Topic: First Drive: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon

[agroal]

I bought my second new Tacoma in 2011. "In terms of mechanical details and overall refinement the GMC and Chevy have it all over any other current mid-size model".  Really? The current Tacoma dates back to 2005. The GM trucks damn well better be more advanced. Remember the hoopla when these first Gen GM twins were released just before the '05 Tacoma? GM answered a few questions (5 cyl.?) that nobody was asking. Nor buying. Cheap plastic interiors, boring styling, and feature wise they were utterly non-competitive. That was typical of the old GM. Show up to a gunfight and pull out a knife. The '05 Tacoma was released within months and blew the GM trucks into the weeds, eventually causing GM to retreat from this market. Do the brand new GM interiors really appear to be 10 years better? They look plasticky to me. That was always one of Toyota's best features: Well thought out interiors using higher quality materials, and well built. You instantly realize which company makes Lexus interiors. I don't believe Toyota is going to concede the small (ish) pick up market in North America. GM is a far better company now and is producing some of the nicest looking ( Cadillac, Vette, Impala) cars on the road. But a long, long history of bullet-proof, reliable, BASIC trucks is going to be tough for GM to just swoop in and expect to dominate this market. Competition is good.

[bridgecity]

The Ridgeline is discontinued... Can't even hook up an Ipod to it!

Not that I care, as an ipod connection wouldn't even factor into the equation when picking a truck, but you sure about the ipod?  They list in their specs that there is one.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

A friend of mine wanted to get a Ram. It wouldn't fit into the garage that does fit his 3-4 year old Sierra.

It's a tough call on how well this will move. Ford decided there wasn't enough difference between the global Ranger and the current  F150 to bother with. It looks like GM made the opposite call. We'll see how this works out.

I'm not sure which way I'd go. I prefer regular cab and long box (7-8'), so I'd likely get a F150, Sierra or Ram even though I'd prefer something smaller, but I'm not a typical truck buyer.

I'd really like to see something closer in size to the Ranger, Toyota pickup or Nissan Hardbody.

They could easily do a car based pickup in that size....or are you looking for a solid, old school small pickup??

For my use, I'd be fine with a Ute actually. But realistically, it'd be a neo-Ranger of some sort.

[Fobroader]

A friend of mine wanted to get a Ram. It wouldn't fit into the garage that does fit his 3-4 year old Sierra.

It's a tough call on how well this will move. Ford decided there wasn't enough difference between the global Ranger and the current  F150 to bother with. It looks like GM made the opposite call. We'll see how this works out.

I'm not sure which way I'd go. I prefer regular cab and long box (7-8'), so I'd likely get a F150, Sierra or Ram even though I'd prefer something smaller, but I'm not a typical truck buyer.

I'd really like to see something closer in size to the Ranger, Toyota pickup or Nissan Hardbody.

They could easily do a car based pickup in that size....or are you looking for a solid, old school small pickup??

For my use, I'd be fine with a Ute actually. But realistically, it'd be a neo-Ranger of some sort.

Didn't someone on here buy a cheap old Ranger to have around the house from somewhere in the states?? That would be the way to go, a cheap old truck to have around the house, I'd get it in 4x4 for those crappy days where you wouldnt want to take the nice car.

[bridgecity]

A friend of mine wanted to get a Ram. It wouldn't fit into the garage that does fit his 3-4 year old Sierra.

It's a tough call on how well this will move. Ford decided there wasn't enough difference between the global Ranger and the current  F150 to bother with. It looks like GM made the opposite call. We'll see how this works out.

I'm not sure which way I'd go. I prefer regular cab and long box (7-8'), so I'd likely get a F150, Sierra or Ram even though I'd prefer something smaller, but I'm not a typical truck buyer.

I'd really like to see something closer in size to the Ranger, Toyota pickup or Nissan Hardbody.

They could easily do a car based pickup in that size....or are you looking for a solid, old school small pickup??

For my use, I'd be fine with a Ute actually. But realistically, it'd be a neo-Ranger of some sort.

Didn't someone on here buy a cheap old Ranger to have around the house from somewhere in the states?? That would be the way to go, a cheap old truck to have around the house, I'd get it in 4x4 for those crappy days where you wouldnt want to take the nice car.

Wasn't it one of the members from Manitoba?  Great Big Abyss?  I think they got rid of it.

