Phillips Chevrolet

The volatile fuel prices of recent years have made a lot of pickup truck consumers re-evaluate what their real needs are. Smaller, less thirsty pickups are suddenly an acceptable alternative to massive full-sizers.  With 300 horsepower, the available V8 makes the 2010 Chevrolet Colorado one of the quickest small pickups around. Meanwhile, the four- and five-cylinder engines continue to promise enhanced fuel economy. The 2010 Chevy Colorado has relative affordability and a variety of powertrain choices.


Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The 2010 Chevrolet Colorado is a compact pickup available with two- or four-wheel drive in three body styles: regular cab, extended cab (with short reverse-opening doors) and crew cab (with four regular forward-swinging doors). Crew cabs come with a 5-foot cargo box, while other Colorados feature a 6-foot bed. There are two primary trim levels to choose from: the base Work Truck and the mid- to high-level LT (as it consists of 1LT, 2LT and 3LT subsets). The regular cab can be had in Work Truck and LT1 trims. The extended cab comes in Work Truck, 1LT, 2LT and 3LT. The crew cab comes only in the LT trim. The Work Truck comes with air-conditioning and an AM/FM stereo. As indicated above, the LT trim is offered in up to three increasingly well-equipped flavors: 1LT, 2LT and 3LT. Depending on your selection, you'll end up with features like an in-dash CD changer, satellite radio, full power accessories and remote keyless entry. Three suspension packages are offered to tailor ride and handling to specific needs. They include the standard Z85, a Z71 off-road package (including larger wheels and tires, skid plates and a locking rear differential on 4WD models) and a ZQ8 sport suspension (including a lowered suspension, quicker steering and 18-inch wheels with performance tires). The crew cab also offers the option of heated leather seats with full power adjustments.

Powertrains and Performance

No fewer than three different engines are offered for the 2010 Colorado, including an inline-4, an inline-5 and a V8. The standard 2.9-liter four-cylinder makes 185 hp and 190 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 3.7-liter inline-5 produces 242 hp and 242 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-liter V8 (only offered on extended-cab and crew cab models) makes 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on most four-cylinder Colorados, with a four-speed automatic optional. The five-cylinder and V8 come with the automatic. Four-wheel-drive models feature a two-speed InstaTrac transfer case with push-button controls and an optional locking rear differential. EPA fuel estimates stand at 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined for a four-cylinder regular cab and drop down to 14/19/16 for a 4WD crew cab with the V8. Properly equipped, a V8-powered Colorado can tow up to 6,000 pounds.

Safety

The 2010 Chevy Colorado comes standard with the OnStar emergency communications system, antilock brakes, stability control, traction control and side curtain airbags. In government frontal-impact crash tests, the Chevrolet Colorado crew cab earned a perfect five stars for the protection of the driver and front passenger. Other Colorados earned four stars in those tests. Government and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety side-impact testing with the newly standard side curtain airbags hadn't been performed as of this writing.


Interior Design and Special Features

The layout of controls and gauges gets high marks for a simple and straightforward design. There's lots of room up front.  A nice feature is a dual-position tailgate that can be secured when partially open to better support building materials resting on top of the wheelwells.

Driving Impressions

The 2010 Chevrolet Colorado's inline four- and five-cylinder engines are reasonably smooth, though acceleration and hauling performance are lackluster compared to those offered by the larger V6s of competitors. The available V8 gives the Colorado plenty of grunt, but there's an obvious penalty in fuel economy. The four-speed automatic transmission doesn't offer as many gears as its rivals, but its shifts are smooth and well-timed.  Either the Z71 or the ZQ8 suspension upgrade packages are worthy additions, depending on your trucking priorities.

AutoBytel.com, March 2010, 2010 Chevrolet Colorado overview Chicago Chevrolet Dealers