I remember when I worked at the dealership selling these new. It was very rare to see people order these and almost no dealers had them on the lots. They definitely are rare option for an Avalanche
I sure as hell didn’t. I have regretted and I mean r e g r e t t e d every single day that I got ride of my 2006 Silverado. I actually know where a 06 is right now with 56k original miles for 26k. I want it so bad but the problem is it’s red and I just can’t do red.
I’m 15 and picked up a 06’ avalanche for 4300, just needed spark plugs replaced and oil filter replaced and she was good to go, had seat rips and we are in the process of fixing. Took a heat gun to all trim to make it look like new. I got really lucky and am glad to own this practical truck 😁
I've been saying for 15 years that I need to get myself a 2500 Avalanche. That 8.1L big block is a beast. I loved my 2006 Avalanche until I just didn't drive it anymore. Someday!! Good video. I did notice the new Silverado EV looks like the Avalanche with the sail panels and has a midgate option.
I searched for a 2500 for months. They all had 200 to 300k miles it seemed so I knew it was a long lasting rig. Scored one with 98k miles and I love it. I do wish there were ways to liven up the pep a bit. I'm going to try a better, free flowing muffler first.
I learned to drive and did my test in my parents 01 suburban. They're reasoning was that of I could drive that, then everything else would be easy to drive. They weren't wrong
I was thinking of selling my avy 2500 4x4 with only 130k miles, but you convinced me to keep it! Lol. The truth is that it will cost me way more to replace it, and mine being from florida uave no rust, so a lot of life left!
Our family 2002 avalanche that we bought brand new is rocking 378,000 miles with the original engine and transmission. We took her on a 400 mile road trip yesterday. It blows my mind how well it runs still.
😂 about 2 years ago we took a 4 hour drive to Indianapolis and was a beast. On our way back we got hit with about 12in of snow and never have I felt more safe in a vehicle. I'm pushing 250k. I hope you can push many many more miles
Had one new in 04. Silver birch. It was awesome. 8.1L burned a quart of oil between oil changes. 496 notorious for that. After 3 yrs ownership only had a burned out headlight. Traded in for the newly designed 07 Denali XL. Not near as good…..
Impressive! I really wish Cadillac would bring back the EXT, I would be in line for one! In my area, there are not very many 8.1L versions of this truck left. Cool blast from the past!😎
Don't forget the suburban, yukon xl 2500 that also came 6.0L or 8.1L. I bought two 2005 gmc yukon xl 2500 in 2024 $4500 each . They had 119 to 130k miles 4x4 and were work trucks from a business. And i use them in colorado and idaho at my houses to tow and haul trailers and carry people.
I have a 2003 1500 with the heavy duty towing package on it. Mother nature has been hard on it. Had a tree fall on it and the trailer I was pulling. And a small twister throw some boards at it and I still love it so much. I will never find another truck that fits me like that one. No problems with it. Drivers like a dream. I wish they would make a new Avalanche.
My uncle still has his Avalanche from '04. It's a bit of a rust bucket now, but if we didn't live in Chicago, it'd be a solid truck. No frills, solid power train, & spacious.
Best looking truck, besides the Silverado, ever since the first Chevrolet truck. Coolest truck design ever. My mom owned a 2004 Avalanche 1500, bought new and put over 128,000 miles. Done dozens of road trips and I learned how to drive in it. Unfortunately we had to sell it for money reasons. I miss it so much. So cool if Chevrolet brought it back today. Design cues and mid gate idea on the Silverado EV is close enough to me. Love that truck too.
I’ve worked auto parts for 16.5 years and I’m a Mopar guy the 8100 got better fuel mileage than the 6000 and had no problems what so ever and shared alot of parts with the 4300 v6 I would buy one
Wow $13,000 for this with under 60k? Thats a nice deal. I’d pick this up for that price in a heartbeat. It’s 100 times better and a fraction of the cost of anything new.
had a 2002 5.3 avalanche a couple years ago, absolutely loved it. The features alone blew me away. Built-in steps in the bumper? In-bed lighting? DVD Players? Heated leather seats with the bowtie sewn into the headrests? and obviously the mid gate with removable window. I feel as if this was a test-bench for chevy to just see what consumers liked and didn't like so they could impliment those into later model silverados and other vehicles. Fun fact, one reason the 8 liter was sold alongside the first gen duramax is chevy was worried that consumer's would be wary of buying a diesel from them (with good reason, looking back at the older 6.5 liter diesels) and they felt the 8 liter would sell better as a towing rig. Kind of ironic looking back, as the duramax quickly became a legendary engine.