[tacolover]

This is a nice looking truck, however, I think it's a stretch to claim that it's so much better than two proven pickups that have actually been still making mid-size trucks all this time.  Yes, the engines are newer, with only slightly better gas mileage, but that's to be expected, I'm sure Toyota can easily match or exceed these numbers for 2016/17. We'll see in 4 or 5 years the reliability and resale value, the two most important things in any vehicle.  I rarely see a Tacoma or Frontier at a used car lot, but there are always many choices from the big three.  Tacomas are among the best in resale value, simply because they last a long time, and drive like the day you bought it.  The only thing I would like to see as far as options would be heated mirrors, all the other things mentioned in this article don't mean much to me, however as mentioned by many people Toyota already offers most of it.

[tooscoops]

yeah, you can go on a used lot and see 12 f-150's... 9 rams... about 8 of the gm brothers.. and only one taco!

... but that's because only one out of every 30+ trucks sold new will be a taco. and frontier sells half of that... the higher price is due to perceived value and lack of supply.

doesn't mean a thing about their longevity or reliability. most of those big 3 trucks were also used hard, many of those in fleets or as employees work trucks.. so beaten hard. the tacos and frontiers were customer driven and cared for...

just throwing that out there... doesn't change that those little guys DO hold their value.... the issue is that they don't hold it for any real reason. i guess who cares how the result happens!

[Northernridge]

The Ridgeline is discontinued... Can't even hook up an Ipod to it!

Not that I care, as an ipod connection wouldn't even factor into the equation when picking a truck, but you sure about the ipod?  They list in their specs that there is one.

We have the Honda iPod adapter in our Ridgeline...old tech yes, but it works.

[Solstice2006]

The Ridgeline is discontinued... Can't even hook up an Ipod to it!

Not that I care, as an ipod connection wouldn't even factor into the equation when picking a truck, but you sure about the ipod?  They list in their specs that there is one.

We have the Honda iPod adapter in our Ridgeline...old tech yes, but it works.

An ipod connection is not a deal breaker for me either.  Just saying, Honda updated the Civic, people said not enough, then they did it properly, then the Accord, the next generation Fit with more hp, torque, and an extra gear is now at dealers, they are putting the Earth Dreams engine in the CRV, next is the HRV.  All of this work, but they have vastly ignored the Ridgeline for years, which will be put on a standby for a couple of years. 

I like the Ridgeline.  And it's hard to compare it to a full size truck, closest thing would be a V6 double cab Tacoma 4wd.  Just for the money, I expect more features, regardless if it's a truck or not.  I am not paying more for a Honda badge, when the company didn't put features the other trucks have.

[EV-Light]

yeah, you can go on a used lot and see 12 f-150's... 9 rams... about 8 of the gm brothers.. and only one taco!

... but that's because only one out of every 30+ trucks sold new will be a taco. and frontier sells half of that... the higher price is due to perceived value and lack of supply.

doesn't mean a thing about their longevity or reliability. most of those big 3 trucks were also used hard, many of those in fleets or as employees work trucks.. so beaten hard. the tacos and frontiers were customer driven and cared for...

just throwing that out there... doesn't change that those little guys DO hold their value.... the issue is that they don't hold it for any real reason. i guess who cares how the result happens!

^^^^^absolutely true...Ford F150s are in huge supply, being the best selling vehicle in Canada has its disadvantages.

[agroal]

yeah, you can go on a used lot and see 12 f-150's... 9 rams... about 8 of the gm brothers.. and only one taco!

... but that's because only one out of every 30+ trucks sold new will be a taco. and frontier sells half of that... the higher price is due to perceived value and lack of supply.

doesn't mean a thing about their longevity or reliability. most of those big 3 trucks were also used hard, many of those in fleets or as employees work trucks.. so beaten hard. the tacos and frontiers were customer driven and cared for...

just throwing that out there... doesn't change that those little guys DO hold their value.... the issue is that they don't hold it for any real reason. i guess who cares how the result happens!

           You will have a great future in politics. Or Proctology. You toss a hand grenade about perceived value and then concede that "those little guys" DO hold their value? Your ability to speak out of both side of your ass is commendable. So the reason that there are relatively few Tacomas on used car lots is because of production numbers? Check any reliability index. Let me throw out a hand grenade. Every so often a "GM Brother" decides to ride my ass until I get fed up at the next red light and step outside. I'm no giant 6'1" 235lbs. But without fail the tough guy in the huge truck is a short little 5'6" 135lbs.  balding girl acting tough behind the big wheel.  Was that you? LOL     

[Solstice2006]

