Chevrolet Avalanche

btate2002

OK I'm Jealous!

eric2001

That mine gets over a 1,000,000 miles to the gallon (push power). Now how will my HD ever be able to match those numbers? hehe
-Eric

txyank1

info on the AV? I did on the PT Cruiser way back when and got a model on the mail.

timfarn

I also got my USPS delivered Av. I tested it in the bathtub last night - no leaks at the rear window or the midgate!! The teamsters will blow a gasket when they find out they didn't get their $720 destination charge kickback on each unit!

Chevy sent these if you asked for additional info on their website. Mine is on my desk, waiting for its big blue brother.

slafond

I am still waiting for my avalanche to come in! I'm enjoining reading most of the messages.

Is the avalanche identical to the 'burban with respect to the engine; speed, sound, power, towing?

baseballtexas

$2500.00 UNDER MSRP AND SOME FREEBIES..DARK GREEN W/GRAPHITE INT. I LIKE THE DARKER INTERIOR DOESNT SHOW AS MUCH DIRT. LOVE THE RIDE THIS THING HAS.HAS ANYONE HAD LEAKING PROBLEMS? BEEN IN SOME HEAVY RAIN HERE IN TEXAS AND NO LEAKS SO FAR.WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PUT ON THE CLADDING?

txyank1

Plus GM has some really ugly prints that show a lot more on the lighter interiors. Matter of fact that's one more thing I like better on the GMC. It seems the print is a little more subdued than the Chevy. Of course that's just my .02.

timfarn

Serge: Power, towing and quickness should be close. The ride is excellent and noise seemed low. The Av may be quieter due to the decreased window surface and smaller cabin. The base Av is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the base Sub - but equally equipped models should weigh in close to each other.

gerrick

Timfarn: Thanks for the advise. Got a call today from a dealer about 25 miles out of Peoria [small town dealer] offering to order their next lot avalanche to my specs and sell it to me with the GM supplier discount....$4,482 off MSRP! [$500 under invoice]. I took the deal [the dealer tried to make it up by giving me a horribly low trade in value for my mustang GT - I decided to pass and sell it on my own]
When I asked him why they were willing to honor the supplier discount when no one else would, he replied that by the time this unit is delivered, there will be enough stock on hand that the pricing will have to be more competitive.
Sales guy quoted me 2 months for delivery due to the factory entering its summer shutdown period.
I have GMS pricing if anyone is interested.

robbins_

When you look at the site for the GM supplier discount you will note that you MUST take delivery prior to Sept 30th. I had a dealer willing to locate a AV at another dealer which had all the options I wanted except the RWL tires (not a real show stopper for me). They transported it down and accepted the deal. On top of that I was involved in the pickup gas tank law suite which gave me an additional $1000 off. That with the GM supplier discount was a major deal if I do say so myself!

Cheers,
Bear

robbins_

Hey all,
I went with the tan interior. One of the major reasons is that it goes very well with the forest green. The other reason is that the interior is not just one color... gray... with the tan you will find accents of dark gray. A little on the doors, floors, headliner, seats, and console. I will post some pics in the next few days in the pics thread.

Cheers,
Bear

warrenw48

Last year I know they extended the gms pricing date and talking with my salesman he stated they always do extend it. The intent of the pricing is to sell previous year inventory. My salesman actually gave me gms in 2000 on the hot Tahoe,at that time no one else would. Now Tahoes are everywhere and can be had at invoice. Here in St.Pete FL. The 2dealers I drive by have 53 Avs combined.

hillhound

I looked a new Avalanche that a local dealer just got in yesterday. It looks alot better on the lot than in the pictures!
One question. I have a 5.3L 2001 Silverado and I noticed something is different on the Av's 5.3L engine. There is a long narrow plastic housing attached to the air intake just in front of the throttle body that is not present on the Silverado. Anybody know what it is?
The salesman didn't know and said he hasn't even gone through the "training program" for the Avalanche. All he knew was how to open the doors!!
And to all you guys who got new Av's: good job! I like it but I don't think it's for me. The front end and the grill is awesome looking! I liked the way the hood latch is located under the Chevy bowtie on the grill!

invested

I read at a comparison site that the AV has auto on/off headlamps. I did not see anything about this in the brochure or at Chevy's website. Could anyone verify if it does have this feature?

Also did anyone check the owners manual for how to clean/maintain the cladding?

txyank1

I would assume they do. All the rest of the GM trucks do since the '99 body change.

pwitz

Just saw another black Av on a dealer lot... though this one looked fresh from the transporter, cause it was dirtier than normal for black.... Anyhow, interesting thing on the sticker... under options..."rear passenger side window tint credit - $150". Was hard to tell if the tint on both sides in the back was the same, but it wasn't especially dark.... looks like GM is acknowledging the supplier/factory mistake...

timfarn

Glad you got the deal, what color/interior did you order? There are a lot of good dealers just outside P-town - Canton, Eureka, Waashington, Chili to name a few. A little homework is all it takes to find someone willing to deal.