I bought a yellow 1500 Avalanche in 2002. LOVED the body of the truck, but the stock motor and brakes were horrible. Ordered it from the factory and had to wait for it to come up on a train from Mexico. Would have had to wait another 6 weeks for a 2500 version of the same truck. Well, guess what? After all the "unanticipated delays", I could have got the 2500 in the same timeframe. The price wasn't horribly higher than the 2500 either. SMDH! Only reason I was in a time crunch is we were moving, and I needed to have the truck in time for the move. One of these days I'll find a creampuff 2500 Avalanche in yellow. Oh, & the dealer SWORE you could get the 2500 with a manual transmission, but I could never find info to confirm that. And for anyone wondering- I was highly skeptical, but anything I ever put in the bed stayed completely dry even in torrential downpours at highway speeds.
Always thought these were super cool! Especially the tougher looking first gen with (yes) all the contrasting plastic cladding with the metallic pea green paint. Seriously!
Hey Brendan!! Theses are definitely hard to find! Nice models here still go for about $20,000 CAD. It’s extremely rare to find any that are low mileage though. They are usually up over 300,000 km or pushing 200,000 miles! They are long lasting. Not a heavy duty as the actual HD trucks for the reasons you explained here, but on the highway especially, it’s hard to tell the difference between these & the 1500 version of the Avalanche! These were firmer, but that was a plus as I always felt the 1500 Avalanche was a bit wallowy. The 2500 was often used to haul horse trailers or livestock trailers here, so the miles weren’t excessively harsh. GREAT description and very important to get out there that it was built on the Suburban platform!! That was the biggest difference between this and the conventional truck. Thanks man!! 😊
@@dieseldabz7104 - I know this, but that’s about it. My ranch trucks never saw roads and towed hay wagons etc in their lifetimes. At 70,000 miles they were d*mn near worn out! Tow miles are easy miles when you look at the greater picture of what a work truck is! If you are comparing it to a personal vehicle, your point is more valid. These “overworked” tow vehicles had mint Un damaged bodies, interiors, frames weren’t rusty, the motor was fine and in that 200,000 miles, yes transmissions and differentials were replaced on some, but then you get a vehicle with 200,000 milers and maybe 50,000 miles on transmission and rear differential. You likely get the bonus of airbags installed additionally. There’s soo many more taxing and damaging scenarios than a simple tow vehicle. They really are easy miles. We used to haul cattle in the back of our 1 tons with livestock racks installed. That was very hard on the trucks. They were loaded near their maximums, the manure & piss were acidic, the lbs per square inch applied by the hooves beat the crap out of the bed floor and the twisting on the frame,,, they would be loaded in the lease, driven several miles in 2 track trail, if there was a trail, then miles on gravel and to the vet, or a new owner etc. the occasional one would try to escape & destroy the box!! Think about the uses, all of them. I would buy the tow rig. It would have had regular oil changes and everything needing repair, for me, is easy work!
@@12masterr - every market is different. I’m in Alberta Canada and wouldn’t want to guess and mess up any sales you pursue in the future. Research your automotive sales websites for your region. Google your vehicle description and and for sale behind it. That will get you started. Sounds like a nice truck if it doesn’t have the Florida corrosion.
Ok I bought a 2005 naked Avalanche Z71 1500, used in 2006, with only 18,000 miles. Powered by the vaunted 5.3/Votec, with 4:10 gears with G80 automatic locking differential, 4x4 with Autotrack 4x4 hi an lo plus AWD. In all black like the above, but naked, with no plastic cladding and nice chrome bumpers, plus nice aluminum skid plates. We use on many trips from home in Massachusetts, as far north as Bar Harbor Acadia Park and as gas south as Key West, Florida, with a couple trips to Pigeon Forge and all over the NE. The only downer was mileage at 12 city in red lights a traffic, to 20 mpg at 55/60, 18 at 65-70. But was able to easily load 28, 4x8 sheets of drywall, at 62 lbs each totaling 1,736 lbs, plus my wife and I and tools loaded on top of the drywall in the back seat area. Leaving the rear window in place plus bed covers. In a 150 mile trip to a friend home up in northern Vermont. Getting 18 mpg average round trip, that’s about 14 up and 22 back empty mostly down hill. We owned till we traded in on a 2011 Silverado Ext Cab 4x4, LS 1500 Z71, with a 5.3/6 speed automatic with Autotrack. That was also all black and as great trouble free as the Avalanche was. That we traded in on a 2016 Colorado Ext Cab Z71,4x4, V6, also trouble free till 58,000 miles in 2019 when we traded that in on a Colorado Crew Cab 4x4, WT, V6. We still have at 63,000 trouble free mileage, with no plans on trading as of now.
