New Chevrolet Colorado 2009 2010 : Reviews and Photo, Never mind the fact these are barely more than glorified S10s which are infamous, among other things, for the doors falling off their hinges, but at least the concept hearkens back to the great American tradition of stuffing as much in the nose of something small as is physically possible. Problem is they didn’t go far enough. We all know the legend of the original Plymouth Road Runner so I won’t elaborate, but this is exactly where GM lost sight of those who might salivate over the combination of V8 power and RWD in an otherwise mundane appliance. Had they offered the 5.3 as an option in any model right from the basic regular cab 2WD with a manual transmission I suspect they might have had ‘em crawling out of the woodwork to ante up. At the trim and price level this is positioned it just goes to prove GM has completely lost touch with the dwindling few who remain loyal to the brand.Although the Colorado has its fair share of shortcomings, we seemed to forget about them every time we put our right foot to the floorboard. Check the 5.3-liter V8 option box and the Colorado is suddenly transformed from an everyday hauler to a sports truck. Low end grunt is much improved over the base truck’s five-cylinder engine and the V8’s power only grows as the revs climb.
In all reality, the Colorado V8 is probably more deserving of Chevy’s coveted SS badge than the V8-powered Impala SS, a front-wheel-driver that could serve as a textbook example of torque steer.
The Colorado’s four-speed automatic transmission isn’t the most sophisticated gearbox in the world, but it doesn’t an admirable job when hooked to the optional V8 engine. Shifts were smooth and as expected, although don’t expect lightning-quick shifts .The V8-powered Colorado seems like an oddity in Chevrolet’s lineup, and we really can’t figure out where it fits in. In base form, the Colorado makes a lot of sense. It’s cheap, relatively economical and far removed from the larger Silverado. However, check all the option boxes – like on our tester – and the Colorado encroaches quickly on its big brother. It costs about the same as a decently-equipped Silverado and, even with the V8, it offers less hauling capability than the full-sizer, yet it still comes with a penalty at the pump. Compare the two trucks’ interiors and it’s not even a fair fight.
We hope the next-generation Colorado moves a little further away from the Silverado while gaining some of the refinement that has made the Toyota Tacoma, the class-leader. In the meantime, the new 5.3-liter V8 does add some performance to the Colorado that might make more sense in a lowered street truck than it does in a high-rider off-roader, despite the additional low-end torque.
In all reality, the Colorado V8 is probably more deserving of Chevy’s coveted SS badge than the V8-powered Impala SS, a front-wheel-driver that could serve as a textbook example of torque steer.
The Colorado’s four-speed automatic transmission isn’t the most sophisticated gearbox in the world, but it doesn’t an admirable job when hooked to the optional V8 engine. Shifts were smooth and as expected, although don’t expect lightning-quick shifts .The V8-powered Colorado seems like an oddity in Chevrolet’s lineup, and we really can’t figure out where it fits in. In base form, the Colorado makes a lot of sense. It’s cheap, relatively economical and far removed from the larger Silverado. However, check all the option boxes – like on our tester – and the Colorado encroaches quickly on its big brother. It costs about the same as a decently-equipped Silverado and, even with the V8, it offers less hauling capability than the full-sizer, yet it still comes with a penalty at the pump. Compare the two trucks’ interiors and it’s not even a fair fight.
We hope the next-generation Colorado moves a little further away from the Silverado while gaining some of the refinement that has made the Toyota Tacoma, the class-leader. In the meantime, the new 5.3-liter V8 does add some performance to the Colorado that might make more sense in a lowered street truck than it does in a high-rider off-roader, despite the additional low-end torque.
