Manufacture

• The two trims of the 2010 Chevy Colorado--WT and LT--are mainly configured into combinations of cab size (regular, extended and crew) and drivetrain type (two-wheel and four-wheel drive). The standard transmission is a five-speed manual, although there is a four-speed automatic as an option. Other main features include 16-inch wheels (the LT gets alloy ones); four-wheel ABS; StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System with traction control; and three suspension setups that consist of the Z85 (normal operation), the Z71 (off-road operation) and the ZQ8 (sporty operation).
  
  

Engine Output

• Previously having two choices of engines--the 2.9-liter in-line four-cylinder engine and the 3.7-liter in-line five-cylinder engine--Chevrolet added a 5.3-liter V-8 engine with variable valve timing. The four-cylinder engine generates 185 horses at 5,600 rpm and 190 ft. lbs of torque at 2,800 rpm. The five-cylinder surpasses it with 242 horses at 5,600 rpm and 242 ft. lbs of torque at 4,600 rpm. The V-8 engine, however, is the most powerful Colorado engine yet, at 300 horses at 5,200 rpm and 320 ft. lbs of torque at 4,000 rpm.
  
  

Fuel Economy and Acceleration

• Depending of trim combination--which involves cab size, drivetrain and type of transmission--the 2010 Chevy Colorado can get a range of 15 to 17 mpg for city driving and 21 to 26 mpg for highway driving. The truck could go from zero to 60 mph within a high-six-second to mid-nine-second range.
  
  

Reception

• Overall, automotive reviewers are far from impressed with the Chevy Colorado. It has never been touted as an industry leader since its debut in 2004, and editors at Edmunds.com and Cars.com noted that it was still inferior to other vehicles in the mid-size truck category such as the Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. Edmunds.com in particular complained about a subpar driving experience characterized by substantial road noise and bouncy ride during highway speeds.
  
  

Price

• There is a wide original manufacturer's suggested retail price range for the Chevy Colorado due to the number of possible combinations. For example, the MSRP of a WT with a regular cab and two-wheel drive is $16,985. On the other side of the spectrum, an LT with a crew cab and four-wheel drive has an MSRP that is almost twice as high at $28,915.