I bought my second new Tacoma in 2011. "In terms of mechanical details and overall refinement the GMC and Chevy have it all over any other current mid-size model".  Really? The current Tacoma dates back to 2005. The GM trucks damn well better be more advanced. Remember the hoopla when these first Gen GM twins were released just before the '05 Tacoma? GM answered a few questions (5 cyl.?) that nobody was asking. Nor buying. Cheap plastic interiors, boring styling, and feature wise they were utterly non-competitive. That was typical of the old GM. Show up to a gunfight and pull out a knife. The '05 Tacoma was released within months and blew the GM trucks into the weeds, eventually causing GM to retreat from this market. Do the brand new GM interiors really appear to be 10 years better? They look plasticky to me. That was always one of Toyota's best features: Well thought out interiors using higher quality materials, and well built. You instantly realize which company makes Lexus interiors. I don't believe Toyota is going to concede the small (ish) pick up market in North America. GM is a far better company now and is producing some of the nicest looking ( Cadillac, Vette, Impala) cars on the road. But a long, long history of bullet-proof, reliable, BASIC trucks is going to be tough for GM to just swoop in and expect to dominate this market. Competition is good.

Bit of a generalization, been inside a Sienna or previous generation Highlander?  The GM Lambda triplets have way higher end materials inside than the Highlander.  From a few reviews, the base models have harder plastics, higher trims have better materials. 

The Tacoma is reliable, tough, and has great off-road capability.  If I was looking for a midsize truck a few years ago, that would have been my choice.  But it is dated, and Toyota didn't care, no competition.  The full size trucks have the toys that sedans have and more.  So why shouldn't the midsize trucks?  Well that is what GM has done, the Canyon is a baby Sierra.  The back seats are comfortable, interior leather has nice stitching. 

And of course these new trucks are going to have more than the competition.  It will be interesting to see what Toyota comes up with.   

[dirtyjeffer]

i am interested in checking out these trucks (the Colorado, as i don't like the Canyon's looks), but it will be tough to get me to buy one...from what i have read, the 2015 Frontier PRO-4X King Cab is going to be the truck to beat for us...$31,500 with all the beefy off road goodies as well as heated seats, camera/backup sensors and NAV...i like the Taco too, but in order to get heated seats (a must for the wife), you have to get the top trim crew cab, then add the SR5 package, so it ends up being about $38k.

i also like the fact that the Frontier has a proven track record for reliability, with the only real issue being a problem with the rad/tranny cooler, which was resolved in 2010 and newer models...i'll still check out the Chevy, but it would have to be VERY impressive to swing our votes.

[WRX_Pilot]

yeah, you can go on a used lot and see 12 f-150's... 9 rams... about 8 of the gm brothers.. and only one taco!

... but that's because only one out of every 30+ trucks sold new will be a taco. and frontier sells half of that... the higher price is due to perceived value and lack of supply.

doesn't mean a thing about their longevity or reliability. most of those big 3 trucks were also used hard, many of those in fleets or as employees work trucks.. so beaten hard. the tacos and frontiers were customer driven and cared for...

just throwing that out there... doesn't change that those little guys DO hold their value.... the issue is that they don't hold it for any real reason. i guess who cares how the result happens!

           You will have a great future in politics. Or Proctology. You toss a hand grenade about perceived value and then concede that "those little guys" DO hold their value? Your ability to speak out of both side of your ass is commendable. So the reason that there are relatively few Tacomas on used car lots is because of production numbers? Check any reliability index. Let me throw out a hand grenade. Every so often a "GM Brother" decides to ride my ass until I get fed up at the next red light and step outside. I'm no giant 6'1" 235lbs. But without fail the tough guy in the huge truck is a short little 5'6" 135lbs.  balding girl acting tough behind the big wheel.  Was that you? LOL   

http://youtu.be/fxIIUnnDoYA

[woozy]

My work uses tacos almost exclusively. They are decent, reliable trucks but cheap interiors and problems with rust around the side windows and a-pillar. But when we have out of town jobs, we take one of the gm or ford vans...the taco's seats are just miserable to spend much time in. And an odd thing...when you hit the windshield washer, the wipers don't come on automatically. Small but annoying  thing for sure but never noticed that on any other car I've driven. I like the new gm trucks. I hated the previous col/can. I think these new ones will do well and I read gm was surprised that orders were far more than predicted this early.

Oh and USB is a must for me. Cadillac offers a charge matt in its new models which, with BTstreaming, would make USB redundant for me in my next vehicle.

[blotter]

1 )I have a small garage, I can fit any 1/2 ton in it.
2 ) My wife is about 5'4"-5'5"....she can get in and out of her company Ford no problem
3 ) Trucks are all about capability, more is better 

 

1) we have a 50s house and a 1/2 ton would NEVER fit in our garage.   Actually the Taco may not even fit due to length, however my wife's car spends to winters in the garage so that wasn't a factor.

