Photos: Lack of Small Trucks at GMC Dealership a Good Sign, or Intentional?

[ponyok67]

I just don't believe the makers have wanted to sell many small trucks. Price for content, MPG, Options, etc., etc. to me points to the forced purchase of the bigger trucks. Ford is about to start the process of an F100 and even a new Ranger...
GM had better get with the program.
How about being the maker that comes out of the shoot with an honest tough truck that looks like it means business and looks good for the money. A price that is meaningfully below that of the Silverado in every trim and that has a fuel effective line of engines. That would be huge in the predicament that is coming.

[cainsw]

I work at the ColoCan plant and we were told the days supply was a combined 160 days. H3 is 114 days and we have not built Hummers in about 2 months. It's looking bad at that plant. I really don't think GM cares about selling these trucks. Their problem is and always has been to just want to sale big trucks and SUV's and piss on everything else. I was told when we started building these trucks that the cost to build these over the S-Dime was almost cut in half. A loaded S10 stickered for about the same as the average run of the mill ColoCan

[87aero]

Forget about them not stocking small trucks which aren't competitive with the competition. They don't stock small cars. My mother wants to downsize from her Bonneville to a Cobalt sedan. My father and I went to the nearest Chevy dealer to look at what they had. They didn't have one Cobalt. Zip Zero zilch. About 40 fullsize trucks/SUV's were around though. The ironic thing was that the only cobalt around was a coupe over on the dealer's Ford lot with the used cars.

[FenwickHockey65]

I absolutely love the Canyon and Colorado. Problem is, they're getting old and they're overpriced. I'd rather get a Sierra over a Canyon if I had some money to spare. I'm sure the Canyon's a great little truck, but it just doesn't have the versatility and power of the Sierra. The only thing it really has going for it is better fuel economy, and that's not even a major advantage.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by 87aero

Forget about them not stocking small trucks which aren't competitive with the competition. They don't stock small cars. My mother wants to downsize from her Bonneville to a Cobalt sedan. My father and I went to the nearest Chevy dealer to look at what they had. They didn't have one Cobalt. Zip Zero zilch. About 40 fullsize trucks/SUV's were around though. The ironic thing was that the only cobalt around was a coupe over on the dealer's Ford lot with the used cars.

Really? The dealers here are overstocked with Cobalts...some are selling as low as $9,995 for a base Cobalt LS. They're all trying to get rid of them for the '09 model year.

[GM-Joe]

GM seems to only be interested is selling vehicles that make money, which is the way it should be. The Colorado/Canyon probably lose money, so they are just on display to offer some customers variety. With $75 an hour UAW people, why not utilize production by producing 30k -> 40k H3's, instead of 10k -> 20K little pickups. The imports can get away with this, but the domestics have to pay ludicrous employee salaries, thus across the board, you see the domestics concentrating on higher priced vehicles that bring back big profits, not market share. But as the unions legacy costs subside in the next couple of years, I am expecting big things from the domestics, especially GM, in regards to the quality and market share of their lower priced vehicles; the marketplace demands it and now it is possible. Thus, the Colorado and Canyon may grow in size in the future, being marketed and girth, but also, I expect to see a true compact bow in the next 3 or 4 years - car based or not.

[TimR]

Originally Posted by ponyok67

I just don't believe the makers have wanted to sell many small trucks. Price for content, MPG, Options, etc., etc. to me points to the forced purchase of the bigger trucks. Ford is about to start the process of an F100 and even a new Ranger...
GM had better get with the program.

Agreed. Part of the problem is every year everyone is constantly trying to outdo each other for power, towing, payload, interior size etc. I love my 07 Sierra but you can see where it has gone since I had my 97. Higher, wider, more capable but heavier (over 500 lbs actual weight). The front of the hood on my 07 was over 6" higher than the 97 when parked side by side. How does that help?

Same with the small trucks, and they have lost their big advantage (economics of ownership), just compare mileage to full size, hardly worth looking.

