Compare the2024 Chevrolet SuburbanVS 2024 Mercedes G-Class

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Suburban are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The G-Class doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Suburban (except LS with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The G-Class doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Suburban Premier/High Country offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The G-Class doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Suburban (except LS) offers an optional HD Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The G-Class only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Suburban and the G-Class have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Suburban 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the G-Class. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the G-Class ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Suburban’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the G-Class’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Suburban’s warranty.

The Suburban has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The G-Class doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 9 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Suburban’s optional 6.2 V8 produces 4 more horsepower (420 vs. 416) and 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 450) than the G 550’s standard 4.0 turbo V8.

The Suburban’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 450) than the G 550’s standard 4.0 turbo V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Suburban gets better mileage than the G-Class:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Suburban uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 6.2 V8 engine for maximum performance). The G-Class requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Suburban has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the G-Class (28.3 vs. 26.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Suburban has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The G-Class doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Suburban, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the G-Class.

For better stopping power the Suburban’s brake rotors are larger than those on the G-Class:

The Suburban stops shorter than the G-Class:

The Chevrolet Suburban’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mercedes G-Class only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Suburban has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The G-Class doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Chevrolet Suburban has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mercedes G-Class has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Suburban Z71/High Country has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Suburban’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The G-Class doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Suburban’s wheelbase is 20.3 inches longer than on the G-Class (134.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Suburban is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the G-Class.

The Suburban Z71 4WD handles at .67 G’s, while the G 550 pulls only .61 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Suburban’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the G-Class’ (42.3 feet vs. 44.6 feet). The Suburban w/20-22 inch wheels’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the G-Class’ (43.3 feet vs. 44.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Suburban Z71 Air Ride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the G-Class (10 vs. 9.5 inches), allowing the Suburban to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Suburban has standard flush composite headlights. The G-Class has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The front grille of the Suburban uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The G-Class doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Suburban offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the G-Class can only carry 5.

The Suburban has 63.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the G-Class (170.8 vs. 107).

The Suburban has .4 inches more front headroom, 5.8 inches more front legroom, 8.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 7.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the G-Class.

The Suburban’s cargo area provides more volume than the G-Class.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Suburban’s (except LS) optional second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The G-Class doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Suburban’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The G-Class’ swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Suburban LT/RST/Z71/Premier/High Country’s power cargo door can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The G-Class doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

The Suburban’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the G-Class’ (7600 vs. 7000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes G-Class is only 7000 pounds. The Suburban offers up to a 8300 lbs. towing capacity.

The Suburban 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Suburban can be unhitched and driven around locally. The G-Class can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Suburban’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The G-Class does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Suburban (except LS/LT/RST/Z71) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The G-Class doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Suburban’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Start standard on the G-Class only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Suburban has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the G-Class only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Suburban has standard extendable sun visors. The G-Class doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Suburban is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The G-Class doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Suburban second among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The G-Class isn’t in the top three.

The Chevrolet Suburban outsold the Mercedes G-Class by over five to one during 2023.