Chevrolet Avalanche

bowhuntwi

I was reading over the options of the off-road package and it includes (4) 17 inch wheel & tires, but then they give you a 16 inch spare. This doesn't sound right, does chevy believe that you can mix and match tire & rim sizes on this thing.

ryanbab

they also do this on the denalis or whatever gmc upscale truck comes with 17In tires

Only thing is it comes or at least the gmc upscales with a smaller rim but taller tire to compensate

Ryan

beansta

I recently bought my Avalanche. My biggest complaint is the radio stations where I live only play country. The car is a good by. I cannot agree with that one post by licradelo more. THe truck is powerful and can pull a ton of weight. I also think the design is unique as well as the space. Most of my comments are already made by liccairdllo in a previous post. Great points man, I cannot agree with liccardello more. He is right on.

ryanbab

think of the rear bumper? Thats the only thing so far i noticed i do not like (only seen the av up close about 3 times)

timfarn

What about the Av bumper? Size, height, design? I like the integrated receiver and wraparound design.

Saw our first Av on the road during a one-week vacation tonight. I noticed it by the parking lamps over the headlights on a mountain road near Morgantown, WV.

Inventories on the 'net are listing 14, 16, 18 Avs. Are the Trailblazers selling out because of size and economy with high fuel prices?

eric2001

I would trade it in on a radio that didn't play country. Quickly before your mind turns to mush and you need one of them goofy looking cowboy hats to keep your brains from running out your ears. LOL

Ever hear the old prophecy: Cowboy hats are like opinions, sooner or later every [non-permissible content removed] has one.

Sorry guys, no offense meant.
-Eric

toby54

Local dealer says NY State requires commercial plates on the Av, even though SUVs (Suburban, Expedition, etc.) and fullsize pickups (F-150s, Silverados, etc.) can get regular plates. It matters because NY has a lot of parkways that ban commercial traffic. Any thoughts?

ryanbab

how is the quality of it? Real tough plastic?

Of the whole truck the rear bumper looks out of place and very cheap like the slightest thing could damage it

also seen a black Z71 av on the lot in southern indiana. LOOKED NICE gf wouldnt let me stop and test drive

eric2001

Here is NY's new non-commercial ruling...
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/register.htm#pick-up

Certain Pickups Qualify for Passenger Plates

You must first have passenger plates before using parkways. On or after 3/15/00, an unmodified, open-bed pickup truck may receive passenger rather than commercial plates only if:

Your pickup is used exclusively for non-commercial purposes and has an unladen weight of 5,000 pounds or less. The unladen weight of your pickup is listed on the vehicle's title and the door sticker.
...AND
The pickup has no business advertising anywhere on the truck.

How to Apply

The change is optional. You may continue to use commercial plates on your pickup if you wish, in which case you need do nothing.

The unladen weight of your pick up is stamped on the vehicle's door plate and listed on your certificate of title. This may be different from the maximum gross weight (MGW) listed on your registration documents. Be sure you know your truck's unladen weight and that its unladen weight is under 5,001 pounds before applying. The local DMV Office will ask you to provide the unladen weight of your truck, and if the unladen weight is 5,001 or more, you cannot be issued passenger plates without first modifying your pick up as explained below.

Obtaining passenger plates for your pick up truck as described below DOES NOT change either the maximum gross weight (MGW) listed on your registration or the unladen weight listed on your title. DMV requests the unladen weight ONLY to verify that your pick up is eligible for passenger plates, NOT to change your MGW.

Changing your plates to passenger as described below DOES NOT change your registration fees. You will pay the same renewal fees you paid before.

