Chevrolet Avalanche

The Avalanche is a full-sized crew-cab pickup with a unified cab and cargo bed. A removable panel behind the rear seats adds versatility by letting the cargo area extend into the cabin. A three-piece removable cover makes the cargo area weatherproof and secure. Virtues include a comfortable ride, a quiet cabin and available full-time four-wheel drive. The 5.3-liter V8 dishes up ample power and the six-speed automatic transmission, added as standard equipment in 2009, improves overall performance. Handling is mediocre though and rear visibility is quite poor. Payload capacity is skimpy for a truck this size and the high bed makes loading cargo an effort.