Although the latest editions of the Sonoma and S-Series are about the same size as before, their interiors feel roomier, even in standard cab models.
This is a thoughtful and comfortable design with good ergonomics, and expanded glass area. Gauges are easy to see. Controls are easy to find and operate. No challenges here.
Another plus, new for ?95, is the addition of a driver?s airbag. The redesigned Sonoma and S-Series already included side impact door beams and structural reinforcements around the cab, so the passive safety story is pretty much up to date with the competition.
In fact, GM is attempting to give its products an edge in passive safety with another new-for-'95 feature. It?s going to be known as DRL for Daytime Running Lamps, and GM plans to make it standard in all of its vehicles in the next few years.
DRL means that your vehicle?s headlights come on when you start it up. The idea is that having your headlamps on all the time makes you more visible to other drivers.
We?d prefer to be in control of our headlights and decide for ourselves when to turn them on. If you feel the same, buy your Sonoma or S-Series truck early - DRL won?t come on-stream until midway through the ?95 model year.
On the active safety front, the Sonoma and S-Series trucks are in step with the competition. The basic truck comes with rear-wheel antilock brakes (ABS) as standard equipment, and V6-powered models have 4-wheel ABS - another good reason for indulging in V6 power.
Our Sonoma?s seats were quite comfortable with attractive cloth upholstery. As trim levels advance, the seats go from the vinyl-clad bench to reclining high-back buckets.
There?s also an optional center console with plentiful storage and a couple of extra cupholders. You get several sound system options and the choice of dual 12-volt accessory plug-ins for electronics.
Two other 1995 improvements bear mention. First, GM has finally gone to a one-key system. Second, the switches for the power windows are back-lighted for night driving.
On the road, our Sonoma?s interior was relatively quiet, and the ride was pleasant.
Several suspension packages are available for uses ranging from suburban cruising to climbing every mountain, giving you a chance to tailor your truck to its intended use. But even the most aggressive off-road package is fairly civilized.
On rough road surfaces, with the cargo box empty, our Sonoma did occasionally let us know that it was a truck, not a Cadillac. However, its overall ride comfort was as good as any truck in its class, and better than all but one or two.
The power-assisted steering was tight, with virtually none of the on-center slop common to so many trucks - another big improvement that came with the ?94 redesign. It?s quick, too, giving the Sonoma a sporty feel.
That feel can be a little deceptive, though. The Sonoma was reasonably agile, but the driver who thinks this is a sports car will find that there are definite limits that are easy to find.
In particular, the tail of our 2WD test model was easy to wag during hard cornering, especially on low-traction surfaces such as gravel roads.
Depending on your motoring perspective, tail-friskiness can be either entertaining or terrifying. In either case, think of it as Mother Physics offering a little warning that some restraint is required when driving a nose-heavy pickup.
Our test truck had the version of the 4.3-liter V6 that GM calls "enhanced." In GM-speak, it appears that enhanced actually means wow. Even with a 4-speed automatic, it offered nearly instant response and strong acceleration.