Avalanche Z71 vs 1500 Crew Cab Z71

[Outahere]

Lets say you are trying to decide between a 2004 Avalanche Z71 (without lower body cladding) and the upcoming 2004 half-ton, short bed Crew Cab Z71. If you don't need to haul a heavy load, or pull a heavy trailer (but do need to haul the occasional sheet of 4x8 plywood), is there any reason (besides appearance) to choose the Crew Cab over the Avalanche?

[gunslinger45]

Well, I'm an Avalanche owner, so I may be a little biased. However, when I bought my rig last June, I too was trying to choose between the Silverado and the Avalanche. Here was my reasoning:

 

1) Avalanche has all the towing capability of the Silverado with the exception that it cannot tow 5th wheels due to the shorter bed. Not a big deal, I don't plan on towing a 5th wheel.

 

2) When needed, has all of the truck bed capacity of a pickup truck with the exception of some vertical limit with the bed portion inside the truck when the midgate comes down. Having owned a truck before, I couldn't really recall that many times when I had loaded something over 5 feet tall that took up all 8 feet of the bed length, so I did not find that much of a limitation,

 

3) Value: I just thought for the money I got a lot more truck for my dollar. The Ave has many more features than the silverado and just seemed like it had more engineering built into it. Also, given the current sales numbers, dealers seem to deal more on the Aves than the Sierras and Silverados.

 

4) Ride quality and comfort: I bought the 3/4 ton avalanche and had compared it to the 3/4 ton silverado and there was no comparison. The ride for the Ave was much better than the truck. Everything felt tighter, more refined. Also, I would have thought the crew cab sliverado would have been an identical interior, but it was not. I found the interior of the Avalanche to be more spacious and just a little more comfortable than the truck. Now I know you're looking at the 1500 models, so the ride thing may not be as pronounced, but you should still check it out if you haven't already.

 

That's about it. Bottom line, I thought the Ave did 95% of everything a truck would do, and it seemed to do that 95% a little better than the truck. Looks wise, I still think a nice Silverado may have an edge, but I love my truck. Best of luck in your decision. Let us know what you go with.

 

Gunslinger

[gave20]

You might also want to consider an Envoy XUV I did a comparison and the Ave and the XUV are very similar. one benefit of the XUV is easier in town driving, here are the numbers.

 

The Envoy is the SLT 1sc model

 

Price

Envoy 38,750 Ave 38,570

Envoy has the optional 5.3L

 

turning diameter

Envoy 41.3 Ave 43.3

 

length

Envoy 208 Ave 222

 

Wheelbase

Envoy 129 Ave 130

 

Width

Envoy 75 Ave 80

 

Rear leg room

Envoy 37 Ave 39

 

the rest of the interior are pretty much the same the Ave is bigger is some areas and the same in others

both can haul the same ammoutn within a few hundred pounds.

 

Just a thought

[dogzapper]

Outahere,

 

I bought a new Avalanche 2500 and owner it until last May. It was a flawless truck and, other than burning oil like crazy, caused no problems.

 

The reason I sold it was simple; I simply could not see to the rear and clearing myself to change back into the right lane was suicide. Rather than eventually bend the truck, I sold it.

 

Gunslinger 45 makes the point that the 2500 Avalanche and the 2500 Silverado are entirely different in ride characteristics. The Avalanche rides wonderfully and the three-quarter ton Silverado is much rougher. Very true.

 

However, you are asking about comparing the Z-71 Avalanche against the Z-71 Silverado. My new truck is a Z-71 Silverado and it rides just as smoothly as any Avalanche.

 

My new truck is an 2003 Silverado LT extended cab/short bed with the 5.3 engine and every possible option. It is by far the finest rig I've ever owned. No, I would not go back to the Avalanche.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Steve

[wandell]

I must say, I really like the Avalanche without the body cladding. I like it for the same reason that I like my Supercrew, it suits my needs. When it comes to choosing between the Avalanche and a crewcab, ultra shortbed pickup, there aren't a lot of differences. The Avalanche probably rides better because of the coil spring rear suspension. Other than that, it's pretty much a tossup. They Avalanche, without cladding, and the new Chevy "Supercrew" even look almost the same. I would probably go with the one I could get the best deal on.

[Outahere]

Dogzapper, thanks for pointing out the blind spot. I am probably going to the huge LA Auto Show a few weeks from now to look at all the trucks, and will be sure to keep that in mind when I sit in the vehicle. Was your oil problem related to excessive piston slap?

 

Gave20, is it easy to slide a 4x8 sheet of plywood into the back of the Envoy?

 

Gunslinger45, thanks for the informative answer. Are you also bothered by the blind spot when changing lanes?

 

Is there any difference in ground clearance between these two Z71 trucks?

