Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD; Day 1

[Solstice2006]

I would love it.  Keys go in Jacket pocket, never leave jacket pocket EVER.  Love it.

Exactly, I rarely drive with a jacket.  These first world problems, I tell ya! Putting that 6 on leasebusters! 

[tooscoops]

crazy... i just had to deal with a customer who bought a used lincoln off me... if the battery dies there, they have the keypad on the door which is great for that scenario... then you have to put the key in a little slot in the console and start the car as usual... kind of interesting...

for our system at fca, we have the old style key in the fobik as well... pop it out, unlock the door, then "push" the start button with the fob itself... the only added technology is the "remote" part... and we've been using fob's for decades for the locks and such, so i really don't think it adds much complication. just one more function...

anyway, i like the review. not going into it with rose coloured glasses and giving an honest opinion on the truck rather than automatically liking it because it's new.

[blotter]

A friend of mine with a Boxster had his fob become unsynchronized from the car. No way to unlock it. Porsche told him to have it towed to the dealership, which is in Saskatoon. He popped the window instead and inserted the fob into the dash. Everything worked as normal after that.

He found another window for $300 which he installed.

Yeah...see...this kind of crap can easily be prevented.

don't buy FGC?

[Fobroader]

A friend of mine with a Boxster had his fob become unsynchronized from the car. No way to unlock it. Porsche told him to have it towed to the dealership, which is in Saskatoon. He popped the window instead and inserted the fob into the dash. Everything worked as normal after that.

He found another window for $300 which he installed.

Yeah...see...this kind of crap can easily be prevented.

don't buy FGC?

That would be the obvious answer......

[Woodyism]

I don't see the advantage of push-button start.  If the effort of inserting the key and turning it is too high, then I have to wonder about operating the rest of the controls...?

Its great, you never have to worry about locking the keys in the car, you can walk away from a  running car with the key in your pocket (not that you should), very convenient.
Cheers
Woody

[ktm525]

Considering  the tight interior the shifter should really be on the steering column. Why do manufactures insist on putting auto shifters on the console beside the cup holders. A disaster waiting to happen. I guess they feel it is sporty.?

Agreed. Ridgeline is a good example of a column shifter enabling an innovative console design.

So, where are the wiper controls?

On the column. Left hand side and integrated into the signal stalk  Honda copied the column shifter from the Americans because it works. The older Yukons had a column shifter and that left a nice big open area to put stuff. Now that have this oversized command lever in the center taking up space...

Colorado mileage is just ok so GM can push the diesels that come out next year.

[Northernridge]

The battery in the Mercedes fob needs to changed annually. If the battery dies (or starts to) while driving, the car will issue a notice to change the fob battery immediately (!). If you ignore it, it then warns that car will shut itself off the next time it's stopped and not restart until the fob battery is changed or the start button is popped off and the smart key inserted as backup. The whole thing is alarmist.

... and the dealer says it takes a special battery, only MB Service shop has it.

Happily we can replace it ourselves.

[Solstice2006]

I don't see the advantage of push-button start.  If the effort of inserting the key and turning it is too high, then I have to wonder about operating the rest of the controls...?

Its great, you never have to worry about locking the keys in the car, you can walk away from a  running car with the key in your pocket (not that you should), very convenient.
Cheers
Woody

Neighbor did this with her MB, left it running 3 hours! It was funny!

[dirtyjeffer]

Both my cars have it and I love it

my car has it as well, but it isn't a feature common in trucks.

[dirtyjeffer]

^^^^^^^^

I have a hard time buying those numbers.   While I'll admit, I don't know too many people who own new full size trucks.... looking at the fuel consumption thread on this forum seems to contradict those numbers:

The last tank in the truck was the best in a long while - 20 l/100km.

The other day with headwinds driving around 90 I was at 19 L/100 km

Drove the truck to Orillia and back.

14.7 l/100 km there
14.0 l/100 km back.

Speeds were between 95 and 105. Lots of hills.

Incidentally, the best two tanks I've had since owning it.

If my worse tank is 16L and a 1/2 ton is around 20L
and my best tank is 11L and a 1/2 ton is 14L
I don't really consider that virtually the same.   But in the end, I don't really think most people looking at buying a truck are going to be overly concerned at crunching the fuel numbers.

i mentioned before a colleague with a 4 cylinder RAV4 mentioned her fuel economy was in the 12s, and it was colder last week than it was a couple of months ago when she mentioned it to me...if a 4 cylinder RAV4 is in the 12s and this was 14, it doesn't sound that bad.

[initial_D]

i mentioned before a colleague with a 4 cylinder RAV4 mentioned her fuel economy was in the 12s, and it was colder last week than it was a couple of months ago when she mentioned it to me...if a 4 cylinder RAV4 is in the 12s and this was 14, it doesn't sound that bad.

JB did 70% hwy travel, and his number will be worse if it was 70% in stop-N-go. I get around 20L/100km in the Sierra (with the 6.0 V8), 14 would be a great number for me.

