2009 Chevy Avalanche Philadelphia

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2009 Chevy Avalanche Design

The Chevy Avalanche is a truck, and it's a big truck. In fact, the Avalanche is just an inch shorter than a Chevy Suburban. The Avalanche rides on the GMT900 platform, sharing its basic structure with the Chevy Tahoe, Suburban and Silverado, the GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade.

The side aspect is gracefully sculpted without the body cladding of early Avalanche models. Gaps between body panels are tight. Full-round door handles accommodate gloved hands. Squarish wheel wells look under-filled, even with the optional 20-inch wheels. Essential as the signature feature of the Avalanche are the angular flying buttresses connecting the roofline to the prominent plastic bed cover; and the only design cue that clashes with the sleek look of the current model.

From the front doors forward the Avalanche shares sheetmetal with the Tahoe, with only slight differences such as grille material and colors to distinguish it. A high-relief lower fascia houses tow hooks and tries to look like the leading edge of a skid plate. Order the Z71 package and you get a real skid plate.

Handling of the 2009 Chevy Avalanche

The new six-speed automatic transmission helps get the Avalanche going easier and keep the engine at the necessary speed better, but taller axle ratios offset acceleration and it still doesn't respond as quickly for more power as do many imported vehicle automatics. The transmission has a tow/haul mode for towing more than 2500-3000 pounds, and a manual gear selection toggle that is not active until you move the shift lever to M.

The engines deliver adequate acceleration, very linear after initial launch which comes on quite quickly for even light-footed pedal application. Even the optional 366-hp 6.0-liter might sound like a lot but don't forget it has a lot of weight to haul around (a 4WD Avalanche 5.3 has about the same number of pounds per horsepower to haul around as some four-cylinder sedans) so don't expect it to be fast.

Most of the Avalanche's visible bed structure is not steel and the hard surfaces resist dents and dings; rust isn't likely to be an issue as it is in most pickups. Maximum payloads are in the 1320- to 1350-pound range; don't forget this includes passengers.

2009 Chevy Avalanche Lineup

Avalanche LTZ 2WD and 4WD  come standard with leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, driver memory, Bose Centerpoint sound system, 20-inch wheels, and much of the luxury and convenience equipment that's optional on the other models. Also standard on LTZ (and on LT2 with the 6.0-liter V8) is the Autoride premium suspension package with variable shock damping and air-assisted rear load leveling. Power retractable running boards and chrome covers for the 20-inch wheels are exclusive LTZ options. The luggage rack crossrails remain optional, along with the navigation (or rear-view camera only), the moonroof, the rear-seat entertainment system, brake controller, and block heater.

LT2 2WD and 4WD models add dual-zone automatic climate control, in-dash 6-disc changer, power front seats, and universal gate opener. Options for LT2 include the Autoride suspension, Z71 off-road package  with heavy-duty springs and shocks, tow hooks, wheel flares, P265/65R18 on/off-road tires, skid plates, tubular assist steps, a high-capacity air cleaner, and unique exterior trim), 6.0-liter V8, and a Luxury package  that includes leather, heated front seats, Bose audio, power folding exterior and auto-dimming inside mirrors.

Avalanche LT1 2WD and 4WD feature an upgraded interior with cloth bucket seats, OnStar with Directions & Connections navigation service, a center console, and rear-seat audio controls with dual headphone jacks. Halogen fog lamps are standard. A front bench seat is a no-cost option. Other options, in addition to those offered on the LS, include automatic, dual-zone climate control; a DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system with remote and wireless headphones; touch-screen, DVD-based navigation system with voice recognition and rear camera; Bose premium speakers; stereo upgrade; power tilt-and-slide sunroof; universal remote transmitter; and P275/55R20 blackwall tires on polished 20-inch aluminum wheels.

Interior of the 2009 Chevy Avalanche

We found converting the Avalanche from SUV to pickup to be a fairly easy process, once learned, for the type of people who buy full-size pickups. But it does take some time, patience and even a little strength because the panels covering the bed weigh 20 pounds a piece and can be awkward to handle. It's best to leave them at home when not being used. Also, the rear glass panel must be carefully snapped into a holder when removed. Don't let your buddies do this for you. All of this takes a few moments of unhurried activity to perform. It's serious car stuff, sort of like putting up the top on an old convertible, but not as serious as trying to put the soft top back on an old Jeep.

Folding the Midgate but leaving the back window and bed cover in place provides 101 cubic feet of enclosed, mostly secure, contiguous storage space, about the equal of seven-plus car trunks. The bed measures 63.3 inches with the Midgate in place, 98.2 inches with the Midgate folded down. By comparison, an F-150 SuperCrew's short bed is 67.0 inches long. The structure of the bed cover will support a 250-pound man, or a lot of snow. This can be a useful feature. We've walked on the cover and found it quite stable. The cover incorporates two lockable storage bins on each side just forward of the tailgate, but the height of the bed's walls makes them hard to reach by anybody shorter than five-foot-eight. On the other hand, they are water-tight and fitted with drains, making them usable as coolers. This last feature can make the Avalanche the center of activity at a tailgate party, unless the other guys bring a Dodge Ram Box. If they do that, you'll have to focus on showing off the Midgate.

Outward visibility is about what's expected from a full-size pickup. On the Avalanche, the hood drops away fairly steeply from the base of the windshield. The flying buttresses hamper quick lane checks, although the large outside mirrors compensate somewhat. When deployed, the roof-mounted, rear seat video screen for the optional entertainment system effectively fills the middle portion of the inside rearview mirror.

Conclusion

As a multi-purpose tool the Avalanche has compromises because no vehicle does everything well: It is too long for serious off-road duty, the bed is too marginal for severe pickup use (are you going to let that bobcat or forklift driver unload it?), too luxurious for work truck use, too heavy and thirsty for a second car, and tows well. However, it offers a blend of those activities that nothing else does, and if you've got only one garage space to work with, it's hard to beat.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com