NA -- 2015/2106 Chevy Colorado

JGoodish

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JGoodish
I'm not a "GM guy" for numerous reasons, but my 2006 Nissan Frontier with 145k miles needs transmission work ($$$), exhaust work, and new tires, so I'm thinking that it's time to consider a replacement. This is my daily driver. I want to stay with a truck, but I really need a mid-size because none of the full-size offerings will fit in my garage. The Frontier's paint still shines and it has very, very little underbody rust, I suspect in part to being kept in the garage when not being driven.

Of the new mid-size trucks, the Frontier is basically the exact same truck as it was 10 years ago, a and still sports the same lackluster comfort, technology, and fuel economy.

The Tacoma was redesigned for 2016, and boy is it a disappointment--the seats are uncomfortable and don't go back far enough for me, and the "cool, rad, and like totally awesome" GoPro mount that they made STANDARD EQUIPMENT looks hideous, can't be removed, and is impossible not to notice mounted to the top of the windshield. I don't even own a GoPro and have no intention of buying one. Can't imagine what Toyota was thinking here, but the comfort issue would really make the Tacoma a tough choice for me.

The redesigned 2017 Honda Ridgeline is a Pilot with a bed (and Honda seems transparent about this), but the big problem is that dealers don't seem to be able to get them, and many of the ones they've ordered are sold before they receive them. The other problem is their cabin technology is lackluster and they carry the price tag of a full-size, nicely optioned truck (but they aren't).

That leaves the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon, which were redesigned for the 2015 model year. Unlike the previous design which I think was rather poor, it looks like GM did a pretty good job with these trucks. Since I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time, long-term reliability is a concern, but is perhaps a better compromise than comfort.

Does anyone own a redesigned Colorado/Canyon who can provide a PIREP?


Thanks,
JKG
 
My company has a couple Colorados for about a year, and so far they've been good with no issues. I driven them. Seats aren't the most comfortable for me, but these are the basic work truck model. I've read the GMC Canyon has better seats, but that is all personal choice.
 
My company has a couple Colorados for about a year, and so far they've been good with no issues. I driven them. Seats aren't the most comfortable for me, but these are the basic work truck model. I've read the GMC Canyon has better seats, but that is all personal choice.

The seats in the Colorado aren't the best, but they are probably equal or better to anything else in the mid-size truck segment right now. It's definitely "best of the worst" with the seats, and other than reliability the seats are really the only other thing that gives me pause.

I should also say that given its good body and frame condition, fixing my Frontier is still on the table as an option. Have a quote for $3,800 installed for a Jatco/Nissan rebuilt transmission (which I think is slightly high), but then I'll need some exhaust work, new front brakes and rotors (which I can do myself), and new tires. Not sure what else there is to fail at that mileage, though.


JKG
 
What's the transmission problem? Strawberry milkshake of death?
 
I hope they have a new engine since the earlier models. The inline five cylinder is prone to piston/cylinder damage.
 
What's the transmission problem? Strawberry milkshake of death?

The dealer says no. I had them proactively replace the radiator before the warranty expired (around 80k miles), and they are saying that there is no evidence of contamination from the new radiator. However, a local transmission shop said that a leaking radiator can destroy the transmission prior to the "strawberry milkshake" stage. The transmission has always been serviced by the dealer according to Nissan's schedule, with the last fluid change 25k miles ago. Dealer is saying that fluid is burnt, and based on what I saw, I would agree. But I am suspicious of the cause, especially if I elect to have the transmission replaced or rebuilt.

The problem presented itself suddenly, as slipping only under acceleration in the reverse gear. Forward gears still function normally, though I suspect that it's on borrowed time.

I'm currently driving the dealer's loaner car and this ordeal has dragged on for almost a week, due mostly to the dealer's workload and delay and not my indecision. However, I suspect that they will want their loaner back early next week, so I have to make a decision as to whether I want to dump some money into what I have or replace the entire vehicle. Obviously, the former is substantially less expensive than the latter, assuming that I have no other major problems with it for a while.

So far, it's been more reliable than my previous car, an Audi A4, though the Audi mostly had nickel-and-dime issues (only they were $20's and $100's) and nothing major. But it seemed like a constant stream of pain with the Audi which began well before 100k miles.