You must apply in person at a DMV office. You may not apply by mail, by phone, over the Internet or by e-mail. You must complete form MV-82 including section 6, question 4. Bring your title certificate and proof of identification and date of birth and surrender your commercial plates when applying.

hillhound

Someone said a few posts ago the Av. 2500 with 8.1 will cost 32000? Is that true? I have a hard time believing that as every 1500 I've looked at was sticker priced at least 34000. 32000 is less than a loaded Silverado 1500 4wd with 5.3.

invested

My AV has finally arrived and I did all the paper work last night and will take delivery tomorrow because they still have to install the assist steps and luggage rack. Took another test drive before signing and the ride was even better than I remembered. Absolutely UNBELIEVEABLE. Anyone who has not driven one has to go for a ride to fully appreciate it especially if you have owned trucks before. Took a friend over to see it who thought it was just OK before and he was just shocked at the features and functionability of the truck. He purchased a Dodge Ram 2 mths. ago and I think he was regretting it at that moment. I think most of the negative comments are from people who are locked into other vehicles and can't yet get out of them. This will be my 4th GM truck and 3rd pick-up so I am very familiar with their trucks and trust me when I say that you have no idea what you are missing if you haven't driven one!

I also dispelled ALL of my concerns about the cladding after speaking to the detail dept. who said if you get wax on the cladding just wipe it off right away with a wet cloth. The key is not to let it sit on it like in the sun where it bakes in. But even then he said just take a soft bristle brush and some soap and water and it should come out.

Can't wait till tomorrow!!

BTW the rear windows did have the tint.

robbins_

Hellhound, the 2500 does indeed start at $32,865. That is for a BASE level 2WD version. A loaded 4WD version is $39,796(MSRP). As is standard on 2500 series the Z71 package is not available.

Invested, enjoy and congrats! I love the ride and am surprised at how good it is even with the Z71 package. They loaned me a loaded 4WD Tahoe while they did the tinting (non-Z71) and I found the ride very poor when compared to the Av.

Bear

ryanbab

wax and cladding

becareful i know if you get wax on the black molding on the silverados it leaves white marks which are a pain to remove

invested

I know what you mean about the wax on the black molding, I have that problem on my Sierra. I do intend to be careful when waxing but I think the gray will be more forgiving than the black.
Thanks for the input.

tuv

Any information on whether GM will offer in the 2002 Avalanche model year adjustable pedals option (Dodge and Ford now have) plus a drop down DVD entertainment unit, similar to what can be ordered with the Trailer Blazer?

slafond

What is the Single best feature on the AV?

What is the worst/missing feature on the AV?

showme1

This is one of the very best driving vehicles I've ever drove. Brought it home from a dealer 560 miles away (my brother lives in TX, long story) and I am still amazed at how it handles and performs.

My only complaint with 875 miles on it is that it seems to be a dust magnet. Indigo Blue looks outstanding with the cladding. Lots of head jerks from other drivers.

Gas mileage was a bit of a concern before purchase but we obtained in excess of 19 mpg on the trip. I too was amazed at the quality of drive and ride from my first test drive. Both were better than I remembered. The engine seems to have a lot of spunk. I'm still breaking it in so no ripping of the tires or floor smashing yet. I do wish a cassette deck was an option (tells how old and behind I am) along with a CD changer.

Mark, mine also has the assist steps and the luggage rack with hard bed cover. This thing is AWESOME.

robbins_

Hey All,
Have any of you fellow Z71 owners found that the frontend seems to want to wander a little at about 70mph? I know it's not a out of balance issue, the wheel seems to bounce to the left and right a little at around this speed. At the moment I am thinking this is the off road tires, but I want to know if this is a bad assumption on my part..

Cheers,
Bear

timfarn

Tom, what you see is what you get with the 2002 Av. Adjustable pedals haven't been offered on any GM trucks. The entertainment system would have to be aftermarket.

Roger - Good to hear your comments on your Av's shakedown cruise. At 19 MPG with a fresh engine, do you have a 2WD? Excellent mileage whether it is a 2 or 4WD. What color interior?

midlifecrisis

For all you Av owners, did you buy yours off the lot or did you have to order one? I've only seen a handful, and they're all loaded 4WD Z71 models, mostly with leather seats and sunroof. How long would it take to order one?

