Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Canyon / Colorado Diesel Thoughts?

Guys, thinking about getting one for the wife. She does not like full size trucks, and we are looking at the R Pod camper for her. Until Toyota or Ford adds a diesel in a midsize truck, this seems like the logical choice. I drove a Canyon Denali and was fairly impressed. Mileage is impressive ans 7700 pound towing is plenty for a R Pod. Anyone on the fire running a Canyon or Colorado with the 2.8 duramax. I# so how has the mileage been.......reliability etc. Thanks in advance....Goodshot

I tried to talk my niece into one of those, but she had her heart set on a JEEP. This site has tested them some. https://www.youtube.com/user/tflcar

Have you figured in that diesel fuel costs about 20% more than gas? If it costs 20% more to get 10% better mileage, you're losing. Yes, the engine might last longer, but it costs more to buy and to repair. I have a hard time thinking that it's a good deal in smaller vehicles.
However, if you get in OR, you can pump your own diesel.

Rock Chuck, certainly understand the trafeoffs. Been checking many trailer forums and almost all day pulling a trailer with a v6 drops the mileage on the gas engines a bunch. Plus no question about low end torque etc. of the diesel. I would buy a full size but the wife would also be using this rig everyday and prefers driving a smaller rig. The GM is getting in a 4 x 4 20 mpg city and 28 hwy. I know Ford, Toyota and Nissan all offere vehicles with smaller 2.8 - 3.2 liter displacement diesels in non USA markets. I have owned Ford, Nissan, Ram full size and gas mileage in town is 12-15 mpg. Not sure what the answer is, thanks for the feedback.

goodshot, you just have to weigh out your options like Rock Chuck said. I know a guy that has a 4x4, Colorado Diesel and he always posts his fuel mileage on Fuelly. His best ever fuel mileage was about 29 MPG on a trip, interstate driving. His average mileage is 23 MPG.

There is this guy that lives in my area that has the V-6 gas burner, Colorado crew cab and he swears that he can get 26 MPG on a trip with it. Not sure about that, some people try to fudge a little from time to time when talking mileage.

Until Chevy, Ford, Toyota gets their act together and puts a small diesel engine in a Colorado sized vehicle or even a half ton, that can get 32 MPG plus I am not interested. Heck the old Chevy Luv or Isuzu diesel from years ago got incredible mileage if I remember correctly, but that was probably at a time with less emission restrictions. I already have a 2006, 4x4, Chevy 2500HD, Duramax so I have the big towing duties covered but I like to have a smaller truck for my daily driver duties. My dad gave me a 2002 S-10, 4.3 V-6 , 4x4 that is my new daily driver. It gets about the same mileage around the house here as the 2500HD, but the big kicker is I can buy fuel for 40 cents cheaper for the S-10, so the 2500HD gets a rest most the time now.

Good luck with your decision.

A coworker just bought a new Colorado.
If you want a big, little truck it's great.
However, if your goal is a small truck, it too big.


Make sense?


Looking at it in the parking lot, with no other trucks close, you would think it was a full size.


I always thought the older Dakota was a great idea, perfect size for many.
It drank like a big boy, and cost as much.
Might as well have a full size.

I am not a Toyota fanboy, but at least the Taco knows what it is supposed to be.

Here’s the deal guys. I have a 2013 ram hemi that I drive daily. My wife has a Subaru Forester. I pull a 19 ft boat with my ram, we are getting a small travel trailer that will weigh about 3500 lbs fully loaded. Wife will drive this new rig daily, and the Subaru will go by bye. She prefers suv size rigs, but not many will tow much anymore. Jeep Grand Cherokee is about it. Pricy to say the least and mileage not the greatest. Mid size trucks are ok with her, the Canyon being as large as she is comfortable with.The diesel seemed interesting because of towing and mileage. Seems like the Colorado / Canyon is pushing Ford to get the Ranger going again, Toyota is always strong in this area, Nissan needs to refresh the Frontier, Dakota is no more. We will want to take boat and camper fairly often hence the need for two rigs.

As Dillonbuck said they are big trucks. Parked next to a Sierra 1500 crew cab they are not a whole lot smaller.

I would sure have her drive both of them. You can probably get a Sierra extended cab for less money.

Last August when I ordered my new Colorado ZR2 I was tempted to order the Diesel, price of fuel was not the reason I went with the V6 but how slow the diesel was zero to 60. Until I retire in a 2 years anywhere I go depends on using the crazy freeways out here and I want all the getup and go I can get. Zero to 60 is 9.1 sec with the Diesel which isn’t terrible but the V6's 7.1 sec is sweet.

The stock truck is actually faster that my 68 Chevelle 327 was when it was new and stock it took 7.5 seconds.

1968 Chevelle with the 327, sweet, now your talking, bringing back some memories from the younger days. Buddy of mine had a 1967 Impala with the 327, but it being such a big lead sled it was not the fastest thing off the line. I learned to drive in a 1969 C-10, 250 CI, inline 6, three on the tree, oh some of the times I had in that truck. Wished I still had it.

Back on topic I have drove a 4X4 GMC, Canyon with the V-6 and it was pretty peppy when I needed it to be, horsepower was 305 or more I think.

Do these pickup truck sized engines require the additive like the bigger versions?

As I recall, they all require the use of DEF, but I haven't been taking notes...

