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Chevrolet Colorado
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I don't buy the argument that the weight of the truck has that much to do with the ratings. Example: Toyota Tacoma, crew cab 4x4, curb weight, 3,705. Towing rating, 5,000 lbs. Colorado crew cab 4x4, curb weight, 4002. Towing rating, 4,000 lbs. My current S-10 ext. cab 2wd rates at 5,200 or close to it, curb weight, 3,200. No way the Toyota or my S-10 are beefier, have better brakes, etc. than the new Colorado, yet they have higher tow capacity. The Toy has a high center of gravity, my S-10 a lower center of gravity, both rate higher. Talk physics all you want, but this is GM's way to force people into full-sized.
"Not everyone tows, maybe 20% of owners, how many need 6500lbs? maybe 10% why make a truck that has a harsh ride to be able to tow 6500lbs? to only appeal to %10 of most drivers?"
How soft do you think the suspension is going to be on the new sport version, lowered w/17" rims? What percentage of drivers will that appeal to (above the age of 20 anyway)? If they can do that, you'd think they could offer a heavier duty spring package for towing.
"trust me the drive train on these things are bullet proof!!!!!"
Don't know how you can make that claim, since this is a new 1st year vehicle with a new 1st year motor. Let's wait and see on that, eh?
Who wants to waste all their gas on a V-8? This I-5 engine sounds like it has V-6 power on 4 cylinder mileage. If this is true, I am sure that people will not be complaining that much about the suppossed lack of torque. Besides the old 4.3 Vortec engine was never very smooth, and made lots of noise inside the engine. Thus I think this is a good move on GM's part to launch with the current engine lineup, this can always be modified later.
MT
As consumers we always want more - more space, more towing, more power, more fuel economy...
To me the new Colorado delivers on all these but towing. Many new models do not get all the nice engines and suspensions the first year. I am hoping we will see a six cylinder, a diesel, and better towing numbers in later model years.
Also, the Colorado will be very important to Chevy in order to meet CAFE requirements. Chevy cannot sell Suburbans, Tahoes, and Avalanches without balancing them out with high fuel efficiency Colorados.
As for diesels, Chevy has access to many state of the art diesels through their partnership with Isuzu. But I would not expect to see any diesel available until ultra-low sulfur diesel is mandated in 2006.
Greg
FYI
Well, my theory is, why not give us more of a choice? If you want miserly MPG, that's why they're offering the 4-cylinder, right? Few people buy trucks for gas mileage anyway. It's more than a supposed lack of torque, it is less torque (than the 4.3). Hopefully, the crew cab 4x4 with 4.10's and I-5 will have plenty of power. Sure, it's a small truck, and I'm not saying pack the 5.3 v-8 in there, but the I-6 from the Trailblazer would be pretty sweet, would it not?
Back to the point, I think the base engine will very nice, especially compared with anything that Ford, Dodge, or Toyota peddles. And you must give GM credit for going out on a limb by doing something new with the I-5 engine. While it may have less torque, it does have my horsepower and thus should not have any problems with quickness. Especially when you consider that Chev will offer 4:10 gears, that should be more than sufficient for this size of vehicle.
About towing, it should tow a 5000 pound trailer with no problems, even though it is rated at 4000. My C1500 actually had a rating of 2500 pounds due to the manual transmission, but I did end up towing some 4000-5000 pound trailers before and once it got up to speed it had no problems on the highway or whatever. If you want to tow anything more than 5000 get a full size, its safer that way from a physics standpoint and you will be able to do it much easier, considering better weight on full size, V8, or even diesel engine options, heavy duty transmissions, etc.
Finally, why does Chevy have to offer the I-6 engine? I think this goes back to bragging rights and stupid issues of machismo, or being macho. You cannot pull up in your new truck with the I-5 and tell this to your buddies right? They will think you are a sissy or something? Ha ha, I just laugh at anybody who buys a vehicle strictly so they can look cool. To me, a vehicle must have a blend of looks, usefullness, and driveability, along with a competitive price versus value quotient. Its like picking a girlfriend, only a fool goes just for looks, or vice versa just personality, there has to be a balance here. I think Chevy achieves a good balance of power, looks, engineering on this vehicle.
MT
The present 4cyl is an embarassment IMO; build quality is all over the place, and for a 40-year-old design, they still have (or had, 5 yrs ago) issues with piston slap and the like.
The new family of inline engines sounds really good -- powertrain is not just a strength of GM, it is probably the ONLY strength. Consider that BMW uses a GM product in their 7-series.
Why am I even here? Well, I've got $2,500 in GM Card discounts, and in one or two years, I'm gonna have to do something with them. So the Colorado is an obvious choice, but I'm waiting until it'sbeen out for a while. At least they're making 2/4wd, 4/5cyl, and man/auto tranny available across the board. THAT is nice. Also, the size is nice, at least for my needs. If I want a big truck, I'll buy one.
