Diesel Canyon/Colorado 31mpg rated

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

STM317 wrote: There's a lot more complexity (read stuff that can go wrong) with a modern diesel vs what was being sold just 10 years ago.

What specifically is different from 10 years ago to today? Understand that EGR coolers, Urea injection, and regening cat's were in place 10 years ago...

Really? Were there diesels using that stuff in 05? I was under the impression that the emissions standards that require most of those things didn't start to take effect until 2007, follwed by another wave in 2013. At least that's when all of the brodozer types started getting upset, but those are larger engines than what we're talking about in this case too, so perhaps the tech was already in place on smaller diesels?

Ian F wrote: There is also a difference between loaded and unloaded MPG. My Cummins would typically get 20-22 MPG (18 if I really drove it like an ass). But load up the bed with 2000 lbs of firewood - 20 MPG. Comparatively, my E150 would get 16-18 MPG. Loaded with less firewood and MPG dropped to about 14, doing the same drive from the ex's parents' farm in PA to her house in NJ. Never mind the fact the poor 5.0 EFI strained to get up the same hills the Cummins accelerated up while barely breaking a sweat. If you tend to haul weight often, diesel can make a substantial difference and the pay-back is much faster.

agree.

STM317 wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

STM317 wrote: There's a lot more complexity (read stuff that can go wrong) with a modern diesel vs what was being sold just 10 years ago.

What specifically is different from 10 years ago to today? Understand that EGR coolers, Urea injection, and regening cat's were in place 10 years ago...

Really? Were there diesels using that stuff in 05? I was under the impression that the emissions standards that require most of those things didn't start to take effect until 2007, follwed by another wave in 2013. At least that's when all of the brodozer types started getting upset, but those are larger engines than what we're talking about in this case too, so perhaps the tech was already in place on smaller diesels?

The EPA year for compliance was 07, but the stuff started making its way onto trucks in 2003ish.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Another factor are the diesel engines people (or at least American people) are commonly exposed to. In order of what I figure is most common.

1. Cummins, a long life semi truck engine shoehorned into a pickup where it's often barely working, the old IH/Navistar powered Fords too.

2. Peak West German Mercedes Benz, maybe VW.

3. 300lb cast iron sailboat engines that make less than 20hp.

It's all really heavy duty or no expense spared stuff(or both).

I hate to necro-post a 4 year old thread, but has anybody actually bought one of these diesel Colorado/Canyon trucks, and have any longer term feedback?

I've been truck shopping, because while I love my minivan it can't tow.  I would like to be able to tow 2200-3500 lb cars on a flatbed trailer, so figure 6,000 pounds max.  What I've learned about the half ton trucks:

- gaudy marketed tow ratings (11,000 pounds!!!)

- usually have 500lb max tongue weight

- typical max payload around 1500 lb (or 1000lb not including  tongue weight)

- thus, high tow ratings are meaningless because they're constrained by tongue and payload, and frankly more than I need

- a 1/2 ton truck will not fit into my garage, or many parking spots, and will make me crazy for typical suburban errand-running stuff.

By comparison, the Colorado/Canyon:

- 7,000 lb tow rating, or 7,700 with diesel

- 500 lb max tongue weight

- 1,500 lb payload

- similar wheelbase to a standard cab GMT800 truck

- almost the same exterior dimensions as my minivan.  Backseat is not nearly as roomy, but it's adequate.

I currently DD/Tow Pig a 2017 Colorado Crew Cab/Short Bed with the Z71 Package and the 2.8L Duramax.

Towing it will pull 20-23mpg quite easily on flat grades, highways, around tow. Hills and grades sees an approx. 5mpg drop going from the WV hills down to MD.

I have towed quite a bit using the truck and a U-Haul Auto Transport and find it to pull very well. It has towed my Fiesta and Elantra Chump Car quite a bit and i have towed a few things for work(generators, air compressors...etc) and the truck just works great.

DEF fluid is 5 gal/10k miles or so of mixed use driving. I am NOT tuned and dont plan on it.

Engine has plenty of pull but doesnt have the outright speed. Even tuned, i doubt it would match a stock 2018+ HD truck let alone a tuned HD truck. The engine brake is also electronic and comes on at odd times/load requirements. I found it working at steep grades but occasionally wouldnt come on at all going down some hills with a trailer behind it. The regular hydraulic brake system is perfectly up to task at slowing it down with a trailer though. They have 4 piston fixed calipers up front from the factory and a pretty large rotor.

Transmission is just ok. It hunts for gears, holds the wrong gears and occasionally will stutter on a shift(if youre really goosing it). It has been back to the dealer once for a TSB reprogram for an odd shift pattern and that seemed to help it a bit.

Room in the backseat is fine for me and a few friends that are a bit taller(6'2). It will hold a baby seat perfectly fine without having the front seats up too far. Tailgating with the truck is great. Perfect height to sit in the back with a cooler and hang.

