New Chevy Colorado mega-thread

Per my last post, I did admit that I might be wrong

 

Doesn't the Tacoma have more american parts on it than most of the "american" company's trucks?

I know its that way with the tundra.

 

Its the same way around here. Tacomas are lucky to make up 5% of the truck sales around me. Most choose Ford, Gm and Dodge. Theres more Tundras then Tacomas here. I can see the Gm mid size truck doing well especially in a Gmc town. A lot of people support a north american vehicle and feel better putting the money into our country. I just traded in my tacoma for a f150 super crew ecoboost, wanted more room and needed it to pull a travel trailer.

 

Even though the current ridgline makes me gag, I feel like Honda could pull some crazy shit out of their ass if they want to get serious.

 

Has Honda ever built a serious 1/4 or 1/2 ton capable pickup before? I know it's not rocket science but it is really hard to get it right if you've never done it before. I'm worried they'll come out with the great looking and driving truck again, but it won't be tough enough to hold up to truck type tasks.

 

I'm more excited about the Ranger coming our way. Hopefully Ford will bring it to USA.

 

I've heard from the owner of a major dealership chain that they've been told Ford will not bring back the Ranger, period. Two reasons they were given at a meeting were: Ford feels that the compact/midsized market is too way small to warrent the cost of bringing the Ranger over and developing emissions compliant engines for it. Too make a competitive truck engine that doesn't overlap with the F150 would cost some serious money for a shrinking market. That coupled with the fact that a fairly base crew cab F150 is now selling here for what a nicely equipped Ranger would cost over here leaves ford feeling like they'd end up taking away from F150 sales by bringing back the Ranger rather than creating Ford sales.

The only way the Ranger will come back is if the Canyon/Colorado ends up selling in large numbers for a sustained period of time. Then Ford would consider playing tit for tat.

 

This x2 there are still tons of rangers on the streets here in San Diego. Really popular trucks for the desert/prerunner guys...and FWIW tons of Tacos here as well...I hardly see any Frontiers

 

Yeah that's what I was thinking based off of research but you seemed to have an inside track.

A buddy let me borrow his Ridgeline about 5 years ago. I never liked the looks or the soft car ride suspensions feel. . .

But that truck had some of the best storage features of a truck I have ever seen. Very unique.

 

Top 10 " Most American " for 2013 play out like this:

10. Toyota Sienna
09. Toyota Camry
08. Ford F150
07. Dodge Avenger
06. Honda Crosstour
05. Honda Odyssey
04. GM, Enclave/Traverse/ Acadia
03. Toyota Avalon
02. GM Express/Savana van
01. Ford Expedition

 

Here is a list for 2014 trucks. Tundra and ridgeline and f150 tie for first.
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/automobiles/the-8-most-american-trucks-for-2014.html/?a=viewall

 

The only people that switch to another vehicle are the ones that are probably not on this site anyhow.

 

No chance. Seriously when they stuck the 2.7 L Ecoboost in the 2015 F150 it was a sign. A sign that Ford believes they are better off making a smaller more fuel efficient motor for the F150 rather than making a smaller more fuel efficient truck for North America.

In the last couple of years the Ranger was sold mainly to commercial fleets and those buyers are now buying, in large, other vehicles that are dirt cheap. Ford is not interested in making things dirt cheap anymore, that's Dodge/Rams job now.

Guess we get to wait till 2016 to find out .

 

Notethat I say this as a long time Honda fan... Ive owned many going back to my very first car an 82 accord. And we still have a Pilot as our other car for hauling the kids around and road trips..


Honda is a very conservative company.. With a few exceptions (NSX, S2000, Prelude, Integra first introductions) there redesigns, even the major redesigns are more evolutionary than revolutionary.

AFAIK the Ridgeline uses basically the same power train and suspension as the Pilot. The VTM-4 4 wheel drive system is not true AWD in the Audi or Subaru sense, nor is it a traditional 4wd with center transfer case and diffs. Its a FWD biased system that sends some power to the rear when needed. The engine is mounted upfront transversely with a standard FWD type transmission driving the front wheels 90% of the time. There is a power takeoff from the transaxle to a rear "diff" that is actually a pair of electronically actuated clutch packs that can engage either or both rear half shafts as needed when it detects front wheel spin. They achieve a side to side differential effect in the rear by modulating the clutch packs. I dont recall but even at full lockup it can never send more than something like 30-40% of torque to the rear (ETA: looked it up, it can send 53% of torque back but only up to 6mph). There is a switch on the dash (VTM lock) that allows you to manually lockup the rear end, but Ive seen videos of people getting stuck in very mild offroad conditions even so (ETA: what the lockup does is just lock the electric clutches, you can still overwhelm them if you are really stuck, like crossed up on a grade with a wheel in the air and gun the throttle) The Honda system IS great on snowy roads however, Ive tested that first hand.

Also unlike most trucks, the Honda is full 4 wheel independent suspension and unibody.

Plus its ugly. And again I'm a Honda fanboy.

We love our pilot, and Ive loved every Honda sedan and Acura Ive ever owned; but when I started looking at Trucks the Ridgeline wasn't even in contention. Unless they do something radically different on the drive train I doubt ill change my mind.



[Edited for spelling and to correct some info on the rear clutch packs]

 

Several things:

1. Dodge is also making a more midsize truck.
2. With Ford's implementation of aluminum frames in full size models, I think that's going to be the norm. Especially from an EPA standpoint, MPG numbers are going to get tighter and tighter.
3. Toyota is going to have their work cut out for them. Think if our trucks had an ecoboost style engine, 8 spd trans, and an aluminum frame. These trucks would get like 30 mpg.

 

Two of your posts confirm mine...

1. Dodge should make a crappy 1/4 ton truck. They did for 30 years and sold a pile of them. They haven't seen the sales numbers follow there cut throat pricing and store bought awards for the Ram 1500, so they need to go back to the shit they know. Which is producing absolute garbage with false advertising . That being said I think the Ecodiesel is a nifty truck.
2. Absolutely, we will see smaller and more efficient power plants in all vehicles in the next 2-3 years. However, selling a Ranger with the 2.7 L in it would lead to a cross over between engines across class sizes, which is something in general car companies try to avoid to stop customers from drawing direct comparisons. Even the Tacoma/Tundra share no engines now.
EDIT: Also, Ford is using aluminum body panels on a steel frame. Not the other way round.
3. I disagree with you here. Toyota knows how to build a truck. They also have several new engines and transmissions they could work around in a new truck. Aluminum paneling is a very simple implementation that the kinks have been worked out of for a long time, Ford is just the first company brave enough to implement it on there flagship product across the entire skin. I personally think the difference between a 6 speed and 8 speed is not worth my time. Gear it right and you'll never notice the difference. If Toyota wanted to build the truck you speak of, they easily could build a dreamy looking man of a machine. Toyota historically evolves but does not lead, don't look for any of these features until the 4th gen Tacoma.

Cheers buddy

 

At least they lost the Avalanche look. Hated that shit....