The latest model comparison coming from GMPartsOnline has the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban explaining itself to its 30-year old counterpart.
As we’ve learned from a similar chart depicting two distant generations of Ford Tauruses, just because a car is built with technology available today, it doesn’t necessarily make it superior in every single way to a model that is much, much older.
A few good examples would be that even once you adjust for inflation, the 2016 Suburban costs nearly twice as much as the 1986 model, while weighing an extra 1,200 lbs (544 kg) and seating 1 less passenger.
Of course the added tech and safety features are responsible for most of that extra weight, and in today’s world, you really can’t do without any of the things that would have saved a lot of lives back in the mid-80s.
“The new Suburban is one of my favorite Chevrolet vehicles, but I think it’s fair to say the Suburban’s asking price has exploded since 1986,” said Gib Goodrich of GMPartsOnline. “Our comparison shows a 95% increase in MSRP, even after we adjust for inflation. While some of that price increase is explained by the 2016 model’s superior fuel economy, engine power, and safety ratings, it’s hard for me to understand the price almost doubling.”
There are surprisingly a couple more advantages with the older Suburban, but we’ll let you check out the chart for yourselves in order to identify them. Until then, maybe GM should mull over this interesting suggestion from Mr Goodrich:
“The 2016 Suburban is an excellent vehicle, but at $52,000, it’s hard for a lot of families to afford. Maybe if Chevy offered a Suburban without heated side mirrors, built-in WiFi, and some of the other standard features, the price wouldn’t be so high compared to 30 years ago.”
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