Automotive Trends

         After driving some revolutionary full-size trucks this year — fantastic trucks like the new Ford F-150 and Nissan Titan — I had high hopes for the next-generation midsize truck from Chevrolet.
     Those big trucks raised the bar for comfort and refinement in a pickup, making them drive more like cars without sacrificing truly heavy-duty performance. Is it unreasonable, then, to want the same thing in a smaller pickup?
     Evidently so, judging from the new Colorado.
     While it has a nice look, it seems as though Chevy just slapped a fancy body and interior onto the old S10. The ride is bouncy and skittish, the cabin is noisy, the engine pulls like an antique tractor, and the dash feels as cheap and flimsy as ever. It doesn’t even have a V6 available, just four or five cylinders.
     In fact, this is among the most disappointing vehicles I’ve driven. It was almost like dating a supermodel only to find out she’s — how should I put this — not really a she.
     Perhaps that utter disappointment came because I had high expectations after seeing how great full-size trucks have become lately, how General Motors’ SUVs are among the best in the world, and how stunning the Colorado’s styling is.
     But, like an old Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, this truck has good looks without good substance. That spells bad news — really bad news — at a time when Japan is launching an all-out assault on the American truck market.
     The Colorado isn’t a total disappointment, though.
     On the upside, it has a generous size that almost puts it in the same category with the big boys, perhaps a reason Chevrolet doesn’t offer a V6. They obviously don’t want to steal sales from the full-size Chevy.

     In any case, “small pickup” is definitely a misnomer for this truck because there’s nothing small about it, from its roomy cabin to its spacious bed to its big, fat tires. It has more hip, knee and head room than the competition.
     Its performance isn’t awful, either, as even the four-cylinder engine makes 175 horsepower. Acceleration is more than adequate and towing capability is impressive at up to 4,000 pounds if you pick the 220-horsepower, five-cylinder engine.
     And you can’t forget about the truck’s head-turning style. My test truck, painted in a trendy orangish-gold color, drew more admiring comments than any truck I’ve driven since the mighty Hummer H1. People love the Colorado’s chiseled, sharp-edged styling that seems like a slightly exaggerated version of its bigger brother, the Silverado.
     It may not be the best driving truck on the road, but it’s clearly among the best looking.
     Then there’s the price issue. While the Colorado is competitively priced with other midsize trucks, including some great offerings from Japan, you can be sure Chevy dealers will throw in low-interest financing and cash incentives to make the deal sweeter than a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone. For a solid, good-looking truck, that could be quite a bargain.
     And as everybody knows, a great price will make you forgive an awful lot of those complaints.