A holdover from last year's revamping, the 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche gets standard side impact airbags for all of its five trims. This full-size SUV converts to a pickup with the removal of the midgate wall and window and wins fans with its roominess, versatile configurability, and seamless ability to cross over from family hauler to workhorse.

Available in either rear-wheel or four-wheel drive, the 2008 Avalanche comes in five trims: LS, LT1, LT2, LT3, and the high-end LTZ. All start with full power features, a CD player, ABS brakes and standard stability control. A 5.3-liter, 320-hp V8 is paired with a 4-speed automatic. It gets around 14/20 mpg city/highway and can tow up to 8,200 pounds. For those needing more power, a 6.0-liter, 366-hp V8 is optional. The engine features cylinder deactivation to improve fuel economy. As you move up the trim lines, you'll find more bells and whistles in the form of leather seats, larger 20-inch wheels (17-inch are standard in the base LS), and heated seats.

The unique feature in the 2008 Avalanche is the midgate wall. The door and window can be removed in one piece, to expand the 5.2-foot cargo bed (45-cubic-foot capacity) to a Ford F-150-like 8-foot cargo bed. Doing so requires the rear seats to be folded down, reducing passenger capacity from six to three. It also removes any barrier between front passengers and the outdoors. If you just need a pass-through for longer objects, the door can be removed as a separate piece, with the window left intact.

The 2008 Avalanche impresses drivers with its car-like handling, overall appearance, and versatility, but elicits bad reviews for blind spots, fuel economy, low 9-inch ground clearance, and maneuverability. Some say the midgate is cumbersome to remove.