Does the 2WD model sit substantially lower to the ground than the 4WD model? I sat in a loaded Av at a local fair and fell in love with the truck. I figured a 2WD base model could be had for very low 30's.

One thing I noticed was the cab is huge. Plenty of room for 6 people.

Someone got 19 mpg? I figured it would be bad on gas, as they advertise 13 city, 17 highway.

bowhuntwi

One dealer had no information for me on the tires in the off-road package 4- 17" with a 16 " spare. Then I asked if the dealer would warranty any damage caused by running one 16 with 3 17 and he couldn't answer that either. Went to a differant dealer that had the 1st that I have seen in Wisc. that had a bench seat along with Z71 and assist steps, wanted $35,295 and wouldn't budge. But they did offer me $23,000 for my 2K F250 CC 4x4 loaded Lariat, I chuckled at them.
They think their av is made out of GOLD, they only have 1, guess they will keep it too. They do drive nice and they don't take a football field to turn around in. But there's no place to stow my spotting scope and 3 pairs of binoks within the vehicle (with the bench seat model). The bucket seat model is not an option with the family. I was wondering if someone would happen to put a 4x8 sheet of dry wall in there, would their wife go thru the ceiling complaining of the use of the new av as a truck.

ryanbab

I had the question of running a different size spare. Especially with having a locker on my silverado. I talked with eaton. They said i wouldnt have any problems but i went ahead and changed to a different tire size.

BOW did you read my previous comments about the yukons and such with different size spares? Did you noticed the tire size on the 16in rim? Was it the same tire size that was on the other 4?

Ryan

lonestartj

My previous post about the Avalance being an Edsel was no troll, just my honest opinion. To each his own. If you guys love them, spend 35K and have at it. I personally would not buy any vehicle that has that much plastic on the outside. It just isn't appealing. I can see how this vehicle would be attractive in some circles (the suv/urban crowd), but I think in time the sales will become stale and it will eventually become a liability to GM. Just my opinion, I have no factual basis for it..time will tell if I'm right or wrong.

As for the attacks on my owning and driving a Jeep, well, my Wrangler comes from a long lineage of proven vehicles dating back to the 1940's. I doubt seriously the Avalance will ever approach the popularity of the all-american Jeep.

bowhuntwi

I read your comments.........no I didn't check the tire size, but I will.......It would seem that at least some salesmen & women would know more about their product then the guy off the street, wouldn't you think. When I go looking at a vehicle, I most likely know more then the sales person, heck the last dealer I was at looking at the AV, the sales person told me the AV had 6 or 7 Conv. Packages, it has (2) one with the moonroof and one without, simple and sweet.

ryanbab

ive only met 1 salesman who knew more than me about silverados. The guy who i bought mine from

mrurl

my salesman knew about my Sierra. I did my research, found the 2 trucks that were right for me on their lot, wrote down the VIN's, drove in and bought one.

Peter

timfarn

We elected to order for color, etc. We're expecting about 6 weeks (ordered 7/6, TPW of 7/30). Our order hit an allocation for a quick build, 8-10 weeks might be more likely.

Most vehicles on the lots are going to be pretty well equipped - a base model will need to be ordered.

2WD and 4WD have virtually the same ride height.

midlifecrisis

Thanks for the info timfarn. Let us know how you make out with delivery.

Two more questions:

1) Where are these trucks assembled?
2) Why does the Avalanche weigh so much more than a Silverado?

pjb0422

Wax on the trim is very hard to remove, especially if the trim is textured. I heard that if you put peanut butter on the wax, the oils will get under the wax and make it easier to remove. I use Zaino's Polish on my Silverado. It dries clear so if I do get some on the trim, it doesn't show. Zaino's is a little pricey but the results are fantastic. Just ask Ryan. Go to www.zainobros.com to read about the product.

