# Chevy Colorado



## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> Very well said...lemme sum it up, for work a smaller format pick-ups suck.


Ouch. :laughing:


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

A friend of mine had a 2011 for about 10 months.

Couldn't keep the front end aligned. Was on his third set of tires.

Chevy checked it several times & said nothing was wrong...:whistling

Occasionally would idle like a big block with a radical cam...

Once again Chevy said there was nothing wrong with it...:whistling

Couldn't haul or tow squat with it...MPG was not all there either...:no:

He finally got rid of it & bought a full sized Dodge. With as good & better MPG.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

griz said:


> A friend of mine had a 2011 for about 10 months.
> 
> Couldn't keep the front end aligned. Was on his third set of tires.
> 
> ...


Sounds like he forgot it wasnt a jeep..


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Sounds like he forgot it wasnt a jeep..



Define "Jeep"?...:whistling:thumbsup:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

griz said:


> Define "Jeep"?...:whistling:thumbsup:












Jeep


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Ok, you're on the right track...:thumbup:

mine's Teal color...1993...36,000 original miles...:thumbsup::clap:


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## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

2 work days, a drive to the mall, grocery store and to pick up the missus from work....

1/10 of a tank. Work is about 20 minutes in the morning 25 or so in the evening. Mall/grocery store are about 5 minute drives away each, and missus work is about 10.


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

I believe you guys, that the gas savings is negligible. But I don't need a full size truck, so why pay anything extra? All I have to do is haul my tools around, and I don't have nearly as many as lone.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Young_Buck said:


> I believe you guys, that the gas savings is negligible. But I don't need a full size truck, so why pay anything extra? All I have to do is haul my tools around, and I don't have nearly as many as lone.


The cost difference is pretty small Iirc. just because you don't need a big truck now doesn't mean you won't need one next week.

Brutus the tank is shaped like a triangle or something, the first quatre always seems to drop real slow lol.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

Inner10 said:


> The cost difference is pretty small Iirc. just because you don't need a big truck now doesn't mean you won't need one next week.
> 
> Brutus the tank is shaped like a triangle or something, the first quatre always seems to drop real slow lol.


yup. then goes from like 3/8 left to the light going on....


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Depending on how you option it up, that small truck can cost the same or even more than a full size.


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## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

So I used roughly 22 liters in one week. Drove about 160 km

The old car would of used about 15 liters doing the same amount

With the truck, I am driving a bit more sensible, I used to whip around in the car, but I am being smarter in the truck, and actually following the speed limit!


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

I bought it -- So far I've gotten about 22 MPG. Hauling way too much decking dropped it down to 16. 

Pics when I get a day off, next month. :blink:


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

So I bought the thing. Mileage is in the toilet, but I'm working on it. It's gotten better since the purchase. 135k miles, looked like no one ever cleaned the air filter. :blink:

Today I built a shelf in the back for my tool boxes, and a shelf on the top of the cap for cords, levels, bars, etc. Here's some pics. Sorry for the poor quality. The phone actually has a really great camera, but the otter box fills up with dust. :sad:










Glistening in the sun










The Shelf










The upper shelf










After cutting tile with a really cheap wet saw.


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## GRB (Feb 23, 2009)

What kind of mileage are you getting?


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

14 city, some of which is hauling material. 20 highway. That is with the gnarly knobby tires that came on the truck. I was getting 12/19 before cleaning the air filter.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Young_Buck said:


> 14 city, some of which is hauling material. 20 highway. That is with the gnarly knobby tires that came on the truck. I was getting 12/19 before cleaning the air filter.


I get that in my full size Z-71, unless I have it in four wheel drive.


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## PowerWash (Mar 25, 2011)

I was in Atlanta this weekend and saw my next truck parked next to my wifes volvo:


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## GRB (Feb 23, 2009)

PowerWash said:


> I was in Atlanta this weekend and saw my next truck parked next to my wifes volvo:


Was the guy driving the truck about 4'-6" tall? That would explain it. :whistling


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## PowerWash (Mar 25, 2011)

GRB said:


> Was the guy driving the truck about 4'-6" tall? That would explain it. :whistling


I was thinking that maybe he was short in another area:whistling


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Looks like you will need a bigger truck soon...


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> Looks like you will need a bigger truck soon...


Nope. With the new shelves I'm going to be able to get my chop saw in there, and a table saw. All I have to haul is tools, and this truck does exactly what I need.

Once I get the gas mileage where it should be, it will be perfect.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Young_Buck said:


> Nope. With the new shelves I'm going to be able to get my chop saw in there, and a table saw. All I have to haul is tools, and this truck does exactly what I need.
> 
> *Once I get the gas mileage where it should be, it will be perfect.*


Unless you switch to a vespa that's not going to happen. There is no secret sauce that will make your vehicle get better mileage.