I have 2002 NFE Avalanche 1500 sins new. Only 2 complains: G80 was rebuild at 80K miles. Tranny was replaced on 99K, due to leaking radiator- antifreeze get to transmission. Yes, clouding is fade, and clear coat start pilling off (22 years parked outside). It has minimum rust for NYC truck. Runs and drives without problems.
I have ripped a lot if suburban and tahoes around the desert and when it comes time to be on a nasty, cobley road, I opted for a Tahoe. It was way more nimble and soft than a 2500 suburban. Then again an 8.1 is mostly for towing as you said
I bought a big block Avalanche new in 2002. It was a great truck but I was caring for my elderly father at the time and had to sell it because it used so much fuel. It would be nice to find another one in good shape.
I have a 2003 1500 Z71 and I love it, Bought with 114K miles, now 214K. It has had it's gremlins, but I would buy another one. Didn't know about the 2500 but might be worth a look.
I thought about buying one of these for my first truck. Then I thought about it and I figured it might be too big of a stretch (literally.) I ended up getting an '08 Honda Ridgeline. Might be a bit more expensive, but I feel like it's all the truck I ever need.
I remember when these came out and thought they were sort of ugly because of all the plastic, now I can appreciate the thought that went into designing it, especially coming from GM. How much did you pay for it? I have a neighbor that has a red one with the 8.1 for sale and she wants 10k for it. 62k original miles.
I love my Avalanche 1500. I don't need the extra towing capability. There are features on my 2005 that they have only come out with in later model vehicles.
Nice I sold mine 8 yrs ago for $12k with 76k miles but mine was a cherry 8 of 10 as the paint had just started to fade on the top (typical Az uv damage) and yours looks like a beat 3 of 10 - lol. Great trucks though! If I came upon another in the future I would get it as that 8.1 was great!
The one Chevy truck model I would consider buying if they would refresh it. I feel the same about the Ford Explorer SportTrac. They would be the most comfortable all-rounder midsize trucks on the market.
Wow!!! I have driven the 1500 variant of this truck a lot for a customer that owned one. Of course the 1500 variant had the 5.3, but the driving experience was superior to the normal 1500 Silverado. My example had over 150K on the clock and it drove like a new vehicle... extremely smooth and quiet. I remember thinking that this must be a very superior platform to drive this nice at this many miles! I would love to drive the 2500 series!
The 496 probably makes as much torque off idle as the 5.3’s peak torque though. But yeah, the lastest tech for pushrod motors is truly beautiful, all across the board!
If you could get that 2500 Avalanche with quadrasteer, it'd be amazing! Actually, the Avalanche was brought to market to compete with the forthcoming Honda Ridgeline. And it was a PITA to design for manufacture.
The problem that they tried to solve with creating the avalanche could easily be solved by just deciding if you want a suburban or truck instead of something that tries to be both but doesn't do it very well. It's essentially a Honda Ridgeline.
Those first generation Avalanches were not great looking with the squared off fenders and tons of plastic. The second gen was much better. That 8.1 is a beast of an engine. Modern, much smaller engines may have similar horsepower and torque figures, but I'm betting that this would last longer as it's not going to work as hard if consistently used for towing. I'd love to see you guys pit one of these 8.1s vs for example the new turbomax 2.7 in towing. Obviously make it a fair fight and only tow what the 2.7 is rated for or less, but I'd love to see old big block vs. modern forced induction small displacement engines.
My dad has an Avalanche 2500! He loves it. The ride is so much better than the comparable Silverado/Sierra. When he bought his Avalanche 2500, he sold me his 1500 Avalanche. I drove it for years.
Those were cool truck I’ve had 4 99-2003 sierras 2500. Great trucks and fun to work on The 6.0 was the best modern motor ever made The 8.1 was too much of a gas eater
I work for gm and I’ll always view the avalanche as a plastic truck. Cool it came in a rare trim package, but honestly that’s the coolest part about it
I do not know what Cadillac this guy drives as you what the back window bounce. My first Avalanche was a 2003 Z71 1500. I now own a 2004 2500 avalanche. I could drive the 1500 70 down gravel roads no way in my 2500. This a 3/4 ton short wheel base truck with leaf spring rear axle. It ride like a truck and I love it.
I love how he keeps comparing it to a Silverado and how the ride is better. Litterally the same suspension. Torsion bars, leaf springs, shocks. It's all exactly the same part numbers as the pickup variant.