JKG
 
I hope they have a new engine since the earlier models. The inline five cylinder is prone to piston/cylinder damage.

Yep, engine has been great. VQ40. They had some early issues with timing chain guides wearing through and creating noise, but as far as I've heard those issues have long ago been corrected.


JKG
 
$2000 vs $20,000? If you like the Nissan, just fix it. Especially if it's paid off. Spend $18,000 on flying. My two cents.

Nope, more like $4,000 for the transmission, another $700-800 for tires, unknown amount for exhaust and muffler replacement (has holes in it). If radiator needs replacement too, that will be maybe $300-400 for a decent one. Plus brakes and rotors, but I can do the labor there.

But yes, for $5-6k I can fix it. I think the question really is, what other major expenses could lurk beyond this point? I can't think of too many. Since it's a daily driver, though, any time it needs work the interruption becomes a huge inconvenience.

A middle trim level mid-size truck is around $35-$40k these days with few incentives available, so they're within easy striking distance of the cost of a comparable half-ton.


JKG
 
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Nope, more like $4,000 for the transmission, another $700-800 for tires, unknown amount for exhaust and muffler replacement (has holes in it). If radiator needs replacement too, that will be maybe $300-400 for a decent one. Plus brakes and rotors, but I can do the labor there.

But yes, for $5-6k I can fix it. I think the question really is, what other major expenses could lurk beyond this point? I can't think of too many. Since it's a daily driver, though, any time it needs work the interruption becomes a huge inconvenience.

A middle trim level mid-size truck is around $35-$40k these days with few incentives available, so they're within easy striking distance of the cost of a comparable half-ton.


JKG

Use whatever numbers you like, it's still a factor of roughly 10x.

You can fix the inconvenience of maintenance part by buying a beater car that runs and putting the battery on a tender.

Especially if both are paid off and you dump the high end insurance.

Cars are always money pits. Might as well not dig the pit deeper, I figure.

I was annoyed by a fuel pump problem for a few weeks with the Yukon, but I always had something to drive. Parked it for a week and a half in the middle of the problem too, so I could go to OSH and get other stuff done.

Just sayin'... No car payments is nice... Leaves cash for flying...
 
The dealer says no. I had them proactively replace the radiator before the warranty expired (around 80k miles), and they are saying that there is no evidence of contamination from the new radiator. However, a local transmission shop said that a leaking radiator can destroy the transmission prior to the "strawberry milkshake" stage.

That's the end-stage I guess. The used oil analysis companies can check transmission fluid for antifreeze contamination.

The problem presented itself suddenly, as slipping only under acceleration in the reverse gear. Forward gears still function normally, though I suspect that it's on borrowed time.

While a bit early, it could certainly be just sign of a transmission wearing out.

I am shopping for a manual transmission frontier right now.

So far, it's been more reliable than my previous car, an Audi A4, though the Audi mostly had nickel-and-dime issues (only they were $20's and $100's) and nothing major. But it seemed like a constant stream of pain with the Audi which began well before 100k miles.

On friday I got a tour of the Audi museum in Ingolstadt. It is entertaining to compare the high-tech image they portray of themselves with the experience US owners have with all the flim-flam installed in their cars.
 
Use whatever numbers you like, it's still a factor of roughly 10x.

You can fix the inconvenience of maintenance part by buying a beater car that runs and putting the battery on a tender.

Especially if both are paid off and you dump the high end insurance.

Cars are always money pits. Might as well not dig the pit deeper, I figure.

Yes, but that is to some degree my question: Is it wise to dump $5k into a vehicle which may only be worth $5k, even after it's fixed, due to age and mileage? I suppose the answer is yes, as long as it costs me less than the annual cost of acquiring a new vehicle over 10 years. I am, however, not an accountant for a reason. A large factor which I think works in favor of fixing it is that the paint, body panels, and frame are all in excellent condition.

I considered a third vehicle, but then I'd have to store it, maintain it, pay insurance on it, and pay registration/inspection/emissions every year. It would probably be cheaper to just rent a car when the old truck is in the shop (and the dealer will give me a free loaner as long as I let them do the work, and they generally do good work, but are expensive). A beater-type won't really help because I need reliability, as I put a fair amount of miles on M-F since I am constantly mobile for my job.

