2025 Chevrolet Colorado vs. The Competition

After offering a rebadged Mazda truck known as the Courier for a decade, Ford began producing its own small pickup, called the Ranger, at about the same time as the S-10. There were three generations of Rangers until the model was put on hiatus starting in 2012. The model returned in 2019 and was recently redesigned for 2024. Most models are powered by 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-fours. A 2.7-liter V6 is available on some trims, and the ZR2-competing Raptor is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6.

• The Ranger’s standard 270-hp engine is more powerful than the Colorado’s base 237-hp engine, but the Colorado LT’s optional engine beats it with 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, compared to the Ranger’s 310 lb-ft. The Ranger XL, which is priced comparable to the Colorado LT, has no engine option.
• The Colorado and Ranger are very close in terms of maximum towing, but the Colorado LT has the edge with 7,700 pounds compared to 7,500 for the Ranger XL.
• The Colorado’s bed length is longer (five feet two inches vs. five feet) compared to the Ranger.
• The Colorado’s 54-inch-wide rear storage bin is a feature not found on the Ranger.
• Even at the LT level, the Bose or Kicker audio systems are available in the Colorado. The price comparable Ranger XL offers no such premium audio system.
• Keyless start is available on the Colorado LT but requires an upgrade for the Ranger XL.
• The Colorado LT has a standard 11.3-inch screen. Rangers have 10.0-inch screens until the Lariat and Raptor levels, which have 12.0-inch screens.
• The convenience of Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all Colorado models, while all Rangers require wired smartphone compatibility.
• The convenience of adaptive cruise control is an available option on the Colorado LT but requires an upgrade on the Ranger XL.

The first pickup truck from Nissan—then branded as a Datsun—came across the shore in 1959 and was the first compact pickup truck available in the U.S. The Frontier name was applied in 1997, and it catered to the U.S. market. The Frontier is powered by a 310-hp 3.8-liter V6 on all trims. It is available with both extended King Cabs and four-door Crew Cabs, the former with six-foot beds and the latter with either five- or six-foot beds.

• The Frontier’s 310-hp V6 powertrain offers more horsepower than the base Colorado engine. However, Colorado’s available High Output engine matches this horsepower and delivers significantly more torque (430 lb-ft vs. 281).
• With the optional High Output engine, Colorado peak torque is available at 3,000 rpm versus 4,400 for the Frontier.
• The EPA-estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy of the 4×2 Colorado with the Turbo Max engine is 20/24/22 mpg, compared to 19/24/21 mpg for the Frontier.
• Maximum towing ability for the Colorado exceeds that of the Frontier (7,700 pounds vs. 7,040).
• Maximum payload for the Colorado and Frontier are identical at 1,460 pounds.
• Rear passengers enjoy more legroom (34.7 inches vs. 33.2 inches) in the Colorado.
• Colorado’s 11.3-inch standard touchscreen is much larger and easier to see than the Frontier’s 8.0-inch screen.
• In contrast to the Frontier, the Colorado’s rear cross traffic alert system includes automatic braking.
• If you need warranty work done on your vehicle while on the road, there are nearly three times as many Chevrolet dealers as Nissan dealers in the U.S.
• Colorado’s brake discs are significantly larger than the Frontier’s (12.2 vs 11.7 inches, front; 12.8 vs 11.3, rear).

The Toyota Tacoma is 30 years old this year, although Toyota brought its first truck to the U.S. back in 1968. Four-wheel drive was introduced on the third generation of the truck in 1979, along with an automatic transmission, fuel injection, independent front suspension, an available V6, and the XtraCab body. With the introduction of the 1995 Tacoma, the truck transitioned to “midsize,” offering both Xtra Cab and four-door Double Cab bodies; V6 engines were the dominant powertrain. The recent 2024 fourth-generation models are powered by 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engines with upgrades of the i-FORCE and hybrid i-FORCE MAX states of tune. The hybrid engine is designed more for power than fuel savings. The Tacoma is available with an Xtra Cab combined with a six-foot bed and four-door Double Cabs with five- or six-foot beds.

• The Colorado base engine produces 237 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, compared to 228 hp and 243 lb-ft for the Tacoma.
• When the available Turbo Max on the Colorado is compared with the upgraded gas engine on the Tacoma SR5 and other grades, the Colorado has more horsepower (310 vs. 278) and more torque (430 lb-ft vs. 317).
• Both Colorado and Tacoma use eight-speed shiftable automatic transmissions.
• Both the Colorado with the available Turbo Max engine and the Tacoma with the i-FORCE engine get the same fuel economy of 19 mpg (city), 24 (highway), and 21 (combined) for 4×2 models.
• When comparing the $39,195 Colorado Trail Boss 4×4 and the $40,490 Toyota SR5 4×4 with a five-foot bed, the Colorado has a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds compared to 6,400 pounds for the Tacoma.
• When comparing the two grades above, Colorado has a marginally higher payload (1580 pounds vs. 1505).
• Rear passengers in Colorado have more legroom than in the Tacoma (34.7 inches vs. 33.7).
• The Colorado’s five-foot cargo box is larger than the Tacoma’s (61.7 x 58.8 x 21.1 inches vs. 60.3 x 53.0 x 21.2 inches).
• Regarding Roadside Assistance services, Colorado comes with five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance compared to two-year/25,000-mile assistance for the Tacoma.
• Motor Trend compared the 2024 Colorado LT 4×4 with the 2024 Tacoma TRD Sport 4×4 and found that the Colorado was faster on all acceleration tests. For example, Colorado’s 0-60 time was 8.7 seconds compared to 9.4 for Tacoma.
• Motor Trend also declared Colorado the overall winner in that matchup.