2) my wife is 5'2" and she can get in and out of a RAM better than the Taco (Taco's have a high step up)

3) trucks are all about the capability you personally need.   I will have enough capability with the Taco.
I don't NEED a 1/2 ton and will NEVER use it to it's full potential.   We liked the size of the Taco (or Ridgeline) and didn't really want to get into something bigger.

But why would I pay more for less?

while I didn't give Tooscoops a chance to negotiate me a deal on a RAM....  online pricing when comparing matching features between the Taco and RAM, even with stated discounts - the RAM was MORE MONEY.
Also, IMO is the Taco looked better, and there where other issues as to why we didn't explore the RAM option.
In the end, I think the best I could have done is get a RAM at potentially the same price.   But that's not the truck we really wanted for a various of reasons.

The Ridgeline is discontinued... Can't even hook up an Ipod to it! Tows a lot less than GM twins as well... And they don't even an inexpensive base model.... So apparently, seems to me they aren't the only choices...

As Northridge mentions, they do sell the i-pod connector.  It's like $250 or $300 extra bucks.
I'm sure the 2016 will be all updated and competitive.    It may tow less than the GM twins but again it comes down to needs.   If you're only buying a tent trailer, what in the world do you need 7,000lbs towing capacity for?   My dad bought the RL because it does exactly what he needs.   Tows any of his two trailers without issues at 5,000lbs capacity.   I've used it and it did a fine job.

taco's seats are just miserable to spend much time in. And an odd thing...when you hit the windshield washer, the wipers don't come on automatically.

The seat complaints is actually what almost got me NOT to buy a Taco, but I can say after two multi hour trips they don't bother me at all.  They're certainly no Volvo seats but they're actually more comfortable than the seats I had in the Matrix.       Strange the wipers don't go???  Mine do... weird.



I do welcome these twins.   I just think so far they're not living up to the hype.
Is the overall package better than the Ridgeline and Tacoma?  Maybe.   But they're not (IMO) "blowing away the competition in all aspects" as some reviews suggest. 

Wait till the new Frontier, Tacoma and Ridgeline come out......  will the twins be competitive in that environment?   

[Solstice2006]

As Northridge mentions, they do sell the i-pod connector.  It's like $250 or $300 extra bucks.
I'm sure the 2016 will be all updated and competitive.    It may tow less than the GM twins but again it comes down to needs.   If you're only buying a tent trailer, what in the world do you need 7,000lbs towing capacity for?   My dad bought the RL because it does exactly what he needs.   Tows any of his two trailers without issues at 5,000lbs capacity.   I've used it and it did a fine job.

Yes, I forget to reply back on that issue.  It's a dealer installed option, IIRC it goes through the glove box.  I asked my brother about it when I was pricing out Ridgelines.  As he works for Honda.  And we are on the same page blotter, it all comes down to needs. 

[greengs]

Some people just don't want a bigger truck. I think it's really as simple as that.

not sure if I agree with you...actually I think it's a little stupid to do that, why pay more for less?

in the case of Toyota, it's a little different...due to limited incentives their mid-size and full-size are quite far apart - the most expensive Tacoma will cost about $39k and a similarly equipped Tundra will hit $50k easy....

This isn't true right now.  The 2014 Tundra and Tacoma were very close in price for the similar trim when I was shopping.  If you can find a 2014 Tundra still they will give you $10,000 off easily. 

And yes my Tundra fits in my garage right next to the Odyssey which itself is a big vehicle.  Our garage isn't any bigger than a typical double garage here.   House is 25 years old. 

[pi314]

My Aunt/Uncle live in a ~5 year old 4000sq ft+ house in Burlington ON... there's no way a pickup would fit in their garage, a minivan barely does!
I think in older homes the garages were built larger

[Noto]

My Aunt/Uncle live in a ~5 year old 4000sq ft+ house in Burlington ON... there's no way a pickup would fit in their garage, a minivan barely does!
I think in older homes the garages were built larger

My house was built in 1987, measures 3100 sq ft, and has a single-door, double garage.  There is sufficient space for the RX400h and Corolla side-by-side, though the stairs to the house limit the length for the Corolla's side (we could MAYBE fit something ~185" long, but the Corolla at ~181" fits just fine.  The RX side has quite a bit more space to go, and the RX is 187.2" long - we haven't tried fitting it on the Corolla side.

I'm not sure I could fit a Tundra in the garage unless we took everything out of the garage that would be near/in front of it.