Nice truck though, just get use to paying through the ass for gasoline like the rest of us. :laughing:


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> Unless you switch to a vespa that's not going to happen. There is no secret sauce that will make your vehicle get better mileage.
> 
> Nice truck though, just get use to paying through the ass for gasoline like the rest of us. :laughing:


I already brought it up by 15%. New tires (it came with all terrain baja gas destroyers) and a tune up may well buy me some more. Also, at the auto parts store, there are shelves and shelves of secret sauce for all kinds of things. :laughing:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Young_Buck said:


> I already brought it up by 15%. New tires (it came with all terrain baja gas destroyers) and a tune up may well buy me some more. Also, at the auto parts store, there are shelves and shelves of secret sauce for all kinds of things. :laughing:


Mudders are horrible for mileage but the difference you are noticing is the rise in warm weather. Thin air causes it to dump in less gas and lower wind resistance, not spinning tires on ice and snow, not idling to warm it up in the morning. I probably get an extra 25% bonus in the summer compared to winter.

I tried it all...liquid snake oils of all sorts, synthetic oil, high flow cat, air filter, exhaust...doesn't do enough to notice a difference...if it did they would do it at the factory and have a vehicle better than the competition.


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks for warning me. I'm definitely going to try to bring it up. We'll see what happens.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

If you manage to improve the mileage dramatically come to my house and do the same to my truck...only think that helps it's mileage would be pushing it.


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## poisonfangs (Jul 20, 2009)

I have one. 2005 ext cab. It does everything I need and more. I usually have around 500lbs of equipment in the bed and average around 21-24 mpg. I bought it used and it has manual air shocks in the rear, I don't know the psi capacity but they have allowed me to haul about 1800lbs with only little concern haha.


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

last tank, I got 14.5. I wish I could convince it to get 21. Do you have the 4cyl or the 5?


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## poisonfangs (Jul 20, 2009)

I have the 4cyl 2.8 with a 5-speed. It can't get out of its own way but it still moves lol.


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## kevjob (Aug 14, 2006)

Young_Buck said:


> last tank, I got 14.5. I wish I could convince it to get 21. Do you have the 4cyl or the 5?


I would have though you would get at least 18, I get 16 in town with a little highway with my 2010 f150 with 5.4


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

My truck is rated for 21 city. Something is wrong, just haven't figured out what yet.


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## lmahome (Feb 21, 2012)

I have a 2005 chevy colorado z71 4x4 5speed inline 5 cyl. i have an are contractors cap with ladder racks on it. I tow a 5x10 enclosed trailer with all of my tools. Its a good little truck( LITTLE ). I am looking for a bigger truck. The towing is killing the truck. I only get 10mpg towing around town when im not towing i get 16to18 mpg around town 19-20 on the high way. hope that helps.....its for sale if your in MA


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## TMDC (Jun 2, 2012)

I have been thinking about buying a smaller truck to do estimates because of gas prices. Still keeping my 2500.


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

Thought I would post an update.

Back around march, I went out to get rolling to work and my E-brake wouldn't release. The pedal would come up, but the cables were stuck. I did some yanking, kicked the rims in the back, etc, and got it moving. At the end of the day, I took it to my mechanic. He ended up replacing the cables and mounts, plus I needed new brake shoes in the back. After getting that done, I was getting an average of 16MPG -- a big improvement from 14.

Then middle of may, I bought four new highway tires (General Grabbers) and I'm averaging 18MPG. I've gotten 22. It's definitely riding better.

Colorado drivers out there who are getting poor mileage... Check your e-brake cables! The factory mounts SUCK, and cut through the jacket. Once those cables get rusty and bind, your brakes will stick.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

their known for that. .the front brake calipurs gum up too and tend to stick. they had to fix that last year but it was under warrenty.. just had my rear brakes done last month but that was routine maintnence.. as they havent been touched in 4 years


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## NCMCarpentry (Apr 7, 2013)

I need to see 30+ mpg out of a 4x4 before I could pull the trigger on a small truck


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## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

NCMCarpentry said:


> I need to see 30+ mpg out of a 4x4 before I could pull the trigger on a small truck


If I could afford the payment and insurance, I'd buy an F-150 ecoboost.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Young_Buck said:


> If I could afford the payment and insurance, I'd buy an F-150 ecoboost.


One of my good friend bought his at the same time I got my hemi he consistently gets about 1.5mpg better than I do. Not as good as I hoped...but it's a sweet truck.


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## Eric K (Nov 24, 2005)

I have a 96 2wd ranger with the 4.0 and a 160k on it. Seeing 20+mpg avg. I put a contractor cap on it and it works well for running around on small jobs. Larger jobs see the f250 and trailer.


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