The new trucks are nice, but it's hard to believe that a mid-size is within $1-2k of the cost of a comparable half-ton.


JKG
 
I figure a vehicle is worth replacing when annual maintenance costs are half of a year's payments. That being said, I'm still driving an 04 Ranger that I inherited in '12. Replaced tires, battery and clutch (the latter twice). It's now pushing 120K, and beginning to rattle. With luck, I'll get another couple of years before anything else significant happens. It says "Ford" all over it, but was built by Mazda.
 
Shop around on the transmission overhaul. Fix the truck, keep it and buy something cheap that is better on fuel econ for the commute. Put the truck outside, liability only and use it for stuff that requires a truck.
 
I figure a vehicle is worth replacing when annual maintenance costs are half of a year's payments.

Beat me to it. That's my rule of thumb also. There's more tracking that can be done to decide if major stuff is about to go, but in general, that number works.

The other one that's factored in for me is number of outages over time. The Yukon has been a PITA for a month or two this year and cost about $1000 to fix, but it has run without any problems for six years prior. It isn't even close to annoying yet, and it's 12 years old. Bought it 100,000 miles ago, used.

Next thing to go is the transmission probably so I don't tow anything heavy anymore with it.

I never factor in "what it's worth", other than that it's "worth" dragging my chubby butt around. That's any vehicle's only real worth at the end of the day. If it does it in comfort or style that's a bonus.

I always upgrade the stereos if they suck though. Always. Kenwood preferred. :)
 
I had one of the earlier model Colorado pick-ups it was an ok truck. However, all of the nit-noid electrical problems and poor interior quality made me swear off GM products. I hope they improved their QC on the new trucks. They look really nice and the diesel looks promising but the price seems too close to a half-ton. I have found that their mid-size truck quality generally falls below the half-ton trucks.
 
I don't buy vehicles (or generally anything) if I have to make payments. Everyone knows that new vehicles are an incredibly poor investment, but to Nate's point about what it's worth to me, I don't get paid unless I am mobile every day--rain, snow, or shine. So an unreliable vehicle is a major liability, a reliable one a major asset. Downtime costs me money, so generally I want to avoid as much unplanned maintenance as possible.

However, a new vehicle does not preclude the risk of unplanned maintenance. Though the maintenance cost in that case may be covered under warranty, the schedule disruption is the same.

With all of that being said, I've been generally happy with the Frontier. If there was something that I really didn't like about it, I'd be in more of a hurry to part with it regardless of cost. It's been generally reliable up to this point, and it's certainly the devil I know with respect to comfort and owner maintenance.

However, I am curious as to how owners/operators like the 2015/2016 Colorado/Canyon.


JKG
 
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... I don't get paid unless I am mobile every day--rain, snow, or shine.

Ridgeline then. Seriously. If you want it to go every time you turn the key, that'd be the "truck".

"Truck" in quotes because it isn't one, haha. But nothing just goes and goes like a Honda.
 
...and my worst car, by far, was a Honda. Go figure.

If you need a truck, buy a truck. Honda does not make a truck.

But from what I have read, I'd just fix the Nissan, drive it another 100,000 miles.

My clients with the "little" Chevy/GMC trucks like them in their fleets.
 
I guess we've never had one of these "reliable" cars that just goes and goes. Frankly, the Frontier has come the closest of any of them. We've previously had a Honda, a Subaru, an Audi, and a Jeep, and all of them had major issues (except for the Audi, which had way too many minor ones). I'd love to have the car that goes 300k miles without an issue, but it's a unicorn to me.


JKG
 
I guess we've never had one of these "reliable" cars that just goes and goes. Frankly, the Frontier has come the closest of any of them. We've previously had a Honda, a Subaru, an Audi, and a Jeep, and all of them had major issues (except for the Audi, which had way too many minor ones). I'd love to have the car that goes 300k miles without an issue, but it's a unicorn to me.

