2015 Chevrolet Colorado Long-Term Road Test - Introduction

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2015 Chevrolet Colorado Long-Term Road Test - Introduction

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado the perfect truck for people who don't need the cabin space and towing ability of a full-size pickup? We bought one for our long-term fleet to find out.

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darthbimmer

Is there really much of a fuel economy difference between mid-sized and full-sized pickups? For many years automakers have put a lot of effort into refining full-size V8 engines while seemingly neglecting development on the V6s in their mid-size trucks. The result is, on paper at least, a negligible difference in gas mileage. And over the first 652 miles your Colorado isn't doing much better than your LT 2014 Silverado.

elgac

Over $28k to get a base model 4x4? Damn.

jeepsrt

Invoice is only $1000.00 below MSRP?

jdvatl

I was holding out for the new GM twins but when I built a Crew Cab 4x2 and saw the price escalate to about $35K I decided to move on. Full size trucks are about 90% as fuel efficient and offer much better incentives. The argument of full size trucks are harder to park is a joke; unless you are an urban dweller I don't think this is a valid reason to forgo the advantages a full size offers.

scottnsc2

I was considering this truck when my lease is up on my BMW 3-series, but the price is all wrong. This should be a well equipped vehicle at about $28K, not $34K. Maybe there will be incentives to offset, but as it stands that is way too expensive. I'm hoping Ford will jump back into this category and gives us another option at a better price point.

greenpony

Compared with your Silverado, this truck will save you roughly $15/mo in gas and $70/mo in financing. If spending $1,000/mo on gas+financing makes you cringe, but $915/mo doesn't, then from a purely economic standpoint the Colorado is your truck.

s197gt

i tend to agree that unless you live in the city (like me) this vehicle doesn't make much sense. especially with the heavy incentives on full size pickups.

but i do live in the city and these trucks interest me more than the behemoth full-sizers.

nomercy346

The incredible value of fullsize trucks and their generous incentives really skew peoples perception when it comes to pricing of these trucks.
Anyone expecting a well equipped Colorado at $28k should compare it to a well equipped Focus that commands similar money. Half the hp, driven wheels, capability, almost half the size.

I know it's hard to make an argument for a mid size at those price levels, but they won't drop enough to make them competitive with a fullsize as long as they are not selling like 4-500k a year.

juddholl10

@scptt

scottnsc2 said:

I was considering this truck when my lease is up on my BMW 3-series, but the price is all wrong. This should be a well equipped vehicle at about $28K, not $34K. Maybe there will be incentives to offset, but as it stands that is way too expensive. I'm hoping Ford will jump back into this category and gives us another option at a better price point.

Can I ask why in hell you'd trade a BMW for a Chevy pickup?

kirkhilles1

Well, I'm no truck guy, but its good to get an American vehicle added to the fleet - it was a little German heavy. I don't really understand why you guys buy the highest options available. I mean, I get you want to test them out, but $35k? Geez. Pickup a $17k Fit and add it to your lineup for half that.

mackintire

Buy a fullsize with the same options and it's a $7k price spread without discounts. Even counting the discounts the price spread is still pretty large.

desmolicious

That big plastic piece ruining the ground clearance is a bit unfortunate for a Z-71 off road package. Those tyres don't look very off-roady either.
It seems Toyota has been doing this better for years with their TRD Tacoma, so it is a bit weak that the all new Chevy truck w/ off road package can't match up to that.

mittzombie

That is an ugly truck...

"We're going to be spending a lot of time in our Colorado, so the navigation system ($495) and seven-speaker Bose audio were musts ($500)."
________________

Bose is complete garbage, No highs no lows, must be Bose

allthingshonda

The biggest question I have about this truck is GM's decision to use the 3.6 V6 engine. It's one of the best engines to come out of GM in a long time but I don't think it'll work in well in a truck. It makes most of it's power at high revs, which isn't a problem in a Camaro or Impala; but when you're trying to get a 7,000 lb trailer moving from a stop you need torque at low revs. The Silverado's 4.3 V6 would have been a better choice. It doesn't have as much HP but it has more torque and max power is available at lower revs. There is a reason the 4.0 V6 engines in Tacomas and Frontiers are only available in the trucks and they don't use the 3.5 V6s they have in the cars.

darthbimmer

juddholl10 said:

Can I ask why in hell you'd trade a BMW for a Chevy pickup?

Obviously it'd be crazy to cross-shop those two vehicles, but there are plenty of ways a person's life might change such that they'd want to trade in a 3-series for a pickup truck. Here are three: 1) Moving out to a house in the suburbs with lots of fix-up projects. 2) Realizing a new love of hiking, camping, or fishing in the backcountry. 3) Buying a boat or jet ski and needing to tow it.

quadricycle

Many of the above comments show why so many people get big trucks, the might-as-well principle. Instead, I'll just get what I need and not up-sell myself. I need something with a bed to move random bulky and/or dirty items, easily transport bicycles, and get of the beaten track on moderate trails. Why get a full-size truck with all of the hauling and towing capacity that I don't need when I can get a cheaper, more economical (to own, fix, and run) truck that's easier to live with in town, in my garage, and on the trail.

bankerdanny

The 'fit in the garage' thing is a more easily understandable reason to buy a mid-sized truck than "easier to park on the street." Lots of people who live in a city or own older homes have small garages that just won't fit a full-size truck. The Silverado crew cab short box is 230" long (19' 2") while the Colorado CCSB is 213" (17' 9"). The Colorado CC long bed is 225".

darthbimmer

The "fits in a garage" argument doesn't really fly because most garages won't take a 17'9" long vehicle. Or if they can it's only by clearing out everything fore and aft (storage shelves, bicycles, etc.) and parking the truck with its front bumper to the wall and the rear barely clearing the garage door. I figure this contributes to mid-size pickups sell so poorly compared to their big brothers: you're gonna have to park it outside anyway, so why not get the bigger one with more room, more power, more utility, and nearly the same gas mileage.

two30kv

The garage is the sole reason I'm looking at this truck. I have about 19' to comfortably pull into my garage. (Front tire to the interior curb) My full size Dodge is about 19'-1". A foot shorter would make all the difference. Now does that outweigh all other full size benefits? Probably not right now, but I might get there someday.

fgxtom

Too big, and too heavy. These guys need to look at the 1988 Toyota PU to see what a small truck should be. Put a Jeep wrangler suspension on it.