Read More Customer Reviews

2011 Chevy Avalanche Philadelphia

Check Out Our New Chevy Avalanche Inventory in PA!!

The 2011 Chevy Avalanche, available in LS, LT, and LTZ trims,  is essentially a modified Chevrolet Suburban; the two vehicles share fully 85 percent of their parts. So like the Suburban, the Avalanche is built on the same superb platform as the Silverado pickup. For 2011 three new exterior colors: Steel Green Metallic, Mocha Steel Metallic and Inferno Orange Metallic replace Laser Blue Metallic and Black Graphite Metallic. Body-colored mirrors now come standard with the LS package. Four-wheel-drive models now come equipped with a standard two-speed transfer case. The 22-inch wheels designed by DUB magazine have been discontinued, and 20-inch chrome-clad wheels are now available. The 2011 Avalanche continues to offer an all-encompassing approach to safety, including head-curtain side-impact air bags and front seat-mounted side-impact air bags. These are in addition to the standard dual-stage frontal, driver and right-front passenger air bags with the Passenger Sensing System. The Tire Pressure Monitor, another standard feature on Avalanche, monitors inflation level in each road tire and alerts the driver if any tire falls below a specified pressure level. 2011 Chevy Avalanche includes power-adjustable pedals, which move up to 3 inches closer to the driver. Avalanche is a perfect blend of flexibility and functionality for people who want to be ready for anything at a moment's notice. That's because Avalanche can keep up with your pace of life by changing from an SUV to a pickup truck in less than a minute. Step inside and you'll enjoy the comfort, look and feel of an upscale SUV. And whenever you need it, you'll also have the capability and power of a full-size pickup.

2011 Avalanche Power and Drive

The Avalanche's standard engine is a 310-horsepower (326 hp with E85 fuel), 5.3-liter V-8 with an iron block, rated at 335 pounds-feet of torque (350 pounds-feet of torque with E85) with a six-speed automatic transmission. Avalanche may look like fun, but it's built to work hard too. Avalanche packs the right combination of horsepower and torque to handle bigger payloads. The standard Vortec 5.3L V8 engine puts 320 horses to work along with 335 lb.-ft. of torque. That means Avalanche has the power under the hood to take what's inside or behind it where it needs to go. It offers up to 8,100 lbs. of towing capacity to haul big items such as a boat. Avalanche doesn't sacrifice ride quality when it's loaded up either, thanks to its coil-spring suspension. Active Fuel Management technology activates all eight engine cylinders when more power is needed and deactivates four cylinders with seamless precision when you need to conserve fuel. The results help Avalanche offer an EPA estimated 21 MPG highway and a driving range of up to 650 highway miles when running on gas.

Design of the new Chevrolet Avalanche

The Chevy Avalanche is a big vehicle, three inches longer than a Suburban. Yet it feels tight and surprisingly nimble on mountain roads. GM's engineers created the Avalanche by lopping off the rear roof structure and quarter windows of a Suburban, and redesigning the back end. When the Avalanche's rear seats are in place, there's a 5-foot 3-inch bed, which is long enough for most tasks. When that's not enough it converts into an 8-foot bed by taking over the rear seats. The Avalanche is neither an SUV nor a pickup - it's both. It has the bold but familiar front-end styling found on Chevy's truck-based products. Setting the Avalanche apart are distinctive sails that connect the cab to the bed and emphasize the smooth roofline and exterior length. The ingenious Midgate gives Avalanche the unique ability to serve as a five- or six-passenger SUV or a full-size pickup. To begin its conversion to a pickup, simply lower the 60/40 split-folding bench seat. From there, the Midgate can be lowered for a completely secured cargo area, or the rear window and three-piece cargo cover can be removed for more room to transport larger items. The rear window can even be stowed in the Midgate. The edgy front styling of last year's Chevy Avalanche gave it a unique look among Chevrolet's full-size light trucks. It is distinguished from the Silverado by its more exaggerated fender flairs, and by its extensive body cladding.

Inside the '11 Chevy Avalanche

The interior of the 2011 Avalanche is spacious, with room for five and a generous storage in the center console. The front seats are comfy and supportive. The interior's centerpiece is the fold-down rear seat and the removable midgate. The rear glass can be removed separately from the main midgate for an open-air effect. Most of the interior features of a well-trimmed Suburban are found in the Avalanche. That means a comfortable cabin for passengers and good ergonomic design for the driver. The seats in the Avalanche are identical to the first two rows in the Suburban. The 2011 Chevy Avalanche comes with a coffee warmer, and the ultimate in sun visors. Map lights are available; in fact, Chevrolet has provided generous illumination throughout the cabin. Flush-mounted cargo lights in the bed rate very high on our coolness scale and can make a big difference when loading cargo at night. Of course, the most interesting feature on The 2011 Chevy Avalanche is the Midgate, which allows the Avalanche to convert from a five- or six-seat SUV with a 5-foot, 3-inch cargo box, to a two- or three-passenger pickup truck with an 8-foot, 1-inch box. The rear window of the cab can be quickly removed and stored out of harm's way. The bed cover comes off in three pieces and slides into a nice fabric bag; these pieces attach to the side of the bed to minimize the space they take up. Now you have a fully functional pickup with an open eight-foot bed. You can park an ATV in back, with the front tires and fenders where the rear seat was moments before.

Conclusions

When it debuted for 2002, the Avalanche upset the trend of making pickups more SUV-like. Chevy simply made its popular Suburban into a pickup; it gave the Avalanche more versatility but didn't lose any of the SUV's inherent creature comforts. The Avalanche features a midgate that expands the cargo area into the passenger cab. By removing the midgate and folding down the second-row seat, the cargo floor extends from 5 feet, 3 inches to more than 8 feet. The cargo bed also features lockable, side-mounted storage. A locking tailgate and cargo cover increase the secured-storage options even more. The Avalanche is available in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels and in two- and four-wheel drive. For the latest updates on this vehicle, visit the official Chevrolet Avalanche website!