Colorado diesel

2344 Views 19 Replies 12 Participants Last post by cyclewild, Nov 11, 2016

_MerF_

Discussion Starter · Nov 9, 2016

So my Cruze is already almost 2 years old (only one more free service visit!) and I've realized that I really want a truck afterall. I absolutely LOVE the Silverado...but that's a whole lotta truck that I just don't know if I need.

My dad and I share a boat (22.5' cuddy cabin) that normally stays in a marina (dry dock) but we like to take it on jaunts around the state occasionally, so naturally need a truck to do it. He had an old (2001?) Silverado 2500HD but sold it since he was rarely using it and the maintenance/fuel costs didn't justify the needs. So naturally he has hinted that I need a truck, too...

I live in the city so all I ever do is stop/go traffic (my average MPH since I brought home my Cruze is around 21MPH :eek7

and the thought of a 5.3L Silverado's 18MPG city is not appealing.

Prior to last year, I thought the Colorado was too small. But now they are almost the same size as the Silverado 1500 20 years ago! And all the creature comforts of the Silverado (I'll admit, I'm a feature snob...constantly kicking myself for not getting my Cruze as an LTZ). And with the addition of the diesel option, I can EASILY tow our ~2,600 lbs boat and get all the great mileage of the diesel!

Any thoughts or test drives of the Colorado, especially the diesel? I've watched a bunch of videos and priced them out obsessively for the past week, but since the Colorado is basically the truck version of the Cruze, I figured some opinions from here would be very valid to me.

I know this much, I require an LT minimum. I will strongly object to not having Nav built in. And I'm pretty sure I want a crew cab. I don't care much about the drivetrain (4WD vs 2WD), color, or material (cloth/leather). Based on that, I'm seeing 2016 models in the $29,000-$32,000 range. This won't be until next fall anyway (don't want to trade the Cruze in with negative equity) so I will hopefully then be able to get a barely-used 2016 or an end-of-year inventory selloff of a 2017.

The only other weird thing to me is that the Colorados, especially when you start getting into the more optioned ones, are almost the same price of the Silverado, which is crazy to me...but I get it..trucks are a hot item at the moment so Chevy (and all of them) can charge a premium for them.

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JRB'sOilburningCruze

· #2 · Nov 9, 2016

Good luck finding a left over. Last I heard, they were selling the baby DuraMax's as fast as they can build them.

sparkman

· #3 · Nov 9, 2016

Get a Silverado. You will not regret it. Better bang for your buck, especially when the bonus tag events come around.

Quote from someone I know who is a Colorado owner who debated getting the diesel:

"Here is my line of thinking. The VW Vs EPA issue, the $3,700 premium, the cost of Diesel, DEF and the rest of the "Greenies" BS.

I know, I will bet money on it. GM will make you feel guilty for having a Diesel and because is a such a commodity the dealer will jack up the price of the vehicle on top of the $3,700+ premium on the engine. Also, need to include the cost of DEF that you need to add when is need it. On top of that, the 20 cents or more cost on Diesel fuel. What other hidden crap might be next? Beside, the gain is few more MPGs and 600 Lbs more towing capacity. When we bought my wife's Beetle we felt in love with the TDI. VW added some crap called "Market Adjustment", no cash back bonus, no discount and high finance interest rate. The vehicle was $32,000 the same vehicle and the difference was the Gasoline Audi Engine was $22,000. Did not take much to figure that one out. Will take over 10 years (at 07 fuel prices) to get your money back, by then, the vehicle will be traded."

I'm not to sure the added cost of getting the diesel would be worth it, you'd have to do some number crunching. Keep in mind the 5.3L Silverado runs regular fuel which is currently $1.87 where I'm at. Diesel is $2.49. Plus you have the added cost of DEF. And regens...

I'd love to see a graph comparing the costs over time of the two. I'm sure the gas motor would be cheaper or break even. If it's break even, the premium you paid for the diesel is useless.

