Looking at new Avalanche

[99GMCZ71]

How many here own an Avalanche. Do you like it? It looks like they dropped the 3.73 gears in the Avalanche, should I go with 3.42 or 4.10 I do some towing, but not a lot. Thanks

[MetalheadChris]

I had an 03 Z71 I loved it.

[melbertbloosfan]

Have had the '04 in the sig since November. Really like it a lot. Much, much roomier and comfortable that an ext cab. Of course a new CC would be sweet, too.

You know it is a sub with the back lopped off, right? Big truck, much bigger than it looks in photos. My wife hates driving it (she has a Tahoe). The Avy is a full two feet longer than the tahoe.

Excellent, smooth, quiet ride. Not as quick as a hoe or ECSB, seeing that it weighs in at around 5700 lbs. Getting around 16 MPG, mixed, with my 3.73 gears.

Go for the 4.10's. 3.73's and the 5.3 are just enough in my '04. I had the 3.42's in my '02 ECSB and they were fine. Of course that truck wieghed much less than the avalanche. Any towing at all and you should have the 4.10's.

 

Having a waterproof, lockable, 5 ft bed is kinda cool, too. Plus you can put all your crap in the side saddlebags (they lock) and keep it outa the cab.

 

Check out chevyavalanchefanclub.com for more (biased?) opinions. By far the best avalanche site on the net.

 

Any specific questions (other than the gears - go 4.10's !!), feel free to ask.

 

BTW, a member over at the avy site said that 3.73's were back on the build sheet, but must be special ordered from the factory as such. No confirmation, but if you end up ordering a new one anyway, you might look into it.

 

All in all, I am very happy with my choice.

[SlamminL5s]

hey they are actaully wonderful trucks!!! but if you dont already know you can make your experiance even better if you go to this site and check it out

 

Avalanche Club!

 

 

 

P.s (This Is Customary for avalanche fan club members to replace the drl's with ambers and also making it so they are on full time.. its a way to tell who are members and who are not)

 

have fun!!

[Greg]

I had an '02 Av and now have an '04 Sierra Denali. The Av was reliable, but I had the following issues with it:

 

- Very difficult to see when backing up. It really needs some type of backup aid.

 

- Bed contents are hard to get at. You can't reach over the sides (even with covers off) and stuff that rolls to the front of the bed mean flipping the midgate, crawling in the bed, or grabbing a rake. You can get a bed slide, but you lose room under the covers.

 

- Just not enough room in the bed for my needs.

 

If you can live with those limitations, it's a good truck.

[dogzapper]

I had the same issues with the Avalanche.

 

I just couldn't wait to buy one, when they came out in 2002. And I went all out; bought a Victory Red 2500.

 

As we left the dealership, I said to my wife, "This is one blind SOB." It's COOL, but I cannot friggin' SEE."

 

To make a long story short, we drove it for two a year and a half. Finally, after about ten very scary, absolutely blind lane changes and a couple of near-accidents, I sold the Avalanche.

 

Living with the blind rear, high bed walls that you couldn't lift over, the midgate leaks and the bed cover leaks was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat.

 

I loved the Avalanche. It was cool. But I sure as heck would want one again.

 

Today, we drive a 2003 Silverado LT 5.3/3.73 EC/SB with a Fold-A-Cover tonneau. Perfect, flawless truck in every way.

 

Steve

[foghorn23]

Hey I might be a little biased here, but depending on how you're going to use it the 1500 Crew might be a good alternative. 7K miles on mine and I love it more every day. Honestly I didn't look at the Avalanche; the tales of leaking midgate and blindspots were enough to scare me off. I really like the look of the new Avalanche w/o the cladding, but as I said I was and am awfully partial to the 1500 Crew

 

vroten

[USA1Fan]

I guess some might think I got lucky that the dealership worked a better deal on a better equipped 5.3l Silverado 1500 Z71 EC/SB 3.73 instead of the white Av' I was looking at, based on some of the feedback here. I personally agree that the high back made for poor visibility during the test drive- far worse than I currently have with my Silvy. Can't speak for the leak issues with the cover and midgate though.

 

On the other hand, the Av' had at least 4 advantages over the Silvy-

1) Shorter overall length and wheelbase = easier to garage and easier to maneuver in tight spots

2) Better sound deadening in the interior = much quieter overall than my truck

3) Though both were Z71's, the Av' had a much better ride than the pickup (probably would have had to gone non-Z71 in the Silvy to even come close)

4) Full 8' box with the midgate down, vs. maximum 6.5 on my EC / SB (and I WASN'T about to go with the long box on a truck that was already this long ). This is more of a tradeoff than a true advantage, as the lower reachover on my truck and the lack of the bed storage boxes actually means I can reach into the bed from beside the truck.

 

Based on the fact that the Av' does have plenty of loyal owners and followers, I'd guess that the leaking issues aren't universal and that some people don't mind the limited visibility to the rear or have found other ways around it.

[Dustin07]

As we left the dealership, I said to my wife, "This is one blind SOB." It's COOL, but I cannot friggin' SEE."

 

To make a long story short, we drove it for two a year and a half. Finally, after about ten very scary, absolutely blind lane changes and a couple of near-accidents, I sold the Avalanche.

 

how is driving an avalanche that different from driving any truck with a canopy? if you adjust your mirrors to reflect a little further out than normal and use them right your lane changes should be ok.

