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2004 Chevrolet Colorado
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| Midsize Upsized |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:27:47 |
| Rating |
 418 ( 36 +8.61% ) | | Author | Dan Lyons |
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Description:
2004 Chevrolet Colorado
Midsize Upsized
Writer's Notes
Test Vehicle
2004 Chevy Colorado
MSRP:
$16,200 (base)
$18,545 (Extended Cab 4x2)
$20,670 (LS Crew Cab 4x2)
$23,230 (LS Crew Cab 4x4)
First Impressions:
Chevy replaces aging S-10's with solid, full spectrum midsize line
The Competition:
Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Mazda B-Series
With three different sizes available, Colorado's cabin can take on many different looks, depending on buyer preferences.
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After a 22 year run, Chevy retires their S-10 pickup line this year in favor of a new model. Colorado enters the market with virtually a blank slate. Only the seat frame carries over from its predecessor. Colorado is all about choices. Chevy's new pickup is offered in three body styles (two door Regular Cab, four door Extended Cab, four door Crew Cab), two trim levels ( base and LS), and two bed lengths (five and six feet, depending on cab size). Want more? Two drivelines are available (rear or four wheel drive), two engines (2.8 liter I-4, 3.5 liter I-5), two transmissions (5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic) and three suspensions (Z85 Heavy Duty, Z71 Off-Road high stance and ZQ8 Sport (4x2 only)). Given the size of the menu, it's no surprise that prices range widely. A base, 4x2, Regular Cab will have a delivered price of $16,200, while an LS level Crew Cab 4x4 stickers for $23,230.
A bold face that you can spot in a crowd is an asset in the truck market (just ask Dodge's Ram), and Chevy makes the grade here. Face first, a full length, bowtie clad crossbar bisects a gaping, crosshatch grille and oversize, rounded rectangle lights. A below -bumper air dam houses parking lights. In all, a distinctive, aggressive face.
Good looks will get you somewhere, but people live inside their trucks, so interiors are a make or break part of the salability of a new model. All Colorado passenger compartments measure 4" longer than S-10. With three different sizes available, Colorado's cabin can take on many different looks, depending on buyer preferences. The biggest differences, obviously, have to do with what's behind the front seat. In Regular Cabs, the answer is, nothing. Actually, it's next to nothing, as there is a small, inboard storage area behind the seat but it's just that - small. Next up is the Extended Cab. Here, the seats flip down facing forward, not side saddle, jump seat style. If there are any tall people up front, there isn't much leg room left in back, 23.1" by the numbers, suitable for small kids, large dogs or parcels of all persuasions. Rear opening side doors make for easy access. Extended Cab trucks have one more wrinkle up their sleeve. Flip the seat up to reveal a covered toolbox beneath. Last up is the Crew Cab. Back seat legroom here measures a car-like 34.8" - adequate for most, a tight fit if all are tall. Full-size doors make ingress/egress simple. Up front, all versions offer a clean, conservative layout - a "keep it simple" approach for controls that makes sense for the straight forward truck market. It's rheostats for lights and HVAC, while a single (directional) stalk operates the wipers. Sound system controls are workable and non-distracting. A molded-in center console houses the usual assortment of cup holders and cubbyholes, with a covered storage bin that doubles as an inside arm rest.
"The Colorado's architecture is all new and unique. It is not a redeveloped S-10, a pickup version of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, a downsized Silverado, nor is it based on the Isuzu I-series."
Underpinning Colorado is a new, ladder-style frame, said by Chevy to be 250% stiffer torsionally than the S-10's. We sampled all suspension setups in on-road conditions, with no load in the box. Heavy Duty and Off-Road trucks ride and drive well for medium size pickups. Not surprisingly, the best handling is the lowest riding - the ZQ8. Sitting two inches lower, rolling on 235/50R 17" performance tires, the sport truck's shocks and coils have a cornering tune and a quicker power steering ratio. This is a nice handling pickup, though every bump in the road is telegraphed up into the truck cab.
Payload ranges from 1,489 lb. to 1,733 lb., depending on configuration. Maximum trailer weight ranges from 1,700 lb. to 4,000 lb., again, according to your choice of driveline, chassis, and cab. Both box lengths offer two tier loading, with grooves slotted into the sides to hold sheet goods. The double decker bed works in partnership with a novel tailgate design. The gate can be opened fully or partially or removed entirely. The 55 degree, partial angle is just the right height to support the tail end of those 4'x8' plywood sheets that you stuck in back. Eight tie-down hooks help secure the load. Beyond this, other box options (like a swing-out bed extender) are available off the order sheet or over the counter from dealers.
Colorado buyers have two engines to choose from. Both are related to GM's 4200 V-6, though neither is a six cylinder. Standard equipment is a 2.8 liter inline four cylinder motor, rated at 175 hp (@ 5,600 rpm) and 185 lb. ft. of torque (@2,800 rpm). Also available is a 3.5 liter inline five - yes, five - cylinder, making 220 hp (@ 5,600 rpm) and 225 lb. ft. of torque (@ 2,800 rpm). Chevy says that 75% of the I-4 and I-5 engine's components are shared with the Vortec I-6, and fully 89% of the I-4 and I-5's parts are common. The inline motors are paired with a pair of transmission choices - one new to GM, one a veteran. The light truck rookie is an Aisin 5 speed manual. The vet is a Hydra-Matic four speed automatic. Both engines push Colorado easily, with the five cylinder's extra 45 hp and 40 lb. ft. of torque providing obvious added snap, most notably under high demand situations, like passing. Preliminary gas mileage estimates range from 20 city/26 highway for the I-4, to 18/23 for the I-5.
Four wheel drive is available on either four or five cylinder models, with stick or automatic transmission. It is a true, dual range, 4x4 system with shift on the fly capability from 2WD to 4WDHI. Drivers engage/disengage the system by accessing dash mounted buttons. 4x4 versions include a skid plate to shield the engine's oil pan, front differential and transfer case.
Bigger inside, stiffer underneath, with plenty of configuration choices, Colorado at first glance looks well equipped to match up with the midsize competition. Chevy's replacement for the veteran S-10 pickup is also a noticeable notch up on its predecessor. At the end of the day, it's the former comparison that matters most. After all, when S-10 arrived, most of the competition didn't yet exist. Now, they're collectively the heaviest payload that any midsize truck has to shoulder.
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---Story and photos by Dan Lyons
photos © Dan Lyons 2003 |
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