NO, DON'T GO; Chevy's Suburban was essential to our long-term fleet. We're sad to see it leave.(News)

Byline: ROGER HART

Living 12 months with a Chevrolet Suburban in the long-term test fleet left one lingering question: How would we live without it?

The big 'Burban played a variety of roles during its service, reinforcing why Americans love big sport/utes. In testimony to its versatility, staffers racked up nearly 32,000 miles, placing it fourth on the list of all-time mile leaders-behind the Chevrolet TrailBlazer (35,777), the Audi A4 (33,135) and the Infiniti Q45 (32,274). Along with standard operating commuter duties, the Suburban was the choice ride for several trips from Michigan to Florida, multiple excursions to northern Michigan (sometimes with a kayak, a canoe or a cargo carrier on the roof rack), a jaunt to Minnesota and a handful of Chicago junkets. Plus, the hunter-in-residence put this Chevy to the test in a "full-out, four adults, two dogs, gear-bag-on-the-roof, guns-in-the-cargo-hold, luggage galore, 3000-mile-round-trip hunting expedition to South Dakota.'' It earned an impressive four-out-of-four-bullet ranking.

In between the big trips, the Suburban made airport runs and, with its eight passenger seats, shuttled baseball, softball, basketball, swim and soccer teams to and from games. It hauled kids and their stuff to college in the fall and back home in the spring. It schlepped flowers for planting and was filled to the roof on shopping sprees to various warehouse shopping centers.

Oh, and it served admirably in its intended role as tow vehicle for AW's long-term Airstream trailer; on the side, it also hauled boats and assorted trailers full of stuff.

On nearly all occasions, the logbook was filled with praise.

"For major outings requiring hauling huge piles of gear, in a vehicle that offers loads of utility and off-road capability combined with comfort enough to drive 20 hours on the highway in quietness and smoothness, this vehicle has no peer,'' the hunter wrote. "This isn't about truck/ute man-love-this is just stating facts.''