2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2

[OttawaXJ]

Every GM I have owned (including my first car, a '76 Skylark) has been more reliable than the ONE POS Toyota I owned!

I've never owned a chevy but I've owned Jeeps and Fords and they were all more reliable than my one piece of crap Tacoma I owned. Owned that thing for not even 2 years and spent over $3000 just in maintenance on it. The vehicle I bought before it was an XJ and I spent maybe $600 in the couple years I owned that before the wife made me ditch it for something more "comfortable"

Now I just bought her an accord for her comfort and I'm back to using my Ford Ranger. It sat for 2 years in a shed, cost me just shy of a grand to get it running like a top. I don't even want to think about what that tacoma would cost if it sat for 2 years inside a shed.

 

[bijanjames]

Lots of fan boys on here, touting their respective truck of choice...The fact of the matter is that Chevy answered the call for a true factory mid size truck that, so far, is head over heals better than its competition. The big downside, for me, is the fact that its payload is limited...And slapping on a OME HD kit is not really a option when you have some of the most advanced suspension ever used on a truck from the factory already on it. It would be a shame to not keep the suspension stock. So maybe a light bed rack, lightweight rtt, fridge, etc...Leave the drivetrain, tires, and bumpers all stock. Enjoy it for what it is, a rubicon with a bed, and a diesel. Great job GM.

 

[calicamper]

The brand fan thing cracks me up. These days the parts and gear used are often shared between brands. Hell Ford and Chevy are co developing their next AT together. Toyota V8s are near carbon copies of GM v8s in how they are designed.

Whats not being said by Fanboys is the completely stuipid Toyota TAX that is horrendous in my state. To the point we dont even have independantly owned dealers. We have massive auto groups that set the price for pretty much the whole state. Waiting for our State Prosecuter to charge them with price fixing. But the fan boy BS lets em get away with it.

 

[proper4wd]

Toyota V8s are near carbon copies of GM v8s in how they are designed.

I'm no fanboy but huh? Toyota V8s are quad cam 32 valve... GM V8's are pushrod.....

 

[Clutch]

As far as this truck, if I wasn't a Toyota fanboy who buys only used it would punch all the buttons except for a stick shift. Double lockers, diesel, real tires, reasonable lift from the factory. It's about all you could ask for stock. I honestly hope Ford brings a diesel version to the Ranger and Nissan does something to push the market with the Frontier so that Toyota feels the heat and at least drops in a diesel to the Tacoma. In my view the ideal situation is Toyota just starts selling a Hilux for commercial/base buyers. But that's unlikely.

Yep, checked off a lot of boxes other than the manual trans...(we are dinosuars Dave, admit it! )

Nice truck, it ain't gonna be cheap though. Too bad Chevy doesn't offer the deezul in the WT dirt bag edition. Heck, can't even get it in the extra cab in the lower priced models, have to buy the gonads in her hand bag model. This goes for all manufactures, don't care for these pre determined packages. You would think in this day and age you could pick and choose exactly how you want it built. I'll just keep on fixing my old crap...

 

[p nut]

Lots of fan boys on here, touting their respective truck of choice...The fact of the matter is that Chevy answered the call for a true factory mid size truck that, so far, is head over heals better than its competition. The big downside, for me, is the fact that its payload is limited...And slapping on a OME HD kit is not really a option when you have some of the most advanced suspension ever used on a truck from the factory already on it. It would be a shame to not keep the suspension stock. So maybe a light bed rack, lightweight rtt, fridge, etc...Leave the drivetrain, tires, and bumpers all stock. Enjoy it for what it is, a rubicon with a bed, and a diesel. Great job GM.

I agree. Brand loyalty can cloud good judgment, sometimes. It's pretty easy to get sucked in, especially with Toyota, as all vehicles I've owned of that brand have never let me down--most with well-over 100k still running like new. Hard to get away from that. And I almost didn't, and had it not been for the last decade of bland iterations of trucks, I'd be driving a brand new Toyota now instead of a Ford.
_
Chevy got this one right. I couldn't care less about a manual transmission (enter Clutch, stage right ), but factory lockerS, sliders, good suspension, etc.--all very nice. Payload doesn't even bother me, because it's a play truck. Light, and agile is the theme. I wouldn't want to weigh it down with a ton (literally) with your "standard" expo gear. Some recovery gear, ground tent (don't care about RTT myself), fail-safe cooler (Yeti), and few other items, then hit the trails. Minimalist overlanding. That jives with me................if I didn't have a family.

 

[Clutch]

Interior materials quality still need to come up a touch in the SLT trim.

c'mon...it is a truck, an offroad truck at that...these manufactures need to step it up and make an interior you can hose out, where's the water proof marine grade gauges, uh!!?? Instead you get heated steering wheels for soft handed desk jockeys...

OCD car people have ruined trucks...

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'm no fanboy but huh? Toyota V8s are quad cam 32 valve... GM V8's are pushrod.....

He may be thinking of the F in the Land Cruiser, which was a pretty blatant copy of a Chevy 235 Blue Flame.