Barry - I'm looking forward to the pics - we ordered the light interior to go with the Indigo.

I hope this rear window tint problem is isolated. The tint on our Jimmy was nice and I wouldn't expect anything less in the Av. Aside from keeping the interior cooler, looks are 100% better with the dark rear windows. I would let GM keep the $150 credit and install the correct windows.

robbins_

Yes, this is standard.

uglyguy

I have been driving Toyota's for 15 years. I am ready to buy a new vehicle. I am really torn between the AV and the Toyota Sequoia. Feedback?

slafond

What is the most common question asked the Avalanche? (other than "what is it")

Its most of the feedback Positive?

slafond

What is the most common question asked the Avalanche? (other than "what is it")

Its most of the feedback Positive?

fpmike

Ron,

The plastic tube you see on the intake is a Helmholz Resonator, a type of silencer. A lot of manufacturers are researching ways to reduce a vehicle's noise, and more recently intake systems are among those. The AV's tube attenuates high amplitude and/or high frequency vibrations due to inrushing air to the manifold. I see them a lot in my work with PWC 2-stroke exhaust systems.

To some of the newcomers and curious:
The AV is big(yup, gotta use the steps and handles to get in the bed), solid and quiet(Suburban heritage), powerful(enough for me), really versatile(Brought home a freezer, pool cover, lotsa hardware and later watched the fireworks from the bed cover) and just plain cool. I have had mine for a month and my previous reservations and nit-picky issues have faded. My advice: Go drive one! . . . and look here for the best details I've found thus far.

gerrick

Timfarn - I ordered mine with the green exterior and graphite interior: I think this combination will be easier to keep clean than the tan color. Peoria area now has a couple of avalanches on the lots now. The dealer I just ordered mine from just got in a black Z71 loaded: sales guy told me they want to sell it for about $1,500 over invoice. My order was confirmed today and is in the build schedule. Latest estimate is end of August.

txyank1

i've got a polo green sierra. was looking for one with graphite but couldn't turn down the deal i got so settled for neutral. i do like that a lot better than the tan. chevy has some godawful looking prints that are much more noticable on the light colors. they seem to be a little more subdued on the gmc's. haven't looked that closely so don't know if the av is the same or not.

mpalombo

Ok, so its the die cast model but so what!

-Mark

timfarn

Choice between Av and Sequoia - depends on what you want. For versatility, the Av wins hands down. I also can't imagine a more comfortable ride in a fullsized SUV.

ryanbab

AV TODAY (besides autoshow)

Pewter Z71. Actually looked good. Only thing i dislike is the rear bumper to much plastic around that.

The top of the bed was very HIGH!!! Also it had a hard cover.

Overall NICE truck

Ryan

obyone

The matchbox av that is.

ryanbab

Me and my little bro were at walmart two wks ago. Browsing waiting for best buy to open (wanting to buy PS2). I noticed a tonka matchbox car AV. $0.89 he loves the avalanche so i bought it for him. Its made by the same company just a different color. Tonight he went to walmart and he bought me a silverado one.

wesyang

I was thinking about Av and Seq too. For me, fullsize truck must be able to tow. Seq only can tow up to 6200 lb. So, it's no longer in my list.
Av is good but price is too high. I am waiting for Dodge to release it's 4 door 1/2 ton pickup. I will decide later from Av, Ford Screw and Ram 1500 when all of them on the market. Competition should drive the price down.

txyank1

past all that gray cladding. The black looks best 'cause it blends in better.

ryanbab

silver is the best

seen one yesterday looks sharp

invested

The cladding makes the truck look so rugged and tough. I just replied to a post in the AV owners folder under care & maintenance about the cladding. I like the white because I like the contrast. The blue looks great too but I am tired of dark colors since I have a black truck now. Too hot and dirty, it always needs to be washed.

lonestartj

That thing is Uuuugly guys. Too much plastic, goofy profile, and doesn't know if it wants to be a truck or an SUV. I predict this thing will be out of production in 3 years due to low sales.

allonon

Too much cladding? Ok, I agree. There is a lot of plastic. I would have prefered the bumpers not be plastic. But I'll live

Goofy Profile? How so? I just don't see it. Goofy profiles to me is the new Explorer. Damn that thing looks like a mini-van with an extended nose. bad

Multiple Personality? Thats why I needed this thing. With 3 kids, I need something thats gonna handle them and the cargo I need. Most of the time I don't need the gate down, but if I need those 12' 2x4s to finish the patio. I don't have 6' hanging out the back to worry about.

