Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Pub Talk). This thread is read-only.
So after a long hiatus GM is coming out with 2 new midsize pickups. The Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon. Just wondering if anyone was interested in these…
As a 6’6″ tall, 330 pound guy, not really. And as a die-hard Ford guy, hell no! Though competition always improves the product…
The problem with midsized trucks is they are not that small anymore they got bigger just like full sized trucks. The biggest problem I have seen is you really don’t save much full size pickups have better rebates on them most of the time making them the same price as the mid sized trucks or close to it. You also lose out on resale too most people want a full sized truck.
very true DR but they do like nice though;)
Sorry ,y friend, but I’m 6’01” and 210. My 14 Tundra is about as small as I can get 😉
chris WHAZUUUP BRO!! HOWS THE PROJECT COMING ALONG??
Working like a madman! But…,going up north for a long drive to Evans Notch for some leaf peeping….if there are any left. No Honeymoon this year but hopefully next year we’ll be in Ireland so some day trips will do just fine. New Hampshire is beautiful and I’ve spent two days on the Maine coast. Then renting the drum sander and tearing up the upper bedroom floors. This will be the first time I’ve refinished floors but they are so shot up I don’t think (oh God…..watch over me) that I can screw them up too badly. Then sanding the wainscoting with my RO90 and Midi from Festool and stain and paint! Then my wife 🙂 has asked me to build some small custom shelves around our tv (Call of Duty ultimate game view area) and a place to mount a speaker bar. Hopefully should be up there in less than a week.
That’s a rough staycation doing bunch of renovations. I need to get back on my finished basement project. I kinda lost interest the past year for some reason. I also want to build a really sweet custom reclaimed wood computer desk. IT would be more of just a table really, but It would be nicer than this folding banquet table I’m using now
Awesome man remember to take pix!!
These Trucks look nice but I need full size. I looked into the previous Colorado trucks thinking they would be better on gas but the MPG on the 5 cylinder is close to what I get now with my 5.3L V8. More payload and better towing capacity. No contest for me.
Those new Ram’s… Now that is a sharp looking truck.
Nope that inline 5 and 6 gm made was a pig. The envoy and trailblazer that had the 6cyl version was even worse on gas. They did near the end offer the 5.3 in the trailblazer as an option. The only problem those trucks aged horribly in my opinion. Some cars look great years later others look like crap not even 5 years down the road. It’s funny how that works. Another car that looks crappy to me is a base model C6 Corvette. If you have a higher trim lever like the grand sport, Z06, 427, or Z1 the car looks great but the base model looks really cheap to me now. It’s not aggressive enough. I would love to get a C7 Z06 vert that car looks amazing I have seen a few on the road because I live like a mile away from the GM tech center.
NO WAY.. With full sizers getting very technical and improving fuel mileage a lot, what is the point in going mid size? Purchase price difference is minimal, and full size trucks are just sooo much more capable. I love my f150, Id never part with it.
small/midsize trucks have their place…. it’s just not that often but, its nice to have something to run to IKEA or just move some stuff around on the jobsite.
You know DR I’m ready to hang up the bow tie and get a set of horns. Too many problems with My Chevy these days.
MOPAR baby!!!!!! Dodge is where it’s at….unless you can go Toyota!
I would rather go Ford out of all of them. I’m kinda concerned with the first model year with this new aluminum construction though. I testdrove a Dodge Ram and something bothered me on the old body style. The problem with Toyota was the price. They wanted 200 dollars more than a similarly equipped silverado when I leased. The thing with GM products they have lots of small things that go bad where as other companies have big things that go bad in my experience
My friend bought an 2013 Corvette 427 a 90 grand car he got an awesome deal on it he would have never paid sticker for it. The messed up with is the headlight lenses are foggy from off gassing in the paint. GM admits that off gassing is the problem but still won’t replace the headlights. The Dealers won’t fight for you and don’t give a shit for the most part. I take it back my dealership did take care of me. I noticed some damage on the bumper after I picked up my Chevy Cruze. It was obvious shipping damage and they didn’t hassle me at all. It did help I called and brought it in right away. It was a spot on the lower bumper they should have caught it when they went over it for delivery. I will say my sales guy is great though he’s a no bs kinda guy what the sale price listed is what you pay no bs fees and shit when you sign for it.
