Chevrolet Avalanche

douggy

Went to see an Avalanche in person for the first time yesterday. Called around until I found one at Diamond Chevrolet in Charlotte, NC. It was a red Z66 w/ sport leather and hard cover on the bed. I have been following the Av for a least 8 mos. And was still very impressed by this vehicle. I have only ever-owned S-10's and have not ridden in a Suburban. This UUV is very big and roomy. However, there is very noticeable difference in wheelbase compared to an extended cab 'rado. There is plenty of room in the front and rear. I am only 5'10", but with the front seat in the rearmost position, my knees did not touch the back of the seat. The salesman left me alone for a little bit while I investigated. Without knowing how, the rear glass and midgate were easy to operate. The rear glass has a stop, that is to be pushed up, that keeps it from falling out, before or after, the locking tabs are engaged. This is a very nice safety feature. All three rear-seating positions are surprisingly comfortable. They also have adjustable, but not removable, headrest. However, I did notice a space problem with the rear seats. When the front seats are in the rearmost position, the rear seat back cannot be folded down because the headrest hit the seat bottom. Therefore, the midgate cannot be lowered. The front seat can only be at about 75% of the way back and still put the midgate down. Also, the seat buckle for the passenger side rear seat is not placed well. The wide part of the male end interferes with the seat while trying to buckle-up. This puts the lap belt in an awkward position and may affect a child safety seat, not sure. The bed area is wonderful. The very deep side compartments will come in very handy. The tailgate seemed heavy. How does it compare to a step side 'rado? Did not get a chance to remove the bed cover only unlocked and opened the rear section. I didn't see a way to open the front section while leaving the other two alone. The bumper steps and bed handles work perfect. I really like the gages cluster. It seems to flow well. The steering wheel seems to be to the right of center of the driver's seat. Has anyone else noticed this? I was surprised to see a great deal of space in the engine compartment, not used to that. I didn't get to drive it. The window sticker was removed and a guy was negotiating to buy. I will not buy one until after I drive it. The sales manager was willing to sale me an incoming Z71 loaded minus the cost of the Z71 package ($836), if I would buy it right then. No way. It's good to hear everyone who has one likes it. I can't wait.

Douggy

donjbaker

Went to dealer to order 2002 2500HD ext SB to be used for snow plowing, but the wife fell in love w/ the AV and I was informed that I could order the snow plow prep package (not sure if the front plastic bumper have to be cut to install).

While the shorter AV would make it easier to fit in the garage and easier to manuever in small lots during plowing, I'm sure if the AV "truck" will hold up as good. I've been using a 92 K5 Blazer (purchased for that purpose) and it's getting worn and thought the 2500HD would be a better fit for plowing. Liked the ideal of having an SUV & PU combined into one, but will AV be too much like the blazer - worn out from plowing and the interior beat up from playing weekend remolding.

May not make any difference, since I can not use the full bed and have my son (5 yrs) in the truck. Any news if Chevy is going to add this much need switch?

Would love to hear other peoples .02.

eric2001

Any chance of keeping the K5 running & using that as a plow only vehicle? I don't think the Av would hold up as well as the HD, but plowing does a real number on any vehicle. Also, the K5 is an excellent plow vehicle due to the small wheel base & tight turning radius. You might not like the Av or the HD for that.

Besides, if you keep the K5 as the plow vehicle, you won't have to buy another mount or a new plow, and could have the Av as the "SUV/P-U" that isn't worn out from plowing.

Just my $.02, probably not worth a penny, but...
-Eric

donjbaker

Would love to keep the K5, but I'm afraid that it will need a lot of work - engines getting tired (low oil presure, leaks and burns oil), original trans and need to replace many of the original front end parts.Also, the plow also needs many parts - alot of slop.. The K5 has been a great plow/family vehicle, but can't afford to repair plow vehicle and purchase new family vehicle. Thought the AV might give me some of the benefits similiar to the K5, but allow me to have a bed for hauling weekend projects from Home Depot.

eric2001

Yes, Av would be great, see about the 2500 Av, that should take alot of abuse. Don't know when they will be out, though. Good luck.
-Eric

timfarn

You've been skeptical of the Av - do you think the General has done this one right?

