Poor Cash Test Ratings For Small Trucks
Recent crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed poor crashworthiness among small 2008 pickup trucks.
The Institute reports that crashes of small trucks result in the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road, even minicars, in part because small trucks are involved in more single vehicle crashes and rollovers than other vehicles.
The Need for Electronic Stability Control :
The Institute encouraged truck manufacturers to make Electronic Stability Control a standard feature.
Pickup trucks light weight and typical stiff suspension makes it more likely to bounce than a car or SUV. If you hit the brakes hard, the weight of the truck is transferred towards the front wheels, making the rear even lighter. And when you swerve to avoid an object, the lighter rear end can make the truck turn sideways, causing a loss of traction at the rear wheels.
Electronic stability control steps in to automatically adjust a truck’s brake pressure and steering response during an emergency, helping keep it upright and on the road. Unfortunately, stability control is standard on only 12-percent of 2008 trucks, and available on only about a third of current models.
ESC is standard on three small 2009 trucks: Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado and GMC Sierra. It’s available on the 2009 Nissan Frontier.
Best and Worst Performers - Small Truck Crash Tests :
* Toyota Tacoma earned the only good rating in side crashes and frontal crashes; its seat/head restraints earned a marginal rating for protection from whiplash in rear-end crashes.
* The Dodge Dakota truck earned a marginal rating in side crash tests and a good rating for frontal crashes.
* The Nissan Frontier earned a marginal rating in side crash tests; no word on frontal tests.
* The Ford Ranger truck earned a marginal rating in side crash tests and a good rating for frontal crashes. The Institute declared the Ranger’s back jump seats unsafe for children. One study shows that kids riding in jump seats are 4 times more likely to be injured in a crash than children riding in the back seats of other vehicles.
* Chevy Colorado truck and GMC Canyon truck were the only trucks to earn the lowest rating, poor, in the Institute’s side impact crash tests. The dummy driver’s head was hit by the moving barrier and the side of the truck allowed more intrusion into the cab than other trucks. The Colorado and Canyon are rated acceptable for protection in frontal crashes.
Standard Side Airbags :
Toyota asked the Institute to test the 2008 Tacoma with its optional side airbags because they’ll be a standard feature in 2009. Airbags are optional on the Dakota, Frontier, Colorado and Canyon, and not available at all on the Ranger.
2009 Chevrolet Colorado
The compact and midsize pickup truck market — inhabited by the likes of the 2009 Chevrolet Colorado among others — could see renewed interest in the next few years by consumers who might not need the capacity or bulk of a full-size truck, but still need a vehicle with a bed -preferably one that doesn’t cost a fortune to fill up.
The Chevrolet Colorado, like its GMC Canyon twin, drives into 2009 with the option of a 5.3L V-8 on extended and crew cab models. Good for a 0-60-mph run in less than seven seconds, according to GM, the powertrain delivers 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, helping the 2009 Colorado achieve a maximum towing capacity of 6000 lb. A ZQ8 sport suspension returns to the lineup in the latter half of the model year, complete with 18-in. wheels and other visual add-ons, with the V-8 at its core. While in any other year the addition of a V-8 for the Colorado would be good news, the new engine’s release is a case unfortunate timing in light of current market issues.
For those looking for less cylinders and more fuel economy from their midsize truck, the Colorado can also be equipped with a 2.9L four (17-18 mpg city/23-25 highway, depending on 2WD or 4WD configuration) or a 3.7L five (16-17 mpg city/22-23 highway), both of which get a revised fuel control module that GM says improves fuel economy by up to 14 percent compared with 2008 models.
StabiliTrack is now standard for the Colorado, and the standard wheel size has been bumped from 15 to 16 in. Also on the safety front, the Colorado brake system has been upgraded: GM says the new binders are more powerful and provide improved pedal feel.
The Colorado is fitted with a standard bedliner and now comes in two new shades of blue. Both the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon have been around for six model years, but the latest changes should help GM’s bid to keep ex-Silverado and Sierra owners in the family should they desire a more fuel-efficient truck.