I was recently in the market for a truck and I had my eye on a mid sized truck. For me it would be great, the smaller truck just handles better offroad and I’m intersted in building an “overland” rig. However, because the Colorado is in its 1st year of the redesign and because no mid size diesel … I bought a full size truck.
I bought a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 4×4 SLT Quadcab Hemi 5.7 Black
It’s my hot-rod truck and in about 3-4 years when the Colorado proves itself with a diesel.. I’ll trade in.
By the way, I’m 6′ 225lbs and I fit in the. Colorado just fine. 🙂
I drove the Colorado a couple of years ago. I did not fit. My knees banged everything in the darn thing. Plus the two Chevys I’ve had….transmission…..electrical wiring. Not a big fan 🙁
The old Colorado was a POS, this is a new truck with the same name. I think you will actually find it to be a nice truck if you can forget about the older Colorado. But only time will tell, it may suck butt as a truck.. still, it looks better then a Tacoma.
The Colorado is a bit bigger then the Taco.
Wow. Regardless, my Tundra is a wee bit bigger, even more so than my last Ram (2012). And made in Texas. I looked at the 14 Ram’s and they are making them in Mexico now!!!! WTH?!?!?!?!? As far as Chevy, they are dead to me. To many problems when I had them and although my Dad’s 18 year old Chevy runs, he is always having problems with it and he always has.
No they Make some of theRam pickups in my home city I think the 3/4 ton and 1 ton pickups are made in Mexico though. http://www.allpar.com/corporate/factories/warren-truck.html
They are actually short on capacity after they closed the St. Louis plant during the Chrysler bankruptcy. There is talk about possibly building a new Ram Truck plant, but its mostly rumors. I think they will just run the plants hard with 3 shifts that’s more economical.
Nowadays midsize trucks are barely cheaper than a full size truck. They are also about the same size so what is the point anyways. As far as mileage goes, one of my college friends has a 5 speed Colorado and he only gets 25-26 mpg and I get 21-23 in my 82 1/2 chevy.
All of you guys are dead on…I think that the sizes are really close from the midsize to the full size and the gas mileage and price difference are almost identical. I guess they would be good for people who cant park a full size truck very well. Its like anything else in life…better to spend a bit more money on something that you will not regret than to compromise and have hesitations later.
It’s funny but true. I will say my Tundra dwarfs everything around and it can tow my wife’s two horse, two axle trailer loaded with no problems. The cost of the Tacoma vs the coast of the Tundra was screwed up. Very slight change. Factor in the cab size vs. the Tacoma or even my last Ram (which I LOVED), I can fit four two hundred plus pound guys along with gear in my double cab with tons of room. It’s just not worth the small savings and negligible cost of fuel savings (seriously 2-5 gpm) for a truck that cannot haul as much or carry as many people or tow nearly enough. Plus….I’ve got a back up camera with lines outlining maximum and minimum distance with the gate (lift assist) up or down superimposed on the screen. I can back that thing up like a fireman backing up a ladder truck.
I have a full size truck and love it, but the Taco does much better offroad. I think the main selling point for the mid sized trucks is offroad, full size is all about work and crossover family vehicle. Evidence: Toyota only offers the E-Locker in the Tacoma, not Tundra. Toyota has not updated the Tacoma in 10 years, mainly because they had no real competition, but now the Colorado is a real contender. I think Chevy is just getting their feet wet with the mid size truck. The launch is about a year early. For my money I would buy a mid size Colorado only in diesel.
Take a look at the Colorado Sport Concept, the main target for this truck is active/outdoors type people who have no other use for a truck. I don’t understand why… but not everyone needs to haul full sheets of plywood…
Fully loaded Colorado is about $37k, fully loaded full size… Could be close to $60k.
Looks like GM stopped all sales and delivery of the new trucks. Some kind of problem with the airbags deploying improperly. Says a software update will fix the problem though..
See, you don’t need airbags offroad.
A GM with an electrical/Programming problem? The hell you say 😆
I’ve had 2 full size Fords
3 full size Dodge’s
2 Tacoma’s
and while I’ve never owned a GM, my parents had 5 when I was growing up ranging from 1979 – 2001. They also had a 3 Ford’s, 3 Dodge, and a BMW.