Count - I think Av styling on the Silverado would have cost GM a lot of potential buyers. I can't see farm, ranch or construction buyers going for the more aggressive styling on a work truck. Maybe that is the "gimmick" for the Av - the niche it will fill in between a pickup and SUV - another joelis hmmmmm...

Don - the 2500 Av, when released, would be the plow version. Rear leafs, heavier suspension, etc. I saw mention of a plow package somewhere, I'll try to look it up.

Douggy - The steering right of center is a characteristic of the new 'rado/Sierra, Sub/Tahoe/Yukon. I think the consensus is that it gives a more comfortable driving position. It wasn't noticed by most owners until mentioned.

timfarn

Nice truck, we just cannot get used to the suicide doors and waiting for the rears to close before closing the front doors. The kids rush for the center postion because of legroom.

We're still waiting for an Av test drive; the dealer hasn't received their stock unit yet. I want to see the manager's face when I pull up in the big red F150 and he thinks he missed a sale! I won't tell him it was bought to trade for a new truck.

allonon

Has anyone else noticed a lack of Door alert, especially in motion? I noticed more cabin noise while driving the other day and then noticed my door hadn't been shut all the way. But there was NO notification from the vehicle. Not even the cabin lights were on.

With all they did right on this thing, I can't believe they missed something as little as that.

joelis

"You've been skeptical of the Av - do you think the General has done this one right?"

I have been skeptical for good reason. They didn't get my 99 Silverado quite "right" as you say, so the first year of this one especially is going to need a close monitoring before I release my final decision. So far so good, but that's what I said about my Silverado in the first week too.

By the way, are you referring to me as a troll or something? I hope not, considering I've lived the ownership experience thru the evolution of GM and Ford trucks for many years.

Sell the Vette? Never. That would defeat the purpose of my future plans to own one of each version (C1 thru C6). This C5 is with me for life.

The Expedition lease is coming up, and the wife apparently loves the Ave right now. Good thing I've got about 9 months to let them work out the kinks first. I'm still not sold on it, but the wife is trying to pull me in that direction.

timfarn

Come on, Joe, don't read too much into a one line reference (troll?). I'm just jealous you got into an Av before me. Gotta go, the dealer just called with two Avs fresh off a transport.

timfarn

...the looks you get when driving a Victory Red Avalanche. We took out the dealership owner's new demo before he did. In fact, only 5 test miles on the odometer. Drove like a dream; the Suburban ride is nice. Everything was tight and quiet. The midgate operated as it should. This unit had the hard cover which is the only way to go IMO. The ride is noticeably smoother and has less bounce than the F150. The wife complimented the ride, handling and feel of the Av. It doesn't feel as though you are driving as big a vehicle as what it really is.

The styling is a bit over the top, a darker color would tone it down - or, as mentioned earlier by Mike, the Pewter to more closely match the cladding. If you live to be seen, however, the Av in Red or Summit White will get you noticed.

Am I getting one? My wife says only if we order one that has the medium neutral interior (yes).

ardaniels

the contrast of the grey cladding on Forest Green is a good look. The Pewter is a pretty good match but after a few years in the Sun the balance may shift a little... either way until more of them show up on the road.. heads turn.

Kudos to Quality Chevrolet in Escondido for a decent deal. I doubt the invoice numbers are very accurate at this point but 2% over is a decent start on a Z71 with everything except power sunroof.Throw in recent grad rebate and full tank of gas, we are enjoying the new truck glow. Glad to have the 4.10 for lower ratio for getting the trailer pull started. I thought the final drive ratio is always the same so gas mileage hit is for city driving with highway mileage being pretty much the same.

