2009 Chevrolet Avalanche

Most critics recommend the Ridgeline instead

Although the Honda Ridgeline can't tow or haul as much as the more powerful Chevy Avalanche, experts say the Ridgeline works better for families. Its crew cab is just as roomy and comfortable as the Avalanche's, and the Honda Ridgeline is very reliable (the Avalanche gets average scores for reliability). And while the Ridgeline is barely more likely than the average sedan to roll over in a single-vehicle crash (14 percent chance), the Avalanche is one of the most likely pickup trucks to roll over (22 percent chance with the rear-wheel-drive Avalanche, or 21 percent with four-wheel drive), according to government tests.

The Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck also has one of the worst rear blind zones of any passenger vehicle, ConsumerReports.org finds. In one test, a 5-foot person driving a 2007 Avalanche couldn't see a toddler-sized orange traffic cone up to 50 feet behind the truck. That raises the risk of backing over a child, a major cause of nontraffic child deaths. A backup camera can help, but it's an extra-cost option on the Avalanche, and ConsumerGuide.com testers find that it distorts distances.

The Chevy Avalanche comes in only one body style, a crew cab with a 5-foot bed and seating for up to six. You can turn it into a regular-cab pickup with seating for up to three and an 8-foot bed by folding the 60/40 split backseat and lowering the midgate into the cab. You can remove the watertight, lockable bed cover and back window to maximize bed space, or leave them in place to basically create an enormous trunk with a rubber floor mat. The whole transformation takes quite a bit of effort: "Removing the three-piece hard tonneau requires several leaps into a high-floor bed, a job best left to the nimble," says ConsumerGuide.com. "Lowering the midgate is also a several-step process." The bed also has locking storage bins in its thick walls.

Like the Honda Ridgeline, experts say the Avalanche's one-piece body helps keep the ride smooth, whereas traditional pickup trucks tend to be jittery. Both the Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Avalanche offer full-time all-wheel drive; reviews say that's more helpful in bad weather than the four-wheel drive most pickups have, which isn't designed for constant use. Unlike the Ridgeline, you can order the Avalanche with rear-wheel drive only. Regardless of how many wheels are propelling the truck, the Chevy Avalanche gets the same bad fuel economy, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -- 16 mpg in mixed driving (14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway) -- despite a system that shuts down four of the eight engine cylinders when they aren't needed.

Chevy Avalanche features and trim levels

All Chevrolet Avalanche trucks use a six-speed automatic transmission. A 310-horsepower, 5.3-liter V-8 comes standard, or you can choose the 366-horsepower, 6.0-liter V-8. Maximum towing capacity is 8,100 pounds -- about 3,000 more than the Honda Ridgeline, but about 3,000 less than the best-in-class Ford F-150 pickup (*Est. $21,565 to $44,355).

The most basic trim, the Avalanche LS (*Est. $35,460 to $38,510), comes well equipped with cloth seats, power accessories, cruise control, Bluetooth, OnStar and satellite radio. The Chevrolet Avalanche LT1 (*Est. $36,330 to $39,380) adds standard front bucket seats and the ability to buy more options, such as a backseat DVD player, navigation system and sunroof. A Z71 Off-Road package adds an automatic locking rear differential, skid plates and off-road tires, springs and shocks, along with special trim.

The Avalanche LT2 (*Est. $38,455 to $41,505) adds more standard features, including rear parking assist, remote starting, power-adjustable pedals, dual-zone automatic climate control and a CD changer. Heated leather seats are optional on the LT2, but they come standard on the top-of-the-line Chevy Avalanche LTZ (*Est. $43,650 to $46,700), along with 20-inch chrome wheels, an upgraded stereo, rain-sensing wipers and an adaptive suspension.

Chevy backs the Avalanche with a three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. All General Motors and Chrysler warranties are now backed by the U.S. government, which will become the majority stakeholder in General Motors once it exits the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings it entered on June 1, 2009.

ConsumerReports.org's expert tests are unbiased and precise, and this source does the best job showing how the Chevy Avalanche compares to its rivals. Tests at Edmunds.com and ConsumerGuide.com are also very thorough, but their direct comparisons are much less extensive. Car and Driver's capsule review is brief, but it hits the same major high and low points as more thorough reviews do. The Chevy Avalanche had not yet been crash-tested at the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when we checked, but we did find crash and rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides official fuel-economy estimates.