Here are some of my recollections:
79 F-150 4X4: Truck was a tank! Ran like a dream and rode like hell. When I was a little I thought it was the coolest truck on earth. Never had the first problem with it, until a big oak tree fell on it and totaled it about 87
84 Bronco II. We never had an issue with it, it was my mom’s ride, but my dad was a big guy and hated it. They traded it in about 87 for a little Dodge shadow.
85(ish) Dodge D50: This was dad’s first and only dabble in compact trucks. He drove an hour to work and thought this would be a great way to save gas, and he didn’t really need a big truck because my grandpa logged and always had an F-250 or 350 sitting around if he needed it. The truck was actually built by Mitsubishi (this will play a pivotal role later in the story) and was a pretty decent little truck, though it was ugly. It was the days before the internet and my dad isn’t bog on research anyway, but he had no idea it was japanese built. He found out after about a month of having it and it was a big deal not to let my grandpa find out. He began to hate the small size of the truck and the fact that it was japanese didn’t help matters.
My grandpa was a WWII Navy vet and won 2 bronze stars in Halsey’s 3rd Pacific fleet. He was at Leyte Gulf (the last significant naval attack made by Japan and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history), as well as the invasions of Okinawa, Saipan, and also rode out Typhoon Cobra on an LST, the smallest ship in the fleet. Long story short, he hated the Japanese. So much so that he always said he couldn’t go to hell because he’d have to learn to speak japanese.
He eventually found out about the truck and though it had been 40+ years, he hadn’t forgotten the fact that Mitsubishi also manufactured the Japanese Zero’s which were used as Kamikaze fighters which he claimed until the day he died were the only thing in his life that ever scared him. He gave my dad so much shit about the truck that he threatened to cut him out of his will if he didn’t get rid of it. Needless to say, the truck left a couple months later.
86 Chevrolet 1500: Good truck. Got 5 trouble free years out of it and traded it for a 91 1500
91 Chevrolet 1500: total piece of shit. The problems started within a year of buying it. It died on the interstate not long after he bought it because of a computer problem and it was downhill from there. It had so many electrical problems that he swore it was haunted. When you beeped the horn the windshield wipers would come on, the headlights came on when you put it in reverse, at times the brake lights would just come on and stay on, the radio quit about year 2, and after a few years service lights would just pop on and off at random and usually 2 or 3 at a time. We had it at every GM dealership in 3 counties and they’d fix it, but in 2 or 3 months something else would start. He paid it off quick and put up with it because he didn’t want another payment. The day he traded it in it started smoking out from under the dash, lol.
92 Chevy Astro Van: Yet another story of GM electrical problems. It wasn’t near as bad as my dad’s truck, but it ate parts, especially alternators. We changed them often enough that by the time I was in 6th or 7th grade I could do it faster than the repair shop in town. It ate at least 3 sets of ball joints, and several other parts. My mom and dad used to joke and bet each other which one was gonna catch on fire first.
96 F-150: Great truck. Only issues I remember was a brake line busting once and a power window switch going out.
96 Jeep Cherokee Sport: Ran for 180,000 miles and the guy that bought it for $800 drove it probably 3 years after that.
99 F-250: This was a 7.3 Powerstroke and probably the best vehicle he ever owned. It was 3 years old when he bought it, but I swear that truck would have survived a nuclear attack.
We had 2 Cadillacs in the mix somewhere in the 90’s, but really didn’t have them that long, so I can’t say they were good or bad.
My father in-law had an 07 Silverado. It too had electrical issues and though the dealership got them all lined out, it was in the shop constantly the first year or 2 he had it.
My mother in-law bought a Colorado in 08 and long story short, they bought it back on the lemon law.
My wives grandpa swears the worst vehicle he ever owned was a 69 Chevrolet.
My wife had a 97 Cavalier when we started dating. She pulled out in front of a car (car came around a curve doing 50 in a 35) and we got hit head on. The airbag blew up in my face about 10 seconds after the collision.
She then got an 02 Cavalier. By the time we got married in 05 it needed $3,000 worth of work. The heat and AC quit working, and the transmission was about to go out.
Look, I know a lot of it is luck of the draw, but with the exception of an 86 1500, nobody in my family ever owned a GM for very long that didn’t give them shit. I have known people that drove them for years without issue, but we never had any luck with them.