In comparing the ride with a Screw 150, the AV seems to handle flatter and more responsively. AV is quieter but has less headroom. The wife who served her term driving a E150 Van Conversion for more than a few years praises the maneuverability and the protection the cladding provides in the parking lots.

Planning a 1000 mi trip over the 4th, and will post mileage. Very enthusiastic at this point as the AV seems very solid with few shortcomings and time will tell.

mordantk

i feel much better about purchasing a new av in july, especially with all the positive responses. though i have not been able to test drive yet, i am truly looking foward to it. so far as i can tell, only one dealer in indy has them on the lot, but more than a few have them on order. my wife thinks it is our dream vehicle (she wanted a new suv, i wanted a new c3 sierra). so this will be a friendly compromise; as long as i can get a hard cover.

mordantk

mpalombo

Does anybody know if the av comes with the same receiver as the Silverado?

Mark

timfarn

Mark: The towing is standard on the Av, same setup as the 'rado. Adapters and harness were in the glove box of our demo unit.

Alan: Does your Av have the sunroof? Headroom suffers with the roof, but is still adequate. Our F150 has more than enough headroom - to the point where it felt too close in the Av. After driving for a while, I think you'd get used to it.

I don't know that the final drive ratio is the same on the 3.73 vs. the 4.10. Same tranny, same ratios, different rear gear. Highway mileage would be a little lower and more noticeable than the difference in the city.

timfarn

Rear windows go all the way down, like the Sub. The ignition key operates the doors, tailgate and storage units. Demo was a Z71 - I hadn't mentioned - and the ride was excellent as noted. I have not driven an '01 Sub or Tahoe for comparison.

There was a large scratch on the passenger exterior mirror - someone had a hard time squeezing the truck into the transport.

Biggest disappointment - front seats needing to be moved forward to operate the midgate. If the headrest tilted it would help the operation go more smoothly.

Does anyone know if the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon first time alignment issue with the knockouts been resolved? I remember new owners getting warranty alignments because of the cost.

darkeye

I would like to know that too timfarn. I had a heck of a time with my 96 Silverado every time I went to Sears for alignment. I had the knockouts down at the dealership. Sears would try to tell me every time I went for a alignment that they could not do the alignment until the knockouts were done and they would be happy to do it for $75. I would then have to tell them that they are already done. It got to where I would just tell them up front about the knockouts and not to try to scam me.

I hope the my AV does not require this.

Anyone know of a place where to buy the AV accessories other than the dealership? I went yesterday to the dealership to inquire about accessories and the guys looked back at me with blank faces. They did not even have the accessories pamphlet. The customers are more knowlagable about the AV's than the dealerships are.

sgrasso

I got a chance to test drive the AV yesterday and really liked the way it handled. The only thing that bothered me was what seemed like a lack of drainage in the bed area. I asked the salesman about putting wet dive gear in the back and if it would leak into the cab. He gave me a blank stare... I then I found this on Chevy's web site;

Water Management System
The Avalanche's cargo area is designed to be weather resistant and move water away from the cargo. The Cargo box is designed to manage water when the cargo covers are either in place or removed. Due to the Avalanche's innovative and flexible nature, the cargo area is not completely waterproof. The water drainage area is a two-inch wide border around both sides of the cargo box and across the back by the tailgate. This area is used to direct water out of the cargo box and, therefore, water may be present in the following areas:

* Two-inch wide drainage area around the back three sides of the cargo box
* Cargo box side walls
* Under the cargo mat
* Drain valves
* Tailgate
* Catch cups and gutters

So what does this mean? Will your stuff get wet when it rains? Indeed I did find water under the rubber mat of the AV in the dealer showroom.

pwitz

This is a really good question....
My Silverado with the GM zip-lock style factory bedcove stays dry...even running it through a high pressure car wash....
any AV owner willing to put a couple of cardboard boxes under a hardcover and run it through a wash?
Cargo box side walls getting wet on the AV is
a ding in my book....

fpmike

Enquiring minds gotta know . . .