Phil

sonjaab

AVS are assembled in Mexico.
The toy one i got in the mail is made in China
In the Syracuse NY area one dealer is running
screamer ads for $3500 off sticker..........

showme1

Mark, I got the tan interior with bench front, which I was concerned about at first with (2) 14 year old twins and a 3 year old. Nice thing is the tan is on the outboard area of the seats and graphite is in the middle section of the seat where your body actually contacts the seat. Carpet is also dark so I think I'll be o. on the stains that will happen no matter how careful we are.

Also, my VA is a 2wdr, Z-66 package without the sunroof but with a bench front seat. This one was hard to come by in Blue with the bench and Z-66. It came from another dealer inventory even though I had spoken for one ordered just like it (without the steps or luggage rack) that was to come in two weeks later.

As for ride height, please remember that both packages (Z-71 & Z-66) are just a bit taller than the sad. VA since both come with the 17 inch wheels. All are within 1 to 2 inches of each other. Mine goes in my sad garage door with ease even with the luggage rack that adds about 3 inches.

Lastly, I think both the 16 inch wheel and the 17 inch wheel have the same rolling radius so running the spare will not damage the differential lock. I'll check mine tonight (wife has it, I hope I get to see it again) and report back. I believe CM just puts a "75" aspect ratio tire on the 16" and a "70" aspect ratio on the 17" wheel, thus providing the same rolling radius. This is called plus one by the tire shops. I have done the same thing in reverse going from a high priced 65 series tire to a more competitive 70 series on a couple of other cars I've owned.

Roger

showme1

My previos post is correct on tire size. Just looked and the spare is 265/75/R16 vs. 265/70/R17 on the ground. Rolling radius should be the same or very close.

As for height, the 4x4 is 0.4 inches taller than the 2x4 and the 17 inch wheels have 0.4 inches more ground clearance acording to GM specs.

One last thing, gas consumption so far has been 18.17 MPG or 47.546 gal used in 864 miles. These have been all highway with exception of 30 to 40 miles in town. This is on the 2wdr. Hope to improve as engine is broke in!!

Roger

ryanbab

is some great stuff but plan on taking a weekend off to wax your truck. I did mine labor day weekend sat,sun.monday 4 coats. Well worth it. Only bad thing i didnt have a car that weekend. Dads truck wasnt running to good and parents had my moms blazer in kansas.

Ryan

Samsdad

Lonestar, i tend to agree with you. I too wondered, what the heck was going on with all that ugly plastic. I geuss us Texas boys, actually use our trucks, as trucks, I know I do, and that ugly plastic cladding would be beat up in about a month. I also wonder about all of the leaking going on around the bed cover. Have many of you had problems with this? I have seen several posts on it, and wonder why GM would put out a vehicle that leaks? What long term effects will water in the cabin have, or am I blowing this out of proportion? Also why did they make the wheel wells square? They make they tires look small, kinda like the Aztec, which is no complement. I think GM makes very good drive trains, but with the abject failure of the Aztec, and now this vehicle, I think they are in trouble in their styling department, and most people buy cars based on looks. I also think this thing won't sell well, it doesn't appeal to real truck owners, and won't appeal to many SUV soccer moms, so what market are they going for?

midlifecrisis

My wife and I may be the kind of people targeted by GM to buy an AV. We have 2 kids and a minivan, with which we pull a rather heavy popup camper. We need to be able to have 6 people in the vehicle at times, so the AV with a bench front seat would fit the bill. We don't use a vehicle to do off-roading, just to haul people and pull the camper. None of the standard 4-door pickup trucks really thrill us too much. The 4-door F-150 is probably the best of the bunch (in our opinion), but everyone has an F-150. I agree that the AV is a little overdone with the cladding, but we are looking for something different, yet functional. I've heard nothing but good things about how the truck handles and drives, and I've sat in one. The cab is huge and comfortable.

