Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the board and am really, really close to getting a new 4x4 '08 Tundra SR5 Crewmax. The one I have selected is Silver Sky with Graphite cloth interior. It comes with the SR5 package, 18" Alloy Wheels with 275/65x18 tires, heated mirrors, front and rear sonar parking sensors, fog lamps and Carpet floor mats with door sill protectors. The quoted price for this is just below $33,000 before tax and license and this is after the $2000 discount from the internet price. Now I'm not sure how flexible the dealership will be with the out-the-door price, but I'm predicting the total cost will just be above $36,500.

However, I've also been looking at a new 4x4 '07 Chevy Avalanche and with my supplier discount, the price of the one I'm interested in is very attractive especially with the package it comes with. It's an LT model, and its color is the Sunburst Orange Metallic with Ebony-colored Leather interior. It comes with an electric sliding sunroof, heated washer fluid system, locking rear diff, rain sensing wipers, 3.73 gearing and the LT3 equipment group (includes heated front leather bucket seats w/ 12-way power, power adjustable pedals, remote starter, AM/FM stereo w/ MP3 compatible 6-disc CD changer, head curtain side airbags on all rows, Bose Premium speaker system, rear parking assist, power folding mirrors w/ auto dimming & turn signals, universal remote and dual-zone automatic climate control). I made an offer over the weekend and just got a call today saying that they can do my price of $37,000 out-the-door which includes tax and license...

OMFG!!! I do love the Tundra but what am I supposed to decide when I have an Avalanche this well-equipped? If I were to get the same accessories for the Tundra, the price would be well over what I would like to spend...

Someone please help me make the right decision...

What are you going to use the truck for?

Which one do you find has the more attractive physical appearance?

Is a fully loaded vehicle more important to you?

Which one do you feel is more reliable?

I hope these questions will help in your decision.

 

Hmm...that's a very tough call! I admit I love the finer things in life, so those options are definitely appealing. Are you towing? the Tundra might be better equipped for that.
To me the Avalanche looks like a tonka truck, even though the new ones have come a long way. My neighbor has brand new Avalanche and he really likes it....but theres something about it that turns me off.
It just comes down to your gut feeling. What do you feel more comfortable in? Don't just look at the options, think about what you want to be driving for a few years. Also, think about resale. Toyotas reputation has given their vehicles very good resale values.
Have you actually driven any of them?

 

Easy....silver is much better than orange!

 

What are you going to use the truck for?

Which one do you find has the more attractive physical appearance?

Is a fully loaded vehicle more important to you?

Which one do you feel is more reliable?

I hope these questions will help in your decision.

Lexuses82,

Thanks for your suggested questions... They're exactly the ones that I've been banging my head against the wall with. The way I see it, whichever way I go, I'm always going to wish it had that engine, or the leather interior, or the spacious second row, or the sunroof, etc...

It basically comes down to a matter of which decision I can live with...

Wish me luck...

 

If you are not using the bed a lot, and I am guessing you are not because you chose a small bed tundra and a small bed chevy, why not go for the tahoe or seq.? They have a lot of comfort features for nearly the same price and your gear stays dry.

Just trying to make things more difficult.

 

Hmm...that's a very tough call! I admit I love the finer things in life, so those options are definitely appealing. Are you towing? the Tundra might be better equipped for that.
To me the Avalanche looks like a tonka truck, even though the new ones have come a long way. My neighbor has brand new Avalanche and he really likes it....but theres something about it that turns me off.
It just comes down to your gut feeling. What do you feel more comfortable in? Don't just look at the options, think about what you want to be driving for a few years. Also, think about resale. Toyotas reputation has given their vehicles very good resale values.
Have you actually driven any of them?

Hey there 6incheshigher,

Thanks for your reply. With regards to the Avalanche, I never really liked them to begin with, that is until the 2007 model came out. They look so much better now. Anyway, to answer your question, I have test driven both, and IMHO, both are very comfortable. I can definitely feel the power in the Tundra though and its quite obvious that the Avalanche is the weaker of the two. Between Toyota and Chevy though, I do agree that the Tundra will have a better resale value if I decide to sell in the future. I just have to decide which of the two I will feel more comfortable in...

Again, your reply is much appreciated... Thanks!

 

Buy a dodge diesel before you buy the avlanche.

 

can always add heated leather to the tundra same with remote start. the sunroof on the other hand....

 

If you are not using the bed a lot, and I am guessing you are not because you chose a small bed tundra and a small bed chevy, why not go for the tahoe or seq.? They have a lot of comfort features for nearly the same price and your gear stays dry.

Just trying to make things more difficult.