[MyBigToy]

I love my 02! Best vehicle I've ever owned. It does have a large blind spot, partly because the rear window is so small and partly because the rear of the truck sits up so much higher than the front.

 

I inadvertently found a solution to this issue when I installed 2" lowering springs on the rear only. I wanted the truck to sit level or almost level and that's what I got; the rear sits 1/4" higher than the front when measured from the top of the tire to the wheel well at the middle of the tire. This brought the rear of the truck down considerably and I can now see cars sitting directly behind the truck at traffic lights when I could not previously. It's amazing how much better I can see now.

[dogzapper]

As we left the dealership, I said to my wife, "This is one blind SOB." It's COOL, but I cannot friggin' SEE."

 

To make a long story short, we drove it for two a year and a half. Finally, after about ten very scary, absolutely blind lane changes and a couple of near-accidents, I sold the Avalanche.

 

how is driving an avalanche that different from driving any truck with a canopy? if you adjust your mirrors to reflect a little further out than normal and use them right your lane changes should be ok.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

Dustin,

 

To make matters worse, I eventually bought a Snugtop; a $2,000 fix for my leaking Avalanche. This make the rig TOTALLY BLIND.

 

Please, before criticising, go drive an Avalanche. The rear window is about the size of a 1930s coupe, the bed is the highest in the auto industry, the butt is in the air and the "wing" blanks out your four o'clock. When you are in traffic, following a big rig off a ramp...clearing our rear right and trying your best not to run into anybody, it is a panic situation. You have two seconds to make the right decision and GO, and an Avalanche will leave you with sweaty palms every time you drive it in the city or on the freeway.

 

Hey, you can make any truck blind as a bat by adding a canopy, but the Avalanche comes that way from the factory.

 

My heart still skips a beat when I see one and, as a few of you have already guessed, I am one of the guys who actively posts on the Avalanche Forum (chevyavalanchefanclub.com). I joined it shortly after it was formed and met many very nice folks.

 

Even more revealing; the original poster on this thread, 99GMCZ71, just posted on the Avalanche forum. He asked, "Is there a rear viz problem with the Avalanche?" To the Av Forums credit, they were brutally honest. He was answered "YES, but here are all the things you can do to combat it (rear view cameras, ultra-sound beepers, etc)" Reason begs an answer as to why one would buy a vision-challenged rig, to start with.

 

As for me, I'm totally delighted to be back into a normal, maybe boring to some, Chevy pickup with a Fold-A-Cover tonneau. When I replace my current pickup, it will be with the crew cab 1500 Z-71, which wasn't available in 2003 (they always announce what I really want, a month after I spend 40K).

 

In sum, the Avalance is flashy and COOL. Folks stand around it in a parking lot and, no doubt it is a chick magnet. It is a great driveway pickup for the Zaino crowd, but it is not a viable replacement for a pickup.

 

Been there, done that, scared myself half to death and the Avy left our lives, leaving nary a regret or ripple.

 

Steve

[USA1Fan]

...they always announce what I really want, a month after I spend 40K.. 

Ain't that the truth. The same thing seems to apply to incentives for different model years when the changeover's happening. (If I'd have waited a month or so, I could've had an '05 with a few extra goodies not available on my '04, for probably about the same or even a bit less than I paid in October. )

[Dustin07]

Dustin,

 

To make matters worse, I eventually bought a Snugtop; a $2,000 fix for my leaking Avalanche. This make the rig TOTALLY BLIND.

 

Please, before criticising, go drive an Avalanche. The rear window is about the size of a 1930s coupe, the bed is the highest in the auto industry, the butt is in the air and the "wing" blanks out your four o'clock

 

sorry if i was a bit critical. While a standard cab short box truck, especially a small s10 or ranger will probably have the best possible visibility and also be one of the easisest vehicles to get around it, I've never thought that larger trucks should be compared to anything in ways of visibility, except maybe a semi. The trucks keep getting bigger too. I always figured when we buy big trucks we give up certain luxuries. I doubt the Avalanche is too much different from my silverado with the canopy, as far as visibility goes. However, i live off my mirrors. I spend my day in cramped parking garages surrounded by Mini coops and porches. so far i have had no fender benders of any sort, but i realize that most people do not enjoy driving under such conditions. personally, whenever i even consider getting a car, i fall in love with my truck all over again, regardless of visibility. For me, it's not a problem, so i keep my truck. for others it is a problem, so they adjust. i guess thats just a difference in opinions.

 

those Avalanches are pretty d**n flashy though. saw a sweet one the other day with spin rims. i never really thought much of those spinners before, but this one was pretty cool.

[MyBigToy]

One other thing that has not been mentioned as an advantage for the Avalanche - the turning radius is WAY better than on the trucks.

 

I had an extended cab Sonoma prior to the Avalanche and the Av turns shorter than the Sonoma did. It's really pretty easy to get into parking spaces.

[melbertbloosfan]

One other thing that has not been mentioned as an advantage for the Avalanche - the turning radius is WAY better than on the trucks.

 

I had an extended cab Sonoma prior to the Avalanche and the Av turns shorter than the Sonoma did. It's really pretty easy to get into parking spaces.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

I am one who responded over on the Avy site too. Yes, it is hard to see behind. But, its "behind" is hard to miss, too. I like big butts, I cannot lie.

 

Also, the av's have two molded cupholders in the tailgate!!! Ultimate cool!!!! Cupholders in the figgin tailgate!!! Are you kiddin' me!!!