2009 Holden Colorado offroad review

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By Karl Peskett | February 04th, 2009

2009 Holden Colorado review and offroad test

Horses for courses; This horse prefers the offroad course

Model Tested:

2009 Holden Colorado LT-R manual dualcab – $46,690

Options:

Metallic Paint $400

Thrifty, strong engine; excellent suspension travel; good gearing
Loose gearshift; on road dynamics

CarAdvice Rating:

You’ve seen the ad on TV. A load of gravel gets slammed into the back of the tray. The front end launches off a ridge and bounces off the deck. An entire engine is shoved in the back. Yes, the Holden Colorado is shown to be a strong, well-built workhorse.

While its all well and good to advertise with loud music, abusive treatment and flashy titles, the Colorado is going to have to live up to a bit more. The ute market is already burgeoning, and with Isuzu’s D-Max stealing some of the limelight, what’s going to bring the buyers?

Sure, price counts for some of it. But it’s also how the cars will be used that’s going to interest people. Are you going to use it for work, or play? Are you going off-road, or staying on the asphalt?

Last time we review this car, Matt Brogan wasn’t impressed, to say the least. The road dynamics infamously shone like a bright red lighthouse. To be fair, Matt’s automatic-equipped car didn’t really show off the engine, unlike our manual version here, but the rest of the car was identical.

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Unfortunately, the interior really lets it down, with el-cheapo plastics, and a fit and finish that is just cringe-worthy. For example, there’s no reason the two pieces of plastic between the clock and the four-wheel-drive selector on the dash could’ve been just one. The unsightly, uneven gap between them just draws your eye straight to it.

Then the gearshift feels like your bashing a bowl of custard with a stick. It’s ridiculously loose, with a gate that’s completely undefined. It’s not helped by a gear lever which is too tall, either. Add steering which is wooden and unwieldy and you’re thinking, “I’m gonna steer well clear of this one”.

Well, not quite.

You see, while the Colorado is hopeless on road (no, that’s not an exaggeration), it’s a totally different story off the black top. On the road out to the test area, we were lamenting its rolly-polly stance, the leaf springs that were too firm, and the woeful steering.

But coming onto the beach, after letting the tyre pressures down, suddenly a revelation occurs. The Colorado is finally happy. Soft sand and rear-wheel-drive hardly ever mix, yet the Holden kept on powering through, without having to resort to using the front wheels.

Finally, approaching some long inclines, the need for four-wheel-drive took over, and with a simple click of a button, you’re there. Then it’s down to business. Using four-wheel high, the Colorado was more than adequate for beach hopping, and even if you had to suddenly halt, there was no issues with getting going again, despite the hungry conditions. Thank the 245mm wide tyres for that.

If you needed to really grunt up a hill, then low range is perfect, but really what helps here is the suspension travel.

It’s long, and sprung well enough to quickly shoot back into any dips, thereby maintaining grip in rutty conditions. It’s not particularly pleasant when on the black top, but off it, it’s brilliant.

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Approaching one hill we know quite well, normally you’d have to get a fair bit of speed up, as the dips halfway up really wash all your speed off. The Colorado could take off from a standstill at the bottom, and still climb the entire hill, with no slowdown for the rutted section.

Amazing stuff. It’s not just the suspension that helps here. there’s also the 3.0-litre diesel motor. Sure, it’s not the most refined unit out there, but the turbo spins up so quickly, that even in varying-grip situations, any sudden jolts or big suspension hits mean that the engine never bogs down.

The abundance of torque from very low revs is a real highlight of this car, something that I must say, was quite unexpected. Combine that with gear ratios, which are perfect in both high and low ranges, and you’ll find the car’s capabilities quite refreshing.

It’s also solidly built, too. When ploughing through the dunes, the front bumper needs to be well fixed to avoid a dislocation. The Colorado’s body work suffered no risk of dislodging, despite being manhandled to an extent. Even going through rutted corrugations, it never rattled to pieces.

Holden’s work hack, therefore, is well suited to an off-the-beaten-track skew. Even though it will never live up to the brilliance of the Mazda BT-50/Ford Ranger on the road, nor have the market share of Toyota’s HiLux, the Colorado’s excellent engine (in manual form at least) and suspension clearance and travel means it will have buyers – but only if they bargain hard. The price is getting up there.

