Anthony Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 (edited) http://motortrend.com/oftheyear/truck/2015_chevrolet_colorado_is_the_motor_trend_truck_of_the_year/ What was good for Texas was good for pickups. So full-size pickups got bigger, and midsize trucks began to vanish. Gone were the Ford Ranger, the Dodge Dakota, and, most recently, the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado. But three years after disappearing, the Colorado returns, completely redone in more manageable bite-sized proportions compared to those full-sized Texan trucks. The Colorado may not be the biggest pickup in contention for the 2015 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, but it turns out to be the best in more of our judging categories than anything else. "The Colorado to me is the perfect-size truck again," Reynolds said. "Its simplicity and purity are what a truck ought to be about." Indeed, for many, a midsize pickup appeals to a more modest sense of size. The segment has been shrinking due to neglect. So when the Colorado reappeared, it trounced the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier in a comparison test, clearly marking itself as a segment leader. No other vehicle tested stands out as much."This is a really good, honest little truck," Evans said. "I can see it being very popular with small businesses that have been running old Rangers and the like." In a blow to Ford's pride in its all-new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup truck, Motor Trend is announcing today that it has chosen Chevrolet's new midsize pickup, the Colorado, for its prestigious Truck of the Year award. Given the amount of hoopla over its new, lighter aluminum body, many assumed the 2015 Ford F-150 would be a shoo-in for major awards this year. But Ed Loh, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, says the publication bestows the honor only on vehicles it deems best in its class. Among full-size trucks, he says, the publication believes that Ford's new F-150 falls in behind the clean-diesel engine version of the current Ram 1500. F-150 didn't even come in second. That honor went to another Ford: its new Transit full-size commercial van. Such awards are coveted in the auto industry, where reviews and awards are seen as swaying potential buyers. The next major test for the F-150 will be the North American Truck of the Year prize announced each year at the big annual auto show in Detroit in January. In a unanimous vote among Motor Trend writers and editors, the Chevy Colorado midsize trounced all rivals to be best in class by being a right-sized truck with "sexy" looks and "a big fuel efficiency story," Loh says. Edited December 3, 2014 by Intrepidatious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 Oh brother..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 This will be interesting when the other awards come out that aren't based on marketing checks and none of them match up with MT OTY winners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Counterpoints USA Today: Colorado and Canyon seem credible, capable and, on high-end models, fairly comfortable and refined. But we didn't walk away feeling we'd been to right-size, right-price truck nirvana. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 It is why I stopped reading that rag years ago.....F-150 marks a new course for manufacturing and since they didn't pony up the required $$$ to Motortrend....they got shut out of their <ahem> 'prestigious' award.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 I read a bit of the MT love in and finally gave up-hmnn just watching a Tacoma ad on the tube, "most awarded pick up ever". "Spiteful" is the word that comes to mind after reading through some of that stuff. Like saying the 450 is "elephantine". Let's see, kind of like calling your sister "fat assed" vs. "big boned"? Now what I would like to see is a comparison of the new GM twins vs.Ranger. If the GMs take off with huge numbers like the girls at MT seem to suggest, and if those "huge numbers" are not just at the expense of Toyota and Nissan, I guess Ford just has to figure out how to build the Ranger here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Hah- just came up on Seeking Alpha business news. One readers comment..." Good news for Ford ..given fact Corvair and Vega were previous MT winners!" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 Hah- just came up on Seeking Alpha business news. One readers comment..." Good news for Ford ..given fact Corvair and Vega were previous MT winners!" Well, to be fair... