2004 Chevrolet Colorado Review

The long-awaited new Chevrolet Colorado compact pickup truck has full-size Chevy pickup styling, new engines and strong construction.

The handsome, fun-to-drive Colorado eventually will completely replace the slightly smaller Chevy S-10 compact pickup, which will be sold for a while although it arrived in the early 1980s. Chevy calls the Colorado a mid-size pickup, but it's not as large as the mid-size Dodge Dakota pickup.

Compact pickups once were a much bigger deal. They arrived from Japanese automakers with four-cylinder engines about the time of the first fuel crunch in 1973 and delivered much higher fuel economy than larger American pickups. As with Japanese small cars, the timing was perfect for their introduction.

The small Japanese pickups eventually were joined by U.S. models. All were highly affordable and fun to drive. For a long time, they were used by many as substitutes for cars and were especially popular among young drivers, who customized them with such things as special wheels and larger tires. Small engines allowed fairly cheap insurance.

Compact pickups with V-6 engines and extended cabs for a roomier interior helped maintain interest in small pickups in the late 1980s, and the 1990s saw new and revamped models that offered more room.

The Ford Ranger has been the top-selling compact pickup for many years, but the Colorado promises to be a stronger rival. For one thing, this new Chevy is offered as a crew cab model with an extended cab that has four carlike doors. The Ranger has no crew cab model with such rear doors, although it offers an extended cab body style with a rear seat.

The $15,565-$27,960 Colorado also comes in extended cab form, with dual rear-hinged back doors. The base model has a regular cab and no rear seat area.

The standard Colorado seats up to three, while the extended cab model's rear seat area is mostly for pre-teens. The crew cab has a split-folding rear seat and decent room for two 6-footers in back. However, legroom is tight behind a driver who pushes his seat more than halfway back.

The crew cab has a 61-inch-long cargo box, while other models have a 73-inch-long bed. A unique feature is a tailgate that can be secured in a partially open position at a 55-degree angle to support four-by-eight-foot sheet goods.

The Colorado has the tough body-on-frame construction of larger pickups and much stiffer construction than the S-10. lt's offered with rear-drive or a four-wheel-drive system activated by a dashboard switch. The system has low-range gearing for tough off-road use, but isn't for use on dry roads.

Chevy describes the Colorado as "a personal-use truck for singles, couples or families who want vehicle packaging efficiency, driving and parking ease and [low] ownership costs, but don't need the higher payloads, towing capacities and expenses of a full-size pickup.''

Segment-leading features include optional traction control for rear-drive models, head-protecting curtain side air bags that cover all seating rows and a locking rear differential on both two- and four-wheel drive models.

There's also a Z71 off-road suspension with an elevated ground clearance and a ZQ8 sport suspension for the rear-drive model. The ZQ8 is a Chevy exclusive and includes 17-inch wheels -- compared with 15-inch wheels on other versions of the Colorado.

My test Colorado had the standard Z85 suspension, which is firm and sometimes causes a bumpy ride. Those opting for the stiffer off-road and sport suspensions better try them out before buying because they'll become tiresome on long trips.

The quick rack-and-pinion steering and firm standard suspension provide nimble handling, although four-wheel-drive versions have a larger turning radius. Standard anti-lock brakes provide quick, sure stops.

The Colorado has more powerful engines than the S-10. The base engine is a 2.8-liter four-cylinder unit with a healthy 175 horsepower, while the other is a more muscular 3.5-liter five-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower.

The 3.5 in my test Colorado loafed at 2,000 rpm at 65 mph with the automatic transmission, but buyers shouldn't expect fuel economy to win any prizes. My test Colorado provided an estimated 17 mpg in the city and 22 on highways; the four-cylinder version should do a little better. Only 87-octane fuel is required.

The engines generate lots of power for their relatively small sizes because they have double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing. Balance shafts reduce the typical vibration found in engines with less than six cylinders.

A five-cylinder engine is an oddity for Chevrolet. Why no V-6? Because both Colorado engines are essentially cut-down versions of the 4.2-liter, 275-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine that debuted in the big 1992 Chevy TrailBlazer sport-utility vehicle.

Colorado engines are hooked to a rugged new five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic, which costs $1,095 for most Colorado models and doesn't have a floor-mounted gear selector.

A fairly low floor height and big door handles make it easy to get in the quiet, nicely finished businesslike interior. The driver's seat provides moderately good side support, and gauges can be easily read. Dashboard vents are nicely located, and the smooth climate controls are large -- as is the center console bin. But the $395 AM/FM/CD sound system in my test truck had controls too small for easy operation when driving.

Front occupants sit high, and tall windows allow good visibility. Rear windows roll all the way down in the crew cab.

Fluid filler areas area easily reached in the neatly designed engine compartment.

The Colorado can be a good car substitute for some people -- just like the old small pickups.

2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO

Prices
$15,565-$27,960

Likes
New generation design. Strong five-cylinder engine. Agile.

Dislikes
Firm ride. Tight rear leg room. Not fuel-thrifty.