Not only do they require it but it's the cause of a lot of cussing. The DEF isn't the problem. It's the DEF tank that hangs way down low and is an off-road hazard. It's started a regular industry in developing cages and shields to protect it.

Not sure that I'd put my money into an engine with VM Motori lineage, but I've got zero firsthand experience with it.

I think you should pass.
1. Neighbor had one, works for a GM dealership, usually keeps his vehicles two years and trades up. This one lasted a little over a year. (went with a 6.2 gas)
2. Friend bought one who does a lot of traveling. Transmission went out under 20K. He did not do a lot of pulling with it, actually very little. Has a Ranger boat that he pulled for fishing and that is it.

GM is coming out with a diesel in the 1/2 tons for 2019. Inline 6 turbo charged. Supposedly going to get 30 plus mpg. Actual numbers are supposed to released this weekend at an auto show, NY I believe?

Neighbor and I are both going to give them a couple years to see what shakes out. Since he works at the dealership, get real info from him, not just the marketing fluff,

I am researching what to replace my GM 6.2 gas 1/2 ton (average 17.2 mpg over 56K) in a couple of years so I am watching. If I was to buy now, it would be a 1 ton Ram diesel. I know that does not fit your wife's criteria.

I like the idea of a full size 1/2 ton for your needs.

See you live in WA. DEF might be an issue if you go up into the mountains. It gets colder up there and around here and the Dakotas, DEF freezing is a big issue with the newer diesel trucks during the winter months. If you live in an area where the temps get much below freezing for any length of time, it may not start or it may go into limp mode. I'd check on some forums to see if the Chevy/GMC is one of the new ones with the DEF tank heater not being able to properly heat up the fluid in the winter months.

Loving my 2019 GMC Canyon Denali Baby D-Max totally.

Incredible mileage, hauls like crazy and there is everything to LOVE.

God Bless,

Steve

https://imgur.com/6rh2rEi

needs spinners......grin

Steve's truck......

I would stay away from the diesel because of the emissions issues. My son is looking to upgrade his 2010 duramax. He said GM dealers can't sell 2015? to 2018? duramax because there is an emission issue GM can't figure out how to fix. My nephew has a 2015 duramax. The emissions were giving him a bunch of problems so he got it deleted. He has more problems with it now than before and the shop that did it can't or wouldn't help him.

I live at 7650 ft elevation wher it isn't uncommon fro temps go to zero or lower.I don't know if the smaller diesels are the same,but mu 2019 Chevy Duramx , 10 cyl has no trouble with the DEF in regards to freezing,starting and running. The Def Tank has heater in it,but only when the truck is running

Most of the def tanks have heaters. The rules say the def has to flow within a specified time, not at startup.

I’ve never had an issue even in sub zero temps.

No dog in this fight, but I was killing time at the public library yesterday and picked up a month or two old Consumer Reports magazine which rated the best and worst vehicles for long term reliability. The Canyon / Colorado scored at the bottom of the list for the smaller truck series.

What? Did you mean 8 Cylinder, 10 Speed transmission?

What? Did you mean 8 Cylinder, 10 Speed transmission?[/quote]

Yep. 8 cyl. Damn old fingers

That's alright saddlesore, many time my older eyes and my typing fails me. Also when I use my cell phone it changes the dang words on me.

Ole yea, how do you like your 2019 Chevy with the Duramax? I have a 2006, 2500HD, 4x4, Duramax with about 90,000 miles on it, it has been a hoss. Your truck has way more power than my 2006, I can imagine that it pulls like a freight train.

So far I love it. I only have 7000 miles on it. During hunting season, truck, camper, trailer w/mules &gears runs about 16,500 #'s. It climbs Loveland, Vail, Monarch passes without even grunting. I hauled some gravel with a14 ft dump trailer and scales showed 19,300. It's gross specs is 23,000. My old 98 Dodge Cummins was 17,000. I get 21mpg hwy,about 18 in town and anywhere from 12.5-13 towing the full load.

I am not surprised one bit about your truck performance, the engine and transmission, drivetrain and gearing is one key to success, I believe. Dodge, Ford and the others can brag about horsepower and torque all they want, if you they can't efficiently put the power to the ground then their just loosing out. The most power does not mean its going to pull a steep grade any better, you know that of course I don't have to tell you, your an experienced pick up driver.

The best fuel mileage I ever got with my 2006, 2500HD, Crew cab, 4x4, Duramax/Allison (6 Speed) was 22.8 MPG on flat ground, never been able to duplicate that again, got close to 21 MPG. Driving the interstate on flat ground at about 70 MPH I get some where around 19.8 MPG. One good thing about my 2006 Chevy is, it does not have a particle filter or DEF, I like that part of it. My truck has a camper shell on it and usually I have about 200 pounds of tools in the back. My hunting camper is 21 foot and weighs about 4000 pounds or so, going to deer camp I usually get 13 to 14 MPG, according to the wind. Coming back from deer camp, more up hill grades it is usually from 12 to 13 MPG. 4000 pounds is nothing as far as towing, I assume its the tall height of the camper and wind resistance that's killing my towing mileage. Here around the house in the mountains, I can't get much better than 14.5 MPG, empty.

I would love to have a new full sized truck, not sure if I will go back to a diesel, no more towing than I am doing now. I tow a trailer and farm tractor now and then but mainly the 21 foot camper and that's not often.

Enjoy your truck saddlesore and keep us posted on its performance.