2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 34 Avalanche reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche does very well in federal government crash tests. New this year, all trims receive standard head-curtain side-impact air bags.
In government crash tests, the Avalanche earns five stars for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts, and five stars for the front and rears seat in side impacts. The Avalanche gets a rollover rating of three stars for both the 2WD and 4WD models. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has not yet conducted private crash tests on the Avalanche.
Accident Avoidance
Standard active safety features include anti-lock brakes (ABS), StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control and a Driver Information Center, which continuously monitors various vehicle functions.
Reviewers were especially pleased with the Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, which is standard on the LT2, LT3 and LTZ and optional on the LS and LT1. Sensors in the rear bumper alert you to stationary objects up to eight feet behind the vehicle while traveling in reverse at low speeds. MSN and others appreciate the system for helping with low rear visibility due to a high tailgate: "I was thankful the tester had optional rear park assist. There was simply no way for me to know what was behind the Avalanche's high tailgate, otherwise."
An optional rear camera system works in concert with the Rear Parking Assist to allow the driver to see certain stationary objects on the navigation screen when approaching them at very low speeds. The Orlando Sentinel especially likes the camera's ability to point directly at the trailer hitch when the tailgate is down, "making it a cinch to back up to a trailer." Auto Mall USA tried out the rear view camera for parallel parking and other maneuvers in tight quarters, with positive results: "This system is not a gadget," the reviewer praises. "It speeds parking and maneuvering and can help alert the driver to the presence of a child or adult behind the truck."
Crash Protection
Standard passive safety features include a Passenger Sensing System, which automatically switches the right-front passenger air bag on or off based on the passenger's weight and the type of pressure on the seat. Head-curtain side-impact air bags are standard on all trims in 2008.
The Avalanche also features two lower child anchor tethers in the center and right-hand rear seats. Cars.com notes that most other vehicles "lack these anchors in the center location, which is the safest place for a child." However, the reviewer isn't too happy with the location of the tethers and calls their set-up "regrettably minimalist." The top tethers are placed underneath and behind each seat, a location that requires folding up the cushion to find them. Many SUVs and pickups mount top-tether anchors on the seatbacks or rear wall -- sometimes with guide hoops through which to pull the strap taut."