 

[Clutch]

I agree. Brand loyalty can cloud good judgment, sometimes. It's pretty easy to get sucked in, especially with Toyota, as all vehicles I've owned of that brand have never let me down--most with well-over 100k still running like new. Hard to get away from that. And I almost didn't, and had it not been for the last decade of bland iterations of trucks, I'd be driving a brand new Toyota now instead of a Ford.
_
Chevy got this one right. I couldn't care less about a manual transmission (enter Clutch, stage right ), but factory lockerS, sliders, good suspension, etc.--all very nice. Payload doesn't even bother me, because it's a play truck. Light, and agile is the theme. I wouldn't want to weigh it down with a ton (literally) with your "standard" expo gear. Some recovery gear, ground tent (don't care about RTT myself), fail-safe cooler (Yeti), and few other items, then hit the trails. Minimalist overlanding. That jives with me................if I didn't have a family.

Yeah, Toyota has lost their way...

Hey, I test drove a new Tacoma auto last week...kinda liked sport mode shifter...the best of both worlds....could be lazy...or be...lack of better word "sporty"! I guess the one thing I see missing on the Chevy is to have a joystick like the Taco's or paddle shifters. Though in the end I don't want to see the repair bill on those new autos when they go belly up out of warranty. Another reason I like manuals, cheap to fix.

The other thing, don't like the rear shock placement. Not tucked very well.

 

[Clutch]

He may be thinking of the F in the Land Cruiser, which was a pretty blatant copy of a Chevy 235 Blue Flame.

That is what I was thinking...beat me to it.

 

[proper4wd]

On what planet is a manual transmission cheap to fix?

 

[RF2200]

Very glad they are making this truck. Never been a fan of Government Motors but this is good for everyone in this segment. Also makes Ford think about an off-road version of their F100 that they should announce next year. This will not compete with a solid axle truck like my Power Wagon or my JK Rubicon or my Unimog in very technical terrain and it will not compete with a Raptor in open terrain, but for a small IFS truck it should more than get the job done for its intended use. I think they really missed the ball with the tire sizing though. They 100% should have shipped this truck with 285/70R17 Duratrac tires. I know that this would have had a negative effect on fuel economy but it would have positive effect on off road capability. Hopefully GM will realize that this is a preferred tire size and design the tire to fit without lift, wheels, or other aftermarket modifications and allow for owners to spec a proper gear ratio for this tire size knowing that owners will want to switch to this size when they get the truck home.

 

[DaveInDenver]

On what planet is a manual transmission cheap to fix?

Neither is cheap, is it? I prefer manuals and generally speaking they are more reliable over time. Synchros fail and bearings need to be replaced, but that's about it really. Doing the clutch periodically is an expected expense, too. Automatics seem more involved, hydraulics can fail, pumps, solenoids, bits of debris can clog passages. Toyota has been reflashing the software that controls them over the past few years to get the map right so they don't hunt, get stuck holding a gear too long, lots of little adjustments to make them work for the most people. Where as with a stick there's no need to try and satisfy the majority since we each get to drive it however the heck we want and we're happy. The only reflashing my transmission needs would land me an indecent exposure ticket.

 

[p nut]

Yeah, Toyota has lost their way...

Hey, I test drove a new Tacoma auto last week...kinda liked sport mode shifter...the best of both worlds....could be lazy...or be...lack of better word "sporty"! I guess the one thing I see missing on the Chevy is to have a joystick like the Taco's or paddle shifters. Though in the end I don't want to see the repair bill on those new autos when they go belly up out of warranty. Another reason I like manuals, cheap to fix.

The other thing, don't like the rear shock placement. Not tucked very well.

Autos have gotten much more reliable, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that, unless there's a major design flaw. But if it does go, yeah, it will not be cheap. I've got those paddle shifters on the truck and in previous cars. Nice gimmick that gets played out real quick. I messed with it the first week I got my truck, then haven't touched it since. But it could be just the thing to wean you off of sticks, though. Like nicotine gum.

... I think they really missed the ball with the tire sizing though. They 100% should have shipped this truck with 285/70R17 Duratrac tires. I know that this would have had a negative effect on fuel economy but it would have positive effect on off road capability. Hopefully GM will realize that this is a preferred tire size and design the tire to fit without lift, wheels, or other aftermarket modifications and allow for owners to spec a proper gear ratio for this tire size knowing that owners will want to switch to this size when they get the truck home.

I think GM (or any other auto manuf) knows a thing or two about tire sizing. They didn't miss the ball. They know enthusiasts like to tinker and mod their trucks. Smaller tires won't be a deal breaker for the majority of the market audience. Dare I say there will be zero sale-fails due to the stock tire size?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Autos have gotten much more reliable, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that, unless there's a major design flaw. But if it does go, yeah, it will not be cheap. I've got those paddle shifters on the truck and in previous cars. Nice gimmick that gets played out real quick. I messed with it the first week I got my truck, then haven't touched it since. But it could be just the thing to wean you off of sticks, though. Like nicotine gum.

Wean, as though it's a requirement to do so?

Those paddles to me would be super annoying. If I'm buying an automatic transmission it's because I don't want to deal with shifting anymore, so pull the lever to drive and go. I don't want to interact with it anymore, fire and forget. It's an annoyance of mine generally. Why put a console and shift in the first place? It's to remind the driver that some people are still cool and shift their own gears. I think putting the shifter on the column like they were in the 70s and 80s makes more sense. Free up all that space in the middle of the truck for a bigger Tuffy box and a place to put your coffee mug.

Paddle shifters, in my mind, are like putting a cueing lever on a CD player or a choke lever on an EFI engine. There's no point to it.