When it comes to large SUVs, few can stack up to the 2021 Chevy Suburban. Not only is it a popular and well-known SUV, but it’s also an SUV that Americans want. This is because the 2021 Chevy Suburban has some great standard features, and it can also seat quite a few people extremely comfortably.

The 2021 Chevy Suburban can seat up to 9 passengers

Like U.S. News wrote, when it comes to the full-size SUVs on the market, most automakers limit the number of seats available to just eight. There are two seats in the front, and then two rows of bench seats, for a total of eight seats available. For the Suburban, eight seats is standard, but that may not be enough for some families.

That’s why, according to U.S. News, Chevy actually offers an option that’ll replace the front-row seats with another bench. With three rows of bench seats, the Suburban can seat up to nine people in relative comfort. The Suburban is one of a few SUVs that have that option, and it’s no surprise that the GMC Yukon, which is nearly identical to the Suburban, also has that option.

With that being said, there are actually a few pros and cons to getting the nine-seat option on the Suburban.

Only available on the base trim

According to The Drive, the Chevy Suburban’s front bench option is only available on the base trim of the car. This means that if folks want access to some of the fancier and more extravagant trims, then they’re out of luck if they also want to seat nine people. However, the plus side is that it’s actually a pretty cheap option. The Drive wrote that it will cost just $250 to equip the Suburban with the front bench instead of the standard two seats.

While that’s a very affordable price to pay, the Suburban’s trims are worth considering too. For example, if the total amount of seats isn’t a big deal, then the Suburban can actually come with just seven seats and second-row captain’s chairs. While this configuration of the Suburban has fewer seats than usual, the seats themselves are more luxurious and more comfortable than before. 

The Suburban’s top-tier trims, such as the Premier trim or the High Country trim, will cost between $65,000 to $75,000, and they’ll do more than just make the Suburban more comfortable.

For example, the High Country trim comes with a bigger and more powerful V8 engine, and that may be appealing for some folks. However, for many, that engine upgrade and the comfort upgrades aren’t really necessary.

The standard 2021 Chevy Suburban is pretty great

Like The Drive wrote, the standard Chevy Suburban is no slouch. After all, U.S. News gave the Suburban a great overall ranking in its segment. This is largely because the base Suburban comes with quite a few standard features while being at a generally affordable price tag. U.S. News said that the Suburban starts at about $52,000, which means that the nine-seat option will barely make a dent in its total price tag.

For example, a great aspect about all full-size SUVs is how much cargo capacity they have, and the Suburban is no different. With its seats folded down, it has a max cargo capacity of 144.7 cu. ft. In fact, U.S. News said that this was more cargo room than almost every other large SUV.

That’s not the only thing that’s big about the Suburban. U.S. News also said that it comes standard with a 10.2-inch touchscreen display. That touchscreen is also paired up with a lot of smart standard safety features, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and rear parking sensors, just to name a few things.

If you’re looking for a combination of size and comfort, it’s hard to go wrong with the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban.