2005 Chevy Colorado for tow vehicle?

This summer I’ll be in the market for a different truck. I will have the opportunity to get a good deal on an ’05 Chevy Colorado with the 5 cyl. Vortec. Has anyone had much towing experience with the Colorado? I’ll be pulling a ’09 Ranger 1750 Reata with a 150 Yamaha. I was able to try the rig out this weekend and it seemed to handle the boat well, but I’d like to hear about other people’s experiences before I purchase.

5 cyl ??? Never even heard of it..

big G

Yep, two engine choices, 4 cyl. or the inline 5 cyl. (220hp)

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Yep, two engine choices, 4 cyl. or the inline 5 cyl. (220hp)

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Tho, I have not had the chance to work on them yet ,I heard the engines(5cyl) was high maintenance

Wow, I did not know that Chevy had a I5 gas engine. With 220 HP, I would think if your not towing over 5000lbs, it should be fine.

big G

my buddy had a 06 or 07 gmc canyon, basically the same thing but the gm version. had decent power but idk if i would want that for pulling a boat of your size. i would step up to a 1/2 ton imo.

a 242-hp, 3.7-liter five-cylinder

From Edmunds.com

Reviews of the Chevrolet Colorado have been lukewarm at best. Although this truck is roomier and better-handling than its predecessor, its engines, cabin accommodations and overall build quality have always fallen short alongside the more complete packages from Dodge, Nissan and Toyota.

I have never driven one but I am not a fan of mid size trucks. You do not gain that much more in MPG IMO and you loose space and power. If I was pulling that much boat I would go with a full size 1/2 ton as well.

I’ve been kind of leaning towards the full size, but the only reason I’m considering the Colorado is because I put on a ton of driving miles (work, hunting, etc.)… the owner currently gets 22-24mpg on the highway. I currently own an ’02 Ford F150 Supercrew. It’s been a great truck but the mileage is not so great 12 – 16 mpg.

I think you would be better off buying a little commuter car if it was in the buget.
DT

I was told by my local chevy dealer, who runs a 19′ Ranger, that I would be disappointed by the 5 cyl Colorado for pulling my 2003 1750 Crestliner.
I currently run a 2004 F-150 4X4 Super Cab, 5.4 V8. They switched to the german injection system in 2004 and I get an ave 12 mpg pulling the boat… about 17 mpg w/o boat.
All my 1/2 ton Silverado 4X4s with 5.3 V8s averaged 13 w/boat and 18 w/o boat.
My 2005 Toyota Tundra 4.7L Ex/Cab 4X4 (285bhp) averaged 14 w/boat and 18-19 mpg w/o boat. That was a sweet truck…lost my job and had to sell her…

Not sure if this is an option for you or not but I have a second car for driving to work and runnig around town. I only use my truck when I need to tow my boat or camper or when I need to hawl something. This helps keep the miles off my truck and hopefully I will be able to keep it longer and not have to replace sooner like I would if I was driving it everyday. Yes this is a bigger expence up front but if you look at the big picture you will save money in the long term by saving money on gas and making your truck last longer.

Have one. Never pulled anything big with it. I would not have guessed the mpg was that high. Headlights go out a lot. I like the motor though. It’s a bit loud compared to a dakota but it really revs up and is fun to drive around. Does ok with a 1000# boat but that’s all I know.

I have a 2007 Colorado Crew Cab 4×4 with the I-5.
I could not be happier with it. I have 30,000 miles on it so far and the only maintenance is the oil changes. The I-5 gets 20-21 MPG easy without pulling anything. It has plenty of pulling power for my 17′ boat. Overall it does everything I need out of it and it was 7-8K less than a full size. I have the 3LT with every option fully loaded.
They hold their resale value VERY VERY well, much better than any full size. If you find a good deal on the 2005, I’d say go for it with no hesitation.

I’ve got a 2006 GMC Canyon crew cab with the I5. I used to pull a 16′ Maritime Skiff with no problems and now pull my single axle enclosed work trailer. Mileage without a load has been 20 in town and 25 on the highway. Check the truck you are looking at to make sure it has the 3.73 rear end, they are available in a 3.42 which will cause the truck to hunt for gears under load. The I5 also has had issues with the valve train. Mine had the head replaced under warrenty at 60,000 miles. Other than that it has been a good truck. For what it’s worth I’ve had a Ford F150 Supercrew as well and really would prefer it over the Canyon

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