To each his own. You don't like it, don't buy it. But it does fill a good niche.

Now, if you were talking about the Escalade XLT, I'd agree with you. What is with the Escalade XLT and Blackwood (or whatever the Lincoln is). A Luxury pickup? that's just wrong.

txyank1

the Caddy doesn't have the cladding. Instead you have to put with UGLEEEEEE front end!

allonon

Too much cladding? Ok, I agree. There is a lot of plastic. I would have prefered the bumpers not be plastic. But I'll live

Goofy Profile? How so? I just don't see it. Goofy profiles to me is the new Explorer. Damn that thing looks like a mini-van with an extended nose. bad

Multiple Personality? Thats why I needed this thing. With 3 kids, I need something thats gonna handle them and the cargo I need. Most of the time I don't need the gate down, but if I need those 12' 2x4s to finish the patio. I don't have 6' hanging out the back to worry about.

To each his own. You don't like it, don't buy it. But it does fill a good niche.

Now, if you were talking about the Escalade XLT, I'd agree with you. What is with the Escalade XLT and Blackwood (or whatever the Lincoln is). A Luxury pickup? that's just wrong.

timfarn

SUV or Pickup, it's the purpose behind the Av.

If you want goofy profiles look at any CJ or JGC. Oh, and what was that one Jeep product, um, the Scrambler?

gerrick

I too was worried about the cladding a bit. I was wondering if the stuff would hold up over years on a 4x4 without looking like crap. In my online MBA course I am taking right now, there is a guy who is a manager at one of the automotive plastics suppliers to GM. I asked him about this cladding. Here is his response:

"First, let me tell you that I have not seen the vehicle physically yet, however and based on General Motors' specifications for plastic materials, it has to last a minimum of seven years in the case of wear and tear materials (like fenders, bed liners and bumpers) and a minimum of ten for other materials (like windows and appliqués).
Form the picture shown on their internet site and based on your comment regarding the trim to be similar to the one used by Jeep, I can infer that is made of a highly resistant polyolefin, probably high density polyethylene (HDPE) or oriented polypropylene (OPP) if the surface is not painted.
If it's painted the possibility then moves to polyurethane (PU) or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS).
If the material is either HDPE or OPP, it will resist scratching quite well and due to the finishing of the part, minor damage will be camouflaged and will be almost imperceptible unless you take a close look.
If the material is painted PU or ABS, the resistance to scratching will be quite similar to a door or hood, meaning limited and scratches will show fairly easy."

Hope this helps. Based upon this description, I decided that the cladding should hold up if I take care of it.

invested

I too share your concerns about the cladding over time. I love the aggressive look that it gives the AV though and the protection against door dings in parking lots and rock chips ect. It just
doesn't seem to look as tough without it. I was comparing it to the Cadillac Escalade EXT which Edmunds just did a write up about on their home page and the AV's front end with the cladding definitely looks better.

I did call Chevy about it and they said that the cladding is included in the 3 yr. warranty. I guess
that is a decent amount of time to test it. Someone on the board recommended 303 protectant
and I did find their website and go to it. It does seem to be something that will protect the
cladding from the elements. I ordered a sample package of all of their products for $5.00 to
cover the shipping I am waiting for it to arrive. That seems to be the only alternative - to find a good product for it. I did notice quite a few brand new trucks and SUV's on the road by various
car makers and they all seem to have some body cladding on them. I guess that is the way it is
going. As far as looks go I really think people are just unsure of the unfamiliar. They are all
coming around though as you can see, even most people I talked to who didn't like the looks at first now say it is growing on them. Some people can't handle too much change at once, but
after everyone sees all that it is capable of they are speechless and agree that it is a very cool
concept. To me to have the best of both worlds (truck & SUV) and an awesome ride is worth it.

aliccardello

The reason this thing appeals to me is that it does actually form an 8' bed when necessary. And that 8' bed is actually useable even when the plastic overhead gets in the way. Regarding Towing Capacity, it's astounding. Hands down simply amazing. All I know is that when I put a pallet of retaining blocks in mine, it handled it with ease. What a great car and a great buy. The Avalanche sets the styling cues for Chevrolet's future truck line. The handling on the car is uprising crisp and firm. I have owned or leased a: Suburban, S-10, Blazer, Durango, Cherokee, Dakota- It blows all of those out of the water. It is simply the best truck on the market. It beat's any other Chevy truck, hands down. I won't even mention Ford. What a joke they are. If people want to complain about price, there' a plain and simple answer. It's affordable, and it's the best in its class. You get what you pay for, and with the Avalance, it will be nothing short of sheer perfection. There is also an Avalanche 2500 Model that includes the 8.1 Liter engine and a towing capacity in excess of 12,000 pounds. It will be distinguished by some markings, revised grile, eight bolt wheels and wheel arch protectors. And it only costs $32,865. That is one heck of a deal. The Avalanche styling is striking to say the least! It is truly a great looking car. The Av also offers a few items not available on the SCrew - pass through cargo, full 8 foot covered cargo, higher HP engine, available electronic climate control, standard hard bed cover. As to fuel mileage, they will be rated close to the same (14/17 or 14/18), however, my experience has been that the Fords I've owned have never given the advertised mileage. GM vehicles have always given at or above economy. They are simply what automotive excellence is all about. GM has really outdone themselves this time. They couldn't have made a better car. Hats off to everyone involved, the engineer, the designers, etc. This is by far the best car I have ever owned.