Bottom line is that we would like a vehicle that meets our needs but isn't boring and one that every other person has in their driveway. Now if GM could make the AV a little more affordable, I might be going to the dealer for a test drive soon.

timfarn

If the cladding is dent and scratch resistant and will never rust, don't you think it will take the use and abuse at least as well as conventional sheet metal? I plan to use the Av for towing a trailer and a boat, on the farm, bowhunting, hauling two large dogs, carrying building supplies, cutting firewood, and as a family vehicle on trips. It will be off-road weekly.

I agree that the squared wheelwells and the way the cladding meets the flares above the wheels could have been designed differently for aesthetic reasons. I also believe that Chevy has hit a niche that this truck fits. No, they won't sell 100,000 a year, but the Av will be around. It will be nothing like the Aztek debacle.

Midlife - The Av, with the full size seating, four doors, taller bed and other add-ons is more comparable in weight to a loaded Suburban than the Silverado. It actually weighs a couple hundred pounds more than the base Sub, but remember, even the base Av has a lot of features optional on other base models.

pwitz

I just read an article that GM will put 4 wheel steering (QuadraSteer?) as standard equipment on the 2002 GMC C3 pickup. Technology would provide @18 degree steering from rear wheels, and it could be disabled via a dash switch. Article said that GM wanted to do a slow roll-out of this technology, but that in order to pay for itself, it needed to become a volume option, so it would be made available later on the pickups (Silverados), mid-size sport-utes (Tahoes), and the full-size ones (Suburban), and possibly even on the compact ones (Trailblazer - Why?). That way, they hoped to get the option price down to @$500 to $600 a vehicle. I think the AV would be a prime candidate for this ...even though it's 10 inches shorter than my ext. cab Silverado, most parking lots aren't much fun for either of these guys. Anyone heard of future development plans for the AV yet? They'll probably want to hear some consumer war stories and dealer feedback, but usually by the time a vehicle launches, the engineers are looking to schedule in some mods they couldn't get done in time.

tavgrad

Until I saw it live at the dealer.

Now this vehicle (UUV) fits into my market: outdoorsman, using the bed for ATV, and I move and haul crap and people 100% of the time. And yes, I live in LA, too. Not all of us city guys are lemmings and soccor moms.

I saw it in Detroit last year, and hoped and prayed that it would go into production. Then I saw it this January, and hoped and prayed that the plastic cladding bottom portion would not make it into production.

Even if it is scratch or dent resistant, it offsets the actual good look to me. grey bumpers i can handle, not the entire bottom half. I bet it is everything chevy promised, huh, AV owners?

midlifecrisis

GM went for the radical look. If they had not included the body cladding, the truck would likely have looked just like all the other basic pickups on the road. There's nothing wrong with thinking out of the box and having a standout vehicle. As long as people buy the vehicle. From what I've seen - there seems to be a demand so far.

But what do I know - my car is a Grand Am, which is king of the body cladding. And I love it because it distinguishes me from every other sedan on the road.

lspangler

I'm now seeing anywhere from 5 - 10 Avs a day in all diffeent colors and trim levels.

Are there 2 colors of trim or one? Certain trucks seem to have extremely light grey cladding which looks like it is primer grey and unfinished, others seem to have a darker grey - black which looks slightly better, though the shape is still ackward looking to me.

I guess in my mind, the base model should have grey trim and the uplevel version should have painted trim

joelis

Gee, where did he ever come up with that comment about the Edsel?

Actually, if you take a look at his profile in "what he's been saying", you'll start to understand his reasoning, as he tends to favor a certain import make and likes bash most others.

midlifecrisis

Laughable Joke of a truck? I guess you haven't been reading the automobile magazine and website reviews, as well as the positive comments of those who have already bought the truck.

But everybody is allowed to have their opinion.

Showme1 - did you happen to mention how much you payed for your truck relative to the invoice or MSRP? The model I'm thinking about is very similar to yours.

timfarn

I'm with you Joe, Ryan, Doug. Don't you love it when someone jumps in to give their $.02 and their profile is primarily negative comments? Maybe it's too tough for some to give constructive criticism. Drive it and then comment on the truck. If you don't like the looks, crawl back into your Honda.