And I’ll give Chevy kudos on looks too. The new trucks look beautiful. Especially that concept but….burn me once, burn me twice…..I’m sure they’ve stepped up to the plate but vehicles ain’t cheap, especially now. I’d like to see Chevy (in my eyes…this is like, who likes Obama and who doesn’t….when it comes to brands people get really hot) step up to the plate but Chevy is still not trusted by me. I will say though, my friend Ed bought a new GMC Four door truck and that thing is absolutely gorgeous. Pure work horse and he has a small farm and needs a truck so he bought this one and seems pretty happy with it. He’s had it for a year, he bought it in October of 2013 like I did (model year 2014) and hasn’t complained and I know he’s got more that the 8500 miles ove got on mine because he works it on the weekend going to farm supply so I’ll wait and see. Maybe they will finally show me they are good.
Oh and I’ve got the TRD Off-road edition, not that I will four wheel with it. I keep my baby clean. She don’t look good muddy. Goes awesome in the snow, good clearance and for the occasional trip down a class six road it’s like it’s meant to driving over boulders.
that truck is BADASS Chris!!
I had a Toyota a long time ago… It was an ’88, I beat the crap out of that thing. The only real problems it had (other than people running into it) was it would eat a battery about every 60,000 miles, and a starter every 90,000.
I’d like a Tundra, but with a long legged five year old in a booster seat, I need the crew cab (whatever the heck they call it) but you have to take the ridiculously short box with it. My current F150 has the 5.5′ bed… A real pain when you want to haul something.
I’m pretty sure my next truck will be an F350 Crew Cab longbed… The GF likes camping but refuses to sleep on the ground any more, so that means some sort of camper/RV, and I want to be able to tow a boat. So slide in camper it will be. And gotta be able to haul my son and her daughter and youngest son with us. Her kids are pretty little, but I’m betting mine’s gonna be a monster like his daddy.
ChrisK1970 wrote:
It’s funny but true. I will say my Tundra dwarfs everything around and it can tow my wife’s two horse, two axle trailer loaded with no problems. The cost of the Tacoma vs the coast of the Tundra was screwed up. Very slight change. Factor in the cab size vs. the Tacoma or even my last Ram (which I LOVED), I can fit four two hundred plus pound guys along with gear in my double cab with tons of room. It’s just not worth the small savings and negligible cost of fuel savings (seriously 2-5 gpm) for a truck that cannot haul as much or carry as many people or tow nearly enough. Plus….I’ve got a back up camera with lines outlining maximum and minimum distance with the gate (lift assist) up or down superimposed on the screen. I can back that thing up like a fireman backing up a ladder truck.
Toyota Tacoma’s are fucking insane Chrisk for how much one cost new and how much a used one costs. I have seen used trucks 2 years old listed around the price of new one. I get that the Tacoma is a nice truck but I don’t get is why people spend that much money on one 🙂 Another truck that holds its value are jeeps its pretty crazy how much you can get out of them after a few years.
BK13 wrote:
I had a Toyota a long time ago… It was an ’88, I beat the crap out of that thing. The only real problems it had (other than people running into it) was it would eat a battery about every 60,000 miles, and a starter every 90,000.
I’d like a Tundra, but with a long legged five year old in a booster seat, I need the crew cab (whatever the heck they call it) but you have to take the ridiculously short box with it. My current F150 has the 5.5′ bed… A real pain when you want to haul something.
I’m pretty sure my next truck will be an F350 Crew Cab longbed… The GF likes camping but refuses to sleep on the ground any more, so that means some sort of camper/RV, and I want to be able to tow a boat. So slide in camper it will be. And gotta be able to haul my son and her daughter and youngest son with us. Her kids are pretty little, but I’m betting mine’s gonna be a monster like his daddy.
Man you going to have a freaking land yacht with a crewcab longbed superduty. In Michigan they allow you to tow a trailer behind a 5th wheel its called a recreational double. The only thing 5th wheels are hard to resell because of the fact you need a pick where a travel trailer can use a SUV. My friend flips campers for a living. You might want to consider a used motor home you can find some amazing deals if you don’t mind some minor repairs. If you do look at new or used campers bring a moisture meter. It doesn’t matter new or used its only a matter of time before a camper develops a leak. They use the shittiest caulk ever its really hard and cracks as it ages, and some brands just do a bad caulk jobs too. If I get the time Ill show you some of the repairs hes done to campers with water damage the best tool he ever bought was an oscillating multi-tool no other too has the ability to get close in and cut out boards. I recommend that he buy one he says I saved his ass with that tool all the time.
