My new beater(NOT)

[drogg1]

So since I gracefully totaled my 94 silverado, I am now in the market for a new vehicle. Maybe something nice this time around. You know, that has working heater and A/C and maybe some functioning power windows/locks. So I'm really being wooed by the new Chevy Colorados and GMC Canyons. I am looking for a crew cab with four wheel drive. I've found a few local listings:

GMC Canyon
http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/1400169670.html
Chevy Colorado
http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/1379281023.html

Also, I've found a Dodge Dakota that doesn't completely repulse me(I think it may be only due to my love for black trucks)
http://lincoln.craigslist.org/cto/1389313524.html

What are yalls personal opinions about these trucks? Also, what good and bad experiences have you had or have heard of with these trucks?

And yes, they have inline 5's. But I bet they'd give most of your stock olds 307's a run for their money easily.

 

[megaladon6]

be warned, the chevy I5 has some issues. they have not proven to be a reliable engine, like most stuff that comes out of GM the first ones are bad, but they may get better in the newer model years.
dodge is notorious for sucking fuel, but reliability is usually OK.

 

[86montecl]

i work up at a chevy dealer near detroit. its pretty rare to see any eng or trans problems. there not the best on gas but that i5 sure has some power. only thing i see them come in for is brake isses. 8)

 

[megaladon6]

is it the colorados with the completely f^&ked up front rotor mounting?
granted it's been a few years since i was a mechanic, but at the time we had a few we sent out for warranty and one of our techs came from over from the dealer and well, lets just say he didn't have a good opinion of them.
but the torque was nice!

 

[drogg1]

Well I'm really hoping for the Colorado. I have not yet contacted the seller to ask if its 4 wheel drive but I have my hopes up. I've never heard of problems with the inline 5's. I know the first model years were a little sketchy in other areas but nothing drivetrain wise. I know they don't get the best gas mileage but I won't be driving very far anyways. It will be a massive improvement from my 14 mpg truck and -12 mpg my stroker motor gets.

Anymore opinions or anyone who wants to convince me I should get a full-size instead is welcome.

 

[megaladon6]

how does the mileage compare to a tahoe or yukon? i remember when my parents were looking at suv's and the 8cyls got the same mileage as the 6 and i think the (small) tahoe/yukon got the same as the trailblazer. if so, why get the little truck when you get every advantage of the full size. and this gives you an LS engine to play with down the road :wink:

 

[Blake442]

Not to mention a full size can actually pull a trailer...

 

[madmaxstyle]

I got to drive a new canyon once it was awesome, had an akward rear end/trans ratio because it would downshift into a screaming RPM going up hills, thats the only bad thing I recall. Perhaps it was geared like that to pull a small boat or something.....

 

[drogg1]

They're rated about 18 city 22 highway but I could probly eek out 25 highway because I know how to drive. Full-size pickups and tahoes/yukons get around 15 city 20 highway at the most. I actually would prefer the full-size but every little bit helps when you have a 2 hour commute from college back to where your project car is. Plus, I have no real need to tow much and I figure I could still pull people out of ditches and junk like that. My friend's dad's 4.3 blazer kicks some major pulling *ss.

 

[Oldsmoletick]

Something for you to keep in mind about colarado/canyon four and five cyl engines. There is a bulletin put out by GM on a possible condition, symtoms can be a excessive cold cranking, consistant misfire, or one that only noticed on decelleration, etc,etc,etc. To fix this problem- First they recomend a top engine cleaner, and also to clean injectors. If problem remains- they look at the cylinder head. We have had over a dozen of these trucks (both 4 and 5 cyl) come in with this condition. 3 out of 5 of these trucks needed a new head, the others got away with just having the stems cleaned and new valve seals, others have had to have cams replaced. I'm not saying all these trucks will have this problem, just beware of any type of misfire while test driving, if caught soon enough the top engine cleaner may solve the problem, if ignored, Head, all new valves, cams, ect.

Another fairly common thing I see with these trucks is wheel speed sensors and hub assemblies (not as common as the full size, but worth mentioning). Next would be the camshaft position actuator/solenoid(some call it a phazer), when one these comes in the shop as a "no start", this is a common culprit. Evap system vent valve, I don't know if it's a common thing everywhere but here in the snow belt, no GM vehicle is safe from this thing going bad.

So other than the misfire condition on some, the other repairs are fairly cheap, these are decent little trucks that really don't have a laundry list of common problems.