2011 Chevrolet Avalanche LT Trim Level Overview

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche LT 4WD

A capable all-weather crew cab pickup, the five-passenger 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche LT 4WD might lull passengers into feeling like they’re aboard a full-size SUV. Remove the unique mid-gate, however, and an additional 2.5 feet of cargo space is added to the 5-foot-plus pickup bed, improving its worth as a highly capable load hauler. Appearance features standard with the LT 4WD include 17-inch alloy wheels, a roof rack, and step running boards. Cabin amenities, meantime, include power-adjustable front bucket seats, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, power windows, doors and heated mirrors, tilt-wheel steering, and remote engine start. Entertainment goodies, meantime, include a single-CD player, seven Bose premium speakers, satellite radio, and a USB connection. Additionally, safe communications are ensured with OnStar/Bluetooth hands-free phone technology. Options-wise, the LT 4WD offers a power sunroof, rear-seat DVD entertainment, 20-inch alloy wheels, heavy-duty towing package, and the justifiably famous Z-71 Off-Road Suspension Package. Available front bench seating offers space for an additional passenger.

Though it features on-demand four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction, the 2011 Avalanche LT 4WD doesn’t stop there. Four-wheel ABS, traction and stability control, front side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, daytime running lights, front fog/driving lights, rear parking sensors, and dusk-sensing headlights are all standard safety equipment as well. The OnStar post-collision safety communications system is also standard, while turn-signal-integrated mirrors are an available safety feature.

As with the entire Avalanche lineup, a 320-hp Flex Fuel 5.3-liter V8 engine gives the 2011 LT 4WD its go. Helped by the standard six-speed auto-manual transmission, expect some 335 lb-ft of torque from the V8, enough oomph to tow 8,000 pounds with the available heavy-duty trailering package installed. The part-time 4WD system, meanwhile, features electronic hi-lo gear selection, center and rear locking differentials, and auto-locking hubs.

2011 Chevrolet Avalanche LT

Sporting a pickup bed and an SUV cabin, the 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche LT offers the best of both worlds. Officially a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) five-passenger crew cab pickup, the LT comes equipped with such standard appearance features as 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rack, and step running boards. Cabin comforts and conveniences include, besides the unique mid-gate bed-extending feature, power-adjustable front bucket seats, dual-zone climate control, power accessories including heated outside mirrors, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, upgraded cabin accents, and remote engine start. Entertainment features, meantime, include a single-CD player, satellite radio, seven Bose premium speakers, and a USB connection. Also, OnStar/Bluetooth hands-free communications technology graces this well-endowed brute. Options include 20-inch alloy wheels, rear-seat DVD entertainment, a power sunroof, and the Z-71 Off-Road Suspension Package with 18-inch alloys, beefed up shocks and springs, and upgraded appearance features. There’s also the option of front bench seating that’ll allow an additional passenger aboard.

For 2011, the Avalanche LT boasts such standard safety items as four-wheel ABS, traction and stability control, front side-mounted airbags, front and rear head airbags, daytime running lights, front fog/driving lights, rear parking sensors, and dusk-sensing headlights. OnStar post-collision safety communications technology is also standard, with turn-signal-integrated mirrors remaining an option for the LT.

Powering the 2011 Avalanche LT is a standard variable-valve-timed 5.3-liter Flex Fuel V8 engine. Combined with the standard six-speed auto-manual transmission, the V8 puts out some 320 hp and 335 lb-ft of torque. Despite cylinder deactivation at highway speeds, expect no better than 15/21 mpg from the V8, but this puppy will tow 8,100 pounds with the available heavy-duty towing package installed.