😅. I had the Subaru version of this (Baja). Let me tell you, you won’t want to use that pass thru in any kind of heat, cold , or rain. I also owned first edition Ridgeline which was a twin to this in looks.
@@COChevyTrainMan1990 they may not be body on frame but that doesn’t mean there poser’s.😀 I mentioned looks and the cold issue with pass thru that are valid on both points. Nothing to do with body on frame , payload, towing, ect. Thought it was clear enough for most people.
To be fair, the 4l85e works wonderfully in this application. You get better economy too. Allison would have been a cool option, same with the zf6. Gonna do my own zf6 swap in my 2500 in a few years but gotta lift the body first
That is how I always thought of them. Very Compelling. Way too much plastic for me but the Cadillac EXT and 2nd Gen look pretty good. Why the squared off wheel wells.
I was going to buy one until I realized I could get a Suburban for less, and the Suburban has no “this is probably going to leak in wet weather” disclaimer sticker from the manufacturer.
Don’t remove the tano covers like that. You’re actively messing up the seal in between them when you do. Just pull them off, don’t flip them over each other
You keep letting the secrets out!
I feel the exact same way!!! I dont need my prices to go up on all these gems 💎
Bro is a Yapper
Honestly…
Prices are already high for nice ones….
Yeah you people got to stop that, because then people that have them sell them for outrageous prices
I remember when I worked at the dealership selling these new. It was very rare to see people order these and almost no dealers had them on the lots. They definitely are rare option for an Avalanche
Everyone I saw of these they were rusted out. I do not even see them around much anymore.
@@iamgermane Not suprising it’s been nearly 20+ years.
@@iamgermaneya these things rust badly. If you didn’t undercoat ahead of time good luck to you
@@iamgermaneI see these trucks daily here in the Ohio Valley. Some are rusted to hell, some look brand spanking new. Love the GMT800 Avalanche.
I don’t think any of us knew this was the end of the road for reliability. Up until then things were progressing. Thank you Cafe and Nhsta
Lol 2006 was the last year for reliable trucks any brand
I sure as hell didn’t. I have regretted and I mean r e g r e t t e d every single day that I got ride of my 2006 Silverado. I actually know where a 06 is right now with 56k original miles for 26k. I want it so bad but the problem is it’s red and I just can’t do red.
I tell others when asked what car should I buy, and my answer is always anything 2006 or older. Its all planned obsolescence anymore. @@JUNEBUGLLC
@@jew0182 paint it... or wrap it
@@jew0182wrap it my guy
TFL needs to buy an Avalanche and run some test with it! The Avalanche really was ahead of its time.
1st gen & 2nd gen tests
Assuming they can find one that hasn't rusted out.
As soon as I saw the notification, I knew it had to be the 2500 model.
I didn't even know they made a 2500 version of the Avalanche.
i didn't either
Me either. New life choices engage
I own 4 Avalanches. I used my 2500 to pull my camper all the way to Anchorage and back 10,000 miles. It pulls without strain up and down mountains.
I got one as a rental car one time, I absolutely loved it.
I’m 15 and picked up a 06’ avalanche for 4300, just needed spark plugs replaced and oil filter replaced and she was good to go, had seat rips and we are in the process of fixing. Took a heat gun to all trim to make it look like new. I got really lucky and am glad to own this practical truck 😁
It was the 1500 sport utility z71
You should be very happy with that. I just saw an 03 selling for $27,000
I bought my 03 Avalanche 2500 2 years ago sight unseen. I've put over 60k miles on it since then (currently at ~210k) and it has yet to let me down.
I've been saying for 15 years that I need to get myself a 2500 Avalanche. That 8.1L big block is a beast. I loved my 2006 Avalanche until I just didn't drive it anymore. Someday!! Good video. I did notice the new Silverado EV looks like the Avalanche with the sail panels and has a midgate option.
Yup, silverado ev rst
I searched for a 2500 for months. They all had 200 to 300k miles it seemed so I knew it was a long lasting rig. Scored one with 98k miles and I love it. I do wish there were ways to liven up the pep a bit. I'm going to try a better, free flowing muffler first.
Took my drivers test in my dads Avalanche 2500, loved that truck
I learned to drive and did my test in my parents 01 suburban. They're reasoning was that of I could drive that, then everything else would be easy to drive. They weren't wrong
I was thinking of selling my avy 2500 4x4 with only 130k miles, but you convinced me to keep it! Lol. The truth is that it will cost me way more to replace it, and mine being from florida uave no rust, so a lot of life left!
Our family 2002 avalanche that we bought brand new is rocking 378,000 miles with the original engine and transmission. We took her on a 400 mile road trip yesterday. It blows my mind how well it runs still.
