1990 Chevrolet S-10 Tahoe 2.5

Summary:

Good value

Faults:

I have only had to replace 2 items due to failure. The Exhaust Gas Recirc valve solenoid and the air-cleaner temp sensor.

Aside from those 2 items the only other things replaced were normal tune up items and a muffler / tail pipe. I do not consider the muffler / tail pipe as failure items. They just rust out now then.

General Comments:

I paid $1800 for this little truck and feel it was a very good investment.

The truck is a standard cab short bed "E" Vin code with the Tahoe package, PS, PB, and AC.

Some may ask why I have marked the truck an 8 on the performance scale. I feel it is an 8 as far as meeting what I expected from a performance standpoint. It has a 2.5 liter engine so I cannot expect to run with the big dogs, but I do get decent mileage and it has hauled / towed every thing I have put in / behind it with no problems.

Reliability was rated a 9 as I have had no problems with the vehicle so far. Inspection of the vehicle leads me to believe the previous owner had little to no problems either and took good care of the truck.

Comfort is rated a 6. You can only get so much from a bench seat. For my short commute and anything under about an hour and a half it is fine. Much longer than that and you want to stop and take a short break. The longest I have driven it at one shot is 3 hours. It was bearable, when I have the seat recovered, small tear starting on drivers side, I will have better foam installed.

I have upgraded the factory cassette deck to a Kenwood unit. Somewhere down the road the speakers will get upgraded also, but as this is my work / commuter truck it may not happen soon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st May, 2003

1990 Chevrolet S-10 Tahoe 2.5

Summary:

Good value

Faults:

As of this time the only ting that has failed was the exhaust gas recirculation valve solenoid. It was cheap and easy to fox. $15 from the local parts store and about 10 minutes to swap it out.

The paint is faded and peeling, but this seems to be standard for any mid 80's to early 90's US auto maker.

Brake pads were replaced at 123,000.

General Comments:

I purchase the truck in the fall of 2000 for commuting to work. It has the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder and a 5 speed manual transmission. Mileage back and forth to work averages 19-20 in the winter and 21-23 in the summer. Highway MPG is around 27-28. I have recently had some exhaust work done and believe the MPG has improved, but have not had enough time to set a new baseline. I had a single in dual out muffler installed with dual running out the back just inside of the frame rails. This replaced the original muffler which for 125,000 was in pretty good condition. I made the change for appearance (I like duals on a pickup) and to get just a little bit of sound from it. I did not choose a loud muffler as I have outgrown that.

The truck has the Tahoe package and is a standard cab short bed model. For having a bench seat it is reasonably comfortable. You cannot expect a bench to be as comfortable as bucket seats.

Equipment includes PS, PB, air conditioning, AM/FM cassette (upgraded from stock) 205/75R14 tires, and factory tow package.

Using the truck for yard work I have had it loaded (maybe overloaded) with soil, wood, etc, and it has handled everything with ease. The biggest thing I have towed is a 14 foot fishing boat and there were no problems.

Overall, I would recommend a used S-10 to anyone for looking for a good dependable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st May, 2003