My understanding of the F100 is that it will basically be a 7/8 scale F150. Makes sense, that is exactly what my 97 was compared to the 07

[vam29]

Yes, buyers are gravitating toward small trucks: They're called "Sedans!"

[djo165]

Originally Posted by member12

I would have bought a Colorado or Canyon Crew cab 4x4 with the off road package, but unfortunately none were available in the Houston area. There were none like that in stock anywhere. I ended up in a full sized truck from Mac Hiek Chevy on the Katy Freeway.

The only Colorado crew that I found was 2wd with the off road package. The rest were stripped down 4 cylinder trucks.

...Naturally, the dealer pushes people into the full sizers.

You know you could've ordered one from the factory. That's what I did in 2002 when I couldn't find a S-10 with a limited slip rear end in Dallas. Placed an order and had the truck in four weeks.

As for dealers steering customers to the larger trucks, yeah every dealer does that. I test drove a Toyota Tacoma last year because the new local dealership was giving away $75 dinner vouchers with each test drive. Even then, the Toyota guy was trying to get me to look at a Tundra. It's just a question of higher profits for those guys.

[djo165]

Originally Posted by ptmeyer84

the colorado/canyon twins are too big. What happened to the compact pickup market? Everything is midsize now. The midsize and the fullsize are way to close in price and size.

give me a 4cyl LB S10 sized

The C/C twins are barely larger than the old S-10.

S-10 2WD Extended Cab
Length 205.3"
Width 67.9"
Height 62.7"

Colorado 2WD Extended Cab
Length 207.1"
Width 67.6"
Height 64.9"

[rumble bee]

I just do not see the point in putting a V8 in a small truck. Its a small truck intneded to get good mileage. But to hear some people talking about the 5.3 in the Colorado, they make it sound like it will do better then the 2.9 in mileage. If thats true, then there is something major wrong with the truck. They need to lighten it on up to where the 4 can do better or else don't make a four cylinder at all. If the eight does just as good, who in their right mind wants the four cylinder? And if the v8 dosent do as good, then why is it in a small truck that is made to save fuel? It will never be as capable even if you put the Viper v10 in there as a similarly equipped full sizer due to the simple lack of wheel base. Why not make a light, small, COMPACT truck that gets 30mpg solid with a four cylinder and price it down? Screw v8 capability and just fill the niche of the small truck that nobody can seem to grasp these days. Hate to say it but Dodge is the worst of all with that Dakota. Remember the 5.9 Dakota RT. Good for 10mpg maybe. Why not get a Rumble Bee? I hate the Dakota, and alwaus will.

[paul8488]

I also like the idea of a smaller, simple, cheap pickup, along the lines of an 80's S10 or Ranger. Seems like many people here are saying that... I wonder how many of us would really buy one though! I have a small sailboat to yank around, and like the idea of a bed in back to haul stuff around. I considered a Colorado when it came out, and while the base model was doable, I was shocked at how expensive the uplevel models were. I'll still consider a red regular-cab 4-cyl 5-speed RWD someday.

[eaton53]

Too bad they don't have these. They'd probably be pretty popular.

[Snafu_SS]

Originally Posted by Ming

I'm wondering if the sales results for May will reflect that, T-Rex.

My local dealership is the same way...there are 4 Colorado's (none with 4wd like I want and need) and the GMC dealership hasn't had any.

Also, the Ford dealership had ONE Ranger. I think it might have been used.

But then there are Tacoma's EVERYWHERE!!

[GMC-70]

Originally Posted by t-rex

Sadly though, if buyers begin opting for smaller trucks in big numbers, most will gravitate to Toyota and Nissan before looking at the GMT355s. Little surprise considering how half-baked they are. Once again, GM only pays attention to the products that makes them money and ignores everything else. Little wonder why GM's market share today is two points lower than where Ford was a few years ago. Soggy, ugly, poorly-executed crap like the GMT355s are part of why that's so.

I am beginning to think that despite your claims of superiority that you yourself are half-baked!