😂 about 2 years ago we took a 4 hour drive to Indianapolis and was a beast. On our way back we got hit with about 12in of snow and never have I felt more safe in a vehicle. I'm pushing 250k. I hope you can push many many more miles
Had one new in 04. Silver birch. It was awesome.
8.1L burned a quart of oil between oil changes. 496 notorious for that.
After 3 yrs ownership only had a burned out headlight.
Traded in for the newly designed 07 Denali XL. Not near as good…..
My uncle had one of these for 15 years, I’ve always wanted one
Impressive! I really wish Cadillac would bring back the EXT, I would be in line for one! In my area, there are not very many 8.1L versions of this truck left. Cool blast from the past!😎
Chevy silverado ev rst
This makes me miss my 2005 Avalanche..was a great truck. Sold it in 2020 with 170k on odometer as rust was taking over ☹️
Don't forget the suburban, yukon xl 2500 that also came 6.0L or 8.1L.
I bought two 2005 gmc yukon xl 2500 in 2024 $4500 each . They had 119 to 130k miles 4x4 and were work trucks from a business. And i use them in colorado and idaho at my houses to tow and haul trailers and carry people.
I have a 2003 1500 with the heavy duty towing package on it. Mother nature has been hard on it. Had a tree fall on it and the trailer I was pulling. And a small twister throw some boards at it and I still love it so much. I will never find another truck that fits me like that one. No problems with it. Drivers like a dream. I wish they would make a new Avalanche.
My uncle still has his Avalanche from '04. It's a bit of a rust bucket now, but if we didn't live in Chicago, it'd be a solid truck. No frills, solid power train, & spacious.
I have a 2500 suburban with the 8.1
The Avalanche is the El Camino of SUVs. It's awesome.
Air Jordan of SUVs
All 2500 Avalanche came with the 8.1 and 4l80e. No other option for motor or trans
Best looking truck, besides the Silverado, ever since the first Chevrolet truck. Coolest truck design ever.
My mom owned a 2004 Avalanche 1500, bought new and put over 128,000 miles. Done dozens of road trips and I learned how to drive in it. Unfortunately we had to sell it for money reasons. I miss it so much. So cool if Chevrolet brought it back today. Design cues and mid gate idea on the Silverado EV is close enough to me. Love that truck too.
Chebby can do no wrong huh fanboy
I've been waiting for this one. I have a 2003 avalanche 2500 4x4 8.1
love the idea of the HD suspension under it... but big blocks are really useless outside of drag racing, would rather have a 6.0 vortech
I've own a 2003 avanlanche Z71 4X4 1500s, love it. Wish they kept making them.
I’ve worked auto parts for 16.5 years and I’m a Mopar guy the 8100 got better fuel mileage than the 6000 and had no problems what so ever and shared alot of parts with the 4300 v6 I would buy one
Wow $13,000 for this with under 60k? Thats a nice deal. I’d pick this up for that price in a heartbeat. It’s 100 times better and a fraction of the cost of anything new.
had a 2002 5.3 avalanche a couple years ago, absolutely loved it. The features alone blew me away. Built-in steps in the bumper? In-bed lighting? DVD Players? Heated leather seats with the bowtie sewn into the headrests? and obviously the mid gate with removable window. I feel as if this was a test-bench for chevy to just see what consumers liked and didn't like so they could impliment those into later model silverados and other vehicles.
Fun fact, one reason the 8 liter was sold alongside the first gen duramax is chevy was worried that consumer's would be wary of buying a diesel from them (with good reason, looking back at the older 6.5 liter diesels) and they felt the 8 liter would sell better as a towing rig. Kind of ironic looking back, as the duramax quickly became a legendary engine.
Thanks for providing the sale price of that vehicle too. Was glad youmdid
I bought a yellow 1500 Avalanche in 2002. LOVED the body of the truck, but the stock motor and brakes were horrible. Ordered it from the factory and had to wait for it to come up on a train from Mexico. Would have had to wait another 6 weeks for a 2500 version of the same truck. Well, guess what? After all the "unanticipated delays", I could have got the 2500 in the same timeframe. The price wasn't horribly higher than the 2500 either. SMDH! Only reason I was in a time crunch is we were moving, and I needed to have the truck in time for the move. One of these days I'll find a creampuff 2500 Avalanche in yellow. Oh, & the dealer SWORE you could get the 2500 with a manual transmission, but I could never find info to confirm that. And for anyone wondering- I was highly skeptical, but anything I ever put in the bed stayed completely dry even in torrential downpours at highway speeds.