Not to mention reliability. 5.3L's are proven. GM's diesels, well look at the Cruze diesel and the issues people have had on here. Lol

He does like his Colorado though:

"As far the truck in overall. Is not too small, not too big. The V6 can scoot and gets a decent fuel mileage for a truck. Speed is your enemy; MPGs drops like lead balloon. The sweet spot is about 65 to 70 MPH to get around 23 MPGs. The Bose system is not worth the extra coin. The one bellow it, has all the same features except for Sat Nav. If you have a phone, you have Sat Nav. There is another nice feature that will be added and is some called "Projection". A software push via OnStar to enable Android and Apple phones to display their screen on the touch screen via USB cable. So is even better to skip the Sat Nav.

The rest is pretty standard GM power everything. The seating is limited to few adjustments. They have heated seats, not really worth to have with cloth seats, so you can take that one off; nice to have but not a must have.

The engine is low maintenance but if you need to do some there is plenty elbow room.

The rear view camera is cheap, do not expect crystal clear view but is adequate. Dirt and water gets on the fish eye lens and covers the image. My truck does not have proximity radar but has the red, yellow, green lines on the rear view."

Test drive both. You would be surprised how good the 5.3L engine is. We have a 2015 Tahoe and we got 27 MPG once on a trip. That's in a 6000 LB SUV.

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chevrasaki

· #4 · Nov 9, 2016

Personally I don't see any reason to purchase a colorado over a silverado. The colorado really isn't that much smaller, and it's pretty close to the same price once you factor incentives into the equation. It's bed is much smaller and it might get a couple mpgs more but you don't get the sound of a V8.

Then there's the diesel debate. It's torquey and it gets excellent gas mileage on the freeway. If you're driving around town the difference won't be nearly as noticeable. And diesel engines prefer the highway, all the stop/go and idling aren't great for the DPF and SCR emission systems. Then you have to add DEF and I'd always be concerned that one day it's going to limit my speed due to some emission fault. And diesel engines adds a larger up front cost over gas engines.

If I was going to get a truck, I'd get a capable truck. One with an extended cab, an 8 foot bed, a beefy V8, and 4x4. The 5.3L V8 has been around forever, they're reliable and parts are readily available, and repair shops know how to work on them or they're easy to fix yourself if something does go wrong.

All my opinion. It really depends on what you want out of a truck, and what you plan to do with it. If you plan on doing a lot of freeway light duty towing, and want something that might still fit in your garage, the diesel Colorado is the way to go.

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_MerF_

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 9, 2016

Great feedback everyone. Figured you all would have great opinions, thanks for explaining your reasoning.

diesel

· #6 · Nov 9, 2016

I test drove a Colorado diesel and liked it. It had a very nice feel to it, and seemed to be built to a high quality standard. It's still on my list to consider at some point, but at the price point, the upcoming Equinox diesel may be a better choice for me. I'm not sure.

Chris Tobin

· #7 · Nov 9, 2016

5

I reviewed the Colorado Diesel in the April/May 2016 issue of Ultimate Diesel Builder's Guide magazine and I absolutely loved it!!! (My family did too!!!)

It is far MORE than a truck version of the diesel Cruze!!! The 2.8L baby Duramax has a long history overseas and is a great little engine that has good economy and makes very good power! Tow rating is something like 7000-pounds if I remember correctly (yes it is rated to tow more than its own weight) and it is a very stout little truck. I have tried to put a set of early print run PDFs that I converted to JPG here in the post for you to read my review of the truck... Honestly if I could afford one, I'd have one in the driveway for sure!!! I really liked the truck and am hoping in a few years I'll be able to find a good deal on a CPO one like I did earlier with my Cruze Diesel!!!

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spacedout

· #8 · Nov 9, 2016 (Edited)

_MerF_ said:
I live in the city so all I ever do is stop/go traffic (my average MPH since I brought home my Cruze is around 21MPH :eek7 and the thought of a 5.3L Silverado's 18MPG city is not appealing.