[gave20]

The width the the Envoy is 75" its possible the plywood might have to sit at an angle but I'm not sure. I was just throwing this option out there becasue it has the same bed water proof cargo area like the Ave but like DOGZAPPER says the Ave is a big truck with blind spots. I would think the envoy being a smaller vehicle would be more highway/ town friendly.

 

I just looked at the demensions the Ave has 50" between the wheel well and the XUV has 44"

[Shaners]

There is no doubt that the Avalanche will ride better than the pickup because it has a different rear suspension.

 

As far as the oil burning, the 2500 Av has the 8.1L which in some cases will use a couple quarts of oil in between changes.

[gunslinger45]

The only issue I have with vision in the truck is whatever is directly behind the Ave. The rear end of the truck is high and rearward visibility is definitely not its strong suit. On the highway though, I have no issue with blind spots when changing lanes. You check your mirrors, then actually look over at your blind spot like everybody should and I have never had a problem with it. If you're one of those drivers who just use mirrors and don't actually look when changing lanes, then yes, the Ave has a bigger blind spot. For what its worth though, my wife will sometimes complain about visibility in the truck saying its just a large vehicle to look around for other cars, but she's used to driving small cars.

 

Gunslinger

[dogzapper]

Dogzapper, thanks for pointing out the blind spot. I am probably going to the huge LA Auto Show a few weeks from now to look at all the trucks, and will be sure to keep that in mind when I sit in the vehicle. Was your oil problem related to excessive piston slap?

Outahere,

 

I think the excessive oil consumption was due to the wrong-length bolts (too long) on the intake manifold. Doesn't make any sense to me, but GM had a silent recall and a TSB on 8.1 engines. Apparently, if a customer burned over one quart of oil per 100 gallons of gas, the 8.1 liter engine qualified for a warrenty fix.

 

I was burning four quarts per 3,000 miles, which I deemed excessive for a new vehicle.

 

By the way, the 2500 Avalanche is a bitch to fill at the gas station. Short fills and puking gas is the rule. The half-ton (Z-71) gas fill is normal.

 

Anyway, you are talking Z-71 and the Avalanche comes with the fabulous 5.3 liter engine. If you get a Z-71 Silverado, I would urge you to get this engine. Great mileage and lots of power.

 

Going to the Car Show is a great idea. There is no substitute looking a lot and getting informed before your large purchase. With all of the rebates and deals, now is a fabulous time to buy a new rig.

 

Steve

[Greg]

I had an early '02 2wd 1500 Avalanche and it was a very competent vehicle for the 55K miles I owned it. The ride was superior to my '99 new style Sierra and I had no warranty problems except 1 knock when cold starting. The only drawbacks of the Av were:

 

- Ride height for a 2wd Av was a few inches higher than a pickup. This turned out to be a recurring problem with my wife transferring from a wheelchair.

 

- Accessing the front part of the bed was almost impossible unless you "changed", used a broom stick, or crawled into the bed. With a pickup, I could always reach over the side and reach the front of the bed. I eventually bought a bedslide that worked well, but a lost a few inches of height under the covers. (I kept the slide and have it for sale if anyone is interested.)

 

- Backing up was always an adventure in blindness, especially in parking lots with adults and kids walking about. If I would have kept the truck, the next mod would have been a backup sensor.

 

We now have a CTS that my wife loves and I have to admit I like it, too. I probably can't go too long without having a truck, though, and will probably buy a Z71 extended cab this spring or summer.

[Outahere]

I was burning four quarts per 3,000 miles, which I deemed excessive for a new vehicle.

Yikes!

[Outahere]

Anyway, you are talking Z-71 and the Avalanche comes with the fabulous 5.3 liter engine. If you get a Z-71 Silverado, I would urge you to get this engine. Great mileage and lots of power.

Have the earlier problems (first appearing around 1999 or 2000 I believe) of piston slap and excesssive oil consumption in the 5.3L motor been successfully solved by GM?

[dogzapper]

 

Anyway, you are talking Z-71 and the Avalanche comes with the fabulous 5.3 liter engine.  If you get a Z-71 Silverado, I would urge you to get this engine.  Great mileage and lots of power.

Have the earlier problems (first appearing around 1999 or 2000 I believe) of piston slap and excesssive oil consumption in the 5.3L motor been successfully solved by GM?

Outahere,

 

Apparently CSK (Cold Dtart Knock) was a sometimes thing in 5.3s and 6.0s made previous to early-2003. The build date on my Silverado is April 2003 and the engine has been perfect. Absolutely no CSK, pinging or oil consumption.

 

I'm really in love with the 5.3. Power is very adequate, even under load or towing, and my experienced mileage is 15-ish in the city and 19 mpg or more on the road. This last summer, we drove from our home in Portland, Oregon to Pierre, SD and back. Mileage for the entire six-day trip was 19.9 mpg. I'm impressed.

 

Steve

[TexMan]

Sorry, but I could never get past the looks of an Avalanche. The ones without all the plastic are bearable, but the ones with all the plastic are just butt ugly.