I have the 2012 avalanche & we love it!!!
I wish it had its bigger brothers engine, but this 5.3 has great power.
Should buy that thing for sure
That's why im keeping my 2004 blackie forever 8.1 😎👍
Ah, soon as I saw big block I knew it was the 2500 model. First time I read about them was back in 2003.
Here I am waiting for a present day Ute like a Baja or an El Camino... 😅
Never going to happen, modern egos are too weak
You're stuck with either the Maverick or the Santa Cruz...I guess you could include the Honda Ridgeline, but that's based on an SUV.
Loved my Baja
So is the Santa cruz
Just build a classic El Camino. I have a 72 with a 383R stroker.
I didn't even know they made a 2500 avalanche... I bet that thing is amazing.
Never knew there was a 2500 version of this truck. Pretty sweet.
Always thought these were super cool! Especially the tougher looking first gen with (yes) all the contrasting plastic cladding with the metallic pea green paint. Seriously!
Hey Brendan!!
Theses are definitely hard to find! Nice models here still go for about $20,000 CAD. It’s extremely rare to find any that are low mileage though. They are usually up over 300,000 km or pushing 200,000 miles! They are long lasting. Not a heavy duty as the actual HD trucks for the reasons you explained here, but on the highway especially, it’s hard to tell the difference between these & the 1500 version of the Avalanche! These were firmer, but that was a plus as I always felt the 1500 Avalanche was a bit wallowy. The 2500 was often used to haul horse trailers or livestock trailers here, so the miles weren’t excessively harsh.
GREAT description and very important to get out there that it was built on the Suburban platform!! That was the biggest difference between this and the conventional truck. Thanks man!! 😊
Thanks! Good info.
Weren't harsh? They were tow miles that's the 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩! Towing taxes your drive train and prematurely ruins transmissions fyi.
@@dieseldabz7104 - I know this, but that’s about it. My ranch trucks never saw roads and towed hay wagons etc in their lifetimes. At 70,000 miles they were d*mn near worn out!
Tow miles are easy miles when you look at the greater picture of what a work truck is! If you are comparing it to a personal vehicle, your point is more valid. These “overworked” tow vehicles had mint Un damaged bodies, interiors, frames weren’t rusty, the motor was fine and in that 200,000 miles, yes transmissions and differentials were replaced on some, but then you get a vehicle with 200,000 milers and maybe 50,000 miles on transmission and rear differential. You likely get the bonus of airbags installed additionally.
There’s soo many more taxing and damaging scenarios than a simple tow vehicle. They really are easy miles. We used to haul cattle in the back of our 1 tons with livestock racks installed. That was very hard on the trucks. They were loaded near their maximums, the manure & piss were acidic, the lbs per square inch applied by the hooves beat the crap out of the bed floor and the twisting on the frame,,, they would be loaded in the lease, driven several miles in 2 track trail, if there was a trail, then miles on gravel and to the vet, or a new owner etc. the occasional one would try to escape & destroy the box!! Think about the uses, all of them. I would buy the tow rig. It would have had regular oil changes and everything needing repair, for me, is easy work!
So how much will my super nice 2004 avalanche 2590 4x4 with only 139k miles?go? And no rust?(florida truck)
@@12masterr - every market is different. I’m in Alberta Canada and wouldn’t want to guess and mess up any sales you pursue in the future. Research your automotive sales websites for your region. Google your vehicle description and and for sale behind it. That will get you started. Sounds like a nice truck if it doesn’t have the Florida corrosion.
Ok I bought a 2005 naked Avalanche Z71 1500, used in 2006, with only 18,000 miles. Powered by the vaunted 5.3/Votec, with 4:10 gears with G80 automatic locking differential, 4x4 with Autotrack 4x4 hi an lo plus AWD. In all black like the above, but naked, with no plastic cladding and nice chrome bumpers, plus nice aluminum skid plates. We use on many trips from home in Massachusetts, as far north as Bar Harbor Acadia Park and as gas south as Key West, Florida, with a couple trips to Pigeon Forge and all over the NE. The only downer was mileage at 12 city in red lights a traffic, to 20 mpg at 55/60, 18 at 65-70. But was able to easily load 28, 4x8 sheets of drywall, at 62 lbs each totaling 1,736 lbs, plus my wife and I and tools loaded on top of the drywall in the back seat area. Leaving the rear window in place plus bed covers. In a 150 mile trip to a friend home up in northern Vermont. Getting 18 mpg average round trip, that’s about 14 up and 22 back empty mostly down hill. We owned till we traded in on a 2011 Silverado Ext Cab 4x4, LS 1500 Z71, with a 5.3/6 speed automatic with Autotrack. That was also all black and as great trouble free as the Avalanche was. That we traded in on a 2016 Colorado Ext Cab Z71,4x4, V6, also trouble free till 58,000 miles in 2019 when we traded that in on a Colorado Crew Cab 4x4, WT, V6. We still have at 63,000 trouble free mileage, with no plans on trading as of now.