And then they’ll have to ignore the interior!

CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:

Specifications:

Engine: 2999cc OHV four-cylinder (eight-valve)
Power: 120kW @ 3600rpm
Torque: 333Nm @ 1600rpm
Induction: Common-rail & turbocharged
Transmission: Five speed dual-range manual
Differential/Driven Wheels: LSD/four-wheel
Brakes: Disc/drum, ABS with EBD
Top Speed: Not Tested
0-100km/h: 13.3 seconds
CO2 Emissions: 237g/km
Fuel Consumption: 9.0 litres per 100km
Fuel Tank Capacity: 76 litres
Fuel Type: Diesel
ANCAP Rating: Three star*
Airbags: Dual front
Spare Wheel: Full size alloy
Tow Capacity: 3000kg (Braked)
Turning Circle: 12.6 metres
Warranty: 3 year/100,000km
Weight: 1922kg (Tare)/968kg (Payload)
Wheels: Alloy 16 x 7.0-inch

*ANCAP test result based on Rodeo as Colorado has not yet been tested.

Road Test the Rivals:

FRUGAL_ONE

*****PRIMO!*****

I am all confused with this, Isuzu, Holden, Rodeo, Mitusbishi Industry, etc

WTF?

As per usual, the BEST 4×4 dual cab ute is the Navara D40, daylight second.

Cheers

F-0
Marc

I don’t think you’ll have any argument there Frugal One.
JEKYL & HYDE

“hopeless” on road,”bowl of custard” gearshift,”wooden” steering,”el cheapo” plastics…fair dinkum ,how many other 4×4′s out there would be painted with the same brush.has anybody seen the tritons inner door trims,looked at the d40′s gearstick when its being driven,snapped a clutch in a hilux…”interesting” reporting karl…
FRUGAL_ONE

J&H^^^

Funny you should mention that, i see a D40 4×4 around ST.Kilda and the owner has gone to war with Nissan Australia.

Its got stickers/painted all over it that its useless off-road and dangerous??Not sure what the whole story is?

I still like them, but happier with my FalconUte

Cheers

F-0
Tim

Picture of the interior?
http://Diesel Aquahead

Check under the Colorado/Rodeo/D-Max and the Nissan D40 and you’ll be shocked to see that there are no bash plates fitted as standard!

That’s just asking for trouble! I can’t undertsand how anyone could sell an 4X4 without them…

Scott

Actually my Colorado came with loads of bash plates, they have better factory plates then the after market ones, except for the fuel return radiator thing (on diesels) maybe you looked at a rwd model ?

Mark B

I’ve been in a 04 Rodeo and an 07 Hilux, and the Hilux simply shames the Rodeo/Colorado to tears. The creamy 4.0 litre V6 and silken ride of the Hilux was light-years ahead of Holden’s offerings – and we’re still talking high-riding dual-cab 4WD versions. No wonder Hilux outsells them all.

But if a road tester approaches any vehicle in this class expecting any sort of on-road handling competence, they’re just a bit silly. Think on it: body-on-frame construction, high centre of gravity, leaf-sprung rear, usually tested unladen – well of course they’re going to handle like a pig in a shopping trolley. These cars aren’t built for handling (nor strictly for dune-combing either), they’re for hauling a half-ton of crap in the tray with room for a couple of apprentices in the back seat. So why not test them against their design purpose?
Steven

@ Mark B.

Why is the Ranger so good, then? It’s because Holden cant get their suspension right. Ford can.
JEKYL & HYDE

aquahead,

you will be happy to know that bash plates are now standard on colorado…
JEKYL & HYDE

mark b,

couldn’t of said it better,however don’t compare RA rodeo with colorado,and dont go petrol anything…
Dlr1

I guess the designers at Holden/Isuzu just haven’t improved the design enough in the last 6 years. The RA was easily the best on road in the class, now according to this review it’s probably the worst, but in order to really judge it you need to test it back to back with it’s competitors. For someone stepping out of an 04 RA they will probably see it as being a small improvement, for a buyer trading an 03 Hilux it’s a huge step up in refinement, for anybody stepping out of any passenger car and driving one of these it’s a huge let down.
All of the vehicles n this class are dynamically challenged when compared to an SUV wagon or passenger car, but thats not their market. In direct comparison with their rivals they aren’t that bad, and do have a credible resale.