Linc - I've only seen one color cladding - none painted. Is it the difference against body color that appears different? Or, maybe two vendors of the cladding with a color variation?

txyank1

the cladding is body-color.

tavgrad

EXACTLY, txyank1! That is what I'm saying. The actual appearance of the vehichle looks cool to me. I just wish the cladding was body color, like the Caddy EXT. I have not seen that many AVs out here in LA. I'm 100% positive that the Caddy version will sell like crack in South Central when it comes out. GMC is supposed to have a version coming out, right?

midlifecrisis, I agree that GM is making an effort with the radical designs. They need to, in order to keep that edge. Some are hits and some are misses (AZTEK). I bashed GM/Ford/Chrysler for years up until they put fire up the designers butts in the 90's. During the 80's all gm cars/trucks looked alike and ugly. I go to the autoshows every year now, and domestics always have something (either really radical, different or just plain ugly) that keeps me in their areas far longer than in toyota/honda areas.
Tell mr honda before he crawls back in his boring bread and butter to exercise his imagination on more than insults.

lspangler

I don't think GMC will have a version. GM is really trying to give the two truck lines some differences. Hence the Sierra C3. I was at the company that was developing the seals for a short time and one of the things the engineers at GM stressed was that this truck would be Chevy only. They originally wanted the Mid-gate to have a bow-tie molded in and the top of the hard covers was to have a huge raised bow-tie. But then Cadillac decided that luxury cars meant trucks to so those ideas went away. The hard covers looked sweet with the raised bow tie.

For those of you that own the trucks, you'll notice that many of the seals are designed to handle leaks, not necassarily stop them. Drips and weeps happen, it's how you manage them that makes the difference. There are drip cups and gutters all over.

tavgrad

I read somewhere. I don't know, Motor Trend, or something. Maybe Motor Trend was hoping a version would come out. I don't know which direction GMC is heading. "We are professional grade" only means put a new grill on a Chevy and add $5000 to the msrp to me.

Come to think of it, I did not see a GMC version at all at the LA autoshow or Chicago autoshow.
I saw the Caddy EXT at the LA Auto show. I was impressed with the appearance. I was eager, then ran over to chevy. The gray plastic. Yuck.

miles2912

I went to a local dealer here is So. California an they had the lower grey cladding painted white to match the truck. It along with some custom 18" wheels looked outstanding. I wish I had the digital camera so I could snap a few shots. The dealer wanted 6K for the upgrades (ouch). They kept the hard cover and plastic parts around the bed grey and it blended great. I was going to buy a silver AV to match the cladding, but I am starting to rethink my position with the lower painted.

Miles

gmc1500hd

I was there this afternoon to look at the Escalade EXT they had on display for today only. Naturally I went over to the chevy side (Massey Chevy and Cadillac ) to take a look at the avalanches. I saw the white one on display , it looked pretty shape. The sales person said that the paint alone ran about 750.00, and it was like an epoxy type paint for the plastic surface. Also went around to the back lot and saw one painted in blue. The white look better MO. Wonder how one would look in sunset orange?
The EXT was pretty sharpe as well. The front and rear fenders where metal, but the bottom the doors is still plastic but the surface was smooth compare to the avalanche's and painted body color.

showme1

$500 over invoice. See post #9 in "What did you pay" of the owners club. I've been told Chevy is not sending out as many Indigo Blue as other colors. Throw in the bench front seat, Z-66, hard cover, conveinence pkg, assist steps and luggage rack, and it was hard to come by.

Someone mentioned the seals are designed to manage the water. I'd like to know more. I've washed mine once in a brushless, just small water droplets around endgate. No other leaks, no worrys.

As for all that despise the cladding ... I like the contrast between the Blue & Grey. AS for durability, only time will tell. I was not impressed with the PHOTOS at first, but wanted the flexibility offered by the vehicle. Once I drove it and saw it up close, WOW. Decide with a ride!

Roger