Chevrolet Avalanche

entangidaho · June 2001

A previous post mentioned trying to put 2 dirtbikes in the AV with the midgate up. Anyone know if this is possible?

allonon · June 2001

I think that that is true in the case where the rear seats are available ALL the time. However in cases where the rear seat isn't always available, it can be added in. I've seen lots of vehicles that have them.

The biggest problem with waivers isn't getting the waiver. Proper "need" is fairly evident in most cases. The problem is getting people to do it. Stupid litigious society.

ardaniels · June 2001

Dealer showed with a Z71 and was reluctant to muss up this truck too much. Two CR250s seem to fit fine with the tailgate down, midgate up.Handle bars are above the structural member Chevy added so I figure it is a no brainer with midgate down. Our bikes are about 84"s in length with the center of the rear tire resting at about 76". Weight will be on the tailgate but it seems stout enough. Since I do not own the truck we only hoisted one bike up in didn't want to risk getting the AV scuffed. If they accept my offer I will hoist two before I sign the check and confirm by posting.

Nice vehicle maybe a little under powered ( I am used to my BMW) but definitely better handling than the 1500 HD ( Crew) or the Screw by Ford with regard to body lean and jolts from rougher roads. I believe it outweighs the 1500 by 900lbs or so though. Dealer seemed uninformed about engine options for increased horsepower or the 3/4 ton version. No top panels were to be found so units on the lot have only has the toneau cover which is a big loss in my book.

Still a winner though.

ndared1 · June 2001

Folks,
I test drove a black Ave and like it but I'll stick with my 01 Rado with 8.1 engine. The Ave is a dog after 55mph no guts. I liked everything but the lightweight plastic cladding, it will never make life on gravel roads.
happy motoring

timfarn · June 2001

Just filed, not much new - but pleased with the truck overall after a quick look.

Why are so many showing up with the soft cover? Is the $600 going to make the difference in buying the truck? Is there limited availability of the hard cover?

markiii · June 2001

Anybody else hear of a train derailment in Michigan that had trucks on it? Neighbor claims to have seen it on TV. Whose trucks? Any VA's?

Timfarn- I've inspect three in WI... all with hard covers. They are very sturdy. I agree, the $600 would not swing me. One truck even seemed to have the soft cover in the bed. I didn't look at it real close, maybe it was the seat cover accessory for use with full loads.

Still waiting on my loaded (no BE or engine block heater) Light Pewter Z71.

mount1 · June 2001

Hi All,

I'm still waiting - not sure what for - the side cladding still gets to me, as does the mileage, but everything else I've seen, read, tested tells me to buy. I talked to someone at the dealer who had bought his a week before & he loved it. I guess if the cladding was not an issue, I'd be driving one today. Since it is, I'll wait a few more months to see what other first impressions roll in from the press and see if any first year production issues arise. If all goes well - it'll be an X-mas gift to myself.

The wife works for a rental agency so we've been renting a number of the SUV's for day trips and weekend trips to see how a full day's test works out on a number of trucks and SUVs - I'm having the same conclusions as I did at the GM Truck Show (see prior posts around 280-290). I Think I'll see what the Edmund's full road test offers.

As some of you may recall, I live in Southern Cal.
For the poster from San Diego (and any other's within a few hunderd miles) - If you're looking for the hard tops - there are plenty to be found in my area. I'd say about 40-50% have them. Went out to the Temecula Wine & Balloon Festival last weekend (Rented a F-150 for the day - was ok)
and stopped by the local Chevy dealer. They had six Av's - all with hard top storage units. Five were Z66 2WD.

I have only seen pewter metallic, black, white, and red colors at the dealers thus far. If (when) I buy, it will have to be the pewter as the grey cladding clashes the least with this color.

-mount1

Oh, by the way, the dealer in Temecula had an Av in the showroom with a custom tent attached to the back of it - like the Aztec.

darkeye · June 2001

The rain has finally stopped here and I have taken some picture of my Avalanche. Take a look at:

http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/youndd/lst?.dir=/2002+Chevy+Avalanche

bbravenec · June 2001

Does anyone know if/when Chevy plans to offer a diesel engine in the Avalanche? Thanks

markiii · June 2001

Excellent truck!! Yours looks exactly like one of my test drive vehicles. I didn't realize the bag I saw was for the cover storage, the dealer seemed confused. I really like the Indigo, it almost convinced me to negotiate on the dealer's stock unit. I passed waiting for the pewter with a sunroof...never had before/really want. I might have passed on the preverbial "bird in the hand" though. Still very rare in Wisconsin. Happy truckin'! I'm sure heads are turning.
-MarkIII

mpalombo · June 2001

Awesome truck. How do you like the handling and the power. I read (I think on Edmunds) that the 5.3 was a little underpowered in the av since its so heavy. I have the 5.3 in my rado and It's awesome, I am taking an av on a test drive later this month, local dealer has 2 coming in.

