Ok, first we looked at this:
http://providence.craigslist.org/ctd/4871300871.html
2002 Chevrolet S-10 extended cab 4x4 129k - $4995
condition: like new
2002 Chevrolet S-10- One owner bought NEW, Rides and drives great, extended cab, 6 cylinder, automatic, 129k miles, 4 brand new tires, Power locks and windows, Cd player, Heated mirrors, Comes Fully Inspected with a Warranty..... Priced to sell quick.. Trades are welcomed
We also drove a 2005 Silverado extended cab 4x4 with the 5.3L. Part of the exercise was to compare and contrast S-10 vs Silverado.
There's a lot to say here but I'll make a pros/cons list for both trucks instead.
S-10 pros (some, marked with *, apply to this particular one, and some are generic)
- More manageable size
- Better fuel economy, particularly in mixed driving conditions
* Tonneau cover
* Duraliner bed liner in decent shape
* 4WD worked
* Decent body, and the rocker area rust under the extended cab area was going to be fixed by this dealer
* Only 129k
* Good paint (beige sucks but that's not a huge priority)
* Clean interior
* Heated mirrors is quite nice
S-10 cons
* Not as comfortable or solid feeling as the 1/2 ton
* Less power than the 5.3L
* ABS weirdness at low speeds (will be fixed before sale - wheel bearing/wheel speed sensor probably)
* SES light came on briefly during drive and then went out. No idea what it is.
* 3rd door latch broken and "they all do that" so I don't think they'd even bother to fix
* HVAC blend door did not seem to work on the floor setting (all defrost). But it worked on vent. Found this:
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f136/no-f ... er-314010/
* Center console not securely attached and really needs a new one. They'd attempt some kind of jury rig but this is something that can be done after sale using a junkyard console
- Single extended cab jump seat is lame and nothing you'd use for people except in a pinch
- Overall interior space fairly tight
* Rust under the extended cab area, but they said that would get fixed (probably, with metal)
The 4.3L V6 is neither a pro nor a con. It has adequate power but nothing more. The push button 4WD is also neither a pro nor a con because it's convenient but also more things to break. In reality, I don't know if the reliability is impacted by this feature. Surprisingly, the S-10 had rear discs (the Silverado had rear drums). Yet the brakes felt better in the Silverado. I believe the S-10 needed (and probably would receive) a brake service, which meant pads and rotors.
We liked this guy because he seemed like a straight shooter. He would work with us on the price depending on how fixed up we wanted the truck. Reasonable. 90 day, 4000 mile warranty gives some piece of mind.
We drove to Cranston to drive that 2005 Sierra w/ 200k but it was sold. But he did have a 2005 Silverado. This one was interesting. It was one owner and he got it from another dealer as a trade. He has been using it as a work truck to re-do a kitchen (or something along those lines). It has 150k and he was willing to let it go for cost (probably knowing it would be hard to sell for a profit and he got some use out of it already).
We liked the way this truck drove much better than the S-10, despite being used as a work truck and having rust, some body damage and even incorrectly repaired body damage. It just feels better and is significantly larger and more comfortable. It's also faster. It had a complete bed full of snow and was still quick, with 3 people in it, too.
Silverado pros
- Power, especially at the upper end of the tach. Passing was very easy and so was merging.
* Despite being a work truck it did have a compass and outside temp display in the mirror
* CD player
- Steering, handling and braking is all superior to the S-10. It was nice to drive.
- Lots of room, comfortable, rides nice
* Good price ($4000 or so)
* Solid mechanically (an idler pulley and serpentine belt away from no issues)
* Frame is in good shape from what we could see
- Rear bench seat behind front row.
* 3.42 gear seems like a good choice for this truck
* Dual zone manual climate control. Hey, it's a pro.
Silverado cons
- Fuel economy likely to be worse in more city type driving
* Body rust. Rear bumper, rear cab corners, starting under the doors
* Incorrectly repaired body damage leading to extra wind noise in the cab
* Lower latch on the extended cab door on passenger side needs to be adjusted to latch securely.
* Work truck wear on interior and bed. It did have a liner.
* Speedo head is dying and was erratic
* PRNDL display very dim
* Voltage gauge dead (and pegged)
* Cracked driver's side mirror (but would be fixed to sell?)
* Fan did not work on setting 1, 2 or 3. Just the resistor pack. $30 at Rock Auto.
Trans seemed fine but under heavy throttle I felt just a tiny bit of chattering on the shift. I'd do a fluid change though the guy actually argued with me about that stuff. I did not like this guy.
The end result is my thought that I definitely preferred the Silverado and even if this wasn't the one, I'd find another one. For my neighbor on the other hand, it seems like the S-10 is the better objective choice, even though she loved the way the Silverado drove. $1000 cheaper, too.
In the end I suspect that this particular Silverado is off the list just because she'd never hear the end of it if she bought a truck with rust on it even if it would probably go to 300k and beyond.
My thought is she should look at a few other 1/2 tons (and maybe even an S-10). My gut is that the S-10 would be a good buy but even it has a few small issues. So the deal would depend on agreeing upon a price and a specific list of things to address.