The colorado’s predecessors also didnt have as many major problem areas as some of its rivals (mitsubishi’s gearbox woes, Nissan D22′s exploding ZD30 engines, Mazdas gearbox and cylinder head failures) This reputation alone is probably enough to keep these trucks selling reasonably well.
Karen

Have a chat to anyone who has owned a D40 Navara in Petrol or Diesel. The diesel may have more power that others. But need to be reved a hell of a lot. Thus poor economy. There have also been far to many recall’s and Problems with Drivelines, Turbo’s etc. I know all this for a fact as work for a Nissan Dealer.

Your far better off with a Triton/BT-50 as far better value and build quality.
raymond

Colorado – WTF,
why give an aussie vehicle an american name?, not very patriotic holden.
Having the holden badge attached to it spells eventual trouble to me.
It is reported to be a crap vehicle so why not name it ‘Connex’ for victorian buyers
Richo

there are some SERIOUS reliability issues with the D40 Navara and its Pathfinder cousin. Big quality problems as far as interior and exterior fit and finnish is concerned, door handles braking off in your hands, steering clunks and groans from brand new, incorrectly reading fuel guage that would read empty with the fuel light on after only 35L consumed, whining thermo fans, issues with idler and air con pulleys, aircon switch failures.. and thats all just on my Dad’s pathfinder! There are other issues as well that my old man managed to miss out on!

SERIOUS issues with these cars

Jabba the Hut

There were some mechanical issues in the series 1 D40 but nothing like you claim. I had injector, brake and clutch issues and mine was an early build. I still have it and not one of the things you mention has occured in 4 years of ownership.

The fuel gauge is spot on. Fit and finish is fine. I will never own another one due to the mechanical issues, however I have spoken to several owners of series 2 D40′s. They have done anything up to 80,000 k’s without a problem.

There’s a lot to be said about buying the first of anu all new model. “Most” manufacturers have it all sorted after 6 months.

Richo

oh and this isn’t just a one off case either, every issue which the car has had the dealership service manager has commented “yeah common problem… nissan are aware of it”
http://www.purchwe.com.au Field Service Sam

Enough about Everything else.. With a 1/2 tonne in the back of a single cab diesel Cooloardo… will it go OK??? Will it use as much fuel as my ’08 Ranger/BT50 TD? (ie more than 400km out of a tank @ highway speeds??
Michael

say what you like but im afraid the colorado and the navara will never stack up to the triton, bt-50/ranger and the hilux, if you correctly remember when 4wd monthly did the test on all these vehicles it went in this order bt-50/ranger, hilux, triton and then navara and the rodeo, my mate brought a brand new navara, drove through a creek and the whole shift of the fly 4wd system stuffed up, had to get a whole new system, under warranty of course but thats not the point, the wiring to the centre diff is too visible and a bit of water hits it and the stuffs up
Holden98

Hey im just letting you guys know in 4wd monthly 2007 ute of the year navara came first then rodeo 2nd . i like both cars but colorado is a let down ;(
Michael

mate that is not possibly true, bt-50 took the win for the ute of year in 2007, if you dont believe me, email them and find out for yourself!
Power123

Here in europe D-max is one of the best choices for a pick – up hilux is the second choice other cars like mitsubishi and nissan are not as durable as hilux and d-max. The D-max haw the best acceleretion than every diesel pick-up engine (not the nissan gasoline engine) for me
Isuzu is the professional (the biggest diesel producer)
trayback

one of the worset things with these utes are….

CLUTCH AND THE DAMN GEAR BOX

mine is only 8 months old and its dones 3 clutches 1 full clutch assembley , oil gutter and block ring, its gone in about 9 times for issues with the clutch brakes everything slave cylinder known problem…..with them and the dealers….allways allways the slack customer service…oh its a 4wd its a grey area…bull…i tell you wat it really is cheap labour cheap parts CHEAP… mine had to get booked in for today as it had a huge oil leak.

i want people to talk to RACQ tell them their problems with this car Paintwork is faulty the clutches are everything it all starts off with a shudder and then a noice and it gets worse and worse.. custmer service = 0 for holden service

redfin

You got me wooried now! I picked up an auto 2 months ago, have no problems yet but still the problems highlighted are a concern. I had the RA rodeo 2004 and never had an issue with it. Come on guys trying to compare the all the utes is like trying to find the best pie. We all, after all have different requirements and taste

