2007 Chevrolet Colorado Review reveals how the Chevrolet S10 replacement stacks up.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

2007 Chevrolet Colorado Review

The Chevy Colorado, a joint effort between General Motors and Isuzu, was released in 2004 as a replacement for the long lasting Chevy S10. In 2005, Isuzu released its own version of the Colorado, the Isuzu i-Series.

The BuyingAdvice Team Says:

The Chevrolet Colorado beats the competition in one key area, price. Otherwise, its lack of safety features and poor reliability make the Colorado a disappointing addition to Chevrolet's generally excellent line of trucks. The Colorado is not even a worthy successor to the S10, with reduced towing capacity hardly making up for the slight size increase. If budget is the main concern then, the Colorado is an option, if you can afford a little more, you will find much better value elsewhere.

What's New For 2007:

The Colorado is seeing a number of cosmetic and performance upgrades this year. Perhaps the biggest change is the engine upgrade. You now have the choice of either a 185-horsepower 2.9-L four-cylinder, or a 242-horsepower, 3.7-L five-cylinder. A new transmission speed sensor has also been added, which improves shift quality. Other new additions are a tire pressure monitor, a beefed up alternator, and cosmetic changes, such as chrome accents, optional ebony trim, and exterior LS and LT markings.

What is the Predicted Reliability:

J.D. Power and Associates gives the Colorado only two out of five stars for initial reliability. Drivers have reported a number of issues with previous iterations of the Colorado, including non-functioning heaters, failing batteries, melting hoses, fluid leaks, stalling engines, and grinding transmissions. Expect below average reliability out of the Colorado. The basic warranty lasts for three years or 36,000 miles.

Analysis Of Safety Ratings And Features:

The 2007 Colorado regular cab earned four out of five stars for frontal impacts in government crash tests; 4-door models performed better, earning five out of five stars in frontal impact tests. Both the regular cab and 4-door Colorado received four out of five stars in side impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Colorado its best "Good" rating for frontal impacts, and a mediocre "Marginal" for rear impacts; side impacts were not tested. Safety features are lacking. Anti-lock brakes are standard, but side airbags and traction control are optional. Stability control is unavailable. All prior versions of the Colorado were recalled for malfunctioning brake lights and cruise control problems.

Pros and Cons:

Pros
+ Inexpensive
+ Holds up well in a crash
+ Long powertrain warranty (five years or 100,000 miles)

Cons
- Lousy reliability
- Few available safety features
- Low grade interior materials

Head-To-Head Competition:

With the base model having such a low price, and a host of included features, the Colorado fares well against others in its class. The Colorado's main nemesis, the Ford Ranger, costs $1,500 more, but comes with a CD player and gets slightly better city gas mileage than the Colorado. The Colorado has a larger, more powerful engine (2.9-L, 185-hp vs. 2.3-L, 143-hp), and about 300 more square feet of payload capacity than the Ranger. The Toyota Tacoma stacks up much the same way, starting at about $1,000 more than the Colorado, but a CD player is standard on the Tacoma. However, the Colorado comes with air conditioning, is more powerful with 26 more horsepower, and has about 200 more square feet of payload capacity. If you're curious to find out how the Colorado matches up with its twin, the Isuzu i-290, you might be surprised to learn that the Colorado costs more than $3,000 less, but is pretty much the same vehicle.

What Others Are Saying:

"These three compact pickups are essentially identical and come in a broad variety of body styles, wheelbase and cargo-bed lengths, and load ratings. The Colorado was by far the worst in a five-truck comparison-test, finishing miles behind the Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Frontier." - Car and Driver

"A pleasant surprise is how much interior space GM packed into this truck. Chevrolet says the Colorado has more interior volume than any other compact or midsize truck--more than Dodge Dakota, even though the Chevy's exterior size is trimmer." - Motor Trend

"The new Chevy Colorado is unexciting, and it lacks sex appeal. Maybe that's because GM tried to do this one on the cheap--this pickup was really created for the Asian market. That's right. It was designed to be built in Thailand, as an affordable vehicle in emerging markets. But then GM figured, Why not build it in America, too, and save the money on designing a new one for the U.S.?" - Forbes

Read more about the 2007 Chevrolet Colorado at the Chevrolet manufacturer web site.

Published on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - Email to a friend

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