I guess we would need to know what you would consider "major" issues. Our Honda ran for a few miles when Karen stuffed a tree branch through the radiator, but I wouldn't call the eventual engine seizure Honda's fault. Haha.

Audi... Trash. Fussy German crap that's always in the shop. Only a notch above VW. If that.

Subaru, has some known issues. Must replace timing belt on time and the head gaskets. Mostly just run though. What happened to yours?

Jeep... New ones are trash. Chrysler. My opinion anyway. Older the better. Middle aged ones ate brakes and leaked oil on everything but usually started and moved on their own always.

300,000 is asking a lot of any vehicle. 100,000 no problem. 150,000 going to have to fix something. 200,000 maybe. And I say that without major maintenance.

Plenty of 500,000 mile Dodge Cummins out there, but they've had work. Maybe not on the Cummins but certainly most of the rest of the moving parts on the truck replaced or rebuilt... Just as an example.
 
I consider "major" issues to be anything unscheduled that totals into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. A transmission replacement would certainly qualify. Obviously, the older a vehicle, the more I would expect to have these sorts of issues, which is why I'm questioning the transmission replacement in the Frontier given its age and mileage.

And on that note, the Honda Accord that we had was having transmission issues (intermittent severe vibration) at around 120k miles. That's after it blew a seal in the engine oil system which resulted in the oil pump evacuating all of the oil from the system. That was Honda's fault, and they fixed it, but they didn't rebuild the engine (and I don't think that was being offered to anyone). I've known Honda owners who needed master cylinder replacements and other types of unscheduled maintenance, though they would still insist that their Hondas were "trouble free." And all of them seem to rust after the very first rain. One thing I will give Honda, though, is even with a rolling parade of leaks, vibrations, smoking exhaust, and other issues, they still seem to run. But eventually they do quit.

The Subaru had the head gasket issue, which was inexcusable because Subaru had known about the problem for years AND our VIN was specifically called out by Subaru (not just the dealer) as being outside of the affected range. But we got the dreaded burning coolant smell at around 60+k miles. Subaru refused to help us out, so we ended up paying an independent mechanic about half what we would have paid a Subaru dealer to fix it, but still around $1k. The car also pulled strongly to the left from the day it rolled off the lot (but tires were wearing evenly, so not sure how that worked), and multiple dealers and independent mechanics couldn't figure out how to solve that problem. Also, with both Subaru and aftermarket front brake pads and rotors, we ALWAYS got brake shimmy after the first few thousand miles. No one could solve that problem, either.

The Jeep was a 1993 and wasn't as terrible as it could have been. Radiator went out at around 80k but in fairness, I don't think the coolant had ever been changed. Transfer case was starting to have issues at around 120k, but that wasn't a daily driver problem. There was a persistent problem with the car stalling at idle (i.e. red lights, etc.) and after I was already hundreds of dollars into the dealer's science project to fix it, was finally quoted over $1k to replace the main wiring harness. At that point, I took it to an independent who diagnosed a faulty throttle position sensor in about 30 minutes and had it fixed for around $100.

Audi is VW, they use the same parts, and after 4 or 5 years everything rubber or plastic was literally deteriorating. I'd get CEL codes and open the hood to find a hose popped off because it had rotted. Bump that plastic vacuum line while you're trying to fix it? Instant crack, so it needed replaced, too. Both rear wheel bearings starting at 50k miles and too many bad $200 MAF sensors to even keep track of. It didn't help that the local Audi dealers were basically scammers and I couldn't find a good local mechanic who knew the car well and did good work.


JKG
 
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Dunno. Some but not all of the above falls into the "meh, it's a car" level of interest and brokenness for me and some are more major.

I think you'll have a hard time finding anything that runs perfect after 100,000. Even the Honda had an occasional problem when we had it but mostly it ran.

Most seem pretty "normal for their type of vehicle" also. Like the Subaru thing. It's just so well known that you change the head gasket when you do the timing belt, for example. Whether it has blown it yet or not.

I doubt a Colorado will run any better than any of the above stories after 100,000 but a new one will be trouble free most likely up until around that point. But I wouldn't want to spend $30,000 for that.