Now let's hope the thing holds together like, say, a Nissan... we'll look for Honda/Toyota quality and reliability further down the road. Living as I do in a GM town, I really wish they'd get it together. There's always the Pontiac Vibe and a switch to the Subaru Credit Card if they don't.
Can someone tell me what's so important about tow rating and power? The darned S10s, once they are three years old, barely bring half of what a similar Tacoma goes for at auction. That's how shoddily many of them are built. And you worry about POWER??? The Tacoma is an old design, uncomfortable, no extra doors, ugly.... but it's built to last.
At least we KNOW the Colorado is going to be an improvement.
-Mathias
Why is towing so important to some people? Well a lot of people do tow things, but a lot of people that really need a good truck for towing loads, such as horses, contractors equipment, etc. normally step up to a tougher 3/4 or 1ton rig with a big block engine, or even better a turbodiesel, and better transmissions. If you are looking into smaller trucks, the argument about towing becomes rather silly. I used one of my pickups from the past, a 1995 Chev s-10, 2wd, for loading firewood in the bed. If you loaded that thing up, it would sink in the rear end, almost touching the stops, except I counteracted the problem somewhat by installing air shocks, and it would make a terrible groaning noise in the driveline, it got so bad that I was afraid to own the truck anymore and traded it in on a 1997 C1500, which had no problems pulling a trailer and at the same time loading stuff in the cargo box.
Really I think that people overkill on their ideas about the towing thing. Small trucks are not built to tow heavy loads, over 5000, and should be used just for smaller stuff, IMO.
I agree with you on the quality of Toyota trucks, though I think their design is bland, and they drive just terrible.
Also, I do believe that GM does make good drivetrain materials, but not on a Tracker I used to own. I think the new model Tracker contains parts made by Suzuki, more than those made by GM. I had so many transmissions replaced in that thing, it was ridiculous. Though I believe it was not necessarily GM's fault, really the fault of bad design and cramped driveline put together by Suzuki.
I also believe the Colorado will be an excellent truck, and that the engine choices will provide more than adequate performance without losing a good amount of mileage, plus the trucks look very nice.
MT
"About towing, it should tow a 5000 pound trailer with no problems, even though it is rated at 4000."
-Maybe, but who would want to explain their insurance company, after an accident, that sure, they were towing 5,000 lbs, even though it is rated for only 4,000? Not me. Not that I'd ever try to two that much with such small truck.
No, for me, I just wonder why Chevy's competition (Nissan, Toyota, Dodge, and Ford) offers 5,000 rating, and Chevy only 4,000. I'm a big Chevy fan, love their small trucks, and I hate to see this. From everything I've seen, the Colorado is going to be awesome, but this is an issue for me.
My boat weighs in at 3,200; throw some gear in the bed, a few people, and you're close to the limit. Maybe a full-sized would be better for me in that respect. Could I park it in my garage? No. It would get worse gas mileage, and would be a huge pain at the parking garage at work. Not to mention it will cost more.
"My boat weighs in at 3,200; throw some gear in the bed, a few people, and you're close to the limit."
All that I am trying to say is that the limit is very conservative from the manufacture's listing. As I stated above my 1997 C1500 only had a rating of 2500lbs, due to the manual transmission. I did on occassion pull a 4000lb wood trailer, plus about another 1500-2000lb's of wood in the bed. It sank somewhat in the rear, but I had good 6ply tires on it and the suspension was more than adequate. If you add both those numbers up, you will find that I was about 3500lbs over what the manufacture suggested. Did it hurt my truck, do not think so, it was running strong until the day I traded it in at 52K miles.
"Maybe a full-sized would be better for me in that respect. Could I park it in my garage?"
Why not, is your garage really a garage? I am sorry to say, but even with a 4X4, most conventional garages should be able to fit a full-size. I know people with Suburbans that put them in their standard garages, tight fit but still it works.
"It would get worse gas mileage, and would be a huge pain at the parking garage at work. Not to mention it will cost more."
Not necessarily, I have driven compact V6 trucks that seemed to get about the same mileage as a full-size, small block V8 truck. Again it involves the manner in which the vehicle is driven.
Concerning the competition, you are correct that the others have higher tow ratings, but like anything comparing the Dodge Dakota to the Colorado, or the Ranger, or the Frontier is like apples to oranges. The Dakota is a decent truck, though its V8 is overplayed, and not really all that fun to drive as some would tell you, also the gas mileage is a miserable 14MPG all the time. The Frontier and Tacoma are nice looking, though they ride like a tank in 4X4 version, and the power on each is not very good either, only adequate. The Ford Ranger has decent power and ride, but it just feels cheap and shoddy inside and out. They begin to rust really quick from small chips, this coming from friends that own newer Rangers, and they have problems with the auto transmission.
A lot of these things are true about the current S-10 as well. All I am saying is that I think the Colorado is the nicest looking truck on the compact market and seems to have a lot of nice features. If I buy it, I certainly will not be using it for towing much of anything, this hurts a vehicle after awhile, unless it is a full size that is meant to handle heavier loads.
