BIG LOVE; Three-quarters of a year down, and we still dig our 'Burban.(product information of General Motors Corp. Chevrolet Motor Div.)

Byline: Wes Raynal

With nine months and 23,881 miles under its belt, the consensus on our long-term Chevy Suburban is the same as when it first arrived: We love it. In fact, one of the more common things heard around the coffee pot is "We should just buy this thing when we we're done with it.''

It is arguably the most useful vehicle we've ever had in our long-term fleet. During the past quarter, the truck spent a day out of our hands while a defective rear parking sensor was replaced and the ECM was updated. Both jobs were performed under warranty.

Other than that, the third quarter went as the first two did, with the truck performing every kind of duty imaginable, from straight-up commuting to hauling stuff to long family trips. And there's no need to pack carefully; the Suburban gobbles up gear and people without any real effort. "It's like a house with walk-in closets,'' says the logbook.

One thing we really came to love was the remote-start feature back when the weather was cold. Punch the door-lock button, hit the starter-even from a block away-and by the time you reach the vehicle, you can climb into a toasty interior (with prewarmed seats, too).

As the truck crisscrossed the great Midwest, there was the occasional-occasional, mind you-wish for more power from the 5.3-liter V8, most noticeable when towing and when accelerating onto the freeway. The air shocks adjust for the extra rear weight, and the vehicle usually settles in and pulls as if there's nothing there.

After a wash and a ...