You will not get 18mpg city with a 5.3L, more like 13-15mpg at best with a 100% city route. On that same note modern diesels emission system HATE your type of driving route and would probably have sensor and other emission issues. If you want a modern diesel without issues you need to drive more hwy. Motor trend real world got 3MPG better with the 4.3L v6 ecotec3 in the silverado vs the 5.3L v8, much better than the EPA numbers indicate. With that said a Colorado 3.6L is more efficient than a 4.3L in the silverado, so I would expect a colorado 3.6L to get 4+MPG or better most days than a silverado with the 5.3L.

_MerF_ said:
The only other weird thing to me is that the Colorados, especially when you start getting into the more optioned ones, are almost the same price of the Silverado, which is crazy to me...but I get it..trucks are a hot item at the moment so Chevy (and all of them) can charge a premium for them.

There is overlap in all car models, can say the same for Spark/Sonic, Sonic/Cruze, Cruze/malibu, ect. I hear people say this all the time, however your are not comparing equal trim packaged trucks if your prices are the same. The Colorado comes in much cheaper than a silverado if you compare equal trims. Maxed out Colorado with a diesel is $10,000 less than a maxed out silverado. On the same note a work truck Colorado starts $7000 less than a Silverado 1500.

If I was in the market for a truck, I would not buy either of the Colorado or Silverado 1500, I would step up to a real truck, a 2500 or 3500 model. Heavy truck hold their value better than light duty trucks, after 10 years its not uncommon to be able to sell one used with 100,000+ miles for enough money it's equal about $2000 a year in cost of ownership. This is besides the RIDICULOUSLY low payload capacity on the Colorado and Siverado 1500, Colorado is just under 1500lbs, Silverado(4.3L and 5.3L) is just under 2000lbs. Might seems like allot, but that weight INCLUDES passengers!!! A 2500 model has a payload over 3000lbs, a 3500 model(single rear wheel) over 4000lbs. Step up to a dually regular cab truck(2WD) with a 6.0L gas, payload is over 6500lbs!!!!

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jblackburn

· #9 · Nov 9, 2016

Drove a V6 Canyon SLT. Amazing little truck that actually isn't that little. Very comfortable, almost as maneuverable as a little crossover, and very quiet. Loved it - the price for a 4x4 with some options is what kept me away.

Full size trucks are a PITA to park in areas here and even the smallest V8 (4.8) sucked down gas like crazy. Had a Silverado as a rental for a week and loved it, but definitely wouldn't want on every day.

cyclewild

· #10 · Nov 10, 2016

Since you are thinking for later on and picking up a '17, it may or may not make a difference to know that the '17's got an updated V6 with an 8-speed auto that should help your in-town MPG's, while still being plenty to tow your boat.

jblackburn

· #11 · Nov 10, 2016

Funny enough, C&D posted this up today. Good mention of the little Duramax.

2017 GMC Canyon – Review – Car and Driver

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chevrasaki

· #12 · Nov 10, 2016

jblackburn said:
Drove a V6 Canyon SLT. Amazing little truck that actually isn't that little. Very comfortable, almost as maneuverable as a little crossover, and very quiet. Loved it - the price for a 4x4 with some options is what kept me away.

Full size trucks are a PITA to park in areas here and even the smallest V8 (4.8) sucked down gas like crazy. Had a Silverado as a rental for a week and loved it, but definitely wouldn't want on every day.

Just wanted to point out that the 4.8L V8 gets worse gas mileage than the 5.3L V8 not by much but it is worse. The new DI ecotec 5.3L is much more powerful is gets significantly better gas mileage especially with the 8-speed than the previous vortec with a sizable increase in power.

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jblackburn

· #13 · Nov 10, 2016

chevrasaki said:
Just wanted to point out that the 4.8L V8 gets worse gas mileage than the 5.3L V8 not by much but it is worse. The new DI ecotec 5.3L is much more powerful is gets significantly better gas mileage especially with the 8-speed than the previous vortec with a sizable increase in power.

Yup, haven't had the chance to drive one of those though. Felt pretty weak for the HP number.

The Canyon makes the same HP from the V6 that the Silverado did with the 4.8 - and feels MUCH livelier. But man that V8 sounded nice.

chevrasaki

· #14 · Nov 10, 2016

jblackburn said:
Yup, haven't had the chance to drive one of those though. Felt pretty weak for the HP number.

