Truck of the Year for 1996: The Chevrolet K1500 Suburban Base
The 1996 K1500 Suburban is an important vehicle to Chevrolet for the sport utility market segment. The Base is a member of a series of three trim levels for the K1500 Suburban which include LT, LS, and Base. The four-door truck with its four-wheel drive is positioned to aggressively fill this niche for Chevrolet. There is strong competition from vehicles from Honda.
1996 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban Base Specs
The restyled K1500 Suburban Base is equipped with a 5.7-liter eight-cylinder engine that utilizes 16 valves. The Vortec engine is mated to a General Motors four-speed transmission. This has resulted in an increase in horsepower and torque over the 1995 version.
The fuel system for the 1996 K1500 Suburban is a Central SFI design, using gasoline fuel. The fuel flow is controlled by a electronic system and is a fuel-injected MFI design. The fuel capacity of the fuel tank is 27.00 gallons.
The K1500 Suburban uses power-assisted brakes, with 4-Wheel ABS support. The front brakes are disc while the rear brakes are drum. Steering is handled through a power-steering gear-style configuration. The truck uses torsion bar and leaf springs front and rear respectively.
Statistics
The K1500 Suburban is 189.80 inches long, 77.50 inches wide, and 75.90 inches high. It has a wheelbase of 111.00 inches. It is able to seat 2 comfortably.
The original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $18,592 when new, with a dealer invoice cost of an industry-high price. This price was in line with the industry average price for a 4-door Sport Utility.
There is a 50,000* mile, 60* month warranty with this vehicle, including a powertrain warranty of 50,000*/36* miles/months. This is normal for this price range.
Fuel Efficiency
The 1996 K1500 Suburban gets 22 miles/gallon on the highway and only 17 in the city. This is below average for a sport utility truck.
What We Think of the Chevrolet K1500 Suburban
There are several reasons why the Chevrolet K1500 Suburban Base sold well in 1996. Mainly the increase in availability and a marked improvement in quality meant the buying public was more apt to choose a Chevrolet, specifically a K1500 Suburban.
| 95-99 Chevy K1500 Suburban FRONT WHEEL HUB BEARING NEW | ![]() |
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US $78.00 | 10h 54m |
| 1996 CHEVY SUBURBAN BROCHURE-SUBURBAN C/K 1500 2500-4X4 | ![]() |
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US $9.99 | 20d 17h 31m |
| Chevrolet K1500 Suburban 96 1996 Drill Rotors & Pads F | ![]() |
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US $146.40 | 23d 8h |
| 1996-1999 CHEVY K1500 Suburban 5.7L AEM COLD AIR INTAKE | ![]() |
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US $275.71 | 17d 2h 46m |
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Tags: 4-Door, Base, Canada market, Chevrolet K1500 Suburban, Sport Utility


nice article. I hope you can explain your experiences with the K1500 Suburban?
great site