I Put 110,000 miles on a 1500 avalanche. Sold it 6 years ago cuz I needed to pull a 5th wheel.... still miss it
I have 2002 NFE Avalanche 1500 sins new. Only 2 complains: G80 was rebuild at 80K miles. Tranny was replaced on 99K, due to leaking radiator- antifreeze get to transmission. Yes, clouding is fade, and clear coat start pilling off (22 years parked outside). It has minimum rust for NYC truck. Runs and drives without problems.
Great truck ! My dad has an 06 2500 avalanche while I just bought a 2013 black diamond edition !!! Wish they would make a come back !
I have ripped a lot if suburban and tahoes around the desert and when it comes time to be on a nasty, cobley road, I opted for a Tahoe. It was way more nimble and soft than a 2500 suburban. Then again an 8.1 is mostly for towing as you said
I bought a big block Avalanche new in 2002. It was a great truck but I was caring for my elderly father at the time and had to sell it because it used so much fuel. It would be nice to find another one in good shape.
Poor thing thought the tonneau cover was the folding type. 😬
I have a 2003 1500 Z71 and I love it, Bought with 114K miles, now 214K. It has had it's gremlins, but I would buy another one. Didn't know about the 2500 but might be worth a look.
A coworker of mine had the 1500 , other than a transmission, he liked it, and for what its worth it was reliable 😊
They are great trucks (if) you can keep the rust away!!! The handheld programmer really wakes it up!
I thought about buying one of these for my first truck. Then I thought about it and I figured it might be too big of a stretch (literally.) I ended up getting an '08 Honda Ridgeline. Might be a bit more expensive, but I feel like it's all the truck I ever need.
Similar. Only we ended up getting a 2004 Sienna minivan😅
I remember when these came out and thought they were sort of ugly because of all the plastic, now I can appreciate the thought that went into designing it, especially coming from GM. How much did you pay for it? I have a neighbor that has a red one with the 8.1 for sale and she wants 10k for it. 62k original miles.
$10k is a steal!
He said in the video it sold at a dealer auction for $13k.
Oh yeah, I made the comment before the end of the video.
@@cjmhall
I love my Avalanche 1500. I don't need the extra towing capability. There are features on my 2005 that they have only come out with in later model vehicles.
Nice I sold mine 8 yrs ago for $12k with 76k miles but mine was a cherry 8 of 10 as the paint had just started to fade on the top (typical Az uv damage) and yours looks like a beat 3 of 10 - lol. Great trucks though! If I came upon another in the future I would get it as that 8.1 was great!
you should do a video on the Honda Ridgeline
The one Chevy truck model I would consider buying if they would refresh it. I feel the same about the Ford Explorer SportTrac. They would be the most comfortable all-rounder midsize trucks on the market.
Wow!!! I have driven the 1500 variant of this truck a lot for a customer that owned one. Of course the 1500 variant had the 5.3, but the driving experience was superior to the normal 1500 Silverado. My example had over 150K on the clock and it drove like a new vehicle... extremely smooth and quiet. I remember thinking that this must be a very superior platform to drive this nice at this many miles! I would love to drive the 2500 series!
The latest 326 CID 5.3 makes ten more HP than that 496 CID all Iron 8.1 Vortec !
The 496 probably makes as much torque off idle as the 5.3’s peak torque though.
But yeah, the lastest tech for pushrod motors is truly beautiful, all across the board!
Put 12,000 pounds behind the 5.3 and drive it up the pass and tell me if you think it truly makes the same power
A buddy of mine had this spec of avalanche he sold it cause it ate through gas and he didn't really need it for his work.
Sold sir. Going to get one right now
If you could get that 2500 Avalanche with quadrasteer, it'd be amazing!
Actually, the Avalanche was brought to market to compete with the forthcoming Honda Ridgeline. And it was a PITA to design for manufacture.
Wow! That’s 495 cubic inches!!! I had NO idea!
The problem that they tried to solve with creating the avalanche could easily be solved by just deciding if you want a suburban or truck instead of something that tries to be both but doesn't do it very well. It's essentially a Honda Ridgeline.
Those first generation Avalanches were not great looking with the squared off fenders and tons of plastic. The second gen was much better.
