2005 Chevrolet Avalanche Preview

Mixing Up the Truck Market

Chevy isn't known for radical thinking but with the new Avalanche, which combines the best aspects of a SUV with those of a pickup, they get it right.

Should You Buy This Car?

The Avalanche has a lot of scuff- and scratch-resistant body cladding. That might be practical but, to us, it looks cheap and gives the truck gawky rather than rugged lines.

The other things we don't like about the Avalanche dovetail with our problems concerning many other GM products. Interior trim levels should be more refined for a $30K-plus vehicle. In the truck and SUV market, you can find more ergonomic seating with cleaner fascias and less plasticky switches from such Japanese marques like Nissan , Toyota , and Honda .

And although the Avalanche is offered with four-wheel drive, it's not the same thing as all-wheel drive, a system which is far more useful on paved roads, where most buyers will be using their Avalanches, and where they'll be stuck in rear-wheel-drive unless the road becomes snowy or icy.

Besides these negatives, there's almost nothing wrong with the Avalanche. It's a well-executed model with so many smart, useful features that it's hard to imagine what Chevy could have done better. If you need a truck but also need an SUV and you don't have the money for both, an Avalanche is the answer.