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

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#1 · (Edited)
Lack of Small Trucks at GMC Dealership a Good Sign, or Intentional?
Commentary and Photos by Ming
www.gminsidenews.com

I recently took a trip to a couple of GM dealerships looking for small GM pickups - and ended up at a rather prominent (and my favorite) Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealer in the Houston area. I took some photos of the situation on the lot, which was a bit surprising, but indicative of a trend at the other dealerships. And, well, I'll admit I just like taking photos of GM cars and trucks.

Large trucks and SUVs filled an unpaved lot nearly the size of the rest of the GMC dealership's paved lot beside it.

And among all of the dozens of Yukons, Acadias and Sierras, I could only find TWO Canyon pickups buried in the back, with no apparent effort to sell them.

One was just my style. A 4-door, 4-cylinder stripped down model. Very practical, with a decent sticker price and acceptable fuel economy. The other was a little less practical with an off-road package.

So -- Is it that GM is suddenly selling a lot of these small pickups within the last month or two and I came too late to find any -- or are the dealerships just not ordering any?

One would think that at $4.00 / gallon, these trucks would be more popular, and the dealerships would try to take advantage of that, putting them up on a ramp outside of the dealership for all to see. But no such effort was being made.

I can only come to the conclusion - assuming sales of these are not skyrocketing - that these GMC dealers are just as hesitant as GM itself to market and sell the small Canyon/Colorado trucks (incentives have never been as tempting as those on the big trucks), especially with so many large trucks and SUVs languishing on the lots. Or perhaps the more profitable H3 Hummer trucks that share the assembly line with the Canyon/Colorado are eating up the supply? Just one factory shared with HUMMER can't meet the demand?

Your take? Any "inside" reasons you know of? I find it hard to believe that "no one wants" the small trucks. I sat in one and it looked fine to me, aside from the circa 1999 design radio unit (that thankfully said "MP3").

I was simply disappointed at the slim selection of small pickups compared to the many, many Sierras in 4 rows on the secondary lot. Especially given the scary fuel economy numbers on many of the the Sierras (see below).

After all, how can you sell what you don't have in inventory for browsing buyers?



Note the text below the annual estimated fuel cost is $2.80


At long last, a Canyon!

 
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#2 ·
Interesting observation. I wonder what the dealer's margins are for the Colorado/Canyon? It's not an inventory problem ... as of May 1, Chevy had 23,200 Colorados for a 116-day supply, and GMC had 7600 Canyons for a 160-day supply. (source: Automotive News Data Center)

I've always liked my daughter's Colorado, and was thinking of getting one myself for hauling stuff around my property. I don't want/need a full sized pickup.

I'm looking forward to what others have to say, especially from the Chevy and GMC dealer crowd.
 
#5 ·
I can't believe the lack of marketing skills in the era of $4.00 gas. One local Chevy dealer is totally surrounded by GMT-900 vehicles facing the roads. The lot is at a little higher elevation than the roads around it, and it looks like an intimidating fortress. Do you really need 150 GMT-900s facing the road to let people know that you have a good selection? You really have to look hard to see a car when you drive by.

People looking for something with good gas mileage aren't even going to slow down. IMHO it would be better for the dealer to sell cars at a smaller profit than to sell nothing.
 
#13 ·
Apparently, then, it's not just a trend in my area, minnfang. The podunk Chevrolet dealership next to my home frequently lines up all of their large trucks along the very small portion of their lot that faces the main route. When they include a car in this intimidating lineup, it's usually this [gorgeous] blue Corvette convertible that they seem to be having a problem moving off the lot. No Aveo's, no new Malibu, no Cobalts. Just big trucks. Seems odd, too, because there are plenty of economy cars and family cars in my area.
 
#6 ·
I do think they need to stock more of GM's small pickups everywhere. The only problem is that these trucks were barely competitive when they came out. Now we have a newer Tacoma and Frontier for them to do battle with.

Whoever decided these pickups should not be updated needs to taken out behind the barn...
 
