Chevrolet Astro Van Reviews

While today's minivans offer levels of comfort and performance on par with sedans, the Chevrolet Astro was a minivan from a different era. Compared to front-wheel-drive, car-based minivans, the Chevy Astro was a true workhorse with considerable towing and hauling capabilities.

Chevrolet did offer the Astro van with an all-wheel-drive system, which made it one of the handful of vans, mini or otherwise, capable of tracking confidently through snow and ice.

Most Recent Chevrolet Astro
A 4.3-liter V6 was standard on all Chevrolet Astro passenger vans. Early vans were exclusively rear-wheel drive; Chevrolet added the option of all-wheel drive in 1990. From 1995 onward, Chevrolet sold only the extended-length Astro.
Options included rear air-conditioning, leather upholstery, second-row bucket seats (reducing seating capacity to seven), upgraded stereos, towing preparation and a locking rear differential.

Four-wheel antilock brakes were made standard on Astro passenger vans in 1990. A 1995 face-lift gave the Astro a fresher exterior look. Speed-sensitive power steering was added to ease parking in 1997, and in 1999, Chevrolet adopted a new all-wheel-drive system that sent power to the front wheels only when the rear wheels began to slip -- thus improving fuel economy.

2010 Chevrolet Aveo,Reviews

The 2010 Chevy Aveo gets a 1-horsepower increase, revised manual transmission gear ratios for improved fuel economy and a standard rear spoiler for Aveo5 models.

At first glance, the 2010 Chevrolet Aveo would appear to be a contender for the economy car crown. The 2010 model's changes don't do the Aveo any real favors, either.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2010 Chevrolet Aveo is available as either a sedan or a four-door hatchback, dubbed the Aveo5. In base LS trim, the Aveo is sparingly equipped with 14-inch steel wheels, cloth upholstery, OnStar and a four-speaker AM/FM stereo with an auxiliary input jack.
The Aveo5 hatchback in 2LT form also comes with a rear spoiler.

Powertrains and Performance
Official EPA mileage estimates are respectable for this class, with a manual-equipped Aveo achieving 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. Aveos with the automatic transmission drop to 25/34/28 mpg.

Safety
Front-seat side airbags are standard on all trim levels, but side curtain airbags (a feature that is increasingly common on subcompacts) aren't available. In government crash tests, the 2010 Chevy Aveo sedan earned a top five-star rating for the driver and four stars for the passenger in frontal impacts. Both the sedan and Aveo5 hatchback feature a 60/40 split-folding rear seat that allows for the transport of longer items.

Driving Impressions
Contrary to our customary recommendation to opt for a manual transmission, the Aveo's automatic seems to be the better choice.

2010 Chevrolet Avalanche,Reviews

The 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche gets a couple of changes. The 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche reflects GM's effort to combine a pickup with an SUV. The Avalanche takes after its pickup parent with its four-door crew-cab configuration. Certainly, the full-sized Avalanche is no slouch in the size department.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche is a full-size crew-cab pickup with a removable rear window and exclusive midgate. The basic LS features a composite cargo bed, a removable three-piece cargo cover, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a front 40/20/40-split bench seat with center storage, a power driver seat, basic OnStar capability and a single-CD stereo with an auxiliary jack, USB port and satellite radio.

The top-drawer LTZ offers standard 20-inch wheels, a navigation system, an adaptive suspension, heated and ventilated leather seats, a rearview camera, integrated turn-signal mirrors and an automatic-dimming rearview mirror.

The 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche is available with either two-wheel drive (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). A properly equipped 2WD Avalanche can tow up to 8,100 pounds. Standard Avalanche safety equipment includes antilock disc brakes, stability control, GM's OnStar emergency communications system and a full-length side curtain airbag system with a rollover sensor. With bucket seats, the Avalanche seats five, but it can carry up to six passengers when equipped with the split-bench front seat.

With the midgate up, the Avalanche's cargo bed is 5-feet-3-inches long; drop the midgate and slide the rear seats forward and the bed grows to over 8 feet.

2011 Chevrolet Volt,Reviews

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is Chevy's much-anticipated new plug-in battery/gasoline hybrid, featuring an electric-only mode with a range of up to 40 miles.

So what exactly is the 2011 Chevrolet Volt? We say "quite possibly" because you can't measure the Volt's fuel economy in any standard fashion. Even with a $7,500 federal tax credit, a base Volt will still cost $33,500 -- and that's without the home charging station that's essentially mandatory for a plug-in hybrid like the Volt. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is a midsize five-door hatchback sedan with seating for four.

The Premium Trim package adds leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats. The front-wheel-drive 2011 Volt is primarily powered by an electric motor rated at 149 hp (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque. This motor draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted.

At that point, the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine, which requires premium fuel, comes to life as a replacement power source for the electric motor. In Edmunds range and fuel economy testing, we found the Volt had an electricity range of between 30 and 39 miles in mixed driving. When the battery is depleted, it returned 31.4 mpg. In Edmunds performance testing, the Volt went from zero to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds in electric mode and 9 seconds flat with the engine generator. Safety features on the 2011 Chevy Volt include antilock brakes, stability control, front side airbags, front knee airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the Volt came to a stop in a respectable 124 feet.

The Volt's hatchback design is convenient for loading cargo, but the swooping rear roof line and battery pack location limit maximum luggage capacity to just 10.6 cubic feet with the back seats up.

Driving Impressions
In all-electric mode, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is as quiet and smooth as any EV we've driven -- and it's still a competent vehicle when the engine-generator kicks in.

