2006 Chevrolet Suburban front

Chevrolet's monster SUV reclaims the crown of largest SUV now that the Ford Excursion has bitten the dust. Now standing on the Tahoe's new platform, it continues as a two-feet-longer version of the same, appropriately skipping its 4.8-liter V8 and only offering the 5.3 V8 (320 horsepower) and, in heavy-duty 2500 models, the 6.0 V8 (350 horsepower). Another 6.0-liter V8 for regular 1500 models comes later, though that one's made of aluminum, kicking out 355 horsepower, and being the first pushrod V8 with variable valve timing. Chevrolet's making a big deal about Active Fuel Management, which turns off half the cylinders in light-load cruising to save gas, and the fact that certain versions of the 5.3-liter V8 can run on any combination of gas and E85 ethanol. The interior is vastly improved and now features side head air bags on all seating rows. Sales begin in summer. (2006 model shown.)