Will

i have had my 08 colorado 4×4 diesel for 20 00km now from brand new and its got a bit of a shudder in the clutch sometimes and just trying to get aircon idler pulley noise fixed. holden tells me some of them have a miss alignment problem which eats out the pulley bearing. awsome ute. i had a 2 inch lift and bigger tires fitted within the first week cause of lack of height and ridiculously gay stock shocks. its awsome off road and awsome on road, in coparison to my old 95 diesel lux, awsome 4×4, as good or better than the old lux which was lifted and with same size tires. i tow my 6mtr ally boat at 130 up the highway (NT limit) using maybe 100km less from a tank than unloaded. its basically the same ute as Dmax, different body. felt more like a tuff as guts old lux like what i had than anything else on the market. thats y i bought it. very happy so far. its a tall rally car.

troppomad

Navara D40 owned one and it spent more time in the dealer repair shop than it did on the road, sure buy one if you like to waste your hard earned, but now that I have my Colorado I am just kicking myself for even laying my eyes on the MISSIN NEVERONROADER D40.
Luke

Hey Michael, i think you should check your info before you drible crap. aus 4wd monthly 2007 ute of the year was the d40 navara. no need for emails its on their website.
gav..34..

well Lukey going back over the years i recall magazines giving car of the year
gongs to cars like the Chrysler Centura,Leyland P76 and i think the Holden Camira
may have scored one for its rather empty trophy case as well… I certainly wouldn’t
be putting my name on any voting cards after 12 months of proving themselves!!! Come to think of it though the WB holden utes dont say no to much very very often.
Yeah I’ll vote for them i’ve had one for 16 years now and it dont stop or break…
http://gregory.adam@bigpond.com greg

I HAVE A 2009 COLARADO with 26000km on the clock and i have noticed a very loud noise in the motor.The fan starts to wobble then stoppes wobbling and the noies is still very noticeable espeaially up hills. This all starts to happen oncethe motor gets to operating temp.SO does this mean that the water pump is shot or do u think i might be something else.can be contacted on 0412456846. many thanks greg.
Stuart Bentley

I wish the midrange 4WD would give us a better diesel engine option. If the Hilux etc can have a V6 petrol why then can’t we have a V6 Diesel?
I am looking at purchasing a 25 – 29 foot 5th wheel van and towing it with the Colorado but whenever I think about a 4 cyl engine I just feel it’s too small for towing. The V8 79 series Toyota is out of the Q they are strong but like riding in a bulldozer. The 200 Series is too expensive for what you get.
Anyone got any decent unsmartass advice for me? Perhaps there are some out there who have some experience with this configuration and can let me have some good constructive opinions.

Robert

I have an 09 colorado 4wd dbl cab and very happy with it. Before that had 07 BT50 and could not get rid of it soon enough,it drank 1.5 litres/100ks more than colorado,could not start off on a hill without having to rev,slip clutch or stall,weak clutch,no low down torque,but good mid range torque and rode like a dray. THe colorado is more comfortable, better suspension,more refined and Quieter. The BT50 cornered slightly better,gear shift a bit slicker and bit bigger deck that is all.In every other way Colorado is way ahead,is more solid, better built and a more reliable reputation. We tow an Okanagan 5th wheel van and it handles it with ease.On hills it just seems to keep on pulling, outdragging toyota hiace vans! The van would weigh 2 to 2.3ton and on a 6000k trip around NZ averaged 10.6l/100km,worst tank was 13.5l/100km.Without van 7.6l/100km hwy and 8.5l/100km local running. The ute is used for contracting and farm work 99% on road of which 80% is windy rural and some gravel.
Stuart, I know what you mean, a nice 4l v6 diesel would be nice (a V6 version GM duramax!?)but I think you will be surprised how well the Colorado will pull.Your van will probably be a bit heavier than ours though. Hope this helps, sure is some smartass rubbish on this site!

