posted
Ever since I saw the first picture of the new 2004 Chevy Colorado on the net, I just had to see one and then when I heard that they were going to be available with the Crew Cab option and Sport Package, I wanted one.
Yesterday, a guy at work said he saw a few at Ricart Chevrolet the other day. I called them up and found out they just got 6 in last Wednesday, but they didn't have the exact model I wanted but I felt it was worth it to take a drive over there to check it out.
Once I got there, I asked them if it would be ok if I could take it for a test drive to my house so my wife could see it and bring it back with in an hour, they asked how far, I told then 5 miles each way. They said no problem. Before I left, I told them I am NOT planning on buying it, just want to check it out, and they were cool with it. :-)
The truck that I took for a test drive was a 2004 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab LS, auto, 4x4, fully loaded.
First glance, and I loved it. The stance was a little high for me, but it still looked great. It had 6 miles on it and I was the first person to drive that truck on the road.
The truck I want will be a Yellow Crew Cab LS 2wd Sport that will probably be fully loaded, minus Onstar. One of the main reasons why I want to get a Crew Cab is with in the next 1-1 1/2 years, my wife and I will probably be having another child and our current 2002 S-10 Extended cab can't hold 2 car seats. The S-10 is my daily driver, the wife drives a 2000 GTP, and my 2001 Camaro SS is my play toy.
On my way home, I called my wife and told her to get her shoes and coat on and step outside. A minute later, I pulled into our driveway and she had this concerned look on her face. First words out of her mouth were "You didn't ?!?" I looked at her and said "no I didn't buy it, just test driving it". lol
After we were checking it out for a few minutes, I told her to take it for a spin. Once she got back, I asked her how she liked it and said she loved it. So I got the approval from her so when the time does come, and we’re ready to buy, we found something we both like.
Ok, now onto more of an in-depth review, my review that is:
Exterior -
One word sums it up, "WOW" Personally; I love the styling, somewhat aggressive. Since this is the 4x4 Z71 model, it is a lot bigger than my 2002 S-10 Extended cab. The 2wd version that I did see at the dealership was only a tad taller and wider than mine. All the body panels fit together well and the trucks bodylines were pleasing to the eyes. The new style wheels are very nice and go great with the new truck.
The outside door handles work great, no more lifting up on a handle, just pull out. Since this is a Crew Cab, the bed is 61 inches, which is fine for me, since I only need a truck for hauling small items from time to time.
The tinted glass on the rear windows is just about right, gives it a nice look, but the front door windows are not tinted and nothing a $100 tint job can't take care of.
Interior -
The interior is a lot better than my 2002 S-10. The model I drove had full leather. The leather is nice and soft to the touch, not slick like some cars I've sat in. The front seats are full power and also both of them are heated. The rear seats are surprisingly comfortable once you get past the small rear doors. The rear seat back angle is just about right and the leg room is about what you would expect, usable, but not for a 4 hour trip. The rear seats also fold down, but why you would want to do that doesn't make sense to me.
There is plenty of space in the cabin of the Crew Cab model. The front seats seem to be a little higher than my 2002 S-10, you kinda look more over the dash than at it. Front headroom is not a problem at all. I'm 6' 3" and I still had 4-5 inches above my head. Rear headroom wasn't too bad, but my head did hit where the roof line and rear glass meets. Anyone 6' or under won't have this problem. This model seats 5, 2 in front, 3 in the rear. Having 3 adults in the rear might be cramped if your going on a long trip over 2 hours.
The front seat cushions didn't seem to fit me all that well, almost seemed that there was too much cushion, maybe GM did that on purpose to allow it to contour to people and wear slower. My wife thinks the front seats are fine, but she is a lot shorter than me.
The dash is a nice design, easy to read the instruments though the steering wheel and all the controls were in arms reach. Some of the interior pieces, mainly the door panels seemed a little on the cheaper side for something like this. Everything inside fit great and flowed well, but some looked a tad cheaper than other cars.
The stereo is very nice in this truck. I've counted 6 speakers, 4 up front, 2 in the rear. For being factory, I was rather impressed by it. Very loud and clear, and it has some good bass.
