new Chevy Colorado

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Finally saw the new Colorados today at the LA Auto Show. I especially liked the yellow lifeguard edition but...where were the Baywatch babes? Interesting platform and powertrain choices. The larger of the V-6s puts out more horsepower than my 17-year old ancient technology V-8; I think that's great! Would absolutely have to have the 6-foot bed, which would still take some getting used to. :sombrero:

 

[haven]

VW Amaroks are manufactured in Argentina and in Germany. Pickups from either source would face a 25% tariff if imported fully assembled. So it's unlikely that they could be cost-competitive with the Colorado. If VW starts building them in Mexico, however, the tariff is removed.

Another possibility would be to assemble the Amarok in USA from an imported kit, which reduces the tariff to 2.5%. This is the way Mercedes imports the Sprinter, for example.

The same 25% tariff is a major reason why pickups manufactured in Thailand (Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and others) won't be appearing in USA any time soon. In 2002, negotiations to produce a free trade agreement started between USA and Thailand. But that was suspended in 2006 after a coup replaced the Thai government.

So it looks like the Colorado will have Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, both made in USA, as its midsize competitors. Both are older designs, in my opinion needing updates to be competitive with the new Colorado.

 

[haven]

We have not heard much about the GMC Canyon. The first generation Canyon was basically the same truck as the first gen Colorado. How do you think GM will differentiate the new Canyon and Colorado?

 

[BuffaloFunk]

We have not heard much about the GMC Canyon. The first generation Canyon was basically the same truck as the first gen Colorado. How do you think GM will differentiate the new Canyon and Colorado?

Slap on a slightly different front end with more chrome, change the tail lamps and tailgate a bit, and do minor things like move air vents around slightly. Don't forget to change the badges and charge a small amount more. Done.

I'm surprised by the VW hate here though. My family has owned seven of them (currently own a '13 Golf R and a '14 Passat TDI) and only had one major problem. The paint on a '03 Jetta (Tornado Red) had the clear coat come off in sheets. This started in about '09 or '10, and a bit more comes off still, or so I'm told by the current owner. Besides that, never had an issue that a similarly aged vehicle wouldn't/couldn't of had.

 

[rkj__]

The fact that the Canyon is being released at a later date makes me think that SOMETHING might be different other than sheet metal and badges. Maybe a longer box on the extended cab (using the crew cab / long box frame)? Pure speculation on my part.

It just seems suspicious to me. The Silverado / Sierra, and Tahoe / Yukon both launched at the same time. Why not the Colorado / Canyon?

 

[Clutch]

I'm surprised by the VW hate here though.

I don't hate VW's, I love them...I would never own another. (maybe rent one for a bit) VW's are like that crazy hot girl ya dated for stint, that you couldn't bring home to mother. Nice lines on the outside, just the wiring is a little screwed up on the inside. "I love that girl...I just couldn't marry her!"

And I type this just after I ran an errand and saw a brand new VW with one of the LED driving lights halo's not working...just a glimpse of what is screwy on the inside.
Had a bud who had to replace the whole $9000 fuel system on his Jetta TDI do to a fuel pump failure...thank goodness it was covered under warranty.

VW's you shouldn't own out of warranty, trade that sucker in before it is up.

 

[BuffaloFunk]

Had a '11 Jetta Sportwagen TDI for 57k miles, it only needed oil changes plus a minor servicing at 40k. Nothing a DIYer couldn't do in a couple of hours. That thing was rock solid and was a great little car. Personally, I don't think the Sportwagens are much to look at, but the car was one of the best we've had. It got traded in for the '14 Passat, just to get a little more back seat space, and better MPG of the Passat. That being said, none of the VW's we've own have had a single electrical issue. None. When I hear of VW gripes, it's usually complaints like the earlier 1.8T's eating transmissions, or control arm bushings wearing out every 90k, or a $3000 timing belt job every 70~80k. I wouldn't think twice about getting a VW for myself, but they don't offer a true competitor to the Wrangler/Xterra/FJ field and won't bring their Tacoma/Frontier competitor here. The Touareg is just too damn expensive.

Back to the Colorado... have they released official pricing yet?

 

[4x4x4doors]

Back to the Colorado... have they released official pricing yet?

No word on pricing yet (beyond speculation). IMO, this will be a key to success (or not). GM ddin't price the Colorado/Canyon well -- compared to full sizers -- and didn't market at all beyond the first year or so.

I believe that too many folks will fall into the trap of price per pound that GM throws out to work on marketshare numbers of fullsizers and buy the Silvy instead.

 

[Clutch]

I wouldn't think twice about getting a VW for myself...

Yep, to each their own.

I want a vehicle to go 300'000 miles....with little issue. VW's aren't on my list.