William Curnow

Bought a 2010 Colorado in may and just had it into holden as it wouldn’t engage 4 high or 4 low, as usual they could not find what the problem was, but give me a list as long as your arm what might have happened, it was like listening to the boss. Being a cruiser man am sadly disappointed with it performance off road. I would like to know what modifications they to the COLORADO in the video clips to make it perform like it does.
kel

Hi There guys, I have driven a huge variety of 4x4s and I do rate the Hilux over most, but I do like the colorado. But it does seem that every make and model seems to have its own set of problems. When you look at value for money and quality of car I do believe that the colorado does the job. I now own one and have done 25000kms in my 2009 colorado (auto) and its never missed a beat. I do believe I have bought a freak of nature because on a long trip I am getting 700km plus on one tank of fuel. It is brilliant. So I will not complain about mine. ITS A JET!!

Jeffreyharrison1

I ALSO HAVE 2009 COLORADO 4X4 LOVE IT BUT ON MY 3RD REAR MAIN SEAL ONLY DONE 68000 KM DOSE ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM

thomas

to William Curnow: its driver skill, plus the lsd’s in the colorado are alot stronger than most. and to all the smartasses on this site, ive driven lots of hilux’s the noise from the diesel hilux is just about as loud as the old 2.8 in the rodeo. the interior finish in the hilux is pretty much the same as the colorado, the lsd’s are better in the colorado and the engine feels stronger too
Graeme Ronald

I have recently purchased a 2010 Holden Colorado turbo desiel and couldn’t be happier with it. I don’t know what the background of these so called reviewers are but it sure cannot be a driving background. To say the colorado is terrible on road is absolute rubbish. In my previous job that lasted 20 years I drove high speed cars everyday of my working life. The Holden handles very well and is a Pleasure to drive on and off road.
Don’t listen to these reviewers about it’s on road handling as it is clear they don’t have a clue. I don’t know what they are comparing it too. Maybe a Porsche. It’s a great car and very good value for money.
Rick

I have a 2010 colorado diesel auto. I am quite happy with it.I may have bought a hilux if i had an extra 15 0r 16 grand to spend??? As with all leaf spring utes, i do find the ride of the unladen colorada a bit harsh. Any sensible suggestions on aftermarket suspension upgrades??
Muz

I bought a Colorado LTR dual cab T/D man, new in 2010. I do agree with the statement about woeful on road handling, vague steering etc and with all of my experience with 4WD’s and performance cars, I thought the problem must be in the standard shocks. I bought a set of front and rear Monroe GT gas shocks, fitted them in 10 minutes and what an amazing transformation. The handling and steering is so direct now. I also tow a 20 ft signature boat weighing 2.2 tonnes and it pulls like a freight train. I have had no problems at all, touch wood. PS, power for the manual is 120 kw, 360nm of torque and 8.5L/100KM economy.
Matt

I’ve had my LTR diesel auto for 8 months now (purchased new), just clicked over 28000 km and haven’t had any issues. Been off road a few times and it kept up with the best of them. One of it’s strongest features is the excellent fuel economy – 10l/100 around town and 8.5 l/100 on the open road.
All of this for less than $42k drive away.
http://yahoo7 les

i have had many rodeos and colorados.standard and lwb.
have never had any trouble like the critic was complaining about.
bought a ranger xlt auto it went like a rocket butrode and drove like a heap of hard junk that guzzled its way to destiny.
gone back and bought 2 more colorados.
beaute to drive and tow a big van on the smell of a oily rag.
the next will be another colorado.
would not concider a hilux as they are overpriced and no better and in some places worse.
Shanelocker

I have an 09 Colorado I’ve had problems with the clutch shuttering but my main problem is that when I’m in 4wd going along in mud or sand and suddenly hit the brakes I find the pedal is hard and i have no brakes, has anyone else had this problem? I’ve been to Holden and they say there is no issue but since I’ve been out 4wd it has happened and because of this I’ve ran into trees and nearly my mates car..
Master_P

hey i am about to buy a 2011 colorado 3.0 td i drove one today and loved how good it was handling on the road with its light steering and nice smooth ride and cant wait to see how it handles off road
Perrycarbone

Hy i have a holden colorado 2008 with 38.000klm auto let me tell you this car is briliant i have had no probs since new i am a mechanic by trade ,i have modified the car fitted chipit chip 3inch exust system egr blocking plate this car outperforms new mazda,ford, tritan,hilux i know my mates have them , the only thing you must fit to the car is a transmishion cooler as the trans runs to hot all i can say to all you guys go and by one befor they run out and the new one comes out ,eg, drove the 2012 new holden colorado did not like it and it runs a fiat engine .