[initial_D]

The battery in the Mercedes fob needs to changed annually. If the battery dies (or starts to) while driving, the car will issue a notice to change the fob battery immediately (!). If you ignore it, it then warns that car will shut itself off the next time it's stopped and not restart until the fob battery is changed or the start button is popped off and the smart key inserted as backup. The whole thing is alarmist.

... and the dealer says it takes a special battery, only MB Service shop has it.

Happily we can replace it ourselves.

That is great. The MB sales guy tells my bother that he should bring in his key fob in for service to change the battery. I ordered a multi-pack CR2025 from Amazon, about $1.25 each (Energizer brand), free shipping. $15 bucks will last the life of the car.

[johngenx]

Parked beside one of these trucks today - looks good, and the size is noticeably smaller than full sized trucks.

[dirtyjeffer]

Parked beside one of these trucks today - looks good, and the size is noticeably smaller than full sized trucks.

yup, something you have to see in person (and preferably with a brand new full size immediately beside it)...i don't have exact dimensions, but i would think this truck is about the size of now gone Ford Explorer Sport Trac.

[johngenx]

It looks more modern than the Tacoma, so in terms of looks, you can go contemporary with the GM, or retro with the Toyota.  Both look good, but in different ways.

[blotter]

It looks more modern than the Tacoma, so in terms of looks, you can go contemporary with the GM, or retro with the Toyota.  Both look good, but in different ways.

I agree.   There's some hitting the roads now.  I've seen two in the past couple weeks.
good looking trucks. 



the key fob thing...
well I've never had one and it's one of those things you think you don't need.
that was until a friend had the system that with the fob in your pocket the doors auto lock or unlock.
this was fantastic for walking back to the car post skiing.   Hands full carrying everything, there was no putting everything down and digging around to find a key to unlock the vehicle.   I thought that was pretty cool.

[greengs]

^^^^^^^^

I have a hard time buying those numbers.   While I'll admit, I don't know too many people who own new full size trucks.... looking at the fuel consumption thread on this forum seems to contradict those numbers:

The last tank in the truck was the best in a long while - 20 l/100km.

The other day with headwinds driving around 90 I was at 19 L/100 km

Drove the truck to Orillia and back.

14.7 l/100 km there
14.0 l/100 km back.

Speeds were between 95 and 105. Lots of hills.

Incidentally, the best two tanks I've had since owning it.

If my worse tank is 16L and a 1/2 ton is around 20L
and my best tank is 11L and a 1/2 ton is 14L
I don't really consider that virtually the same.   But in the end, I don't really think most people looking at buying a truck are going to be overly concerned at crunching the fuel numbers.

Domestic trucks have many rear end options (they may use the best combo for EPA test??) Same for towing claims.  There are only 3 2.7TT F150s on fuelly but they are all under 13L/100kms.  So it is possible to get good econ in that truck.  However, it is really easy to get very poor fuel mileage in any turbo powered vehicle, be it sedan, suv or truck, especially in urban settings. 

[tooscoops]

It looks more modern than the Tacoma, so in terms of looks, you can go contemporary with the GM, or retro with the Toyota.  Both look good, but in different ways.

I agree.   There's some hitting the roads now.  I've seen two in the past couple weeks.
good looking trucks. 



the key fob thing...
well I've never had one and it's one of those things you think you don't need.
that was until a friend had the system that with the fob in your pocket the doors auto lock or unlock.
this was fantastic for walking back to the car post skiing.   Hands full carrying everything, there was no putting everything down and digging around to find a key to unlock the vehicle.   I thought that was pretty cool.

love the fob thing... when i'm moving cars on the lot, the guys always wonder why i claim the journeys first...

... all i do is put every key in a box and carry it with me... every one opens up and starts! i'm a bit of a cheater.

[initial_D]

Went down to the GMC dealership to take a look at the Canyon, (indoor showroom inside a mall), with a cup of Timmie's in hand, took my time looking around a couple trims, and look at the Sierra 1500 and 2500 as well.

This truck is noticeably smaller than the full size pickups, as others mentioned, the shirt-bed trim does reminds me of the Sport-trac as posted before, if rear passenger doors were larger, the resemblance would be be more.

The interior dash is much better than my 2004 Sierra, and its is roomy enough, even thought it is nothing like a living room comfy in the bigger truck. The back seat space is sufficient enough, there is between my knees and the front seat-back (I sat in the front seat and make the proper adjustment first).

Anyway, the sales guy offer a test drive, I declined and took his business card and raincheck on the test drive. Leasing rate is 1.99% for 48 months.

[dirtyjeffer]

love the fob thing... when i'm moving cars on the lot, the guys always wonder why i claim the journeys first...

... all i do is put every key in a box and carry it with me... every one opens up and starts! i'm a bit of a cheater.

the GM dealer we went to had a lock box hanging on the driver's door window on every car in the lot...the lock boxes look similar to the ones real estate agents lock on your door handle...essentially, they roll the window down an inch, hang it on the glass edge, then roll the window back up...there is a keypad/lock, and when you enter the right code, it allows you to open it and grab the key...i had never seen such a device before (on a car) and thought it was unique...the sales guy said it was great...no more searching for keys, running back and forth from the lots/keyroom etc...seemed kind of neat.