By Rick Popely
Cars.com National April 20, 2001Vehicle Overview
Chevrolet adds a four-door crew-cab model to its compact pickup lineup to counter four-door versions of the Nissan Frontier and Dodge Dakota. The similar GMC Sonoma also gets the crew-cab body style.
The crew cab has four full-size doors that hinge at the front and open like regular doors on a car or sport utility vehicle. The rival Ford Ranger Super Cab has narrow rear doors that swing toward the rear and can’t be opened unless the front doors are opened first.
Exterior
The S-10 comes in four configurations. The regular cab is available with a 6- or 7.5-foot cargo bed, the extended cab comes with the 6-foot bed, and the new crew cab has a 4.5-foot bed. The crew cab is 205 inches long — the same as the extended cab.
Unlike its full-size pickup segment, Chevy gears the S-10 toward younger buyers by offering sporty exterior packages. Chevy also targets this group with the Xtreme package, which imparts a “low-rider” with a 2-inch lower ride height and ground-hugging spoilers, side trim and wheel flares. The ZR2 offroad package includes wider front fenders, wheel flares and larger tires.
Interior
Depending on your desires and budget, you can fit an S-10 with a three-place front vinyl bench seat, a cloth version of the same seat, a split front bench with a folding center armrest or bucket seats. Extended-cab models add two folding rear jump seats, but you lose the one on the driver’s side if you order the optional third door.
The crew cab comes with two front buckets and a three-place rear bench.
Under the Hood
A 120-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine is standard on two-wheel-drive models, but most buyers choose the 4.3-liter V-6, which is standard on four-wheel-drive models and optional on 2WDs. The V-6 rates 180 hp with 2WD and 190 hp with 4WD. S-10 crew-cab models come only with 4WD. The Insta-Trac 4WD system comes with electronic engagement that allows shifting in or out of 4WD High on the fly with a dashboard switch.
Driving Impressions
The Ford Ranger trounces the S-10 in sales, but Chevy’s compact pickup offers a range of equipment choices and price levels to suit a broad spectrum of buyers.
One advantage the S-10 has is the crew cab, though it is not truly a five-passenger vehicle. The rear seat has skimpy legroom and isn’t wide enough for three adults, but two kids fit easily.
cars.com From the cars.com 2001 Buying Guide |
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Rick Popely | Cars.com National | April 20, 2001 |
Affiliate Reviews
| Bob Golfen | AZCentral.com | July 28, 2001 |
| Anita And Paul Lienert | The Detroit News | March 28, 2001 |
| Jim Mateja | chicagotribune.com | March 4, 2001 |
| Mark Glover | The Sacramento Bee | February 23, 2001 |
| Warren Brown | washingtonpost.com | October 24, 2000 |
People Who Viewed This Car Also Viewed
Closest Dealers Listing this Car
Featured Services for the Chevrolet S-10
- Sell your current car quickly and easily on Cars.com.
