In some sections of the country, wise middle-class folks have been tooling around for several years in mile-long Suburbans, whether or not they have great need for all that expanse behind the drivers seat. These days, throughout the suburban reaches of Houston and Dallas, among other spots, the Chevrolet and GMC Suburban have become de facto status-flaunting vehicles, pushing prices beyond the reach of the common man.
Yes, those who formerly wheeled about town in a Cadillac or Lincoln or Mercedes, and wouldnt feel quite right in a pickup truck, appear to have twirled their affections toward the biggest passenger vehicles in the General Motors repertoire. Chevrolet, in fact, considers the Suburban "as suited to the country club as to a roughneck oil field."
Mechanically, you get the same layout in the smaller Chevrolet Tahoe, but that vehicle is only available with Chevys Vortec 5700 V8 engine. Select a Suburban and you can accept that motor, with 255 horsepower. Or, with the 3/4-ton C/K 2500 series you can go all the way, opting for the mammoth Vortec 7400 V8, whipping out 290 strutting horses and a mean 410 pound-feet of ground-tromping torque. Oh, theres also an optional turbo-diesel. Both the half- and 3/4-ton versions come with either two- or four-wheel drive, and all have four-wheel antilock braking.
This season brings a new optional four-wheel drive system. Called Autotrac, it automatically shifts from 2WD to 4WD when wheel slippage is detected, just like Fords Control-Trac system in the similarly gargantuan Expedition. Also new is an Enhancement Package, which adds heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, carpeted floor mats, a reversible rear cargo mat, an electrochromic rearview mirror with integrated compass and exterior temperature readout, a Homelink programmable three-channel transmitter, and 46mm Bilstein shocks. New colors are available for 1998, and a theft deterrent system is standard this year.
1998 Chevy Chevrolet Suburban Owners Manual