Mark

darkeye · June 2001

The handling and power are great. Although I have not really put the metal to the pedal yet due to break in miles (still not over 500 miles). Pick up speed is great.

Yes, heads do turn when I'm on the road. I guess it's just like when the PT's came out. I know of only 2 more on the road around my area.

Note on On Star system: When it becomes available in my area, I will be able to use the On Star system as a cell phone. Cool stuff.

My average gas mileage so far is 16.77mpg.

timfarn · June 2001

I'm glad to hear you're taking it easy on the engine. It kills me to hear these guys who jump into a brand new vehicle, floor it, and say it's got no guts. The best running (and longest lasting) engines I've seen were broke in correctly and only cut loose gradually after a thousand to several thousand miles.

BBrave: The Duramax may be available in the 2500 Av; but don't look for it in the first model year.

mpalombo · June 2001

Or anybody else who knows...

Can the rear seat be split so that one side is up and the other is down?

Mark

pwitz · June 2001

Well, here is where I got in the negotiating experience. Talked dealer order here in upstate NY. Initial offer from them about $2k over invoice. I had spec'ed out a 1500 4wd, Side Steps, Conven. Package w/sunroof, Front Buckets, and Z71. Way too high...GM projects 100,000 units, and all of their trucks lately (Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban) have had dealer incentives/rebates/financing within a year or so of redesign...dealer came back with $800 over invoice....I think it a good deal...but need to see trade-in as decent..was ballparked very low at 19k for my 99 LT Z71...but have some excellent ammo in that their own used lot has a '98 with similar miles that they want $24k for ... curious what others are looking at for numbers....

pwitz · June 2001

Can be split...is approx. 60/40..but the floor under the seats has a lot of support structure (ie. metal) underneath..not sure how the split could be utilized, cause you get all or nothing with the midgate pass thru.

mpalombo · June 2001

Thanks for the response. I didn't even think about the midgate (duh). I was thinking that I could lower 1 seat and have the full bed length, I guess not.

Thanks,
Mark

mpalombo · June 2001

I noticed an av parked at a local dealer yesterday so I stopped on my way into work thius morning. I like the looks, this one wasn't one that I would want though. I couldn't get inside but I looked for an airbag override and I did not see one. Big disadvantage for me since I would need to put my son in the front if the midgate was down. One thing that stood out was the size of the bed when the truck was in standard config. It is wicked small. It looks narrower than my silverado? I'm not sure about this but it definately looked that way. I really like the looks of the av. but as of right now it seems to me that all I would be gaining is a driver side door (I have a 3 door silverado). The back seat of the av. didn't look much bigger than the back of my truck.

Oh well, my dealer is getting one in soon and I'm going to drive it and get a look inside. Maybe that'll change my mind.

Mark

mpalombo · June 2001

I did a comparison of the Avalanche vs. the Ext. cab short bed Silverado for my own information and I thought I would share it with anybody who cares. This info. was taken directly from Chevy's website.

Avalanche----Silverado

Front headroom 40.7----41
Rear headroom 38.6----38.4

Front hiproom 61.4----61.4
Rear hiproom 61.6----61.5

Front shoulderoom 65.2----65.2
Rear shoulderroom 65.1----66.3

Front legroom 41.3----41.3
Rear legroom 39.1----33.7

Cargobox volume
(midgate up) 42.9----56.9

Cargobox length
(midgate up/down) 63/97.6----78.7

Cargobox width 50----60.2

Cargobox width
(between wheels) 50----50

Cargobox height 25----19.5

Ground Clearance
(16" wheels/17" wheels) 8.2/8.6----8.7

-Mark

PS. Sorry about the formatting, it was a wicked pain.

pwitz · June 2001

You're right about the box....it is narrower
than what we are accustomed to in a standard bed Silverado. I believe the AV bed is more comparable to a Silverado FlareSide....there are no wheel well arches in the AV bed, unlike the regular fleetside Silverado. However, the sides of the AV bed are taller...and I think the loading height is also greater for the AV.

holt5 · June 2001

Actually I saw 90 Av's last night. Bill Estes Chevrolet here in Indianapolis has 90 Av's parked behind one of their buildings. The dealer told me that they are here for the Brick Yard 400. They are all identical... Red, dark leather interior, soft cover, no sunroof. I like them. I plan on getting a blue one in July.

ryanbab · June 2001

are you going to the brickyard?

I am still trying to get some tix from my uncle

showme1 · June 2001

Beautiful Av!! Your photos have convinced me I made a great choice with the Indigo Blue to be delived 7/16/01. I ordered a Z-66, bench front seat, with hard cover. Would like to see the assist steps before mine comes in on one.