I took my Z71 to the car wash just to test the things on all our minds regarding water in the bed area. My AV has the hard covers, and I used a high-pressure wand for 4 minutes. Spray was directed at all seams of the covers, side boxes, and especially at the glass and Midgate/Front Cover seam.

As advertised, water was able to penetrate the seals and some was diverted by the various front and side cover channels, but I found water in the following areas, in amounts as indicated.

Inside cab: 5-10 drops of water beyond both lower corners of the glass seal
10-20 drops of water beyond both lower corners of the midgate seal (I don't get this one.)

Midgate/Front Cover: The bed side of the Midgate was covered with water droplets and 10-15 OUNCES of water was on the rubber mat in various puddles in the front 12" of mat.

Front Cover/Cover 2: No water was seen on the underside of the cover or on the side panel area

Cover 2/Rear Cover: 20-30 drops of water remained on the underside of both covers at the right and left ends. About an ounce of water was on the mat below these areas.

Tailgate: Drops of water were scattered over the perimeter area of the interior of the tailgate. None on the mat.

Side Storage boxes: The Passenger side box was completely dry. No evidence of water appeared to pass the top seal nor in the bottom area of the box
The Drivers side box had a 1" diameter puddle at the drain area of the bottom of the box below the outside rear corner of the top seal, which showed some sign of water drops beyond the seal.

I am concerned about the high volume of water which penetrated the Front Cover/Midgate area. It appears to be due to a lack of compression of the front cover seal which could only be corrected by adjusting the closed position of the midgate or moving the front cover latch plates, if possible. I am going to contact the dealer to have it looked at. . . . . Well, imagine that, I just got a call from the dealer to see how things were going. I related the water at the front of the bed and he said they just got "a bulletin about water in some areas" and he would look into it.

invested

That is what I have been afraid of - water leaks. The Chevy dealers here in Florida have quite a few AV's on their lots, as much as 23 for one dealer. They don't seem to be selling as fast as they thought they would. I wonder if everyone is just waiting to see about these kinds of problems since GM is not exactly known for their fit-n- finish. I really want one but I am afraid of ending up with endless problems. A relative of mine has a 2001 Tahoe with a rear water leak that the dealer cannot seem to fix. They have one more attempt to fix it before it goes to Lemon Law. I left a deposit on an AV due in next week but I think I might get it back and wait a while longer.

timfarn

Anyone willing to try their luck in a spray (brushless) automatic wash? This may more closely simulate driving in rain rather than blasting at the seals.

btate2002

think that in normal conditions the water leaks are going to be a problem unless you consistantly hold pressure hose on the thing. Just driving in the rain you'll probably get a few drops but I doubt it will be anything major to not buy the vehicle over! The Av is definately cool - I stopped and looked at the Pewter one I saw!e

fpmike

Before anyone reads too much into it, I TRIED to get my Av bed area to leak (Post #420) by performing a severe test. I expect that driving in rain is not likely to produce any major leaks. As Tim suggested, I look forward to feedback from anyone with an auto carwash, or experience in the rain.

The best information I have gotten about the Avalanche is from this discussion group; it works.

falcon229

Hey all! I am an owner of a black Z71 Avalanche since the 4th of June. As you can imagine with black, I have washed it by high pressure wand four times since I have owned it. And I have not had any leakage into the cab anywhere. Granted, I had the hard cover on every time so That would kinda take the Mid gate seals out of equation. I have directed the high pressure spray at the back window each time while washing without any leaks. I have no doubt that if you were to hold the high pressure water at the bottom seal of the window you would eventually get some leakage much like any cars bottom seals of the side windows where the water would just leak "into" the door and not inside. I have driven it several times in heavy rain so far and I have never had leakage into the cab(I check it frequently). Another thing that puts my mind at ease about leakage into the cab is the way the back window sets back under the roof line quite a bit(6" maybe). This pretty much takes falling rain out of play. Running water across the back panel would be the only way I would see water could get in and with my experience it has not been an issue. The seals on my AV have proven to be sufficient enough. I do notice some water getting into the bed area but it is very minimal and would not keep me from storing anything that needed to stay dry in it. By the way... ride and handling is great. Very pleased. I would be happy to answer any questions. sorry so winded.

candlbuff

Hi guys!

