The V6 engine is not only quiet, but strong. Its 250 foot-pounds of torque responds instantly to propel the S-10 through traffic, whether accelerating to merge onto the freeway or to pass a semi on a two-lane road. Earlier examples of this engine have been thrashy at high rpm, but over the years it has been refined to where it is not as slick as, say, a BMW six, but you won't go reaching for your earplugs when you get in the truck.
The S-10 tracks well, with little correction required to maintain a straight line. The predominant cornering mode is understeer, which suits a pickup well, as adding a load shifts weight balance rearward. Unloaded, the front tires will moan a protest long before danger of exceeding their limits is reached. Add 600 pounds of cinder block in the bed and the ride will be smoother and the cornering balance more even. It will ruin your around-town fuel mileage however, and increase your braking distances, though not severely. According to EPA tests, you can expect 17 mpg in city driving and 22 on the highway with the automatic transmission. Next Page