Look out below: the Chevy Avalanche is coming, and it has a way of getting noticed

Canadian Forest Industries, Oct 2001 by Jamieson, Scott

From size to aggressive styling, it stands out in a crowd.

The local dealers hadn't got hold of the 2002 Chevy Avalanche When CFI was doing its week-long test drive of the new SUV/pickup combo. For that reason, as well as the truck's all-out attitude and unique styling, just picking up a few items at the hardware or grocery store became an hour-long affair. Every second passer-by (men and women) wanted to know who made the truck, where I got it, how I liked it, and how much it cost. Most liked it, although some found the heavy-duty Avalanche look just a little too far over the edge.

While the half-metal/half bullet-proof plastic moulding style is a matter of personal preference, the Avalanche's practicality for anyone needing an off-road vehicle is not debatable. Based on a full-sized pickup truck frame and suspension, the Avalanche has all the interior space and amenities of a luxury SUV, including ample space for five adults. Yet out back is a rugged 5 ft, 3 in pickup bed, and up front in the 1500 Series Avalanche is a 285-hp/325 lb-ft Vortec 5300 V8 that offers an 8 100-lb towing capacity (4WD), over 1 300-lb base payload, and all the on- or off-road power required for this business (a 2500 Series will offer the same Vortec 8100 as in the Silverado HD pickup, with 340 hp--the 5300 suited us just fine, however).

Need more dry, clean and secure cargo space? Our test truck had a three-piece hard bed cover for easy access and security and a soft rubber mat floor with a great grip--put something relatively solid or heavy on that robber flooring, and it stays put no matter how you drive. Locking storage bins on both sides of the bed are ideal for tools, clothing, fishing or camping gear, and even ice and beer, since they are insulated and have bottom drains. We took our Avalanche through the high-pressure car wash twice and left it out in several thunderstorms and nary a drop came in the bed or storage boxes.

Need more pickup style lugging space? Flip a few levers, lift out the three bed cover panels, drop the rear seats down (belt buckle slots keep the buckles accessible when you need them later), snap out the rear window, drop down the rear cab wall and you have over 8 feet of bed length for hauling anything from parts to wood, canoes to kayaks. It took me less than five minutes to do all this my first time out, and required no heavy lifting. Heavy duty tie-down hooks front and back, great bed lighting, a roof rack on the cab, bed covers you can jump on, indents for adding lumber dividers, and grooves for ATV tires round out the Avalanche's carrying capacity.

Easy rider

In short, the Avalanche's strong suit is its rugged flexibility. Yet despite its looks and the off-road package on our test vehicle, the Avalanche is not at all tiring to drive around town or on the highway. To be sure it's a nuisance in the average parking lot, but above parking lot speeds it handles well enough, and on the highway is relaxing to drive on both straight stretches and curvy patches. The engine and transmission make a smooth pair, and the Vortec V8 makes merging or passing a breeze. The vehicle tracks well without the need for constant steering adjustments, and inspires confidence at high speeds.

The Avalanche offers 8.8 inches of clearance, 4WD hi and low, and ours had the off-road package including specially tuned springs and shocks, 17-in alum. wheels, P265/70R-17 on-off road tires, locking rear diff., skid plates, high-cap air cleaner, and special floor mats. We took ours into some of the greasiest mud we've seen in a while and had no issues whatsoever, but then none would be expected given the Avalanche's off-road pickup pedigree. Lighting is also excellent up front and to the sides for night off-road driving.

As for maintenance and mechanical access, we let our resident garage mechanics hoist it up and poke around, and they liked what they saw in terms of guarding, suspension, layout, and, above all, accessibility and working room.

The Avalanche also offers the touring range our industry looks for, with a tank topping 117 litres and a range of up to 800 km according to GM. (Government mileage figures are 16.9 and 12.7 1/100 km (17 and 22 mpg) city and highway.)

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The one weak spot with the Avalanche is visibility. Up front it's as good as you'd expect given the height of the driver's seat. However looking back through the tiny window is tough, requiring extra caution driving around anyone under 5 feet tall, and the twin pillars on the side of the pickup bed make for large blind spots.

Pricing is similar to fully loaded, fullsize 4WD pickups with super crew cabs--in other words, it ain't cheap. The Avalanche 4WD lists for $42 205, and comes with almost everything required, including automatic 4WD, tinted glass, electric windows, doors and heated mirrors, cruise, AC, 4W ABS, CD player/6 speaker AM/FM system, power driver's seat, HD trailer package, remote keyless entry, front tow hooks, and more. Our test truck had the Preferred Equipment Package, which added electronic climate control, the OnStar communication system and one-year service, and the Z71 off-road package. Add the special reclining high-back bucket seats with sport leather/cloth trim and power passenger seat ($1 435), elec. sun roof ($1 215), running boards ($650) and roof luggage carrier ($375) and you're over $48 000, transport and dealer prep not included. Other options include bike/ski racks, an office organizer, and specially designed tent package.