#7 ·
I am starting to see more of the GM mini trucks in the KC area as well. I can definitely see their usefulness. Never driven one though. Hopefully GM will realize their is a market for quality mini trucks and does a quick rework of this platform. (A V6 would be nice, the 5.3 V8 even better!)
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#10 ·
I've lived in 3 very different states this year and can tell you this...it is the same all over. No dealer stocks these Colorado/Canyons. Not even Colorado! None. Zip.

It isn't a stock issue. Everytime I've been there to look at one, they steer me toward a full sizer! Why? Dunno. :(
 
#12 · (Edited)
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.



I hate to hear GM complain about the lack of interest in smaller trucks (and smaller cars with a manual transmission) when it's impossible to find any on the dealer's lots. Naturally, the dealer pushes people into the full sizers.
 
#39 ·
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.
 
#15 ·
You won't see Colorado/Canyon on the lot because dealers and buyers figured out a long time ago that they are a sorry excuse for a small truck. If you equip one like a full size truck after rebates the price is so close that the full size truck is a better buy. The mileage on a 4X4 Colorado is nothing to brag about.
I bought a Z-71 4X4 Extended Cab in 2004. After owning about ten S-10s the Colorado was a great disappointment. The truck had no feature that I could pinpoint that was exceptional. It had no power, had shake rattle and roll, had the turning radius of an aircraft carrier, and had a really cheap interior. The front end ate tires........new ones at 18,000 miles. I found out that the front end was incorrectly set at the factory, but Chevy kept it so quiet..........a fix it if you complain warranty.
My neighbor had an 04 also. His truck was in the shop forever with engine valve problems. He also was donating money to tire companies.
The Colorado/Canyon line is junk..........period..........an ISZUSU dream. Bring back the S-10 with an efficient engine.
If I was a dealer, I would hide them in the back row also!
 
#19 ·
My 2006 had the same front end problem...tires shot at 15K.

Also have had a few trim issues.

Otherwise I must say the truck has been pretty good.

I have the 2.8L Crew Cab 2WD.....perfect for my 35 mile commute and car pool, plenty of room....has plenty of power to run 75 MPH on the highway...gas mileage runs 18-22 MPG depending how fast I go and if in stop and go traffic.

The perfect truck for the ocassional trip to Home Depot and to the garden center for the wife in the spring.....also great for tailgating during football season.
 
#17 ·
Lots of Colorados and Canyons available in Southern Quebec and they do sell well,especially the 4-doors. I certainly see far more of these than the Tacomas. Even though I'm not a big fan of the twins, a four door,4 cylinder,5-speed manual stripper would make for an economical somewhat appealing vehicle.
 
#18 ·
It seems as though GM leadership constantly show that they lack foresight time and time again which is why they are in the mess they are in now.

Doesn't someone sitting at that large table say "hey incase gas prices keep going up we should put money into our smaller trucks and cars"

Instead they try to tell us, people don't want to buy small cars they want huge tanks thats what they want so thats what we have to build.
 
#20 ·
The Colorado/Canyons are just too much money when compared to a fullsize. Who in their right mind wants to shell out full-size money on a less capable truck? Alright, so with higher gas prices that may no longer be the case. But regardless, the C/Cs just aren't as well executed as they ought to be. Had they paid a little attention to what Toyota was doing over the last twenty frickin' years, they would probably be among the best selling vehicles on the road today.
 
#22 ·
I agree that its not as good as it could be, Id love to see them do the Colorado with the same care that was taken for the new Malibu.

It starts at about $15,000 so IDK maybe drop the price by $500 bucks I mean everyone else is starting in the $14,000 range with a few starting in the $15,000 range.

If I were to redo the Chevy Colorado I would try to push its fuel economy up as high as I can as I think that would be a big concern for someone who is passing up a full size for something smaller. Maybe give all of the engines VVT and GDI along with 6 speeds.
 
#21 ·
This is not that new, the previous S-10 was very difficult to find in Southern Ontario. Anything around was loaded up, often more money that a full sized pick-up. Canyon has followed that trend, only with a significanlty less desirable looking truck.