My only problems to date(currently at 28k miles):
1. Had a cracked fuel filter housing causing idle surge below 50*F. Chevy replaced the entire housing at 20k miles and it came as one assembly with new filters. Saved me from a $250 filter service which was quite nice.
2. Transmission reprogrammed due to shifting issues. Flashed at 15k and hasnt been as bad. Still has the once in  a while clunky shift.
3. Front end noise. Sounds like a strut mount going bad but Chevy hasnt been able to reproduce the noise. It will happen going offroad(jobsites) and occasionally on the street. Annoying but everything underneath feels tight so they havent replaced anything yet. Will update when it does get fixed.
4. Stock Goodyear Adventurer (with Kevlar!) tires are flat garbage. Worst set of tires ever put on a truck. Not snow rated, noisy and lack of grip on just about every surface. Started to bubble the sidewalls at 15k miles and lasted until 25k before i got rid of them for some Falken's.
5. The front headlights are "projector" housings yet use a halgen bulb. So the light pattern is crap. On top of that, Chevy uses the low beams as the DRL so LED bulbs dont last as long. I threw a set of LED's in the stock housings which made the light output fantastic but they burned out after 6 months due to being on with the DRL all the time. Need a retrofit from Chevy to fix this badly. The truck should have come with LED's or HID's from the factory.

I have an 8-month old '18 Colorado LT crew cab long bed 4x4 diesel. Currently at 18k miles and still loving it. Hauled a few hundred pounds in the bed plenty of times, and pulled my E36 on a U-Haul trailer 1x (about 6k lbs loaded). It tows much better than my old GMT800 Tahoe, especially with the longer wheelbase. I've also been averaging 27mpg, which has been great. I do plenty of highway though, and my avg speed per tank is about 40 MPH.

A few things to note:

1. Tongue weight is higher than 500lbs. Mine is 900lbs.

2. Payload depends on options. Mine is only 1327lbs.

Mine as been in the dealer once because of a failed exhaust particulate sensor. The transmission used to "stutter" when it had 6k miles on it and in the winter, but it hasn't done it in the past 12k miles. Otherwise, I have had zero issues with it.

I wonder if the reason they wont sell these small diesels as crate options is because they know it would ruin the sales of all of them except for the people who have to have a new vehicle at all times?

Because a 3.0 from the Ram would be mighty nice in my dakota, and I'm sure there are plenty of guys thinking the same with the 2.8 and their s10s or stripper 1500 silverados from 20+ years ago.

Cummins has a 2.8 crate engine

MINIzguy said:

Cummins has a 2.8 crate engine

Do they require all the electronic emission add-on’s?

I think it comes with them, according to teh googles $7700 and one can be yours.. https://www.cummins.com/engines/repower

ShinnyGroove said:

I hate to necro-post a 4 year old thread, but has anybody actually bought one of these diesel Colorado/Canyon trucks, and have any longer term feedback?

I've been truck shopping, because while I love my minivan it can't tow.  I would like to be able to tow 2200-3500 lb cars on a flatbed trailer, so figure 6,000 pounds max.  What I've learned about the half ton trucks:

 

- a 1/2 ton truck will not fit into my garage, or many parking spots, and will make me crazy for typical suburban errand-running stuff.

 

I dont know where you live but from my experience, 1/2 trucks most def fit in any typical parking spot. And I'm willing to bet if you cant squeez a modern 1/2 ton into a spot the Colorado wont but a whole lot easier. The latest Colorado is about the size of an early/mid 2000s 1/2 truck. I just test drove a 2019 F150 it was easy to drive and turns into parking spots really well, it almost feels car like. I currently drive a Ford Excursion and used to drive an F250 in southern California those things can be iffy in very tight spots. 

Counter-point here... Some of your info about the full-size truck is off. You can put 1,320lbs on the tongue of an F150 with a weight distributing hitch and the payload package. I got a 2018 XLT with the 2.7 and plenty of options (incl tow package) for about $3k less than my buddy paid for his z71 diesel Colorado. I've driven both, and rode in his while towing. It is slow. I'm 6'3 and found the interior to be pretty cramped - the back seats are next to useless. Even still, there aren't many places a Colorado will fit that an F150 won't. I will agree that parking garages are a bit annoying, if only because I fear door dings. 

At the end of the day, I paid less for a truck that's more powerful, cheaper to run (diesel is $50c/gallon more out here and I still get 21-22mpg in mixed driving), tows better, and has much more room inside. 

I did think about the F150 (2.7, extended cab, 6.5' bed) when I was looking at the Colorado. I still liked the Colorado because the narrow body and lower height meant I could park in my garage. Since I have a long bed, I've had to pass on a few spots when parallel parking (and I'm talking about Wilmington, DE, not NYC or LA), but that's the same deal in the F150. 

I do agree that the F150 is better value for truck stuff (more payload, more towing capacity, better transmission) while being cheaper. The F150 I saw had the 302A XLT package, Sync3, 33gal. gas tank, and was selling for $32k. My Colorado was $35k, so that $3k difference is true for similarly equipped trucks. I'd give it a look, unless, like me, parking in a garage is a must.

I suppose the only real benefit is that the Colorado would fit in my garage, and the F-150 won’t (at least without some serious rearranging). I had a rental F-150 a few weeks ago and it was great, but definitely tight in grocery store parking lots and just barely fit into a parking garage. I have to remind myself that I almost never park in parking garages any more, since Uber took off. Worst case, I can rent a Sentra or something like it for like $35/day if I need to do a lot of city driving.