rd row or lose the ability to flip/slide the 2nd row outboard seat so access to the 3rd row is a PITB.

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I harness 3 kids and I leave the passenger side portion of the 2nd row seat folded flat for easy access to the 3rd row. In the 3rd row, I have my 6yo and 4yo, in a Regent and Marathon respectively. I have a 2001 GMC Yukon XL (same as the Burb)