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 To be fair, the Mustang II was a big deal at the time. The 1971-73 generation looked bloated and overdone, and sales of domestic pony cars in general had been a free-fall since 1969. Imported sporty coupes like the Toyota Celica, Ford Capri and Opel Manta were hot in the early 1970s. The Mustang II was the right car for that time. Unfortunately, the mid-1970s weren't a high point for domestic quality and reliability. But that problem wasn't unique to the Mustang II. If anything, it was better built than its GM competition and the AMC Gremlin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rosadini Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Well, to be fair... No argument there-owned one of those beauties. Had bought my wife a nice new Pinto Hatchback-in March '73. The gas crunch of fall '73 hit and I decided to take it to work one day and it was stolen -just missed the thief as it had started to rain and my spot was hardly wet. Needless to say, small cars were all of a sudden a hot item with gas lines all over the place. Long story short economy cars were in short inventory on dealer lots and as I was buying a lot of big Ford Louisvilles for my company, I got some help from my dealer (probably the largest vol truck store on east coast at the time) to locate me a vehicle-a 74 Mustang II hatch, 2300 4 banger! 3500 bucks! Not the best Ford we ever owned but certainly better than a Corvair or a Vega. Kept in until 81 when I bought her a new Mustang hatchback. Actually that was a bigger POS than the 74 as the 5 speed trans was a hanger queen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscalzo Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 the Mustang II was a big deal at the time I had a 74 Mach II. worst car I';ve ever owned. Crap paint, the V-8 overheated in warm weather in minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 (edited) I don't even know how to respond to that article. I mean, it's such a bare-faced pack of lies that one struggles to find even a toehold from which a rational response can be crafted. Anyway, kudos to Ford for failing to purchase this award. It was rather shameful the way the company bought the 2012 award. Edited December 3, 2014 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Lets not forget the winner of the gold tone calipers in 1980..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I've seen a couple Colorados on dealers lots and its still a BIG pickup truck...seems like a 7/8 silverado Oh and they've been there for weeks too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I've seen a couple Colorados on dealers lots and its still a BIG pickup truck...seems like a 7/8 silverado Oh and they've been there for weeks too. I agree. We finally got around to taking my fiancé's G5 in for the ignition switch recall and I did a quick window gaze on one. It looks decent enough, but holy plastic interior batman! I wonder when GM is going to stop making so cheap looking interior. It's the second biggest complaint I have about the G5, after the way it shifts (can you make a 5 speed that has a stiffer shifter? Sheesh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Yep - "midsized" is almost a misnomer. Same for the Ranger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I agree. We finally got around to taking my fiancé's G5 in for the ignition switch recall and I did a quick window gaze on one. It looks decent enough, but holy plastic interior batman! I wonder when GM is going to stop making so cheap looking interior. It's the second biggest complaint I have about the G5, after the way it shifts (can you make a 5 speed that has a stiffer shifter? Sheesh) It's the light grey plastic they use. Same thing they were using on Corsica rental cars in the 90s. Looks terrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Yep - "midsized" is almost a misnomer. Same for the Ranger. If ROW Ranger is that same size, then Ford is definitely making the right call by keeping it out of NA. Especially if fuel economy is comparable to F-150. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 If ROW Ranger is that same size, then Ford is definitely making the right call by keeping it out of NA. Especially if fuel economy is comparable to F-150. It is. That's why we're thinking an Ecosport based truck or similar is the only thing that makes sense where it would be small enough and light enough to have a significant fuel economy advantage and wouldn't just cannibalize F150 sales at lower profit margins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 btw - ROW Ranger is redundant. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 btw - ROW Ranger is redundant. :) I feel like I need to include the ROW. Just mentioning Ranger alone in a sentence around here seems to spark a shitstorm of rumors and BS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 The Ranger mafia is alive and well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I've seen a couple Colorados on dealers lots and its still a BIG pickup truck...seems like a 7/8 silverado The footprint of an extended cab Colorado is about 110 sq. ft, whereas an extended cab Silverado is about 128 sq. ft. The ratio is approximately 0.86:1, which is just a tad under seven eighths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Oh yes, congratulations to General Motors! 2015 Colorado and Canyon made an impressive debut, and should do well in the fast growing midsize pickup truck market segment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Fast growing? hahahahahahahaahaha 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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