This was week three of testing mid-size pickups and if you’re a middler, a person who prefers the happy medium to going full out off-roader or suburban commuter for your pickup, well Chevrolet’s Colorado will suit you well.
This bright red (Red Hot) Colorado was the top-level ZR2 with the Bison package, so slots in at the high-end of this segment’s pricing and is fully meant for off-road action. Not living on a farm or being a contractor that frequents construction sites, I had to settle for an on-road test. Continue reading 2019 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD ZR2 Crew Short Box/Bison edition→
New Ranger is more refined with improved handling …
Back in the day, about a decade ago, Ford’s Ranger was a compact pickup made primarily, or so it seemed, for teenage boys to range around small towns and suburban areas, with their teenage girlfriends riding shotgun.
Rangers were small, inexpensive wheels, often the first truck a kid owned and maybe, if mom and dad were nice to them, they’d let the parents run to the big box home improvement store to pick up some mulch, fertilizer or a few new bushes on weekends. Or that’s what the parents did with the truck before handing it down to junior. Continue reading 2019 Ford Ranger XLT Supercrew 4×4→
You’ll either want a Jeep Gladiator pickup, or you won’t.
What I mean is the long-awaited Jeep pickup is an image vehicle as much as it is a pickup. That’s not to say it doesn’t function well as a pickup, it certainly does. But it looks like a Jeep, and that’s really all that matters.
A 20-something friend assures me Toyota’s Tacoma TRD Pro is a Bro Truck, or what us older guys would have called a boy toy. I know that has other connotations, but you get my drift.
This Voodoo Blue TRD model, complete with 4-wheel-drive and in double cab layout is aimed directly at young guys with some coin in their pocket and a need to prove their manhood. It’s menacing looking, but shiny enough to get other folks attention. And that TRD, which stands for Toyota Racing Development, indicates it’s a mean dude that will kick butt off-road. One assumes that machismo also rubs off on its owner. Continue reading 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 4WD Double Cab→
Because what engine comes with the vehicle is never enough
Photos: Dakota Customs
I’ve been doing some research about installing a turbo on my 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Sure it has enough grunt, lots more than our 2011 anyway, but how about a little more. But then I found the ultimate in a power upgrade, a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 Hellcat engine! There’s a company I came across, Dakota Customs based in Rapid City, South Dakota where you can buy your very own Hellcat-powered Wrangler. What a hoot this would be. It’s still the same Hellcat that comes in the Dodge Charger and Challenger, 707 hp and 650 pounds-feet of torque. Man that for sure would get that big stump I have in my yard out. Continue reading More Mopar muscle!!!!!→
Chevy’s new ‘mid-size’ Colorado only slightly smaller than Silverado
Chevrolet is patting itself on the back and most of the automotive media are ladling on the praise for Chevy’s new “mid-size” pickup, the Colorado.
The later probably has more to do with ad dollars being spent in the national publications, but there’s some justification. Yet let’s not go too full-bore crazy here, this is simply a slightly smaller pickup.
First, the idea of a mid-size truck has been out there a while, witness the Dodge Dakota. Years ago, Ford and Chevy both made compact pickups too, the S-10 in Chevy’s case. DO NOT confuse the Colorado with the S-10.
As trucks have gained popularity, they, like cars, have grown in size and stature. So this second generation Colorado is still big, just not as big as a full-size Silverado.
No denying the Colorado Crew Cab is a smart looking truck.
Let’s take some stock of the differences. But first note that the Colorado comes in two styles, Extended Cab and Crew Cab. Gone is a Standard cab without extra cargo room behind the front seat. Extended cabs now are the norm. The bright red test truck was the crew cab, which gives you full-size rear doors and a second row bench seat. This allows five people to ride in the Colorado comfortably, with rear seat room being particularly generous.
But here are the numbers you need to consider. The Colorado rides on a 140.5-inch wheelbase, just three inches shorter than a full-size Silverado. A Colorado is 224.9 inches long, just 5.1 inches shorter in length than a Silverado. The width is where you’ll notice the most difference when riding in a Colorado, as it is just 74.3 inches wide, about 5.7 inches narrower than Silverado. You’ll notice that in a lack of elbow room. More on that in a minute. Continue reading 2015 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Z71 Crew Long Box→
Savage On Wheels 