Have read ALL of the postings to this site before offering any comments. I'm impressed with the level of conversation, and general lack of brand bashing and one upsmanship!

I had thought that my upcoming end of the year SUB buying experience was a done deal. I had test driven the new Trailblazer in May, and had been convinced that I was going to go with one. However, after driving the AV, the decision has become much more difficult. Even though both vehicles serve very different needs, considering how I would equip them, for me, they fall into the same general price level.

The AV surprised me with its handling ability and quiet smooth ride! Originally I had not been a cladding fan, but it seems to add a touch of added testosterone to this beast.

Very glad to hear about the most recent water test results on the mid gate via the car wash testing. I like to camp with the family, and the salesman mentioned a tent for the AV. One of the prior post mentioned seeing one on an AV in California(?). Does anyone know anything about a tent?

ardaniels

Week number two with a forest green Z71 and still impressed with the overall smoothness of the AV. Haven't seen the tent accessory except in the Avalanche brochure.

One gotcha with setting up the AV to tow a 20' Wilderness trailer was the height of the tailgate. Using an equalizing' hitch, the tailgate just brushes up against the trailer jack crank housing. The RV service people who did the installation ordered a longer extension ( current one is 12") with an extra 4" and that should provide enough clearance.

No towing for the first 1000 miles, but if this short run ( 4 miles round trip)is any indication, the AV should be a great tow vehicle for this light ( 3000#) trailer.

It took a 1/2 an hour to get out of the parking lot as AV attracted it's share of attention. As Chevy's first short bed quad truck, people who prefer GM finally have a choice versus the Ford Screw or longer wheelbase GM products.

showme1

Alan, do you by chance know how much drop for the ball mount your RV dealer provided? I will be pulling a boat with mine (after break in), and I think I'll need a drop mount but I don't have a clue how much drop is required.

I am also amazed at the amount of info shared here! I really enjoy reading what everyone has to contribute.

kooiker

Does anyone know GM's schedule for rolling out the Av? I am in Seattle and have yet to see one at a dealer or otherwise. I did see one in a parking lot in California over the weekend and got the itch to check one out. I know they started shipping them to TX, CA and maybe other states, but is there a general availability schedule? I asked one local dealer and he had no clue.....

kooiker

Has anyone seen a Northface edition Av? I am wondering if there are any other differences besides color, gauges and some free duffel bags! Are the interior seats any different?

invested

The interior seats are a different color. They are charcoal and sage green w/ red trim, but not a different style. You also get Northface logo floor mats and the Northface badging on the truck. We have quite a few AV's here in Florida. I think fall is their big media blitz. You should probably start to see them trickle in over the summer. I know they intended to ship them to their largest truck markets first as a kind of soft launch in CA, FL & TX.

kooiker

Thanks for the info. I see that the MSRP for the Northface package is $3500. Seems pretty steep for colored seats and badging. Thought there might be some functional differences like Ford and their "Eddie Bauer" line or even Subaru and their "LL Bean" wagons. I'll stick to looking at/for a Z71 if they ever get here!!

wesyang

I am also in Seattle area and waiting for test drive Av. I got an e-mail last time from Issaquah Chevrolet that they are expecting one or two Av around middle of July. I also saw a TV ad from Northband Chevy, they are going to do $49 above invoice price deal for every Chevy car and truck, including Av. I suspect the invoice price has already hidden 2%-3% Chevy advertisement fee.