Again, very nice AV!

holt5 · June 2001

I try to go to the brickyard every year. I usually just scalp tickets or find someone who has them.

Darkeye - That is a sharp Av. I think the blue looks really nice with the gray.

darkeye · June 2001

I used my Windshield wiper sprayers for the first time yesterday on my AV and was surprised to see that the sprayers are integrated into the windshield wipers. It sprays the water above the windshield wipers as they move. Cool stuff.

ryanbab · June 2001

sorry to burst your bubble but the silverados started that back in 99

Ryan

ardaniels · June 2001

Very close to taking home a forest green Z71 version of the Avalanche and have rolled two dirt bikes up to verify eyeball appraisal and they fit fine. May have to offset a little to keep handles from rubbing but that is general rule anyway.

I have yet to find a AV with the hardcover and I am wondering if there is a shortage. The dealer says it is an add-on item but I would be more confident if it was on the AV when the truck was delivered. Anybody out there finding shortage of hardcovers?

One observation regarding Silverado versus AV measurements is that the biggest plus is the advantage of true 4 door versus suicide doors of extended cabs. The extra leg room is a plus for over 6 footers.

showme1 · June 2001

AV comes std with hard cover. Soft cover is a $600 discount to MSRP/$516 discount off invoice. I am not certain if the dealers are ordering with the soft cover vs hard cover, or if G.M. is just sending out a certain mix. I've seen both on AVs while in TX visiting.

markiii · June 2001

The AV's I inspected had the hardcovers. The dealer was showing off the features, but I seemed to know more than he did. We both felt there were supposed to be clips on the side of the box but could only find load tie-downs.

Darkeye- You clued me into the storage bag. Is that all you get? That's a pretty big bag to be shoving around in the bed with other loads.

P.S. Dealer called to let me know they expect mine in this weekend or Monday..first time the slacker called me first!

ardaniels · June 2001

Thanks for the info and yes the sticker does show the deduction of $600 for the soft cover. But I think the utility/security of the hard cover is what I want. The sales guy said it could be ordered as an accessory so I went to the parts counter and the story I got there was that the parts are "up" on the system but they can not order.

The trucks ordered for this dealership as stock all came minus the hardcover. Customer orders for new trucks have priority over parts' orders, so if I were to order a truck rather than take one from inventory I would be able to include the hardcover on the order.

Does this sound crazy? Dealer can't be happy with that.

They did have a accessories brochure in the parts department and lots of cool items... but no hard cover.

joseph35 · June 2001

Specs show 6 max seating capacity. Any real experience with regards to this?

tucsonjwt · June 2001

a few weeks ago. Otherwise, the article was positive on the Avalanche. I wonder if this will mark the end of the cladding craze? I notice that the Toyota RAV 4 removed the cladding on their new models - I liked the looks of the old model better. I think cladding adds more protection and is more practical - less painted surface to maintain, especially for vehicles used off road. On the Avalanche, it does make the truck look like a big Nissan. Each to his or her own.

darkeye · June 2001

My AV came with the Hardcovers. Yes, it comes with a storage bag for the hardcovers which can be strapped to the side of the bed when stored. I hope yours comes in this weekend markiii. Have fun with it.

ryanbab "sorry to burst your bubble but the silverados started that back in 99"
I had a 96 silverados and did not ever see this feature until the AV.

mpalombo · June 2001

Darkeye, Ryan is correct. I have a '00 Silverado and mine is like that too.

allonon · June 2001

My old 89 Suburban had the sprayer on the wiper arm. Although it wasn't aimed forward of the arm, just directly at the window from the arm.

I'm starting to really like the cladding, it's already saved my Driver's door twice from stupidity and some really nasty scratching.

mount1 · June 2001

Orange County or Riverside County, you can find the hard covers. Call first, however, as I have not seen a forest green color up here yet.

Whether you can find the color of your choice, hard tops, etc. seems to be the luck of the initial distribution from Mexico.

Call Joe MacPherson Chevy @ Irvine Auto Center, Tustin Chevrolet @ Tustin Auto Center, or Lake Chevrolet in Lake Elsinor. All three have Av's every time I drive by. Good luck.

-mount1

mordantk · June 2001

well, I just saw my first av in person thanks to holt5's mention of the av's at Estes Chev. in indianapolis. I thought they were absolutely stunning; all 90 of them. I guess they are going to be the official pace truck. my wife and I are definitely going to buy one. they have 8 coming in within the next thirty days. i offered to give the guy a check on the spot for the red one he had on the lot...he couldn't do it. had to wait until after the brickyard 400. damn shame. i think he just lost a nice comission. unfortuneately, all the av's on the lot only had the soft cover. he mentioned that chevrolet was short on the hardcovers and were only sending out a few at a time until production was increased. can anyone verify that?

can't wait for my black z71 to roll in at the end of the month!

timfarn · June 2001

We had a Friday evening ballgame near Galesburg, IL and I needed a piece of office furniture not available locally, so we drove the extra 20 miles. As we rolled by Weaver-Yemm Chevrolet, my wife nonchalantly said, "There's an Avalanche." A quick right had us there. Black Z71, graphite leather, hard cover delete, no convenience package. The soft cover was rolled up and stored in the back seat. 6:30 PM on a Friday and the dealership was closed - no test drive.