ChrisK1970 wrote:
Working like a madman! But…,going up north for a long drive to Evans Notch for some leaf peeping….if there are any left. No Honeymoon this year but hopefully next year we’ll be in Ireland so some day trips will do just fine. New Hampshire is beautiful and I’ve spent two days on the Maine coast. Then renting the drum sander and tearing up the upper bedroom floors. This will be the first time I’ve refinished floors but they are so shot up I don’t think (oh God…..watch over me) that I can screw them up too badly. Then sanding the wainscoting with my RO90 and Midi from Festool and stain and paint! Then my wife 🙂 has asked me to build some small custom shelves around our tv (Call of Duty ultimate game view area) and a place to mount a speaker bar. Hopefully should be up there in less than a week.
When it comes to using a drum sander all I can say is keep it moving don’t stay in one spot to long.
Now as for the Mid size truck I have no idea. I have had a full size truck since I was 18. As a matter of fact the truck I have now is the first shot bed I have ever had (6′) ex cab. I do miss the 8′ at times but for the most part I very happy with this F150 I have now.
Thanks Regopit, I still haven’t rented the darn thing!!!!! I have to get on the ball. My RO90 and Midi are going to get some work tomorrow though let me tell you. I am going to start the walls this weekend, tons of old pine knotty board to sand down. The the floors. Then prime. Then paint. Then build in a book case in the hidden dormer alcove. Then a hardwood wall ladder to climb said alcove. Then….BEER
Oh and I’ve got the six and a half foot bed. The long bed is too darn big for me. Not a really problem cause I ain’t a pro and fitting plywood isn’t a real big deal as I can put a ton in (literally) with the assisted gate down. I saw the Regular cab with long bed….holy cow that thing is like an aircraft carrier.
If your floors are in good shape you can use disc type sanders for your floors. It may take a little longer but you will have a hard time screwing up your floor.
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Haha, if the regular cab long box is an aircraft carrier the Ram mega cab long box is the USS Nimitz! Look at how massive that truck is It’s freaking huge!!
I’ve seen the mega cab. I could not believe how big it was. Did you ever see space balls when space ball 1 rolls by the screen? We don’t brake for anyone!
That’s one of my favorite movies. I haven’t seen it in awhile though. They were talking about building a bigger truck called the long haul. I don’t think it ever made it past the concept stages though.
DR99 wrote:
Man you going to have a freaking land yacht with a crewcab longbed superduty. In Michigan they allow you to tow a trailer behind a 5th wheel its called a recreational double. The only thing 5th wheels are hard to resell because of the fact you need a pick where a travel trailer can use a SUV. My friend flips campers for a living. You might want to consider a used motor home you can find some amazing deals if you don’t mind some minor repairs. If you do look at new or used campers bring a moisture meter. It doesn’t matter new or used its only a matter of time before a camper develops a leak. They use the shittiest caulk ever its really hard and cracks as it ages, and some brands just do a bad caulk jobs too. If I get the time Ill show you some of the repairs hes done to campers with water damage the best tool he ever bought was an oscillating multi-tool no other too has the ability to get close in and cut out boards. I recommend that he buy one he says I saved his ass with that tool all the time.
Yeah, they are big, but realistically, the bed will only be 2.5′ longer than my current truck, and the cab should (should!) be similar. I have a CJ7 and the GF has a Volvo sedan if we need to go downtown for any reason. And if I throw a canopy/topper on it, I can sleep in back if need/alcohol consumption dictates…
I love seeing these bad boys parked in the compact care spots at Walmart!
walmart parking lots just suck – they are so tiny….even with “normal” cars
walmart just plain sucks now anyway….
Wally World has far and away the best prices on the Mobil 1 oil I run in my F150 and GF’s Expedition. And I can buy 10 packs of Monster energy drinks. Outside of that (well, and Nolan’s Halloween costume) I don’t have a lot of use for the place.
Heck, I mostly park in the back 40 anyway, so small parking spots aren’t a big deal for me….
I have to agree full size is the way to go, but that gmc looks sweet.
Yea they look nice but I don’t think I can give up my full size