Lately, I check the price from cardirect.com for F150 Screw at Seattle area. It's now at least $1500 below invoice price. Very attempting! I guess the bad score of crash test on F150 really hit hard on F150 Screw. Anyone has idea how Av will do on such crash test at speed 40MPH head-to-head. I know 'redo doesn't do too well either from the report.

btate2002

It doesn't do half bad. It got an Average I believe and all passengers would have survived, as for the F150 HAHA. But anyway, I think the Avalache should be the same if not better, they are basically built off the same platform, the front end just looks a little different!

timfarn

Kevin: Rollout focuses on TX, FL, CA; however, all dealers nationwide are to get at least one allocation in the first 90 days. I've seen three at dealers within a 40 mile radius. If you plunk down some cash at a decent sized truck dealer, you should get some attention.

Roger: I plan on measuring the hitch height on a Z71 to compare to my F150 4WD - which has a 3 1/4" drop on the drawbar. Dealer just called as I'm typing to swap me trucks for trade-in numbers.

timfarn

17" to the bottom of the receiver, exactly the same as my F150. Z71 would require a 2 or 3" drop.

mordantk

Wow. I just picked up a new black Z71 loaded (only w/o running boards...they are being installed later this month) at 4pm today. A dealer of whom I recently met called me this afternoon and said he had one literally being delivered as we spoke; and asked if I was interested. The previous day I had test driven a red Z71(the dealer drove it to my home...outstanding service), but it had approx. 500 miles on it did not have some of the options that I wanted. After his call today, and the great price, it did not even hit the lot!!! smooth transaction...I think I might have heard a couple of necks snap as they turned to watch me drive by on the southside. Since I have only owned it for around 4.5 hours, I cannot report anything other than there is some water leakage around the hardcover seals; not much though from when they washed it at the dealership. Either way, I will be getting more of a permanent bed liner installed. Regardless, it is a most impressive ride. It is official; the Avalanche has it Indianapolis!

holt5

Driving home from work last night, I saw a black Z71 on the lot of a used car dealership. I'm guessing it's not the same one that Kris bought. This one was on the North side in Fishers, IN. It had the hard covers, sunroof, everything. I'm not sure how a used car dealership got an Avalanche, but it only had 10 miles on it. The salesman told me he wanted $42,000 for it. I thought he was crazy.

Kris - Just curious where you bought your Avalanche in Indy and what kind of a deal you got.

douggy

I looked at a Z71 in Charlotte, NC that had a $5000 "Market Adjustment" to raise the price to $42,000. I told the dealer it would surprise me if it sold for that. Others dealers, in the area, are happy to get MSRP. Has anyone else seen this?

miles2912

I priced the Avalance on the inetnet, and a local dealer wants $500 over invoice (just uner 30k for a z66 w/ full leather). He was ready to do the deal. I think car sales in general are down. A new un-proved UUV is a tough sale. Don't let a dealer tell you otherwies.

Miles

mordantk

Evening.

I was lucky through an ad in last Sunday's paper. The dealership I used was from Martinsville Indiana. He drove up from there to show me the red Z71 (which sold I believe at auction yesterday), and I drove down to Martinsville to view and purchase my black Z71. If holt5 would like the name and #'s of the delearship and my contact down there, please email me. As far as price is concerned, everything that I have looked at on the Northside of Indy (96th and Mich), online, and down south; has ranged from 36-38.3k. I received a remarkable deal on a trade-in, and then a little more. It was a price I could not pass up for a loaded Av.

timfarn

U-Haul dealer and fellow boater states that the guideline is 20" from the ground to the top of the ball.

pwitz

Up here in Rochester, NY, dealer wanted 2k over sticker for a factory order AV. After pointing out to him that all of GMs redesigned or new trucks in the past two years have had at least some sort of financing/cash back/incentive within a year or so of introduction, dealer came down to $800 above invoice. Look at all the expired AV auctions on Ebay...none of them met reserve price, which was probably sticker plus...GM wants to make 100,000 of these per model year, so I'd wait it out if the dealers are gouging. All the reviews I've seen in mags (Car and Driver, etc.) say that it is a good vehicle, but makes more sense at its base price....so GM may be receptive to adding content/features to shore up the pricing...or add some incentives come winter...I'm real curious on the Escalade EXT pricing....not sure how they can make up the difference in performance and value between even a loaded 2500 AV and an EXT....