aliccardello

The reason this thing appeals to me is that it does actually form an 8' bed when necessary.And that 8' bed is actually useabl even whem the plastic overhead gets in the way. Regarding Towing Capacity, it's astounding. Hands down simply amazing.All I know is that when I put a pallet of retaining blocks in mine, it handled it with ease. What a great car and a great buy.The Avalanche sets the styling cues for Chevrolet’s future truck line. The handling on the car is suprising crisp and firm. I have owened or leased a: Suburban, S-10, Blazer, Durango, Cherokee, Dakota- It blows all of those out of the water. It is simply the best truck on the market. It beat's any other Chevy truck, hands down. I won't even mention Ford. What a joke they are. If people want to complain about price, there' a plain and simple answer. It's affordable, and it's the best in its class. You get what you pay for, and with the Avalance, it will be nothing short of sheer perfection. There is also an Avalanche 2500 Model that includes the 8.1 Liter engine and a towing capacity in excess of 12,000 pounds. It will be distinguished by some markings, revised grile, eight bolt wheels and wheel arch protectors. And it only costs $32,865. That is one heck of a deal. The Avalanche styling is striking to say the least! It is truly a great looking car. The Av also offers a few items not available on the SCrew - pass through cargo, full 8 foot covered cargo, higher HP engine, available electronic climate control, standard hard bed cover. As to fuel mileage, they will be rated close to the same (14/17 or 14/18), however, my experience has been that the Fords I've owned have never given the advertised mileage. GM vehicles have always given at or above economy. They are simply what automotive excellence is all about. GM has really outdone themselves this time. They couldn't have made a better car. Hats off to everyone involved, the engineer, the designers, etc. This is by far the best car I have ever owned.

txyank1

the styling cues for GM trucks to come it may a long time before I buy another one.
Have you noticed on the Fords where they very similar gray plastic on the edges of the bed how there's usually wax residue on it? Looks like crap.

mpalombo

I was getting some work done on my Silverado so I went to walk the lot and they had a black one. Very nice, Z71, sunroof, leather, it was black and it had the hard cover on. They were asking MSRP, it was around 38k.

-Mark

invested

Motor Trend's August 2001 news stand issue has a really good article on the AV for anyone interested.

joelis

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if every vehicle looked the same.

Its all a matter of taste and preference. You have to at least applaud Chevy for taking a chance at something Completely Different (compared to the cowards at Ford who just added 2 full size back doors, at the expense of a now useless cargo bed).

Those comments made by that troll a while back about an Edsel are pretty brave coming from someone who owns a Jeep! LOL!

BTW, the troll also made a comment about the AV being toast in 3 years? Ha! Quite the opposite is what I am seeing so far. What its going to do is introduce more women to this segment (some of the current SUV drivers who would have never thought of buying a 'truck' before).

Real Life Example: My wife has already told me that when her current Expedition lease goes back in spring, the AV is the only vehicle that she will even consider as a replacement now. This comes from a person who hated every conventional truck I ever owned in the past.

ryanbab

Chevy cant keep up with demand as it is.

timfarn

Lonestar must have crawled back in his hole (Jeep) after realizing what he said and what he was driving. The Av will have staying power. The positive comments continue to mount.

Texas Yank - I've been waxing around textured plastic for two decades; mudflaps, flares, bumper covers, etc. A little care in applying wax and some extra cleaning are all it takes if you get over the edges.

Liccaardello - nice overview of Av features and strengths.

txyank1

"care'" thing I don't really need. You have to be careful to not get wax on the plastic. Then you have to be careful to not get whatever you use on the plastic on the paint 'cause it'll probably look crappy too.

john

mlm4

While I have no doubt that Chevrolet will sell every Avalanche they produce this year, I'm not sure the demand has exceeded the supply. This morning while I was waiting for service on my Tahoe, I wandered the dealer's lot and checked out the ten Avs that were in stock (but only one TrailBlazer). And then while sitting in the waiting room I watched a TV commercial for another Chevy dealership claiming that they had 50 in stock ("we've got every color").