Engine/Drivetrain -
This model had the in-line 5 cyl 3.5 L 4 speed auto. The engine is rated a 220 Hp and 225 Ft TQ. For the most part, a good combo for the size of this truck. The engine has a different sound compared to all other cars/trucks I've heard. It sorta has a buzzing sound, but it's not annoying in any way and you can barely hear the engine run, even at WOT when you have the radio on. This truck had the 3.73 rear gear in it.
Drivability -
Comparing this to my 2002 S-10, it seems similar but better. The ride quality was more car like, better than I would have expected. Going down the road was rather quiet, this truck seemed to be built tight and sealed up.
When driving down the road, you can see out of it very well in all directions. I never had trouble with blind spots when changing lanes. Again since this was the 4x4 model, you sit up a little higher, but it didn't really feel like it cause the way it rode.
Acceleration was nice, but different. From a stand still, 1/2 - 3/4 throttle lights the tires up with ease thanks to the 3.73 rear gear. This engine must have a very smooth, flat torque curve, it didn't seem all that fast until you looked at the speedo. From a stop to 50 MPH I was a bit surprised on how it did, it was very smooth and solid, not strong at first then falling flat as speed climbs as some engines/cars do. This truck won't beat a stock GP GTP, but should be able to keep up with the full size trucks from light to light.
Braking seemed fine. I didn't get on them since it was a new truck but it stopped well. Pedal feel was normal for a GM. My wife said that since she sits up a little higher than our S-10, she felt she had to push the brake pedal down instead of straight, basically she says the angle is different for the pedal. I personally didn't notice the difference that she was talking about, probably because I am a lot taller.
Handling was fine. The steering was normal not the high rate like the sport model will have. I didn't get a chance to take it though some curvy roads, but it seems just fine for the average person.
Over all I like this truck. The seat sorta concerns me since I either didn't have it set right of it just needed to be worn in. Other than that, that is my only complaint. I am looking forward to taking the Sport 2wd model for a test drive to see how different it is. It should feel faster since it weighs 350 lbs less than the 4x4 model I drove.
Hopefully SLP will have upgrades like they did for the F-Body and other GM cars/trucks.
A few months ago, I saw a small article that GM put a small turbo charger on this engine and got the power up to 315 HP. After looking at the engine bay, I could see how easily one could fit in there. With the intake and exhaust on the same side, I'm sure very little parts will be needed and the price shouldn't be too high, unless it has an intercooler.
Here's a link to some pics that I took of it, I hope you enjoyed my LONG review, now go check one out for yourself!!!
posted
Thanks Greg, At first I was just going to do a small write up, but it turned out much bigger, I just kept typing and typing and editing.
That would be a cool job to do for magazine and/or car manufactures to get real world opinions from people like myself, have any hook ups?
The towing is actually less than the S-10 for good reasons. GM did some studies and found out that when people want to haul or tow large items, they usually upgrade to the Silverado.
This truck will be perfect for us. I liked the Ford F-150 Crew Cab but it has 2 strikes against it, 1 being too big, and 2 it's a FORD...lol
Know of any place I can post my review for thousands of people to see?
Posts: 345 | From: Columbus, OH, USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
Thanks for the great write-up, do you know if the truck is being built here or in Canada? One thing I noticed from your pics is that the truck is using a top mounted battery post, I wonder why that is?
Al
-------------------- 2002 Berger Hot Rod Magazine Camaro Posts: 55 | From: DeWitt,Mi. | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I've been interested in these since seeing the first production photo's, I have missed the utility of my old 94 S10 V6 LS for a while now, F-cars may have decent room, but you can't throw an engine block in the back of one of em. Great write up...Now I may have to start considering one of these over a used Silverado...
-------------------- 1999 Trans Am - Pewter, A4, 3.23's
Stock for now Posts: 471 | From: Justin, in the Great State, Texas | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by DARK AGE 53: Thanks for the great write-up, do you know if the truck is being built here or in Canada? One thing I noticed from your pics is that the truck is using a top mounted battery post, I wonder why that is?
Al
I think it's being built at the Shrevport, LA plant.
The ground connection on the battery looks to be very cheap...
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