MT
You're right, and the lower the tow rating, the more it will hurt it I would think, which is why I'm bummed and will probably have to go full sized and miss out on this great vehicle. A lot of people who buy trucks actually use them for some towing, even the small trucks. It just would have been nice if Chevy had not left me out in the cold on this one.
No big deal I guess, father in law is a Chevy salesman, says to wait for the 1/2 ton crew cab coming out after January with the 5.3 (they did away with the 1500 HD and are going to make a 1/2 ton to compete with the Ford Supercrew) Should cost a few bucks more, but looks like it will fit my needs perfectly.
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It really is as simple as that, and who really wants to use their new truck for towing, unless you really have to, because it does beat up components after some time.
MT
But, I know lots of people who buy new trucks for the explicit purpose of towing. That's what they're built for, after all. Most trucks ought to be able to handle the weekend trip to the lake with the boat here and there, or pulling a pop up camper a few weekends a year, without missing a beat.
http://www.truckworld.com/Truck-Tests/04-chevy_colorado/sport/04-- - colorado_sport2.html
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"This rather weak tow rating is not the result of a weak pickup design. Rather a handcuffing of GM to meet the stringent EPA emissions standards.
In order to keep emissions minimized under heavy load (towing), they had to lean out the fuel mapping. Engines keep cooler under heavy load by increasing the amount of fuel flowing into the cylinders, so leaning out the fuel mixture results in higher engine cylinder head and block temperatures.
So, GM engineers reduced the maximum load/tow rating of the Colorado based entirely on fuel delivery and subsequent engine cooling, not on the actual strength or reliability of the powertrain."
-mike-
Though the towing is limited somewhat, I still think there would not be a problem exceeding the limit, not by a lot, but at least some, and I am pretty sure the engine can handle the towing duties.
MT
go to the message board!!!
Quality??? I think people are in denial when it comes to Toyota quality! They have same if not more problems as everyone else!!!
My thing is, if towing is a big concern, full-size is the only way to go. If mileage is a concern, go 4cyl. If a V8 is wanted, either do a swap, go full-size or get a real mid-size like the Dakota. Mine is fine for me because I knew the most I was going to haul were engine blocks, transmissions, rear ends and the like; not a boat, trailer or something like that. If I was, I would have went with a full-size.
Question: when did Chevy go to the 3.73? The shortest I could get at the time was a 3.42 (the 4.10 was only offered with the 4cyl, 5 speed).
Also the sound I was talking about on my C1500 from a long time ago was a pinging noise while driving at speed and it got worse under load situations such as going up a hill. Always wondered if something was wrong with the clutch or transmission. Also, I wonder if Chevy has fixed the exhaust and catalytic problems they were having on the mid to late 90's trucks.
MT
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+25K with no discounting to speak of. I'd guess the S10 crowd, which is a pretty large crowd at that, will be looking elsewhere. One thing positive that I can think of though, the truck is not being built in New Jersey. Had 9 S-series vehicles and the lemon of the bunch was from N.J.
The former went up by 50% I heard.
IT IS A COLOROADO Z85 LS EXTENDED CAB w/ I5
4 SPEED AUTO, 3.73 REAR AXLE
WITN SOME OTHER MINOR OPTIONS THE MSRP IS 27,560
DELIVERY IS AROUND MID DECEMBER
as to whether heated outside mirrors are avbl
either standard or as an option. At least on
U.S. models. Can anyone shed any light on this
subject?
Also, were rules changed regarding the airbag
cutoff switch? On extended cab models, I thought
the passenger side cutoff switch was still avbl.
Now I see only on models that DON'T provide the
skimpy rear seat. What's with that?
I usually wait until the second year of production to buy a new model, but I was sold on the Colorado after the test drive. The Colorado is so new - GMAC has no insurance rating for it yet.
Has anyone else bought a Colorado yet. How do you like it? Any problems or issues to address?
t_wrx : Congrats. I think you are the first owner here. Keep us up to date on how you like it.
As for the earlier question regarding the front passenger airbag shut-off switch, it is not available on extended cabs with the rear seats because the child seats are always supposed to be mounted in the rear. The rear seats in the extended cab provide the LATCH system and 3 point shoulder harnesses and will accomodate most child seats.
L5 mileage estimates are: Crew Cab: 2wd 18/24, 4x4 17/22 (both with auto. transmission). Regular and extended cabs with manual 19/25 or 18/24 with automatic.
The new chassis is suppose to be more rigid, like 250%, than the S-10/Sonoma, but again, no specifics were given. From an exploded view, it doesn't look as though the frame is boxed, or that any significant cross-bracing has been added.
Also, the only details given in terms of engine choices were that, again, management feels the I-4 and I-5 will do the deed. To them there's no need to put in the I-6 since the I-5 makes as much if not more hp/torque than the competitors' sixes.