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GM's ['04 Colorado & Canyon] small pickups built for lifestyles, not work

NFS4

NFS4

No Lifer
Lynn Myers, marketing general manager for Pontiac-GMC, says many of the pickups will be used as family vehicles by economy-minded buyers. So it doesn't bother her that the Colorado and Canyon will have a 4,000-pound towing capacity, compared with 5,200 pounds for their predecessors, the Chevrolet S10 and GMC Sonoma.
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WTF????? Aren't the numbers usually supposed to go UP!!😕
rolleye.gif
😱

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=07281964
 
Originally posted by: tm37
they aren't built to be trucks

they are mearly cars that look like trucks
Click to expand...

That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.

To go backwards just boggles the mind to me no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it.
 
Originally posted by: tm37
in order to make it tow more it must be stiffer

stiff != comfy

comfy = profits
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The new F-150 tows more, is stiffer, and rides better than the old one. Like I said, this is commonplace for just about ANY revamped model in any segment. Very rarely do you see a new model comes that is THAT inferior to the model it replaces.

"Oneupmanship" is commonplace in this industry. This is just political spin on the part of GM
 
This is exactly why GM sucks 😉

But then again how many users actually will tow with there vehicles?

Not many, I have had a truck for two years now (dakota) and I don't even have a hitch, I can honestly say that I would have like to have had a hitch twice.

 
Originally posted by: tm37
This is exactly why GM sucks 😉

But then again how many users actually will tow with there vehicles?

Not many, I have had a truck for two years now (dakota) and I don't even have a hitch, I can honestly say that I would have like to have had a hitch twice.
Click to expand...

Well, my dad recently bought a '03 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed and he tows often with it. He also carries quite a bit in the bed of the vehicle as well.
 
That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.
Click to expand...

rolleye.gif
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
This is exactly why GM sucks 😉

But then again how many users actually will tow with there vehicles?

Not many, I have had a truck for two years now (dakota) and I don't even have a hitch, I can honestly say that I would have like to have had a hitch twice.
Click to expand...

Well, my dad recently bought a '03 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed and he tows often with it. He also carries quite a bit in the bed of the vehicle as well.
Click to expand...


Then he probably shouldn't buy one. The other 90% of people that buy these little trucks that never put anything heavier than a peice of furniture in one will be fine.
 
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
This is exactly why GM sucks 😉

But then again how many users actually will tow with there vehicles?

Not many, I have had a truck for two years now (dakota) and I don't even have a hitch, I can honestly say that I would have like to have had a hitch twice.
Click to expand...

Well, my dad recently bought a '03 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed and he tows often with it. He also carries quite a bit in the bed of the vehicle as well.
Click to expand...


Then he probably shouldn't buy one. The other 90% of people that buy these little trucks that never put anything heavier than a peice of furniture in one will be fine.
Click to expand...

That's all fine and dandy, but the specs should NOT be going down for a truck that is replacing a 10 year-old pickup. With the advances in technology and the fact that the Colorado/Canyon are a magnitude greater in bending stiffness/structure than the S-10/Sonoma make this all the more unbelievable.

It's be like Nissan dropping the power of the 350Z down to 200HP b/c most people only drive it in the city and don't have much opportunity to "wring it out"
 
I was really interested in one of these for after college graduation. I currently drive a Chevy Blazer which is on an S-10 Chassis. I also beleive their will be at least two engine sizes to choose from, I will ask my father, he works at one of the Assembly plants that will be prodoucing the vehicles.
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
they aren't built to be trucks

they are mearly cars that look like trucks
Click to expand...

That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.

To go backwards just boggles the mind to me no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it.
Click to expand...

So by your reasoning, every car will be bigger than the previous. GM have trucks made to tow stuff with. And as it said in the article the S10 is not competitive on the market.

 
That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.

To go backwards just boggles the mind to me no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it.
Click to expand...
Hav'nt you learned yet that bigger, better and faster isn't always the best or smartest path to take?

Smaller, cheaper, more efficient vehicles are the way to go. Some day the wasteful American ideal of "bigger is better" will fade.

