The only trouble with a head-turning, grin-making, standing-ovation first act is coming up with a good second.
Way to go, Chevy. Good job. What next?
Turns out the guys at the big yellow bowtie have a response: a tire-burning, head-snapping, stump-pulling 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine that takes its segment-leading capability to 7,700 pounds for 2WD models.
Manufacturers are becoming meticulous about releasing estimated fuel economies, so I'll just give it to you straight from the horse's mouth after a week when my editor sent me to Hades and back. I covered one baseball game in a town that the city limits sign proclaimed as "Nowhere" and the road to the ballpark was marked by a sign marking it as the correct direction to "Middle."
OK, so Toyota has come out with an impressive refresh of the Tacoma (though it still sits funny), and the new Honda Ridgeline is impressive (especially if you want car-like comfort and are among the 90 percent of truck owners who never haul more than 5,000 pounds).
If, on the other hand, you really prefer a body-on-frame truck that rides and drives well and has best-in-class technology, the Colorado is a real option, for a lot of applications. It'll haul your bass boat, get you and your tools to the worksite, look nice in the church parking lot and drive past many a gas station.
To be sure, today's Colorado is larger than the Silverado of a decade ago, but the neat thing about it is it's darn near as quiet and comfortable as a modern Silverado. Both ride on high-strength steel alloy frames, both use triple door seals and a host of other technologies to insulate the cabin from vibrations and noise, and both have plush cabins with some of the best electronics in the business.
Three engines
The diesel is a $3,730 option available on trucks in LT- or Z71-trim Crew Cab models with two- or four-wheel drive.
That seems pricey, and it is, but it may be a good deal, depending on how your numbers roll. Diesels use less fuel and retain higher resale values, and the real cost of ownership often calculates in their favor.
A 2.5-L inline 4-cylinder gas engine is standard. I have yet to test one of these, but reviewers say the smaller engine is more than ample for the truck, which can haul up to 3,500 pounds. Our tester came with the optional, 300-hp, 3.6-L V-6.
Both engines feature aluminum blocks and forged-steel crankshafts, along with dual-overhead camshafts with variable valve timing, direct injection and jet-spray piston cooling. A number of extended-life components help reduce maintenance intervals and reduce the cost of ownership.
A 4-cylinder, 2WD Canyon is rated at 27 mpg highway. The 6-cylinder 2WD is rated at 26 mpg highway.
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Wide range of models
Depending on equipment, cabin and drive train, a new Colorado sells for anywhere from $20,120 to more than $43,000. It is offered in base, work truck (WT), LT and Z71 models, in 2WD and 4WD, and in long- and short-bed configurations, with an extended cab or crew cab.
The base truck has a 128.3-inch wheelbase, while a crew cab with extended (6-foot-2) box stretches that out to 140.5 inches, roughly 5 inches less than a full-sized pickup. That's only a fourth of a cubit shorter, so it's easily confused with an ark by pairs of small animals, especially in this weather.
That gets us right to the heart of the question: Why invest in three-fourths of a pickup when, for a fistful of dollars more, you can get the whole deal?
Having put close to 3,000 miles on Colorados and Canyons the past few months, I came to a simple answer: This isn't so much a a reduced-sized truck as it is a right-sized one. Unless you haul lumber, sod or cattle, really love the idea of higher truck payments, or believe that gas prices will never go back up, GMC's midsized pickup might be your smart play.
On top of that, it's a great truck to drive. With a short turning radius of 41.3 feet, the Colorado is easier to handle on city streets and makes backing a trailer easier.
Oh, and the diesel is quiter than most. It has some diesel clicks and clacks, but it doesn't sound like a school bus going down the street.
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State-of-art technology
Highlights include a a great sound system, easy-to-use electronics (phone paired on first try) a cabin quiet enough to carry on converstaions in normal tones of voice, and exceptionally well-composed ride and handling.
A little goodie overlooked at first was the OnStar with 4G LTE featuring a standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Nothing links with a cellphone better, and when it's hooked up it reads and allows oral responses to text messages. It supports up to five Wi-Fi devices simultaneously-a fact I came to love when I realized my Pandora service just became mobile. I could easily do away with satellite radio to pay for this nice little service.
New this model year, Colorado's MyLink system displays content from Apple iPhone 5 or later models on the multicolor screen through the Apple CarPlay feature. Supported apps for the system include phone, messages, maps, music and compatible third-party apps.
Also new is a sliding rear window.
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Bottom Line: Before you buy your next pickup, go drive one of these.