Chevrolet has made itself a household name as a vehicle manufacturer by offering quality products and delivering exactly what people need. Its fleet of vehicles offers variety and numerous choices for any buyer, from large SUVs like the Chevy Suburban to fast sports cars like the Chevy Corvette. However, the company is perhaps best known for its trucks. A visit to your nearest Chevy truck dealer will reveal a multitude of models and configurations to choose from, providing the perfect truck for every driver.
The biggest question, perhaps, is which truck is the best purchase option. Chevrolet has three well-known pickup trucks on the market: the Silverado HD, the Silverado 1500, and the Colorado. The Colorado is perhaps the least well known of the three, but it deserves more recognition amongst buyers than it gets. This midsize truck is safe and reliable, with a high payload and towing capacity as well as off-roading capabilities. With such a wide range of capabilities, the Chevy Colorado is a midsize truck with comparable abilities to a full-size truck and can fill the needs of many buyers more efficiently than a larger Silverado 1500.
Specs and Safety
The Chevy Colorado is marketed to provide full-size work on a midsize scale. It has up to 7,700 pounds of available trailering, a maximum payload capacity of 1,578 pounds, and 50 cubic feet of available cargo space in the bed. These stats mean that the Colorado can haul most standard loads, though heavier loads are better given to full-size pickups. As a midsize rather than full-size pickup, the Colorado also has easier maneuverability and decent gas mileage. The EPA estimates up to 20 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway.
The standard engine in the Colorado is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and puts out 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. Two other available engines are the 3.6-liter V6 and the 2.8-liter turbodiesel. The former puts out 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, while the latter has an output of 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The V6 is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the turbodiesel is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Chevy Colorado also has impressive modern safety features. Airbags are included for the driver and passengers, as well as head level airbags for the front and rear and front side airbags. This large number of airbags will help keep you and your passengers safe in any accident. The vehicle also has a lane departure warning system and a forward collision warning system. OnStar is included, giving emergency crash notification, stolen vehicle notification, and remote locking and unlocking.
A maintenance feature included in the Chevy Colorado that can lend itself to the vehicle safety is the tire pressure monitoring system and tire fill alert. The latter provides audio and visual indicators any time that air is added to a low tire. This feature can help achieve optimal tire pressure for all four tires. The wheels are available in steel or aluminum in a variety of sizes, including 17-inch AEV wheels on the ZR2 Bison off-road trim.
Exterior
The Chevrolet Colorado has a wide variety of appearance packages available to ensure that the truck keeps turning heads. The cheapest option is the chrome appearance package. This installs chrome door handles, grille, and rear bumper, as well as providing outside heated power mirrors and beltline moldings. Other packages include options such as painted aluminum wheels, off-road lights, and a black or body-colored grille, door handles, and rear bumper. Each package ensures a unique look for any Chevy Colorado on the road.
Two bed options and two cab options give more flexibility to the Colorado’s appearance and capabilities. The bed options are the standard bed at five feet two inches long and the extended bed at six feet two inches long. For greater versatility, there are seventeen tie-down points included along the bed. Additionally, a corner step rear bumper and corner handgrips are included, designed to make the bed’s interior more accessible and make it easier to get work done. The Colorado is a truck that was designed with work in mind.
The cab options for the Colorado are extended cab or crew cab. The extended cab seats four people with small rear-hinged back doors. The crew cab seats five people with full-size doors for the second row. However, unlike the larger Silverado, the Colorado is not available with a front bench seat for an extra passenger. Seven exterior paint options are available for the Chevy Colorado with orange crush, cherry red tintcoat, and bright blue metallic as the standout options. The others are more neutral shades, such as gray, black, white, and tan.
Interior
The Chevy Colorado has a spacious cockpit, with over 41 inches of front headroom and 45 inches of front legroom. These measurements are similar to full-size pickups, ensuring more comfort for a majority of people. The crew cab has a deep center-console bin and a massive compartment under the rear seat for cabin storage. Two sets of connectors for infant car seats are even included in the Colorado, further increasing its versatility as a family vehicle.
The Chevrolet Colorado crew cab has about 36 inches of legroom and 38 inches of headroom in the back passenger seats, allowing you to carry even full-size adults comfortably. A standard touch screen, measuring either seven and eight inches depending on the trim, is included in the front seats as part of the Chevy Infotainment 3 system. Bluetooth audio streaming is available for up to two devices. The MyLink interaction of the infotainment system is highly rated on multiple websites, with a six-speaker system for great sound.
Midsize Dimensions, Full-Size Ability
The Chevy Colorado is a flexible vehicle, designed with the ability of a full-size truck in mind. This midsize pickup truck’s more compact size when compared to full-size trucks guarantees easier parking and less garage space required. The varied options for cab size ensure that you have room for whatever might be needed, whether that is cargo or passengers. The presence of car seat latches make it a good choice for growing families that may still need the towing or hauling capabilities of a pickup truck. High safety ratings make the Chevy Colorado even more desirable as a family vehicle. Though it’s not the most capable tower or hauler on the market, the Colorado can still handle most small to midsize jobs that previously required larger trucks to accomplish.
The base MSRP for the Chevy Colorado is $25,200 with cab size, bed size, and trim options adding to the cost. Between the low price and the good financing terms that buyers can qualify for through most Chevy truck dealers, this midsize truck is well worth considering. From its affordability to its capabilities, the Chevy Colorado is designed to meet the needs of many possible buyers. If it seems like the Colorado may be a perfect match for you, then it is time to find your local Chevy truck dealer and take one for a test drive today!