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe,Reviews

1The 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe gains an integrated trailer-brake controller with the optional Trailering package.

The Expedition offers a third-row seat that conveniently folds away to expand cargo capacity, yet the Ford isn't as powerful as the Tahoe. The 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe is available in three trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. The Tahoe Hybrid is reviewed separately.
The base Tahoe LS comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, tri-zone manual climate control, eight-passenger seating with front power-adjustable bucket seats and center floor console, a 60/40-split second-row seat and 50/50-split removable third-row seat. A front split bench seat may be substituted to enable nine-passenger seating. 4WD models include a single-speed transfer case.

Among options not available on the LS are second-row captain's chairs (for seven-passenger seating) and a Luxury package with heated front and second-row seats (with power release), power-folding mirrors and a power rear liftgate. A second-row split bench seat can be substituted for eight-passenger seating. A six-speed automatic transmission transmits power through the rear wheels on 2WD models or all four wheels on 4WD models. The Tahoe's acceleration is strong for a full-size SUV, as the 4WD Tahoe hit 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds in Edmunds testing. A properly equipped Tahoe can tow up to 8,500 pounds.

The 2011 Chevy Tahoe comes standard with antilock brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and OnStar emergency telematics. Rear parking sensors and a rearview camera are available on every Tahoe, while the Tahoe LTZ can be had with a blind-spot warning system.

2011 Chevrolet Traverse,Reviews

Aside from the audio system's relocated USB input and the addition of heated cloth seats to the options list for LT models, the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse remains largely unchanged.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is a large crossover SUV available in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels. Select the 2LT package and you'll get all that plus tri-zone automatic climate control, a 10-speaker Bose system (with USB port), rear audio system controls, seven-passenger seating (featuring second-row captain's chairs), a power liftgate and a rearview camera integrated into the rearview mirror.

The Traverse LTZ ups the luxury ante with 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power front seats (with driver memory settings), Bluetooth connectivity and remote ignition. In our performance testing, a Traverse LT2 posted a sufficiently quick 0-60-mph time of 8.6 seconds.

EPA fuel economy estimates for the front-wheel-drive Traverse are 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. All-wheel-drive Traverse models are very close at 16/23/19 mpg. Properly equipped, the Traverse can tow up to 5,200 pounds.

Safety
Antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags for all three rows are all standard on the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse, as is one year of GM's OnStar service, including turn-by-turn navigation and hands-free phone connectivity. Depending on which trim level you choose, the interior offers seating for either seven passengers with the second-row captain's chairs or eight with the 60/40-split-folding second-row bench seat. There's also plenty of room for stuff, including 24.4 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third-row seat.

2011 Chevrolet Suburban,Reviews

The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban receives only minor feature changes. The entry-level Suburban LS now gets standard Bluetooth connectivity and rear seat audio controls with headphone jacks.

The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUV is offered in 1500 and heavy-duty 2500 models. The LS comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, side assist steps, roof rack side rails, power front bucket seats with a center console, a 50/50-split third-row seat, tri-zone manual climate control, full power accessories, Bluetooth, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, rear-seat audio control with headphone jacks, and an eight-speaker audio system with a CD player, auxiliary audio/USB jacks and satellite radio.

The Suburban LTZ gets 20-inch polished alloy wheels, a power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, the Autoride rear air suspension, premium leather upholstery, driver seat memory settings, heated and ventilated front seats, power-folding heated second-row seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a premium 10-speaker Bose surround-sound system with satellite radio capability.

Chevrolet offers two engine choices for the 2011 Suburban. Properly equipped, the Suburban 2500 can tow up to 9,600 pounds.

Safety
The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban's list of standard safety features includes four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability control, GM's OnStar emergency communications system, front-seat side airbags and a three-row side curtain airbag system with a rollover sensor. With the available 40/20/40-split front seat, the Suburban can seat up to nine passengers, a total bested only by some full-size vans.

2011 Chevrolet Silverado,Reviews

The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 receives the latest OnStar 9.0 system with improved audio quality and speech recognition.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a full-size pickup truck that is offered in standard cab, extended cab and crew cab body styles. Standard and extended cabs are available with either a standard 6.5-foot bed or an 8-foot long bed. Regular cabs can be had in base Work or midlevel LT trims, while the extended and crew cabs are also available in LS and the range-topping LTZ trim. The LTZ piles on alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control (in extended and crew cabs), an exclusive dash design with wood and metallic accents, leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable heated front bucket seats, driver-seat memory settings, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, remote engine start and a Bose audio system with a six-disc CD changer and rear audio controls.

The 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 is available with four different engine choices. Work trucks are powered by a standard 4.3-liter V6 that produces 195 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission with a tow and haul mode is standard on Silverado pickups with the base V6 and 4.8-liter V8. The 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s utilize a six-speed automatic. Properly equipped, a Silverado 1500 can tow up to 10,700 pounds.

Fuel economy estimates range from 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined for a crew cab XFE down to 12/19/14 mpg for a 4WD Silverado 1500 fitted with the 6.2-liter V8.

Safety
In our testing, a Silverado crew cab with four-wheel disc brakes stopped from 60 mph in a short 120 feet.

Crew-cab models feature comfortable rear seats with flip-up seat cushions that provide a nearly flat load floor. Unlike previous generations of pickups, the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is actually pleasant to drive. The 5.3-liter V8 feels brawny and the 6.2-liter V8 turns the Silverado into a veritable muscle truck.