Yes, back to the Colorado, it looks great. Needs to prove itself in the longevity department to pull me from Toyota. I have been a loyal
Toyota owner for 25 years now, and only owned 3 of them.

No manny trans on the Colorado, is an absolute deal killer, no matter how good it looks...and I think it looks pretty good.

Are manual transmissions any better? Depends on who you ask...I just like 'em...I am kinda old school..still like to mix gas for my dirt bikes...

 

[bdp1978]

No manny trans on the Colorado, is an absolute deal killer, no matter how good it looks...and I think it looks pretty good.

Are manual transmissions any better? Depends on who you ask...I just like 'em...I am kinda old school..still like to mix gas for my dirt bikes...

I was actually at a GM supplier this morning that does a lot of test driving and QC for GM. He said he was fully expecting manuals in the Colorado when they show up at his facility.

 

[Larry]

Ya, we bought a brand new 2001 VW Beetle Sport with a 1.8L turbo/ 5 speed manual when we first moved back to CO from MI (we both ditched our rusty Michigan vehicles when we moved back). Very fun little car to drive around, but it went through 3 turbos where the waste gate kept sticking open then the last straw was something went wrong with the theft deterrent in the body control module which the BCM is part of the instrument cluster. The last turbo and theft deterrent issues happened at the same time. By that time the car was out of warranty but VW customer assistance did a 100% goodwill adjustment for the turbo and cluster/BCM repair after I gave them a call (the dealer acted powerless and could care less the car had two previous turbos and was only out of warranty 3,600 miles). The day we picked it up from the VW dealer once the repairs were complete we drove it straight to the local Chevy store and traded it for a new 2002 Tahoe Z71

Ha! We must have been on a bad streak of cars because that particular Tahoe Z71 was mess too where it had an intermittent 1 – 2 shift shudder that the dealer could not seem to fix in two years so it got traded on another Tahoe Z71….this time a 2004 model. The 2004 Tahoe Z71 treated us well and never had a problem with it in the 8 years / 120,000 miles we owned it.

My point is, sometimes you get just a bad apple and the problem with the apple might just be the produce manager working on it ( I am pretty certain the dealers that were trying to fix the VW and the 2002 Tahoe were more of the problem the vehicle itself).

Would I buy another VW? Probably so, I really dig the current Jetta’s and Beetles and I appreciated the way VW customer assistance stepped up to the plate to help a customer that was having repeat issues with their product.

Back to the Colorado. Today Autoblog is reporting a possible return of a ZR2. One can only wish for a baby Power Wagon or at least one selectable locker like the Tacoma and Frontier….something more than just more fancy wheel and decal options that GM is so famous for doing. They are also talking about a manual transmission….but only in 2wd WT models. They would do really well if they coupled the manual to the little diesel IMO across the board.

 

[haven]

The ZR2 rumor makes sense, a 4x4 aimed at off-road enthusiasts. Similar to the Tacoma T/X Baja package, the Colorado ZR2 package would add off-road shocks, locking rear diff, increased ground clearance, and A/T tires.

I expect GM will keep the Colorado option sheet limited in the first year, and offer new packages the second year.

 

[redthies]

VW's are like that crazy hot girl ya dated for stint, that you couldn't bring home to mother.

VW's you shouldn't own out of warranty, trade that sucker in before it is up.

Damn, it's true! I just ran into her at a Starbucks the other day... 10 years and two kids later, and she is still HOT! Danger! Danger!

My neighbours 67 bus runs pretty good. It must be off warranty by now??? :elkgrin:

 

[Clutch]

Damn, it's true! I just ran into her at a Starbucks the other day... 10 years and two kids later, and she is still HOT! Danger! Danger!

Isn't it!!??

My neighbours 67 bus runs pretty good. It must be off warranty by now??? :elkgrin:

My '73 Westy runs great as well...I will own air cooled VW's no problem, can fix those with a piece of bubble gum and a paper clip.

Late models not so much... Never again...about took our Jetta out in the desert and set it a blaze. Just little expensive things would always go wrong. "Fixed" it one last time....sold it for a Civic. Probably should of sent it to the crusher to save the poor soul a lot of agony that bought it...the Civic however was rock solid. Needed nothing but oil changes and gas. My aunt's Beetle didn't even make it to 30K (which she bought brand new), before the tranny failed...bunch of little nagging things on it as well. She traded it in on a Scion...the Toyota dealer didn't even want it. Believe they gave her $500 for trade...she didn't care, just wanted back in a Toyota product.

Sure, if someone would give me a VW Amarok, I would take it...I would "take" it straight to the Toyota dealer and trade it in on a Tacoma. :ylsmoke:

People can spend their money how they see fit, modern VW won't get any of mine.

 

[Plannerman]

Interesting details on the new Colorado. It certainly has my attention

http://t.autos.msn.com/shows/la/can-chevy-revive-the-midsize-pickup