Zander Drives Cars

In the US, the pickup rules the roads. For decades, the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle. Not truck: vehicle. Because of that, it is imperative for automakers to keep their trucks fresh and competitive with the rest of the market. But, while the full-size pickup seems to get new iterations every year, the mid-sized category seems to lack behind. In the US, the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, and Chevy Colorado are really the only players in the game. So, when a new version of one of these trucks comes along, it is a pretty big deal. So, let us take a look at the newest pretty big deal.

The new Colorado is a complete overhaul of the last generation, It is wider, longer, taller, and much chunkier than the outgoing model. You can tell at first glance that it has a very similar look to its older brother, the Silverado. I think it looks quite mean. It has a presence that none of its competitors really have. I also think it looks the most sophisticated if that is a good way to describe it. The red helps a lot, too.

Along with the exterior, the interior is a huge step up from the previous generation. The materials here feel very, very good. GM has impressed me a lot with their recent spike in build quality over the last year, and this is no exception. I think the best part about this interior is how Chevy has managed to hide their lesser plastics. A lot of the super scratchy stuff is located under the steering wheel or glovebox, places you normally wouldn’t be reaching for that often. This leaves the rest of the interior feeling much more premium than it has any right to be. I also was a huge fan of the Colorado’s bed. At 5 feet, it isn’t massive, but the space is utilized very well. There is a full power outlet, ruler, and drainage hole back there, making it super good for fishing or tailgating.

What I wasn’t a huge fan of, however, was the rear legroom. I know that most people will find it adequate, but for someone 6’2, it was super, super tight.

Unfortunately, the infotainment system wasn’t on fully, so I can’t give a comprehensive review of that. But, I will say that Chevy’s MyLink system is very easy to use and not super buggy or laggy. I like their Google Maps integration as well. Another thing I liked was that they kept most if not all, the climate controls as physical buttons! Huzzah! That being said, the volume knob placement is a bit awkward to reach.

The driver’s screen is also fully digital, at least it is on the Z71. If it is anything like other Chevy products, it will most likely be easy to use and configurable as well.

This Z71 trim Colorado comes with a LOT of stuff, and this is one of the reasons it feels better than its competitors. These features include heated and ventilated seats with a heated steering wheel, USB and USB-C ports, dual-zone climate controls, radar-guided cruise control, a HUD, wireless charging, CarPlay, Android Auto, BLIS, forward-collision warning and lane-keep assist.

The Colorado comes with a 2.7l turbocharged 4cyl making 208-hp and an insane 430lb-ft of torque. This is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. 0-60? Who knows! My rough estimate would say the low 6s.

EPA fuel economy for the Z71 is estimated at 19-city and 25-hwy. This isn’t great, but there isn’t really anything better in its class, so it works out.

The new Colorado is already in production and slated to hit dealer lots by mid-spring, assuming nothing goes wrong. I am excited to see these things more and more, and even more excited to hopefully get my hands on one of these when the time is right. Chevy, you’ve made the class leader. Don’t let it become the clown.