S-10 Tonka

You can't look at this thing and not think of a big Tonka truck. Even though the styling is a few years old, it still looks good - rugged with a bit of class in the rear tail light treatment.

The small truck segment has become more competitive than high school football in a small Alabama town. There are so many good choices, and the manufacturers take it very seriously. And why wouldn’t they? Companies like Chevrolet base a huge portion of their corporate identity on just the image of their trucks.

The S-10 is an unremarkable but reasonably competent truck. As with most American cars, it’s the low price and value that move it nearer the top of the shopping list.

The S-10 extended cab comes as a 3 door or a 2 door. The third door makes it easy to access the extra cab space, but you sacrifice one rear jump seat. The 2 door extended cab has 2 jump seats behind the usual seats. Both jump seats are suitable for kids, or MAYBE small adults. The jump seats face inward and are therefore a little awkward. The 3 door can only have one jump seat because safety prevents mounting a seat to a door. In all likelihood, the extended cab will be used to carry extra stuff, rather than people, and the extra space will hold quite a bit of stuff. The 3 door is about $300 more.

The dashboard and cab of the S-10 is all Chevy. No surprises, just straightforward gauges and switches. The GM stereo sounds good, as usual. Cloth 60/40 bench seats are standard on the “base” model, and are virtually as comfortable as the bucket seats which come with the more expensive LS. The LS has a very useable center console tucked between the slightly softer and more supportive bucket seats. The LS package adds items such as: CD player, power window/door locks, bucket seats, and a center console. The bucket seats/console give the LS a sportier feel, while the bench seat gives the base model a more traditional, open, truck feeling. Rear visibility is slightly better with the bench seats. Gauges are big, clear and easy to read. The 3 door version of the S-10 seems to come with a few extra rattles and squeaks, most likely due to the pillar-less design of the “clamshell” type third door (just like the Saturn 3 door). A/C and ventilation controls are all big and easy to use, with a durable feel to them.

On the road the S-10 base model makes what most would consider barely adequate power. The base model comes standard with a 2.2 L 4 cylinder, and while it is a little down on power, the smoothness of this small engine speaks volumes about how far Chevrolet (and GM in general) has come in their small engine program. Especially wimpy is the 2.2L with an automatic transmission. The Vortec V-6 is about $1500 more, but well worth the money. Producing 180 hp, the S-10’s 4.3L engine is 10 hp over the Nissan Frontier, but 10 hp under the somewhat more expensive Tacoma. In terms of on road manners, the S-10 is, again, just better than the Nissan, but not quite up to par with the more refined Toyota. Here is where the value comes into play. Chevrolet dealers are much more likely to negotiate, and prices of below $16,000 can be found at Chevy dealers who are unlucky enough to have 2000 model year trucks still on their lots. The 2001 S-10 is virtually identical to the current 2000 model.

At highway speeds, the S-10 is quiet enough to make a long trip without leaving its driver feeling punchy at the end. The 4x4 and its bigger tires add some extra road noise. There is engine noise, and the 2.2L is the quieter of the two engine choices. Like most trucks, the S-10 has noticeable lean when cornering, but retains its composure in emergency maneuvers. The Nissan is one of the best handling small trucks (not including sport trucks like the S-10 Extreme or Toyota S runner), too bad the engine is not up to the job.

When comparing the S-10 to the other trucks mentioned here, it fits right in the middle. Better power, ride, handling, and interior than the Nissan Frontier, but with less power, payload, and towing capacity than the Tacoma.

Overall the S-10 extended cab is an OK alternative to the Toyota Tacoma especially if you don’t tow or haul a lot of stuff. The Chevrolet S-10 is a better looking truck than the Tacoma, but when you factor in Toyota’s 6/60 power train warranty, you’re left with little reason to pick the solid S-10 over its competition. The S-10 is not available as a crew-cab (coming may 2001) , but many of its competitors are. The bottom line is price, if you can get an S-10 for a low enough price, it might be a worthy investment. Too bad Chevrolet doesn’t believe in its trucks for longer than 3 years or 36,000 miles - the competition sure believes in its products, and they back it up with a better warranty. With the arena so full of worthy competitors, a seemingly small thing like a warranty could tip the scales in Chevy’s favor.