The Canyon makes the same HP from the V6 that the Silverado did with the 4.8 - and feels MUCH livelier. But man that V8 sounded nice.

Yeah the V6 is has some pretty impressive figures. But the HP numbers don't tell the full story. It's only a snapshot of the best part of the dyno graph. What you want is a nice flat torque curve though the whole RPM range and low down grunt. V8's generally have a much better torque curve. However, the 4.8L has in my opinion always been kind of a sub-par engine. Especially in such a large and heavy vehicle with that much drag. The 5.3L is a much better match for the full size pick ups.

And yeah, there's no better engine noise than a V8. In the Patagonia special James May and Jeremy Clarkson discuss why they like the V8 engine so much.

"It is a charismatic engine, that's why we like V8s, is cos they are imperfect.
Unlike a straight six engine, where you've got six cylinders in line,in one of those, when one piston's going down another one's coming up,
so it sort of balances itself and makes it smooth.
A V8 is inherently unbalanced, because when one piston's going down,
there isn't necessarily another one going up to balance it.
......
So that's what makes a V8 wobbly.
It is, it's inherently wobbly. And charismatic."

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GMMillwright

· #15 · Nov 10, 2016

Get a 1500 double cab with the DI 5.3. More truck for the money, especially with the big incentives on '16s now. All double cabs are made here, in Fort Wayne (really Roanoke), Indiana. Our plant is running lots of overtime, just to keep up with demand. 1500 trucks a day! We will run 3 Saturday production days before the end of the year, as well.

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cyclewild

· #16 · Nov 10, 2016

GMMillwright said:
Get a 1500 double cab with the DI 5.3. More truck for the money, especially with the big incentives on '16s now. All double cabs are made here, in Fort Wayne (really Roanoke), Indiana. Our plant is running lots of overtime, just to keep up with demand. 1500 trucks a day! We will run 3 Saturday production days before the end of the year, as well.

How are you guys pulling those numbers?!?!? Here in Wentzville we do 1050-1100 trucks/vans a day and work every saturday....

mr overkill

· #17 · Nov 10, 2016

i am also considering the colorado diesel the one i am looking at is a long bed z71 diesel for 39900 for 41k they offered me an silverado 1500 ltz z71

Im actually driving it today but with 10k down they still want 350 plus a month but with 10k down i can get a 17 cruze diesel in a few months and have a dirt cheap payment its a nice truck though nothing like the older generation

boraz

· #18 · Nov 10, 2016

chevrasaki said:
Just wanted to point out that the 4.8L V8 gets worse gas mileage than the 5.3L V8 not by much but it is worse. The new DI ecotec 5.3L is much more powerful is gets significantly better gas mileage especially with the 8-speed than the previous vortec with a sizable increase in power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTF1Vfl0SPo

306/334

GMMillwright

· #19 · Nov 11, 2016

General Assembly is scheduled 496/shift, I believe. 3 shifts a day. Viola' -- 1500 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and 1 ton regular cab and double cab pickups a day. General Assembly runs at 72 jobs per hour, Body Shop runs 78 jobs per hour and Paint Shop (where I work) runs 76 jobs per hour. Production has 30 minute lunch and 2 shorter breaks per shift. Real mind bender is that every one of these vehicles has at least 5 mounted and balanced wheel and tire assemblies. That's a lot of wheels and tires, all scheduled and ordered to meet that particular truck in the right sequence. Our plant is undergoing a huge (no pun intended) expansion now. Nearly $3 Billion worth. New Body Shop, expanded Paint Shop, and several expansions to existing buildings. All in preparation for the next generation 1/2 ton trucks we'll start building late next year. HD's come the following year.

cyclewild

· #20 · Nov 11, 2016

Wow, we just had a line speed increase to 54 jph and thought that was moving. Guess it helps to have a newer plant, we're getting a new body shop extension for when we start kicking out the cutaway vans. Those are contracted out now to free up line space for passenger vans and Colorado/Canyons. Scheduled at 367 units/shift

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