2005 Chevrolet Avalanche in Costa Mesa, California

It may not be cheap, but the Chevy Avalanche is one slick, innovative truck, an impressive concept vehicle that made it all the way to production. Built on the same chassis as the Chevrolet Suburban and every bit as big, the Avalanche combines the passenger-pampering comfort of a Tahoe with the load-hauling capability of a long-bed Silveradopickup. That's an impressive combination for someone who sometimes wants the utility of an eight-foot bed and other times needs seating for four, five or even six people.

The key to this truck's versatility is its clever Midgate, which is like having a second tailgate between the cabin and bed. Normally, the Avalanche can carry five adults in comfort and a large amount of cargo in a covered, 5-foot 3-inch indestructible bed. But when you need more space, the rear seats fold down, the Midgate folds forward, and voila! You have an eight-foot bed capable of hauling 4x8-foot sheets of plywood. And your plywood, or drywall, stays dry inside the covered bed, out of the rain. Or take the cover off the bed, remove the rear window and you can park an ATV back there.

As neat as that is, almost equally impressive is the attention to detail seen throughout the Avalanche. Some of the people on the team that designed and marketed the Avalanche spend their weekends fishing, hunting or boating. These folks fully understood the needs of outdoor enthusiasts and they provided for those needs with features such as flush-mounted cargo lights that illuminate the bed, foldaway tie-down hooks, and footholds and handholds for climbing onto the bed. The hard cargo cover over the bed is made of a highly rigid material that can easily support your weight, handy when trying to get things done. We've seen the Avalanche employed by all kinds of people, including building contractors who need the utility of a pickup but want a luxurious cab for passengers.