Potential buyer, please advise.

Hi,

I'm looking at these 2, please share your opinions. I've had multiple GM trucks, but never an Avalanche.
Thanks!!

2003 Blue, 180,000 miles, asking $5900
No body cladding, that's a big plus.
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=519406110&zip=90808&makeCode1=CHEV&modelCode1=AVALNCH

2004 White, 147,000 miles, asking $5000
Body claddings, which I don't care for, but can tolerate.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/494743617976573/

Some photos of the 2004, since some of you may not have a FB account to see them.






The 2003 interior looks pretty clean, at least from the photos.
The 2004 seat has a tear in it.

I haven't seen either in person.

First welcome to the website!

I agree with your comment about no lower cladding as a general statement. Now that the AV is getting older and hasn't had lower cladding for 13 years now it is hard to find and replace as well as some members of cladded AVs have found rust happening under the cladding that isn't easily seen.
You are comparing a 16 year old AV to a 15 year old Av and only 33,000 miles on the odometer difference and $900 in price. So not much of a difference by those figures.
I would concentrate more on the ownership and maintenance/service history of each vehicle. Realizing that sites like CarFax only has info on reported repairs not things fixed by owner or small shops etc. How many owners has the AV had? has it been exposed to road salts or flooding?
Also check sites like www.kbb.com or www.edmunds.com for fair pricing in your area.

Good luck with your search for your AV...

Vaeagleav said:

First welcome to the website!

I agree with your comment about no lower cladding as a general statement. Now that the AV is getting older and hasn't had lower cladding for 13 years now it is hard to find and replace as well as some members of cladded AVs have found rust happening under the cladding that isn't easily seen.
You are comparing a 16 year old AV to a 15 year old Av and only 33,000 miles on the odometer difference and $900 in price. So not much of a difference by those figures.
I would concentrate more on the ownership and maintenance/service history of each vehicle. Realizing that sites like CarFax only has info on reported repairs not things fixed by owner or small shops etc. How many owners has the AV had? has it been exposed to road salts or flooding?
Also check sites like www.kbb.com or www.edmunds.com for fair pricing in your area.

Good luck with your search for your AV...

Click to expand...

I agree with your assessment. I like the blue one more. I have an Autocheck subscription, and the blue one  checks out with no red flags, still waiting to get the VIN for the white truck.  I'll go see them this weekend. Do you think there's room for negotiation in the prices?

That white one appears to missing a piece of cladding.

You may want to take that into account.

always room for negotiation...

EXT4ME said:

That white one appears to missing a piece of cladding.

You may want to take that into account.

Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out, didn't notice it.

Take note that the blue one is 2 wheel drive and the white is 4 wheel

avalancheirv said:

Take note that the blue one is 2 wheel drive and the white is 4 wheel

Click to expand...

They both look to be  2wd Z66's

The Blue one seems better to me.  But I would check to make sure was registered in California all it's life.  Don't need a rust-bucket.

Wonder what is mounted in the center console of the white one.

Guys,
I passed on both of the above, too much wear and tear. Just came up on this one, looks a lot better. Please advise, Go or No? It's 4 x 4, which is what I want also. The tailgate handle is missing. Is it difficult to reinstall a new one? Also no bed cover.
Thank you very much.
2005, 106,000 miles, price is $4,900.

My 2004 had a broken tail gate handle when I bought it.

Completely fixable.

Bed panels can be had.

I see sets of them offered in the Facebook groups from time to time.

Neither of those would be a deal killer for me.

That mileage sure looks good for a 2005.

I bought mine 7 years ago with 116,000 and rolling 233K now.

Find a mechanic that will give it a good going over.

Worth the money for the piece of mind.

Sometimes, it's just too hard to wait.

Best of luck with your purchase.

EXT4ME,

Thanks for your opinion. I was also considering a Silverado, so the open bed Avalanche is not too different. I'm not sure if without the bed cover water can get into the cabin? Also not sure if there's time to bring a mechanic on the scene. I think this is one of those that will sell quickly.

Comparing an AV to a Silverado is close but two different things. The Silverado will NOT have the ride quality of the Av since the AV is built on the Suburban platform and rides more luxurious compared to a pickup truck.
The Silverado will stay drier in the cab since the rear window and rear wall is not removable so there is less chance for water to leak inside. If the AV rear window and midgate seals are intact you should not have any water leaks inside. No bed panels might slightly increase chance of water leaks under certain conditions. As stated above the bed panels can be found on this site and others from time to time. Having bed panels will keep things drier and make make your tailgate hard to steal if you keep it locked.
Remember too that you would loose the versatility of the AV if you go for the Silverado, the AV has a 5.3 inch bed all the time but it can be configured to have a 8.1 ft bed if needed. Look at the overall length of a 4 door Silverado with an 8ft. bed and you will be surprised at how long it is....
As far as guessing if this AV is a good deal I still believe in what I said in my first post in this thread, don't just go by pictures but dig into vehicle maintenance and history to see what it was exposed to in it's lifetime. Also check the two websites listed for figuring a fair price.