megasuvowner

I saw my first Avalanche last weekend, and boy is that thing huge. I thought it would be a suburban with the back windows chopped off, it looks much bigger. Im not sure if its the cladding or what, it is just a huge truck.

lspangler

Textron Automotive is next door to my office and there is a red Z-71 on display there that is un-locked and full of brocures. I was real surprised at how easy the midgate is to operate. The seals are designed to manage leaks, not necassarily stop them. This unit had hard covers. I love the idea, even most of the looks, I just can't take the flat wheel arch and the gray cladding. Maybe next year they will offer a version with painted cladding. THe Jeep Grand Cherokees have unpainted plastic on the base models and body colored plastic on the premium version. Hopefully Chevy adopts the same idea.

joelis

"I looked at a Z71 in Charlotte, NC that had a $5000 "Market Adjustment" to raise the price to $42,000. I told the dealer it would surprise me if it sold for that. Others dealers, in the area, are happy to get MSRP. Has anyone else seen this?"

You just have to laugh at these moronic dealers who are trying to make a quick profit. My local dealer only put a $1000 "Market Adjustment" on their single unit, but even that was too much for anyone to even think about. Well, it only lasted about 1 week, until they took the M/A sticker off. The AV then sold about a week later, but they wouldn't tell me how far below MSRP they had to go though...

invested

I went to a dealer today in a heavy rain to water test the AV's after a lengthy downpour. I then opened about 5 different tailgates on the AV's and saw very minimal water penetration at all. Only one was totally dry and the rest had various water droppings. Not enough water to concern me about damaging cargo. I had expected worse since these trucks have been on the lot for days and we have been having rain everyday lately. Definitely put my mind at ease.

I also got to finally see an AV with the assist steps and luggage carrier installed. IMO assist steps are a must for shorter passengers. Very smooth integration with cladding. Appeared to be VERY easy to install yourself as they attach to pre-existing holes. The luggage carrier seemed to give the truck a more complete look with the ribs on the roof. I will make sure my AV has both.

However one thing that caught my eye while browsing was that the standard deep solar tint on the second row windows was NOT on all of the trucks. I came home and researched it and yes, it is supposed to be standard equipment. When I looked at the window sticker it made no mention of the tinting at all on either the trucks that had it or not. I just find this to be weird. Is it an over-sight or factory error, don't know. I do know that the factory tint is a must for me. I appreciate the fact that it is hassle free, since regular tint discolors and bubbles, especially here in FL.

sgrasso

Well, even though I had a concern with water leakage, I went ahead a got a pewter AV today. Lots of head turns on the way home... I'll let you know how it works out in the next few weeks.
Invested, where are you in Florida?

narg

I think the crash test for the Suburban and the AV should fair better than the pickup truck, due to stronger body panels. That rating that came out a few weeks ago confused me. The Toyota had an "excellent" where Chevy had "acceptable" (or something like that) Why is that when the Toyota passengers would have, according to test results, recieved higher injuries than the Chevy passengers? Makes me glad I drive a Chevy!

Invested, I've got family in South Texas, their aftermarket window tint never had a problem in 10 years of their Chevy. You might re-check your tint offerings, there is good tint available. Though, since the 1999 models, Chevy is finally making the factory tint usable at night. But I still prefer the aftermarket tint, if only slightly now.

invested

Thanks for the info Nag, I will look into the after-market tint. I am still curious though as to why it is standard equipment on the AV and yet is missing on some trucks. As for the crash test results, go to pickuptruck.com and on their front page there is an article about the Tundra results along with the other trucks tested that you might find helpful. It is under their "Headlines".

Sgrasso - I am in Palm Beach. Are you local? Best of luck with your new AV and definitely keep us posted with any new details at all, good or bad!