Took the truck to the dealer...

MrQuadrasteer · March 23, 2005

Getting the wipers fixed, the steering shaft, and threw in the gawd-awful squeaky back brakes..... terrible.

Supposed to get it back tonight... but ain't. Bastards !!! Having issues with the steering shaft they tell me... go figure...

I was supposed to get a mailpoo loaner, but got a GMC Canyon instead. Neat little truck. I like it. And everyone bad mouths the 3.5L I5, shoot, it ain't bad. It moves the little crewcab decently. Pulls 6000rpm in 1st, it'll peg-leg line-loc.... umm, or so I hear :razz: !!!!

Shoot, I'd love to have one to drive everyday to work. I bet it gets sweet mileage.

RyanZ71 · March 23, 2005

I'm sure the engine is great, its the LOOKS that most people hate, people don't want to drive ugly vehicles, that small truck is U-G-L-Y!!!! Like most of the new crap GM is putting out now a days! thats why their sales are dropping!

gnutruk · March 23, 2005

I'm sure the engine is great, its the LOOKS that most people hate, people don't want to drive ugly vehicles, that small truck is U-G-L-Y!!!! Like most of the new crap GM is putting out now a days! thats why their sales are dropping!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly. The designers of the new vehicles seem to be communicating solely to themselves, locked in some wierd and twisted little sub-culture. They may claim to do market studies, but I'll bet that even their studies are rigged to produce the results they already want beforehand - that is, acceptance by the buying public.

There are so many butt-ugly vehicles out there now it's hard to count them all. The only hope for GM is for the other manufacturers to come out with even uglier designs, so GM wins by default as the least ugly, or the not-yet-as-ugly.

The manufacturers would have us believe that somehow their designs are "advanced," and "superior." But I don't think anyone falls for that. There is simply no reason, no necessity, for the way some of the new cars and trucks look.

gnutruk

mcreyaufmiller · March 23, 2005

I agree with Gnutruk on this matter, The Chevy's keep getting uglier and the Fords and Dodges keep getting better looking IMO. It would seem that there are a lot of people that do not like the new body styles. There are those that do like the new body styles, but I think they are just fooling themselves.

bigdogxx · March 23, 2005

I agree with Gnutruk on this matter, The Chevy's keep getting uglier and the Fords and Dodges keep getting better looking IMO. It would seem that there are a lot of people that do not like the new body styles. There are those that do like the new body styles, but I think they are just fooling themselves.

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Ill take the 03 and up body style over pre 03's anytime, ofcourse this is only my opinion so no need for any flamers here thinking im busting on pre 03 silverados!

Shawn T · March 23, 2005

Pretty strong opinions here. I will have to disagree to a civil point. Vehicle sales are down and so is retail. We are on the downside of the market right now. Young people like me are investing like crazy and the baby-boomers are holding strong for a market hike. Reduced vehicle sales has nothing to do with new designs, I'm sorry. Look at Cadillac. Plunging younger market sales in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Cady took a risk on a sharp design revamp and won big time. There sales have increases 5 fold. They dropped every flagship model they had. The average owner age went from 62 to 52. GM is basing other models after this genre in their other companies. Of course they dropped Olds. Who the heck in their right mind, under 40, would drive one. Buick has added the LaCrosse to appeal to a younger market. If you haven't noticed the rice burners are always redesigning. This keeps up with the times, and goes on unnoticed. American auto makers are getting into this phase now. I agree, there are some funky looking vehicles out there. There are a couple of other truck companies(I won't mention any names here) that went with cut-edge styling and they are selling like hotcakes. GM needs to do a full size truck redesign here soon.

USA1Fan · March 23, 2005

I really like the styling of the Colorado, at least the crew cab Z71 with flares and steps. It IS the engine I have a problem with. Just not so much the power. It's the buzzy nature of it that disappointed me. I had an '03 Trailblazer with the inline 4200 6 cylinder, and it was super smooth feeling. Since both the 2800 and 3500 (4 and 5 cylinder Colorado / Canyon engines) are derivatives of the 4200, and especially since GM touted the special balance shafts and tuning used to ensure good NVH characteristics with these trucks, I really expected it to be much smoother than it is. Instead the 3500 in the extended cab I drove for a week as a rental was at least as buzzy as any four cylinder pickup I've driven that was built in the 80's. Smooth it out and I'd be fine, because acceleration was very good, with me often hitting highway speeds before I realized it (very deceptive, just like the 4200 in the TB was).

Oh, all right. If it's the engine's power that's to blame for the week tow ratings, then I have a problem with the power too. GM really needs to do something to get those tow ratings up so that they're at least competitive with the rest of the pack now. The S-10 didn't have that problem!

Garage Mechanic's Companion · March 24, 2005

Hey SSTimothy,

Easy on the Olds, I'm under 40 and I really like my Intrigue. I was very saddened to see it go. I'd take it over a Buick Regal any day.

I used to work for GM (until my division was sold, working for a new General now), drove a bunch of new GM vehicles, and the Intrigue was one of my favourites, for a car. Of course, the '98 is my particular favourite. Can't beat the trusty Gen II 3800.