That 8.1 is a beast of an engine. Modern, much smaller engines may have similar horsepower and torque figures, but I'm betting that this would last longer as it's not going to work as hard if consistently used for towing.
I'd love to see you guys pit one of these 8.1s vs for example the new turbomax 2.7 in towing. Obviously make it a fair fight and only tow what the 2.7 is rated for or less, but I'd love to see old big block vs. modern forced induction small displacement engines.
I'd buy that in a heart beat.
My dad has an Avalanche 2500! He loves it. The ride is so much better than the comparable Silverado/Sierra.
When he bought his Avalanche 2500, he sold me his 1500 Avalanche. I drove it for years.
Those were cool truck I’ve had 4 99-2003 sierras 2500. Great trucks and fun to work on
The 6.0 was the best modern motor ever made
The 8.1 was too much of a gas eater
I work for gm and I’ll always view the avalanche as a plastic truck.
Cool it came in a rare trim package, but honestly that’s the coolest part about it
The Honda ridge line is the true definition of a plastic truck. A Pilot with a bed, pretty much.
I do not know what Cadillac this guy drives as you what the back window bounce. My first Avalanche was a 2003 Z71 1500. I now own a 2004 2500 avalanche. I could drive the 1500 70 down gravel roads no way in my 2500. This a 3/4 ton short wheel base truck with leaf spring rear axle. It ride like a truck and I love it.
As of this viewing, 2/8/24, there is a 2005 Avalanche (8.1 ltr motor) with 58K in Sacramento, CA for $38,000... Ouch, not worth it to me.
With a sawzall and a camper shell, that could maybe become a blazer...
I love how he keeps comparing it to a Silverado and how the ride is better. Litterally the same suspension. Torsion bars, leaf springs, shocks. It's all exactly the same part numbers as the pickup variant.
My Ford Explorer Sport Trac & this truck are great sleepers for trucks👏🏾👏🏾💯
These 3/4 ton Avalanche were nice. But if GM put the regular 6.0 in it as a standard engine. It would have sold more. The 8.1 was overkill.
😅. I had the Subaru version of this (Baja). Let me tell you, you won’t want to use that pass thru in any kind of heat, cold , or rain. I also owned first edition Ridgeline which was a twin to this in looks.
Unlike the Baja and the ridge line, the Chevrolet Avalanche is a true body on frame truck. Those two are just posers.
@@COChevyTrainMan1990 they may not be body on frame but that doesn’t mean there poser’s.😀 I mentioned looks and the cold issue with pass thru that are valid on both points. Nothing to do with body on frame , payload, towing, ect. Thought it was clear enough for most people.
There’s a really nice green one. Big block 2500 for sale and I WANT IT.
you can put the glass in the mid gate
I wish there were more of the 2500 models with the 6.0. I love the 8.1 but shes a thirsty motor.
My dad had one just like it. He hated the fact it didn’t have an Allison lol.
To be fair, the 4l85e works wonderfully in this application. You get better economy too. Allison would have been a cool option, same with the zf6. Gonna do my own zf6 swap in my 2500 in a few years but gotta lift the body first
Upper fender flare strips on front fenders is a rear thing, I hade all around and have never seen another one
I agree, the Avalanche is the holy grail of used trucks
Love my 2012 ltz.
That is how I always thought of them. Very Compelling. Way too much plastic for me but the Cadillac EXT and 2nd Gen look pretty good. Why the squared off wheel wells.
I didn't even know they had a 2500 in that model
I was going to buy one until I realized I could get a Suburban for less, and the Suburban has no “this is probably going to leak in wet weather” disclaimer sticker from the manufacturer.
50 extra horsepower isn’t much considering the 8.1L is almost 3 Liters bigger than the 5.3L.
I got one. It's really strong 💪 😊
Amazing
There’s a guy around the block that has one rotting in his driveway. Been there for at least 7 yrs. Not sure if it’s a 2500 or not.
I had one in 2007 the 8.1 lost a rod bearing at only 90k miles…
Don’t remove the tano covers like that. You’re actively messing up the seal in between them when you do. Just pull them off, don’t flip them over each other
I knew these existed, but I have NEVER seen a single one in person.
Used to know a girl who drove an Avalanche...she blew the transmission outv it...221.000 kms on it.
You can put the glass in the seat and it holds with locks man. Lol
For a time the suburban was available as a 3500
Mine is duramax 6.6 swapped
Wow $13k for that rig? I would not have been able to bid fast enough!
That's the holy Grail of used trucks bc it's the only avalanche left that's not completely rotted out.