Joseph: Seating for 6 is with bench front. It would be comparable to a Suburban front and middle seat for room. The bench is available in cloth only.

mpalombo · June 2001

I saw an av on the road today with 2 dirtbikes in the back. The midgate was down and so was the tailgate. It also looked like he had a fold up ramp between them. It was a pewter Z71, it looked good.

Mark

btate2002 · June 2001

I saw my first Avalanche here in Louisiana. It was a Pewter Z66. I couldn't stop to get a closer look, but I definately will. It looked much better than I thought it would. The Av is definately cool!

darkeye · June 2001

I washed my AV on Sunday and on Monday I could see road dust again. The Indigo Blue sure does show dirt and dust. Almost wished I would of went with another color. No, I will live with it. Maybe some Molded Splash Guards on the front and back tires would help.

Some people at work have told me they have seen TV adds for the Av's. I have not seen any yet.

ryanbab · June 2001

blue is a very nice color clean. Mine stays clean for about 5 min after i wash it.

Suggestion

Check out

http://www.zainobros.com

some great stuff i use it on my 00 silverado and it really makes the blue shine and look wet

Ryan

joelis · June 2001

We took a Z71 for test drive yesterday. Smooth ride, tight steering, no wind noise, fit and finish looked very tight (except for the cheesy soft top that looks like it will last about 2 weeks worth of taking off and on - I'd wait for a hard top cover).

Anyway, what gives? I expected this thing to be put together rather 'loosely', but no such evidence of that. Hmmm.

Now to figure out what paint color actually looks ok that that dreadful grey plastic cladding. Too bad they don't have a Silver paint option. That might actually blend in a little better.

countsmackula1 · June 2001

Why in the world would a person not buy a Silverado instead of the Avalanche, because it's just a more radical , potentially expensive and is more likely to be repaired due to the tack-ons. It is essentially just a Silverado on steroids with a midgate. These things are rather expensive , too. I can't say I hate the looks, but why didn't Chevrolet just make the new Silverado look like this instead of being so conservative ? But minus the midgate, or have it as a bodystyle option. I guarantee that sales would skyrocket. I've also heard some comparisons to the Aztek with regard to styling, but I don't buy it, because at least this is a real truck and knows where it stands. It's at least decent in my book. Time will tell.

fpmike · June 2001

Joe,
After looking at a couple Pewter AVs I am satisfied that color, if not a perfect match for the cladding, is a really subtle difference. That is why, in addition to living on a gravel road which keeps the truck dusty, I am waiting on a Pewter Z71. My dealer says the regional dealer has it and I should get delivery today or tomorrow - Finally!

Tim,
The Hamilton covered bridge was built to temporarly replace a span of the Mississippi River bridge after the Steamship War Eagle lost power and drifted into it in 1881. (14 Panel, railroad capacity, Howe Truss bridge, 169' long, 18' roadbed, 13' Vert. clearance) Later, in the early 1900's, it was moved to a nearby recreation area slough. It was burned in 1969 by vandals and finally demolished in the 90's.

btate2002 · June 2001

I agree with Mike. The one I saw was pewter and the cladding blended very well with it.

invested · June 2001

I have a 96 GMC Sierra and I am thinking of getting an AV. I test drove one last week and was extremely impressed with the ride. I really like the new design, cladding and all. As far as practicality goes you just can't beat it. I have been waiting for GM to finally get away from the boring body style and they have finally gone for an aggressive look. I think I will wait for a white one since I have black now and it is too dark for the summer heat.

allonon · June 2001

The wife wanted white because she liked the way the white and grey contrasted. Our second choice was light pewter because they were a close match.

So far, the white is doing real nice. Plus it hides the dirt well

miles2912 · June 2001

Not being too mechanical, I was hoping that someone could explain the different Axle ratios. I have decided on a blue AV 2wd - Z66. I was at the dealers yesterday and noticed that the axle ratios are different. You can choose between a 3.73 and a 4.10. I don't believe there is a cost difference. Any help on what they mean would be appreciated on deciding which one to get.

Miles

ryanbab · June 2001

4.10 will mean your mpg will be lower.

Only get the 4.10 if you plan on towing alot.

Chevrolet Avalanche

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