If I needed absolutely to be mobile every day, I'd have two pickup trucks or a pickup and a beater and just drive whichever one was running ... Which ideally is what I'm already doing now. Yukon dead, drive the Subaru. Subaru dead, drive the Yukon. Karen's truck dead, she gets whichever one of the Yukon or Subaru she wants that day and I drive the other.

The Dodge is the only "mission critical" truck and only when one of the two big heavy trailers needs to be towed.

It's a LOT cheaper than a new truck, and since the towing part for me does end up a mission that has to be accomplished, the next truck does need to be a HD diesel if the Dodge needed replacement. It shouldn't need to be replaced for years, so the daily drivers can fail or not fail and I'll just swap seats when they do. I keep a very cheap towing rider on the insurance policy that'll tow the Dodge and it's trailer (and have used it!) which also covers towing any of the others. Costs about $84/year as an add on and has paid out more than that over time.

Lower licensing costs annually, nearly zero in taxes and fees on all of them (all done by vehicle value here so the highest is Karen's '08 Ford at about $125/year) cheap insurance, not paying anyone interest on any of them... It's just a numbers game for me. They all break eventually. They're vehicles, that's what they do. :)

An old pilot buddy of mine recently stopped driving his '76 Dodge pickup because he upgraded... To a '79. Hahhaha. One plus of living in the desert west... No rust. There's some on 70's and 80's cars and trucks now of course, but they don't disintegrate before your eyes, like you folks in wetter climates! Heh!

In the end you drive what ya like. No problem there. If you like the Colorado, grab one! I like a lot of new cars, but not more than I loathe car payments. It's just a preference.

I just share because a lot of people have that "new is better" feel and it's often not true. That piece of trash VW made it a year before it started going into the shop for warranty repairs regularly and we bought it new. The warranty and extended warranty paid out over $13,000 in less than five years and we dumped it in trade for Karen's truck. Whoever got that thing was going to need new motor mounts in less than 10,000 miles. I'm sure the Ford dealer auctioned that trash. And it was only five years old.

Let us know if you get it. I always like photos of shiny new vehicles -- as long as I'm not making the payments! Hahaha. I'd seriously be happy for ya. It is, after all, whatever you find fun!

I want money for flying! New cars aren't high on my list of priorities!
 
I hope they have a new engine since the earlier models. The inline five cylinder is prone to piston/cylinder damage.
Which is why I pursue getting ones with a good 3.7L engine.. That's a $3000 sale for me, reimburses most of my investment, and I make a good profit off of the remaining bits and bobs.
 
Cars really are a 'different strokes' thing. I love seven year old or so stick shift Audis with just over 100k on them, on our third A4 which should make it to just over 200k. But I can turn a wrench and search the Internet for solutions to problems, and have the time to do so.
 
I tend to keep vehicles around 10 to 12 years too. Then pay cash for the replacement with the money I saved on payments. And after 10-12 years, they tend to become annoying with minor and not-so-minor repairs popping up more and more frequently.

I bought a 2015 Canyon and I love it. It is "just enough" truck for my Home Depot and garden center runs for mulch, plants and lumber. And I still get compliments from strangers on it all the time. I got the Canyon over the Colorado because at my age, the extra bit of luxury feels pretty damn good.
 
drove an S-10 for 15 years and 200k miles trouble free. sorry I know you're asking about Canyons... still shake my head in disbelief that none of the manufacturer's make small trucks anymore. and yes for 1000 bucks more you can get a full size ?!? wtf?
 
drove an S-10 for 15 years and 200k miles trouble free. sorry I know you're asking about Canyons... still shake my head in disbelief that none of the manufacturer's make small trucks anymore. and yes for 1000 bucks more you can get a full size ?!? wtf?

Yep. My 99 S10 had 231,000 on it and was still running good when I sold it. Didn't look too good though. I'm in a rust belt state.
Oh, and the only major repair was at 186,000. A transmission overhaul for $1500. Never had a rocker cover off the engine. 4.3 V6.
 
Cars really are a 'different strokes' thing. I love seven year old or so stick shift Audis with just over 100k on them, on our third A4 which should make it to just over 200k. But I can turn a wrench and search the Internet for solutions to problems, and have the time to do so.

