Where do I begin? Just traded my 2004 Avalanche Z-71 Black for a 2011 Ext Luxury Edition Black. It was hard to see the Avi go. I drove it daily for the last 4 years and it was flawless. The pickup bed served me countless times I thought "now how will I get that home?" "oh yeah I've got a pick up bed!". The Avi never saw a snow storm it didn't want to go out and play in. Never stuck once no matter how many inches of snow. Note: Goodyear ATS tires have been amazing! They took any curb, rut, medium strip, snow bank I could throw at them. Highly recommended. I have nothing but great things to say about the Chevy Avalanche or Suburban (simultaneously owned a 03 Z-71 sold 2 years ago).
Now for the Ext...
Gentlemen start your engines!!! Seriously the only thing these two trucks (Yes Trucks not SUV!!!) have in common is appearance. I never thought the Avi was under powered but I felt it had only enough power. The 6.2 motor changes all that. The moment you hear the engine growl you know you've come to the right place. This truck just moves! Hit the gas at any transmission shift point and your gone. Enable trailer tow mode and its even more fun. This is the engine all Avi owners dreamed of with no mods bone stock. The 100 extra horsepowers not a stat it's real and you know it.
Outside the vehicle what can I say? If you like the 2007- 2013 Avi then you love the Ext. The headlamps, extra chrome and painted surfaces found on the Ext just step it up another level. And the 22's in the wheel wells look amazing. I love the new Platinum 22" wheels though I have the common spoke 22's. Utility wise it's all the same a complete package.
Inside the vehicle is where you get the "I want this truck...NOW!!!" My buddy has a 2012 Avi and I drove it for a day just to see if I was really missing anything. I just did not get that feeling. Please note my 2004 was mint! Only 88k when I traded it last week. Black/Grey leather etc. it was a bad ass truck. I only mention this because I mean no offense to 2007-2012 Avi owners those trucks are awesome! The new interior leather interior is gorgeous. But if you were driving a mint 04 the changes an upgrade in years gave you didn't seem that significant to me. You pop in a GPS/sat radio and your good (I had Sat just no GPS).
In the Ext you really feel like your in a different truck. The Nav screen is huge. The leather and brushed aluminum are sweet. The cabin noise is zero! I will say though I like the current model Avi instrument cluster alot better. But all around the cabin just feels so much richer. One other caveat, like the new Avi where are all the little pockets and open spaces to put stuff Its all closed storage spaces! Terrible design in both vehicles. Bottom line though awesome cabin to ride in!!!
Lastly, on road experience...Dynamite! Where the Avi felt like it was being pulled along. The Ext feels like you lit the after burners and all the power is coming from the rear. The more you push down on the gas pedal the more power rolls on. I have not found a dead spot yet. I was anxious about the AWD, absolutely seamless. You feel the truck just track along going thru high speed corners. It's a real complete feeling. None of that typical binding you get and hear in the Avi in tight turns when 4WD is engaged. That honestly was horrific. In fact the Ext has a real tight turning radius relatively speaking. I will note though the steering wheel does not return to the straight position when you take your hands off it in a tight corner. Let me say it this way, your not spinning the wheel in a corner and releasing and waiting for it to spin back to normal. AWD in action no doubt. After you've driven the Ext for a few days and stopped trying to look for/compare the AWD difference. You completely forget it is AWD. As I mentioned already the Ext just feels like its got unlimited power and you can do anything in it. If anybody is considering the move, so far I can only say it's totally worth it. Just the extra power alone is awesome. I have yet to drive this thing in the winter. I will absolutely update this thread when I do and report back my experience with the 22's. Pretty sure I'm gonna swap out Bridgestone ATS's for the Alenza's for the winter. It's gonna be weird not pushing the button and seeing that orange 4WD light up.
Good Luck To All...
Now for the Ext...
Gentlemen start your engines!!! Seriously the only thing these two trucks (Yes Trucks not SUV!!!) have in common is appearance. I never thought the Avi was under powered but I felt it had only enough power. The 6.2 motor changes all that. The moment you hear the engine growl you know you've come to the right place. This truck just moves! Hit the gas at any transmission shift point and your gone. Enable trailer tow mode and its even more fun. This is the engine all Avi owners dreamed of with no mods bone stock. The 100 extra horsepowers not a stat it's real and you know it.
Outside the vehicle what can I say? If you like the 2007- 2013 Avi then you love the Ext. The headlamps, extra chrome and painted surfaces found on the Ext just step it up another level. And the 22's in the wheel wells look amazing. I love the new Platinum 22" wheels though I have the common spoke 22's. Utility wise it's all the same a complete package.
Inside the vehicle is where you get the "I want this truck...NOW!!!" My buddy has a 2012 Avi and I drove it for a day just to see if I was really missing anything. I just did not get that feeling. Please note my 2004 was mint! Only 88k when I traded it last week. Black/Grey leather etc. it was a bad ass truck. I only mention this because I mean no offense to 2007-2012 Avi owners those trucks are awesome! The new interior leather interior is gorgeous. But if you were driving a mint 04 the changes an upgrade in years gave you didn't seem that significant to me. You pop in a GPS/sat radio and your good (I had Sat just no GPS).
In the Ext you really feel like your in a different truck. The Nav screen is huge. The leather and brushed aluminum are sweet. The cabin noise is zero! I will say though I like the current model Avi instrument cluster alot better. But all around the cabin just feels so much richer. One other caveat, like the new Avi where are all the little pockets and open spaces to put stuff Its all closed storage spaces! Terrible design in both vehicles. Bottom line though awesome cabin to ride in!!!
Lastly, on road experience...Dynamite! Where the Avi felt like it was being pulled along. The Ext feels like you lit the after burners and all the power is coming from the rear. The more you push down on the gas pedal the more power rolls on. I have not found a dead spot yet. I was anxious about the AWD, absolutely seamless. You feel the truck just track along going thru high speed corners. It's a real complete feeling. None of that typical binding you get and hear in the Avi in tight turns when 4WD is engaged. That honestly was horrific. In fact the Ext has a real tight turning radius relatively speaking. I will note though the steering wheel does not return to the straight position when you take your hands off it in a tight corner. Let me say it this way, your not spinning the wheel in a corner and releasing and waiting for it to spin back to normal. AWD in action no doubt. After you've driven the Ext for a few days and stopped trying to look for/compare the AWD difference. You completely forget it is AWD. As I mentioned already the Ext just feels like its got unlimited power and you can do anything in it. If anybody is considering the move, so far I can only say it's totally worth it. Just the extra power alone is awesome. I have yet to drive this thing in the winter. I will absolutely update this thread when I do and report back my experience with the 22's. Pretty sure I'm gonna swap out Bridgestone ATS's for the Alenza's for the winter. It's gonna be weird not pushing the button and seeing that orange 4WD light up.
Good Luck To All...