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2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
…Continued
A Heavy-Duty Engine That Drives
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Ready for a new catch-word? Since the Avalanche is neither a truck or a sport utility vehicle, this type is now called the Ultimate Utility Vehicle (UUV) segment. This new Convert-A-Cab system is really quite unique. Avalanche 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.
If you're an outdoor-type person, the North Face Edition is for you. The interior has green and black seats, door trim panels, floor mats with the North Face logo and a white instrument cluster. Exterior colors to choose from include sage green, summit white, sunset orange, onyx, black and pewter.
Getting back to the versatility of the Avalanche, I was, at first, intimidated by exactly what would be involved in changing the Avalanche into the different configurations. My feeling is - always - that everything should be self-explanatory and there should never be a reason to take the manual out of the glove box - unless you really want to.
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.
With the Midgate lowered and the rear seat folded and out of the way, the standard 5-foot, 3-inch bed length to extend to a whopping 8-foot, 1-inch bed, which is long enough for plywood sheets. On either side of the cargo box, you'll find two lockable top-box storage compartments. Together, it holds 3.5 cubic feet of space outfitted with drains. That way, tailgate parties are more fun with the cooler built into the truck. The cargo area, Midgate and tailgate are made of composite material, which means it's really durable and resists scratches and dents.
The 1500's fuel tank holds 31 gallons, while the 2500's gas tank can hold more than 37 gallons. That'll allow you to go more than 500 miles between fill-ups. And the mileage is what you would expect from a full-size pick up truck - between 15 and 16 mpg combined highway and city driving.
The ride and handling of the Avalanche is as good as it gets on a Chevrolet truck. It never labored getting up a hill or merging onto the freeway.
The interior of the Avalanche is user-friendly, with all instrumentation easy to understand, and easier to operate. The interior gave me a feeling of security because everything is molded around the driver's position. Cozy colors and plush carpeting added to that feeling.
The radical look of the exterior of the Avalanche takes a bit to get used to. Just like the Pontiac Aztec took a little getting used to. But by the end of the week, as I tended to notice more and more Avalanches on the road, the styling grew on me. It's a statement, that's for sure.
Sounds like I liked the Avalanche? Yeah, I did. It's another fine choice from the many trucks to choose from out there.
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