2006 Chevrolet Avalanche consumer reviews

Great truck but........the Vortex V-8 is to much for the transmission equipped for this truck by GM. Transmission blew apart at $70000 miles! GM knew this issue and wont admit it. The 2007 models on up were altered to handle the torque put out by these motors and raised the power train waranty from 36,000 to 100,000 miles. Just a dirty little secret from GM and believe me if you have one of these there will be a point when you torque to much rpm for your transmission. Happened to me just going onto an on ramp putting it into a passing gear to merge with traffic it blew for no reason. Cost...$5000.

Bigger than any car, sexier than any pickup! I bought my '06 used 2 years ago, it was 2 1/2 years old and still had factory warranty left...and I stole the thing for 18K! The Bermuda Blue wasn't my first choice then but it is now and people always comment on what a "cool" color it is. It is loaded with everything but DVD and nav/back up camera...big deal. The only downside, the trans took a dump right out of warranty at 36500 but the dealer took care of it, rebuilt it in-house and 40K later all is still fine. Yes, it can be a handful to park because it aint small and does have its' blind spots but I really haven't had any problems parallel parking it, just use the mirrors and know how to drive. :D You can't beat the ride, the room and the comfort especially with the heated leather. Like someone else mentioned, open all the windows and the sunroof, spend about 1 min. taking out the rear glass (which stows nicely in its' special place in the midgate) and I call it "convertible mode". The bed is large enough for most anything you need and larger than any trunk ever made, and when it isn't it only takes a minute to drop the midgate and convert it and have the full 8'. Of course, you only have the 2 front seats then but so does a pick up. Everything stays water tight too, I've had no issues with leaks between the toneau sections. It will do pretty much anything a pickup can do I think but it will also haul 5 people in more room than any car I know. Gas mileage isn't as bad as you'd think either, confiming the miles with a GPS and doing the math I get an honest 18+ overall and up to 22+ hwy (3.42 gears) keeping it under 60...which does feel like a walking speed though! It has a fuel computer but I find it reads up to 1 mpg higher than actual but that's not so bad. It gets about the same mileage...or a little better...than all the full size cars I've always owned. I could go on and on but I decided after a couple months, unless I live long enough that there isn't one left anywhere in existence, I will always have an Avalanche! Nicest vehicle I've ever owned...by far. LOVE this thing!!

The Chevy Avalanche was horrible on gas. Back in 2006 when gas prices weren?t horrible yet, it still cost $100 to fill the stupid tank! When we went on long trips my poor kids complained that they couldn?t sleep-or move. This truck was very reliable though, I do have to say. It isn?t practical for today?s gas prices and therefore won?t recommend it, get a hybrid!

All I have to tell people is;"If you drive one ,you WILL buy it.Talk about the total package! The 5.3L in mine gets 16.5 to 17 mpg in daily driving,60% city 40% interstate.It's an easy truck to get those figures in ,if you know what to do in the aftermaket world. 350 hp 375 ft lbs torque, all with simple "bolt on" stuff.My wife loves to drive it. Talk about comfort, and I have the Z-66 model. 17" stock wheels replaced with 17" aftermarket painted wheels (black,just like the truck) I bought mine new in 2004,and if I'm still driving at 80,you'll see me behind the wheel.

It had a powerful engine,smooth ride and nice seats. The connectine bed to the inside is really nice and is fun to play around with. My kids love the touch screen navigation. The towing power is unbelievable. It can tow my boat no problem. Its is the best car I have ever owned.