What Is the Best Year for the Chevy Avalanche?
The Chevrolet Avalanche is a five or six-passenger, four-door pick-up truck that saw discontinuation in 2013 after 12 years. This vehicle is the perfect cross between the SUV and truck. Over the 12 years, there were two generations of the Chevy Avalanche- the 1st from 2002-2006, and the 2nd from 2007-2013. But, which of the years is the best?
This article delves deep into the best year of the Chevy Avalanche. Read on to know which and why it’s our pick.
What Is the Best Year for the Chevy Avalanche?
The best year of the Chevy Avalanche was 2013- which is still the last year for the Avalanche. Contrary to most people’s belief, the discontinuation was not mainly due to poor sales. Although this is partly true, a bad business plan, loyal buyers of the Sierra and Silverado, and GM bankruptcy problems were the major cause of the discontinuation.
The 2013 Chevy Avalanche discontinuation wasn’t because customers didn’t like the vehicle anymore. In fact, people were impressed by the vehicle combining the cargo bed space of a Silverado and the seating availability of a Tahoe and converting it into one.
How Did the 2013 Chevy Avalanche Fare vs. Competition?
Apart from this vehicle’s twin brother, the Cadillac Escalade, no other vehicle in this class made the use of a fold-down midgate available.
It’s worth noting that almost all new SUVs, crossovers, and trucks feature fold-down rear seats. However, none allows access to the vehicle’s bed through the cab. This makes the cargo space in the 2013 Chevy Avalanche quite big. With such a supersize, you’re open to options you’ll never get with other vehicles.
The main competitors of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche are:
Trim Models for the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
There’s no doubt the 2013 Chevy Avalanche is the best year for the Chevy Avalanche. On top of giving this vehicle the boot, GM ensured to improve it in several areas, adding some zing to it. Trim models for the vehicle include the LS, LT, and the LTZ, which come with an offload Z71 package.
The Z71 package includes:
- 18-inch wheels
- Tubular assist steps
- Monotube shock absorbers
- High-capacity air cleaner
- Color-matched fender flares
- Skid plates.
Of course, the 2013 Chevy Avalanche was the last model of the Avalanche before cancellation. All models featured a “Black Diamond Avalanche” badge to commemorate its success.
In addition, the models had unique body-color bed surrounds, not seen in any other previous years.
The 2013 Chevy Avalanche includes a set of new standard features as well. These include:
- Remote start.
- Power adjustable paddles
- Backup camera
- Fog lights
- Rear parking sensors
Exterior Highlights of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
The Avalanche doesn’t shy away from flaunting its unique personality. Remember, this is neither a four-door pick-up nor a run-off-the-mill truck, but both. Unique, right? All of Chevy’s truck-based models come with front-end styling. This bold but familiar styling is available in the 2013 Chevy Avalanche.
If we can set the vehicle apart, you’ll realize it has sails connecting the cab to the bed. These emphasize the exterior length and the smooth roofline.
However, there’s a problem with the vehicle’s design-rearward visibility. The poor rearward visibility can make backing up and parking in tight spots pretty tough. Luckily, the vehicle has a backup camera and standard parking sensors that come in handy.
Exterior features of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche include:
- Fog lights
- Standard 17-inch wheels. Also, 18-inch or 20-inch wheels are available.
- Available power-articulating running boards
- Wraparound front bumper cover: It blends with the body nicely.
Interior Highlights of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
There’s no other category that the 2013 Chevy Avalanche shines more than the amenities and style of its interior. This truck can accommodate up to six individuals. It also has a standard upholstery, with leather being optional.
Interior features include:
- Standard air conditioning
- Midgate design allows for supersize cargo capacity
- Available rear-seat entertainment system
- Standard CD stereo
- Available cooled and heated seats
- Standard Bluetooth connectivity
- An available touch-screen navigation system
Under the Hood Highlights of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
The 2013 Chevy Avalanche is quite powerful. It’s powered by a 320-hp, 5.3-liter V-8, generating 335 pounds-feet of torque. Its mechanical features include:
- Rear/four-wheel drive
- Standard six-speed automatic transmission
- V-8 operates on regular gas, although it can also run on E85 ethanol.
Safety Highlights of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
Of course, we’ve mentioned some of the safety features of the 2013 Chevy Avalanche in this article.
They may not be new, but quite vital to the Chevy Avalanche’s constant good safety ratings. The vehicle uses a StabiliTrak stability control system. This includes a hill start assist, and electronic trailer sway control. Other safety features include:
- Side curtain airbags
- Side-impact airbags (for the front seats)
- All-disc anti-lock brakes
- Rear-parking Assist with an Ultrasonic audible warning system
- Automatic Crash Response
- Stolen Vehicle Assist
- Daytime Running Lamps with Automatic Exterior Lamp Control
- LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Top Tethers for Children): for kids’ safety seats
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System
- Passenger Sensing System
Cargo Dimensions
The 2013 Chevy Avalanche, though not technically a truck, has greater cargo bed length than several of its truck competitors. The length of the cargo bed is 63.3 inches. The midgate is folded in the cargo bed’s upright position and 98.20 inches folded in its downside position. The total cubic space area equals 45 feet of cargo volume.
What Other Features Make the 2013 Chevy Avalanche the Best Year?
The 2013 Chevy Avalanche trailing equipment features a VR4 2-inch receiver, a hitch platform, and a 7-wire harness. The wire harness has independent fused trailering circuits that connect to a 7-way sealed connector.
Furthermore, the StabiliTrak adds to the vehicle’s trailing abilities. This way, the truck/SUV can tow at least one car, motor, or Uhaul safely home, not forgetting up to six people. Quite reliable!
The good news is that the 2013 Chevy Avalanche comes with automatic leveling control. This deals with any swagging in the rear with heavier cargo or loads.
Average Pricing for the 2013 Chevy Avalanche
You can get a 2013 Chevy Avalanche at an average price ranging from around $20,900 to about $33,500. The lowest price is for the base two-wheel-drive LS model, while the highest price tag is for the four-wheel-drive LTZ model.
Of course, you can expect the price to vary from one dealership and owner to another. Moreover, the price will vary depending on the vehicle’s shape, location of sale in the US, and mileage.
The Insurance Cost
The insurance cost of a 2013 Chevy Avalanche will vary depending on several factors. These include:
- Type of coverage
- The insurance company
- The deductible you choose
Notably, the 2013 Chevy Avalanche does pretty well with most insurers, thanks to its fairly safe features.
Why the 2013 Chevy Avalanche?
One may wonder why we picked the 2013 Chevy Avalanche as the best year. Of course, there are plenty of reasons. First, the model comes with the most up-to-date features. Additionally, the vehicle is available at a reasonable price. In fact, the vehicle is worth every penny, and you can never go wrong.
Go back to the previous years, and if you keep going a few years back, you’ll get an Avalanche with fewer safety features and more mile coverage. Undoubtedly, you cannot compare features of 2003, 2007, or even the immediate former (2012) with the last model of the Avalanche before discontinuation. The 2013 Chevy Avalanche wins and will always be the best.
It’s worth mentioning that the Chevy Avalanche received high ratings from experts and consumers even in its early years. Let’s hope the vehicle can probably make a comeback in the future.