I'm a stick-shift fan myself. Of the 13 cars I've owned over the years, they've all had three pedals. There's so much more interaction with the machine...
When you're dealing with high-miles stuff, a manual with frequent fluid changes can run forever (albeit with an occasional clutch/pressure plate/TO bearing service). My E46 BMW ('02) has what they call a self-adjusting clutch...pressure plate maintains clamping force as disc lining wears...and some have achieved 200K + miles on the original parts. Mine's at 160K and going strong. A lot of my miles are freeway, to and from the hangar at off-peak traffic times, so I'm hoping to make 200,000.

You gotta be smart about what you replace and don't replace. My rear rotors are heavily scored, but there's decent pad material left and no vibration/pulsation through the pedal. So I'm gonna pretty much take them down to metal-to-metal and do a complete pad/rotor change when the time comes. Dealer would probably be freaked and insist I change them out immediately...

Besides, I'm like you and thoroughly enjoy doing any work I can on my car. Such a sickening feeling when I have to surrender it to the dealer's grubby hands (Takata passenger-side airbag recall a month or two ago; at least it was free).
 
My local Nissan dealer does good work--better than most local mechanics I've used--and provides benefits like free loaner cars on occasion. The only downside is that they like to charge "list price" for parts, and won't use aftermarket parts even for out of warranty work. I've found them to be basically honest over the past 10 years, which in my experience is rare with dealer service departments.

One of the downsides of replacing the Frontier over fixing it is that I'd more than likely lose that type of dealer support with a different brand. Not too thrilled about the thought of that.


JKG
 
When you're dealing with high-miles stuff, a manual with frequent fluid changes can run forever (albeit with an occasional clutch/pressure plate/TO bearing service). My E46 BMW ('02) has what they call a self-adjusting clutch...pressure plate maintains clamping force as disc lining wears...and some have achieved 200K + miles on the original parts. Mine's at 160K and going strong. A lot of my miles are freeway, to and from the hangar at off-peak traffic times, so I'm hoping to make 200,000.

So far, my wife has squeezed 195k out of a Honda Accord V6 clutch. 150k of that in DC commuter traffic. She has worn out a clutch master and a clutch slave and the self-adjustment is now at the stops, once it starts slipping I'll have to bite the bullet and find someone to do a clutch job.
 
One of the downsides of replacing the Frontier over fixing it is that I'd more than likely lose that type of dealer support with a different brand. Not too thrilled about the thought of that.

What would the dealer give you in trade? I received an offer to buy my car after a service because one of the techs wanted the engine/gearbox to transplant it into a civic. The dealer may be willing to make a good deal on a trade in order to keep your loyal business.
 
So far, my wife has squeezed 195k out of a Honda Accord V6 clutch. 150k of that in DC commuter traffic. She has worn out a clutch master and a clutch slave and the self-adjustment is now at the stops, once it starts slipping I'll have to bite the bullet and find someone to do a clutch job.
I would say she has excellent technique. It's so user-dependent...
 
What would the dealer give you in trade? I received an offer to buy my car after a service because one of the techs wanted the engine/gearbox to transplant it into a civic. The dealer may be willing to make a good deal on a trade in order to keep your loyal business.

That's a good question, and I had asked them that late last week. Waiting on them to get back to me.

If I fix the transmission and the exhaust, I'm not sure that there are too many other major items that are likely to break. Even if someone handed me $40k in cash with no strings attached, it wouldn't change the dilemma in my mind. Someone once told me that if you're struggling with what decision to make, sometimes that is the decision--in other words, stick with the devil you know.


JKG
 
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Doesn't sound like your much of a car guy eh?
 
I've had my 2016 Colorado Diesel Crew Cab Long Bed for 2 days now with no problems. I'm sad I couldn't get a manual transmission. I'm happy so far that for the highway drive back from the dealer it averaged 29MPG. I took it out on some dirt roads today with no obvious issues with the 4wd, just it being a bit big to make a U turn when I found a tree across the road.

I traded in a 2003 Jeep Liberty I purchased new. It was starting to get to the point where it would need seals and hoses and other work. I suspect I'll have this one for a while unless Jeep finally makes a Diesel 2 door wrangler.
 
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