My 0.02,

Derek

MrQuadrasteer · March 24, 2005

Got the truck back finally !!!!

Got a new wiper module and new steering shaft. The bozo that did the shaft got my steering wheel off a spline or something, it ain't straight :pissed: ... I bitched but didn't want to wait. I need an alignment anyway, so I'll fix it then.

And about that Canyon .... It's a nice truck, but after spending a bit more time in it, it definitely needs more motor. It zips around town great, it's quick enough off the line, barks them fairly easily (wimpy tires, tho), but above 45mph, it's getting winded. By 55mph, passing takes a whole bunch of throttle and a downshift... or two. Short-legs. It'll go 80 easy, but from 55 on up, there's not a whole lot of reserve power available.

Nothing a Wester's tune, electric fans and an intake couldn't cure, tho !!!!!

I have a few other things with that truck- when you turn the key to start it, there's like a second delay before anything actually happens. Weird at first but you get used to it.

The brakes are WAY too grabby. Too much initial bite by far, and even at low pedal pressure, just too much bite. I never did get used to them.

The new rear drums are freaking HUGE !!!!!! No wonder they work so well !! They take up the entire center of the 15" wheel.

The interior is nice, but the seats are completely unsupportive for even the slightest spirited driving. I did not like that at all. But they are comfortable.

Rear seat room wasn't bad, but it'd be too little for me to sit behind myself for any long distance, and I ain't tall. Perfect for youngin's tho ;) . For short trips it'd be fine. Comfortable seats other than that.

Not a bad little truck, but definitely needs the I6. Or a few cheap mods....

USA1Fan · March 24, 2005

I believe (not sure) that the Colorado / Canyon already have electric fans. If not it probably won't be long, especially now that the full-sizers have all gone over to them.

The I6 won't fit into them though- too long. Despite rumors, the trucks aren't on the same chassis as the mid-sized SUVs. The trucks were co-developed with Isuzu. Ironically though the engine bay will take a V8. Four cylinders fit easily front to back and there's plenty of side-to-side room for the V configuration. There have actually been a few concept trucks with 8's in them. I don't know if anything about them was posted here though.

Recent speculation has it that there might be a V8 version of it coming out- dunno if that means 5.3l SS or just something like a 4.8 as the top engine for all models. I'd like to see both, imo. The truck really needs a boost for it's towing numbers and to compete well with the other new mid-sizers from Toyota, Nissan, and Dodge.

Shawn T · March 24, 2005

Hey SSTimothy,

Easy on the Olds, I'm under 40 and I really like my Intrigue. I was very saddened to see it go. I'd take it over a Buick Regal any day.

I used to work for GM (until my division was sold, working for a new General now), drove a bunch of new GM vehicles, and the Intrigue was one of my favourites, for a car. Of course, the '98 is my particular favourite. Can't beat the trusty Gen II 3800.

My 0.02,

Derek

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Derek,

Sorry man, I just pictured a few of my great granparent's last cars. The Olds were really nice cars. I just don't think that they were following the right path on styling and it cost them poor sales. You could buy a Grand Prix GTP for around the same price as the Alero. The Pontiac was, obviously, everybody's first choice.

MrQuadrasteer · March 24, 2005

mechanical fan on the one I had

elvisdog · March 24, 2005

I5 = great mileage? Uh, I don't think so....if you read what their owners are saying on the forums they are hard pressed to break 20 mpg highway.

MrQuadrasteer · March 24, 2005

I5 = great mileage? Uh, I don't think so....if you read what their owners are saying on the forums they are hard pressed to break 20 mpg highway.

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That could be, it's not like I calculated it or anything. I was just going by rpm x throttle x speed x little engine..... I figured is was decently miserly if you ****-footed.... But maybe not....

USA1Fan · March 24, 2005

I5 = great mileage? Uh, I don't think so....if you read what their owners are saying on the forums they are hard pressed to break 20 mpg highway.

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That could be, it's not like I calculated it or anything. I was just going by rpm x throttle x speed x little engine..... I figured is was decently miserly if you ****-footed.... But maybe not....

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It probably is, but few people have the patience to ****-foot any more. I got a best of just over 21 mpg out of the 2003 Trailblazer w/4200 i6 and I'm sure I could've done even better. That was ****-footing, but not nearly extreme at it. I'm testing what kind of mileage I can squeeze out of my truck's 5.3l with EXTREME ****-footing right now (er, as extreme as I can go without cutting off the engine at stoplights / intersections / pulling into spaces and other such stunts advocated by some so-called "hypermilers" that post on other forums). So far the instant economy / average economy readouts appear as if I'm gonna make over 20 in my daily drive here in the mountains of western NC. I have no doubt that whatever I get here I could better by at least 2 mpg on flat roads. So if I can hit 20 - 22 with the 4x4 Silverado 5.3l EC SB 3.73 (over 5000lbs) it should be easy to get over 20 out of the lighter Colorado and Canyon w/3500.