Follow-Up Test: 1999 Chevrolet S-10

Chevy touts its 1999 S-10 pickup as a vehicle that will take you anywhere, in style. And if that's what you crave--the ability to go anywhere, be it the top of a mountain, deep into a forest, across a sandy dune or through a boulder-strewn creek--then this truck should be quite palatable. And, without a doubt, it is stylish.

Our test truck arrived coated in Dark Cherry Red Metallic paint with a five-speed manual transmission, a Vortec 4300 V6 engine and the ZR2 off-road package. We immediately noticed its simple good looks, spacious cargo bed and convenient third door, but failed to be impressed by the ugly, eighties-patterned, multicolored cloth seats or the haphazard build quality that left gaps in both interior and exterior panels.

Shortly after receiving the vehicle, we stuffed the bed with luggage and high-tailed it to the airport. First impressions of the truck's performance included an extremely rough and truck-like ride, a steering wheel that felt a bit oversized, and some strange clunking noises that surfaced when driving slowly or maneuvering the vehicle into tight areas. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the interior layout, with its large, well-placed gauges, tall shift lever, and excellent storage space, including a flat tray in front of the shifter and two large cupholders. We were also delighted to find an upgraded stereo with CD player, large, thick plastic knobs and buttons for adjusting the climate controls and radio, and big, square side mirrors that fold in when necessary. Our test vehicle came with a third door, one flip-down jump seat in the back that is large enough for an adult to frequent, and two rear cupholders that, while handy, are a bit on the shallow side.

On the highway, the S-10's powerful V6 engine (making 180 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque down low) provides decent overall thrust, though inadequate passing power left us a bit discouraged. In a truck with this much attitude, we expected to be able to blow past just about anything on the road, but that was not so.

It wasn't until we ventured off the beaten path that we began to appreciate the S-10's powertrain and ZR2 chassis. The bumping and jouncing that annoyed us in the city disappeared on the trail. When most 4x4s start to slow down, this one really gets going--good for letting out a few yee-ha's as the suspension tackles big ruts and dips. Low-end torque wowed us as the truck was propelled up slick paths and over small boulders with the greatest of ease. When the trail got a bit too tough, we'd just shift into four-wheel drive (on the fly, of course). With its 3.73 axle ratio, 46-mm gas Bilstein shock absorbers, wide-stance ZR2 sport suspension and locking differential, this S-10 gobbled up dirt and rocks faster than the Cookie Monster devours...well, you know.

Our one wish is that the driver's seat was positioned a bit higher to make placing the tires less of a guessing game when off road. Come to think of it, that's not such a bad thing to ask for when driving on the road, as well. Anyone who would buy an S-10 outfitted the way our test vehicle was, with the capable ZR2 suspension option, would certainly be planning to blast through the bush a bit. And we found that when doing that, the S-10 truly shines. Off-roading in this truck seems to prove that with this particular Chevy pickup, you really can go anywhere.

The problem is that most people don't want to "go anywhere" all of the time; mostly, they just want to go to work, or the mall, or the grocery store. And driving this S-10 in city traffic, on paved highways or through congested lots is not much fun.

The S-10's interior comes loaded with amenities such as air conditioning, tilt steering and speed control, tinted glass, power windows and door locks, remote mirrors and sliding rear window. Despite being ergonomically correct, this truck just doesn't measure up to the competition when driver comforts are evaluated in around-town driving. Still, if we were shopping for an adventure vehicle, needed to haul a boat or horse trailer, or lived at the end of an unmaintained mountain road, you can bet that Chevy's S-10 ZR2 would be taking us not just anywhere, but everywhere.