Thanks for helping Dixie4x4...

As a matter of fact, I have considered those SUV's as well, but I've always wanted a pickup truck type vehicle for the longest time and feel that this will be my best opportunity to get one. As for keeping things dry, I'm already looking around for a tonneau cover for the Tundra. I just have to make a decision and get it first. The Avalanche already has one... By the way, the only other pickup I've looked at is the F150... They're nice too but definitely underpowered....

Anyway, thanks again for your reply... :tu:

 

If you use the bed alot Tundra.
Not too crazy about the mid-gate.
If you drive alot Tundra.
I myself have four Toyotas in the family stable so the last one is quite biased!

 

I went through this myself for a few years and much to the wife's relief, we went with the Tundra. Just sign up on www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com to see all the users there and get a better perspective on potential pitfalls and the like. In general the people there are pretty decent, but that midgate has problems galore. And trust me on this, you don't want to have 1500lbs of sheet rock up against the back of your driver's seat when you hit the brakes...
Other than that, the Avalanche is pretty nice and rides quite smoothly... especially now since they've gotten rid of all of the plastic save the stuff mounted on the bed sides to stabilize the form of the body with the bed. Try them both out, but I think you'll agree that when it comes to the actual drive and use of interior space, Tundra wins hands-down.

 

I hope you will be satisfied with your final decision...

I have driven GM products,cars and trucks, for 52 years....I think the quality of their trucks has gone downhill for the past few years especially in the SAFETY aspect...Steering shafts & brakes....I finally gave up after fighting them over warranty issues...

I like the looks and features of the Avalanche but find it hard to see out of..I also owned a Cadillac with the motor that went from 8 cylinders to 6 to 4...What an engineering nightmare...I cannot stand this back and forth changing for 1 mpg..They say you can't feel it in the new trucks but that is BS...Can you imagine what would happen if this system fails???A 4 cylinder Avalanche..

I bought a new Tundra a couple of months ago & I wonder why I hadn't done it sooner..The fit & finish is far superior to GM...Do the "door closing test"...My wife hardly ever comments on a vehicle of any kind but said "this truck seems more solid than your last one"....

Drive both, and not just around the block....Really test them out....I think you will come to the same decision that I did...

Whatever your choice, I hope you will be happy...A lot of money invested...

 

OOps was thinking of the ridgeline.

 

There is no decision to make.............Chevy ---> POS

08 TUNDRA FTW

 

I MUST ADMIT. The Avalanche does have all the bells and whistles. BUT!, it all depends, is it as sexy as the Tundra? I have also HEARD that the Avalanche has some kind of device in their engines that shuts down the cyclinders to save fuel in city streets. But then again, that still wasn't enough to get me in their field. TOYOTA?, how bout' 0% financing , 0 DOWN? Awesome! You can't beat that!!!! The 0% financing takes care of fuel costs right there!!!! lol

 

Avalanche vs Tundra is really an "apples to oranges" comparison. The Avalanche has some very nice features but it is not a "truck" in the same sense as a pickup. Hence why GM still sells a Silverado.

My sister had an Avalanche that she liked alot and it gave her 6 good years before my 16 yr old nephew wrecked it. However, I would never have chosen it over a pickup. I think of the Avalanche as more of a Tahoe with a place to haul stuff you wouldn't want to put on the carpet.

I have a house-builder friend who bought an Avalanche because he like that it had the covered, lockable bed for his power tools. However, he constantly complained about it's lack of towing ability and he traded it for a F-150 after the engine blew pulling his Bobcat.

I'm not saying the Avalanche is in any way a bad vehicle. Personally, I would say buy the Tundra but I am obviously biased as an owner. If you like the features and are satisfied with the limitations of the design of the Avalanche (in regards to using it as you would a pickup truck) I would say go for it.

 

you can't decide between an 07 Snowflake and a 08 Tundra???

I guess if you like the Chevy version of the Honda Ridgeline you should buy the Snowflake, but if you desire a real pickup buy the Tundra.

 

Get the Tundra and have your dealer put in Katzkin leather. Thats what I did. It is nicer than factory leather. You will love the space on the Crewmax. My kids always want to ride in the Crewmax over our Suburban. If you like the covered space of the Catastrophy errrr... Avalanche(I'm always getting my natural disasters mixed up) then get an Extang Trifold cover - I love mine.

P.S. Have you ever wondered what It would be like to be at the Chevy dealer looking at trucks when your salesman says "well, have you checked out the Avalanche?" and reply "My brother was killed in an avalanche in the Rockies - thanks for reminding me."