I don't think GM know how to build a small truck profitably, and so they sit (what exists out there). Ford hasnt taken up the challenge either - 4 cylinder Rangers are very tough to find also. Over to you Toyota....
 
#25 ·
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
 
#40 ·
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"
 
#26 ·
Interesting related article here:

Chevrolet S-10 History



Detroit's "Big Three" automakers were blindsided by the popularity of small imported pickup trucks during the 1970s. While Ford, GM and Chrysler sold millions of large pickups every year, they never seemed to even consider that there might be a market for smaller trucks in the United States — or that those trucks could actually be considered "fun." In fact, they were so unprepared for the success of Datsun (now Nissan) and Toyota's tiny trucks that the only way they believed they could respond rapidly was to import Japanese trucks and rebadge them as their own.

But that's hardly the end of the story. Because the small pickup market isn't just a story of import success, but the eventual conquest of that market by larger products designed for, and made in, America by both domestic and Japanese manufacturers.

A good example is Chevrolet.

First-Generation LUV (1972-1980)

General Motors was still the world's largest corporation and the dominant force in the American car and truck markets in the early 1970s. But the company was sensitive to any erosion in those positions and the popularity of small import pickups — particularly among young, entry-level West Coast buyers — was developing into a threat. After all, it's not like GM wanted the youngsters to get used to buying Toyotas and Datsuns.

GM's immediate, minimal-hassle, low-cost, no-brainer answer to the Japanese truck challenge laid in its partial ownership of Isuzu Motors Ltd. of (no surprise) Japan. By simply buying trucks from Isuzu and slapping some Chevrolet badges on them, GM had a somewhat viable contender in the mini-truck melee. The too-adorable name it pinned on this new "trucklet" was LUV for "Light Utility Vehicle."

In fact, this was such an easy solution to the import threat that Ford was doing exactly the same thing at almost exactly the same time by launching a Mazda-made pickup it rebranded as the "Courier."

The LUV went on sale in March of 1972 in select Chevrolet dealerships, serving markets with a high percentage of import truck buyers and was instantly recognized by the press as nothing special. "As a truck, the Chevy entry is quite similar to the Ford entry," wrote Road & Track, "even down to an identical payload rating of 1,400 pounds, just as the Ford-bought Toyo Kogyo (Mazda) truck is similar to the Datsun and Toyota trucks."

More: http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/s10/history.html
 
#27 ·
I drive an 07 Colorado Ext Cab Z-71 4x4 as a work vehicle. Our company decided 2 years ago to downsize us from 3/4 ton Diesels to save on fuel. Little did they know that just because this was a smaller truck the average fuel mileage was worse. I have a mixed commute Highway/local roads and routinely get 17-18 mpg. The 3.7 is average at best on power, if the truck is empty with only me inside. All 10 of our Colorados have had the tire issue. According to our local dealer it didn't effect every truck only certain months of assembly. THey actually have a name for the repair and call it the Z-bar allignment. Had mine done about 6000 miles ago and we forced the dealer to replace the tires under warrenty. They had 16, 250 miles on them and were shot. They were rotated every 3000 miles as well. After realizing all the issues with the Colorados my company has since moved back to full size Silverados which are currently averaging 20-22 MPG with the 5.3 liters. Oh well live and learn. Smaller doesn't always mean better especially when it comes to GM.
 
#28 ·
I always thought the Colorado (and to a lesser extent the Canyon) were good looking trucks.

I considered buying a 2006 Colorado Xtreme back in '06. But it's price tag of over $30,000 stopped me.

I had had a 2000 S10 Xtreme for 2 years and loved it.
 
#30 ·
The LUV may have been similar to Ford Courier, but the basic thing is that ALL of those Japanese pickups were basically identical. You can switch wheels between Toyotas, Nissans, Isuzus and Mazdas as the bolts are the same. The dimensions, weights, payloads are all basically the same, even engine power and availibility are the same... the price may have differed a hundred bucks and that was about it. You'd almost think it was some kind of joint-venture product.



 
#31 ·
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.
 
#37 ·
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 :)
 
#32 · (Edited)
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
 
#33 ·
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.
 
#34 ·
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.
 
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