Base MSRP Range: 1500 - $32,000 to $35,000. 2500 - $34,000 - $37,000.

Base Invoice Range: 1500 - $28,000 to $31,000. 2500 - $29,500 - $32,500.
Price Quote

MSRP As Tested: $39,530.

Versions: 1500 (1/4 ton), 2500 (1/2 ton)

Vehicle Category: Full-Size Crossover (SUV/Pickup Truck mix)

Engine Location: Front Engine

Drive Wheels: Rear-Wheel Drive Rear-Wheel Drive or optional Four-Wheel Drive

Engine As Tested: 1500 - 5.3-liter, Single Overhead Cam, V-8 cylinder, 285-horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 325 lb-ft torque at 4,000 rpm. 2500 - 8.1-liter, Single Overhead Cam, V-8 with 340-horsepower at 4,200 rpm and 455 lb.-ft. torque at 3,200 rpm.

Transmission As Tested: 4-Speed Automatic

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 1500 -14/18. 2500 - unrated.

Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger, front and side airbags, Front-Passenger Sensing Airbag system (when a child is sensed the airbag is turned off), 4-wheel disc brakes, "> Antilock Braking System, Daytime Running Lights, Remote Keyless Entry.

Competition: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Ram Pickup 2500, Ford F-150, Ford F-250, GMC Sierra 1500, GMC Sierra 2500, Toyota Tundra,

There are so many people out there who absolutely can't stand the looks of the Chevrolet Avalanche. They don't even like the fact that it's a pickup truck and a sport utility vehicle that's interchangeable. In a matter of seconds, mind you.

Let those people stand in line for another glass of ginger ale, Mickey Redmond style.

I love the looks. I think it's a comfortable and versatile sport utility vehicle and a great pickup truck that can live up to the Chevrolet "like a rock" reputation. It looks especially great in all black, too.

Let's get to the heart and soul of this truck right away. The Avalanche driven was outfitted with a Vortec 5300 V8 single fuel injected engine. This 5.3-liter engine is powerful as all get out and provides 285 horses to get you through just about any situation, whether you're on city roads, dirt bypasses or any mud and muck you can throw at it. This is the standard engine, by the way.

Also available is a Hulk Hogan-type 8.1-liter engine capable of 340 horsepower and can tow up to 12,000 pounds. This package is also outfitted with a three-section frame with front and rear rails that gives it even more strength and stiffness.

Did I mention that Avalanche seats six people in complete comfort? Try doing that with most SUVs on the market today.

And the pickup bed is more than adequate even in the SUV mode. But convert this truck and you've got a whopping 8-foot-1-inch box that accommodates sheets of plywood.

This new Convert-A-Cab system is really quite unique. It can be used as a 6-passenger sport utility vehicle and then easily converted to a truck or, with the rear window removed, an open-air vehicle. Quite versatile.

Assessing the rear was quite simple. Pull down the rear seat back and that exposes the steps you need to take. A lever here, a pull there, a snap here and a tug there. Done. There's the truck. Pull up the rear of the rear window and place in the midgate and it's gone. Simple, easy as pie and all, thankfully, self-explanatory. I liked that. A lot.  Simplicity is the key to an easier life.

This year, Chevrolet added a host of new safety, comfort, convenience and performance features. Stuff like every seating position having its own restraint system, side air bags, front passenger sensing air bag system.

Now, this feature is cool, and while Chevrolet isn't the first to have it, it's still a really neat feature. This system figures out whether the person sitting next to you is an adult or a kid, just by the weight and tension of the seat belt. If it senses it has a child in front, the air bag turns itself off. It there's an adult in that seat, the air bag is automatically enabled. And all the while you know the status, because in the bottom of the rear view mirror, it will tell you.

 The Avalanche I drove has the Autotrac four-wheel-drive system, and although we had a 6-inch snowstorm, I never had a reason to turn it on. The two-wheel drive mode handled all that snow without a complaint or a slip or a spinning tire. Now that's cool.

Available on the Avalanche are all the neat entertainment systems now coming with just about every car and truck on the road today. Stuff like the DVD player with flip-down screen, radio data system and XM Satellite Radio. Rear seat passengers can control their own audio controls or have separate audio choices from the front seat passengers (read that as mom and dad, who like that funky country stuff -- hey, it's a truck, what do you want?)

 Inside, the entire truck is extremely comfortable and the instrumentation on the driver's side is truly refreshingly simple. There's a driver's information center that monitors nearly 35 vehicle systems and can tell you whether the door is ajar or whether conditions are favorable for "ice" -- and you can read that as "it's c-c-cold out there."

There's also a new exterior color to choose from this year -- yellow. C'mon, Chevy paint folks, next you'll offer chartreuse, right? Yellow. Yuck.

Finally, the Avalanche is also offered in a North Face Edition for those outdoorsy types. It features the North Face logo, white instrument cluster backpacks, storage bags and exterior colors like sage green, sunset orange, onyx, black, pewter and white.

Oh, I did have one complaint about the Avalanche. It was the price: About $40K. Ouch.

 I had a great week in the Avalanche and it served me well in the many conditions I threw at it. Now you go take a look.

Editors' Ratings

Pros: Versatility and comfortable seating for 6. 2 great engines Convert-A-Cab system is really quite unique.

Cons: Exterior is overdesigned. Poor build quality. Cheap plastic interior components. Overpriced.

Ratings (1-10)

• Style: 4
• Performance: 6
• Price: 3
• Handling: 5
• Ride: 6
• Comfort: 3
• Quality: 3
• Overall: 4.3

More Data

Where Built: Silao, Mexico.

Major Options: audio controls on steering wheel, bucket seats, cargo cover, center console, dual climate control, front-side airbags, leather upholstery, Northface Edition, off-road package, power adjustable pedals, rear audio controls with headphone jacks, rear-seat entertainment system, roof rack, running boards, satellite radio, side steps, trailering package for heavy duty towing,

Seating: 6

Number of Rows: 2

Crash Test Ratings:

• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested


• IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested

Length in Inches: 220.8

Warranties: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 6 years/100,000 miles corrosion, 3 years/36,000 miles free Roadside Assistance.

Weight in Pounds: 5,437

Maximum Payload in Pounds: 1500 - up to 2,246. 2500 - up to 1,958.

Towing Capacity in Pounds: 1500 - up to 8,200. 2500 - up to 12,000.

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 31.0

Destination Charge: $815