 
Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

So by your reasoning, every car will be bigger than the previous. GM have trucks made to tow stuff with. And as it said in the article the S10 is not competitive on the market.
Click to expand...
yep, the S-10 was never really a tow vehicle in the first place.. it's GVWR is too low anyway. I have seen some guys with small trucks (Dakota's Rangers S-10's) trying to do a car dolly down the highway.. no thanks, never seen anything get that squrrly on the road before... the guys who are really out there to tow get the vehicles meant for it AND that can do it safely(Silverado, F series)

 
I believe this headline in your link says it all

2004 Chevrolet Colorado: Bigger, Bolder, Better

wether or not your specs says it apparently doesn't mean much.
 
So by your reasoning, every car will be bigger than the previous. GM have trucks made to tow stuff with. And as it said in the article the S10 is not competitive on the market.
Click to expand...
Hav'nt you learned yet that bigger, better and faster isn't always the best or smartest path to take?

Smaller, cheaper, more efficient vehicles are the way to go. Some day the wasteful American ideal of "bigger is better" will fade.
Click to expand...
Typically, new cars/trucks grow marginally on the outside and grow a little bit more inside from generation to generation.

'92 --> '97 --> '02 Camrys grew a bit bigger inside/outside with each generation and got more powerful engines as the generations progressed.

Inline-4 went from 125HP to 157HP and got better fuel economy
V6 went from 192HP to 210HP to 225HP and got better fuel economy with each upgrade.

Safety features of course inmproved with each generation as well as well as performance.

Similar trends (slightly larger size, better fuel economy, more powerful) can be seen with other cars (Corolla, Civic, Altima, Maxima), pickups (Ram, Silverado, Ram, Dakota), and SUV's (RX330, Explorer, Trailblazer, etc.).


In fact, the new Colorado/Canyon are now MID-SIZE vehicles which puts it in the company with the Dodge Dakota. So these new trucks have managed to get significantly larger and less capable during 10 years of "advancement"
rolleye.gif


Heck, my dad's V6 powered Frontier even manages to pull 5,000 lbs vs 4,000 lbs for these "new" trucks.
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
they aren't built to be trucks

they are mearly cars that look like trucks
Click to expand...

That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.

To go backwards just boggles the mind to me no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it.
Click to expand...


How exactly do you get larger with more towing ability, yet more fuel efficient? I am no car expert, but how often is this really done?
 
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
they aren't built to be trucks

they are mearly cars that look like trucks
Click to expand...

That's beside the point. EVERY vehicle in EVERY market when revamped gets larger, gets more fuel efficient engines, gets faster, has more safety features, tows more, gets better fuel economy, etc.

To go backwards just boggles the mind to me no matter what kind of spin they try to put on it.
Click to expand...


How exactly do you get larger with more towing ability, yet more fuel efficient? I am no car expert, but how often is this really done?
Click to expand...

Look at the new F-150 (Ford managed to improve power/efficiency of its 5.4 by using 3-valve technology). Look at the '99 Silverado. Newer engine technology and lighter building materials coupled with CAD has allowed most manufacturers to engineer vehicles that simply boggle the mind.
 
1995 Ford 351 360lbs of TQ Teens MPG: 8.8:1 compression
2004 Ford 5.4L 350lbs of TQ Teens MPG: 9.8:1 compression...

Now imagine the 351 with a 9.8:1 compression 🙂
 
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: tm37
This is exactly why GM sucks 😉

But then again how many users actually will tow with there vehicles?

Not many, I have had a truck for two years now (dakota) and I don't even have a hitch, I can honestly say that I would have like to have had a hitch twice.
Click to expand...

Well, my dad recently bought a '03 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed and he tows often with it. He also carries quite a bit in the bed of the vehicle as well.
Click to expand...


Then he probably shouldn't buy one. The other 90% of people that buy these little trucks that never put anything heavier than a peice of furniture in one will be fine.
Click to expand...

These new rigs sound EXACTLY like the vechical I am looking for, I would like a 6'-7' bed so I can get the ocassional sheet of 4'x8' whatever in, I do not want a full crew cab, I will NOT be towing and I do not want some monster truck that is a hazard in a parking lot. I will be communting 30mi a day so I want some creature comforts and reasonable gas mileage. I laff at the clowns who commute in their F350s! Fact is I am beging to see the F350, or equivelent, as a form of penial enhansment. ie, if you don't have it in your pants you can at least drive a BIG pickup.
 
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