 

Well, there are a lot of people that don't like Chevy here! I personally think the Avalanche is a good truck, but not many people see it that way. It may not be the most capable, but it does about 90% of what most trucks do and it is pretty functional for a lot of things that many trucks can't do or don't do easily.
Having said that, don't worry about the cylinder deactivation on the truck... it does the 8 to 4 to save gas, can take E85, and I think next year they'll add an electric motor so you'll get good mileage from the 5.3L. The leather seats are way better than in the Toyota (that is why I got the SR5 instead of the Limited... I can go with aftermarket and get much better leather, though I really wanted the Optitron gauges), but they still come with only the 4-speed transmission, column shifter instead of a console shifter, and just don't make good use of the interior space. I think it is well built, but the midgate and cover have issues, so just be aware of that.
If you aren't going to make use of the midgate, I would say just get the Silverado or the Sierra (which IMHO looks better than the Chevy) as a crew cab and try getting the 6.0L with the 6-speed transmission.
Or save yourself all of the trouble and just get a Tundra. It lacks the "auto" 4WD system, but switching to 4WD when you need it is available and it works very well (no big clunking when you change from 2WD to 4WD or vice versa). A lot of the little touches in the Tundra are what make it very appealing and if you test drive both, you'll quickly see what I mean. In the end, you'll find something you like that suits you. Just try to avoid that orange color... it seems nice at first, but remember that you have to live with it everyday...

 

Get the Tundra and have your dealer put in Katzkin leather. Thats what I did. It is nicer than factory leather. You will love the space on the Crewmax.

I concur! :tu:

 

You are in the EXACT same position I was in about 6 months ago. I could get GMAC employee discounting which adds another 2-3K to your discount.

I like the Avalanche alot.

The deal breaker for me was this:

If I ever needed to haul anything farely big, which would work better?
With the midgate open and large things in the bed of the truck, what would happen if I had to stop suddenly or had a frontal collision?
If I use the midgate to get the extra room I need for large items, where do I put my kids now?

By the way, I bought a 5.7 Double Cab, 20's, Navi, Leather, etc. It has plenty of room in the rear and you have the option of either the 6.5 or 8 foot bed.

 

I went through this myself for a few years and much to the wife's relief, we went with the Tundra. Just sign up on www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com to see all the users there and get a better perspective on potential pitfalls and the like. In general the people there are pretty decent, but that midgate has problems galore. And trust me on this, you don't want to have 1500lbs of sheet rock up against the back of your driver's seat when you hit the brakes...
Other than that, the Avalanche is pretty nice and rides quite smoothly... especially now since they've gotten rid of all of the plastic save the stuff mounted on the bed sides to stabilize the form of the body with the bed. Try them both out, but I think you'll agree that when it comes to the actual drive and use of interior space, Tundra wins hands-down.

Dude, you owe me a new keyboard........I just spit my grapefruit juice out laughing so hard!!!

Telling him to rely on a website concerning pitfalls??? Have you even read some of the threads here at TS???

The Chevy rides smoothly "especially now since they've gotten rid of all the plastic..." ????? Interesting theory.


To the OP..........buy the one that makes you happy. My only comment is that over the years, you can ad a lot of the luxury stuff to the Tundra (like the before mentioned leather) and more customize exactly like you want.

If it means anything, I bought the Toy over the much more luxurious Denali.

 

There is no decision to make.............Chevy ---> POS

08 TUNDRA FTW

LOL!! So tell me how ya really feel! I do agree though.

 

I almost bought a 07 silverado, becuase chevrolet silverados are all that i have ever owned. I then drove the tundra, bought the tundra and have no regrets. The tundra is off the charts in every statistic (except gas consumption), and I personally feel better driving a toyota, i have no worries.

Hope that helps

 

Both trucks sound good. I bought a crewmax SR5 with tow mirrors heated, 6 disk cd changer, fog lamps, TRD package, all weather floor mats, duel exhaust, leather (both added at dealer and are exceptional quality). Paid 34,300 without tax tag and title. I thought it was a great deal. I didn't consider the Chevy Avalanche however I am sure it has some really great features. I don't believe you mentioned the power train. The Tundra's biggest plus to me the the 5.7 and 6 speed transmission. I would be happy with just that option without all the others. The leather is nice.... easy to clean. The duel is nice in that you can hear the power as well as feel it. I am not sure what sort of power the Avalanche has. Just be sure to take a long test drive in both and feel the power of the Tundra. Now that time has passed since I bought mine power seems to be the biggest plus all the other options ..... I guess I have just gotten used to. After about 8 -10 payments it is really just a truck.............. a really fast truck that call haul azz and haul a hude load with great control. Hope this helps.