Toyota Tacoma or Chevrolet Colorado: Which Small Pickup Truck is right for you?

Toyota Tacoma is the most popular choice among available small pickup trucks in the market. However, this Japanese midsize truck faces Stiff Competition. Among The competitors, Chevrolet Colorado is considered as one of the top ones for Toyota Tacoma.

If a full-size truck is large for you and you're looking for a small pickup truck, Tacoma and Colorado are bound to be on your list. But which one is the better choice?

We are going to compare the specs to see which one prevails in this blog post:

Cabin:

Toyota Tacoma:

The Tacoma is available in two cab sizes:

·         The Access Cab offers 34.9 inches (886 mm) of headroom in the rear.

·         The Double Cab: Double Cab manages 38.3 inches (973 mm). 

Chevrolet Colorado: 

The Chevy Colorado is available in two cab configurations:

·         The Extended Cab: At the front, 41.4 inches (1,051 mm) and 45 inches (1,143 mm) of head and legroom remain constant regardless of the cab style chosen. 

·         The Crew Cab: Offers 38.3 inches (973 mm) of headroom in the rear and 35.8 inches (909 mm) of legroom in the rear bench.

Bottom Line:

Chevy Colorado is considerably longer than the Toyota Tacoma.

Cargo and Towing: 

Toyota Tacoma: 

·         Toyota doesn’t disclose the cargo capacity for the 73.7 or the 60.5-inch bed.

·         Toyota Tacoma can tow up to a maximum of 6,400 lb when equipped with the V6.

·         Toyota Tacoma can tow up to 3,500 lb when equipped with the four-pot.

Chevrolet Colorado:

·          This Chevy comes with both short and long-box beds with both cab configurations.

·          The short box can accommodate 41.3 cu-ft (1,169 liters) of luggage.

·          The extended box configuration offers a maximum cargo capacity of 49.9 cu-ft (1,327 liters).

·          As for towing, Colorado can haul 7,000 lb without breaking a sweat.

Bottom Line: Chevy Colorado can tow 600 lb more than the Toyota Tacoma.

Tech and Features:

Toyota Tacoma:  

·         The TRD Pro and top-of-the-line Limited trim come with a dual-zone climate control system as standard.

·          Opting for the TRD Sport and TRD Off-road makes the feature available as a part of a package, while the SR and SR5 come with manual air conditioning only.

·         As for the infotainment, a 7.0-inch system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is the standard offering. An 8.0-inch system becomes available from SR5 trim onwards.

·         Navigation and the JBL premium sound system are only available as standard on the TRD Pro with automatic gearbox and the Limited trims. Trims SR5 through TRD Off-road can only have navigation as part of an optional package.

·         All trims come with analog dials with a 4.2-inch MID screen as standard.

·         The off-road trims get an additional inclinometer with roll and pitch displays.  

Chevrolet Colorado: 

·         7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is standard on the Colorado Work Truck.

·          A four-way power-adjustable driver's perch is a standard offering in Colorado.

·          Climate control is only available as standard from the Z71 trim onwards.

·         You can get it as part of an optional package on the LT trim, but the WT comes with manual air-con only.

·         LT and above nets a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, while four-way power adjustment for the passenger seat is available on the ZR2 trim only.

·          You also get a Wi-Fi hotspot and the larger 8.0-inch infotainment screen on all trims except the base WT.

·          However, the 4.2-inch MID on the instrument cluster is only available with the Z71 and ZR2 trims.

Bottom Line:

 Both the Toyota and the Chevy are on equal footing.

Powertrains:

Toyota Tacoma: 

·         Toyota Tacoma is available with two powertrains and two transmissions, one of which is manual.

·          A 2.7-liter four-cylinder is the base engine in Tacoma, which makes 159 hp and 180 lb-ft of peak torque. Unfortunately, it is only available with a six-speed automatic transmission.

·         A 3.5-liter V6 is the other engine, which makes 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of peak torque.

·          Tacoma is available with both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic and with both body styles.

·         The six-speed manual is only available with the 4WD TRD Pro and Off-road trims only.

Chevrolet Colorado:

·          You can have Colorado with a choice of three engines and two transmissions.

·         The 2.5-liter four-pot comes standard with the two-wheel-drive models and makes a humble 200 hp and 191 lb-ft of peak torque.

·          Colorado is only available with 4WD with the extended cab versions.

·         A 3.6-liter V6 with 308 hp and 275 lb-ft is also available, as is a 2.8-liter diesel which makes 181 hp but a massive 369 lb-ft of torque.

·         If you want a crew cab configuration with 4WD, the V6 and diesel are your only options, as the 2.5 4WD is only available with the extended cab trims. Also, there are no manual transmissions here.

·         The gas four-cylinder and the diesel come with a six-speed auto, while the V6 is only available with an eight-speed automatic.

Bottom Line:

The Toyota win as it offers a manual, whereas Colorado doesn't.

Fuel Economy 

Toyota Tacoma: 

·          The four-cylinder 2WD offers 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for an overall figure of 21 mpg.

·          For the 4×4 models, the efficiency drops by one mpg for each. The same is the case with the V6. Its 4×2 guise manages to deliver 19 mpg in the town and 24 on the highway for a combined figure of 22 mpg.

·          The manual–only available with the TRD trims–manages 17 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway, and 18 mpg overall.

Chevrolet Colorado:

·          The fuel efficiency of the gasoline engines is similar despite the difference in capacity. In the city, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder 2WD returns 19 mpg and manages 25 mpg on the highway.

·         The fuel efficiency of the 4WD powertrain remains the same in the city but drops an mpg on the highway.

·         The V6 manages A figure of 18 mpg in the city, while on the highway, it manages to return 25 mpg with 2WD.

·         The 4WD figures for the V6 stand at 17 and 24 mpg.

·          The diesel is the most fuel-efficient engine of the lot.

·         The 2WD trims return 18 mpg in the town and manage 25 mpg out on the highway. Efficiency drops by an mpg each for the 4WD versions. 

Bottom Line:

 It was close, but Colorado narrowly wins this one as both the V6 and the diesel are more efficient than the Tacoma's powertrains.

Safety:

Toyota Tacoma:

·          Toyota offers a Pre-Collision system with pedestrian detection, Lane Departure Alert, and Radar Cruise Control as standard across the range.

·          However, other features like rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring are standard on the TRD Pro and Limited grades. Still, they are available on the lower trims as part of optional packages.

Chevrolet Colorado:

·          Standard safety tech includes features like airbags, ABS, and traction control.

·         Driver assistance features like forwarding Collision-Avoidance and Lane Departure Warning are all optional LT trim onwards.

·          Even the Z71 doesn't get the active safety as standard. So regardless of the trim you choose, a safety package will need to be added.

Bottom Line:

The Toyota mid-sizer wins this category by a mile.

Pricing:

Toyota Tacoma:

 Pricing for the Tacoma starts from $27,345 (including destination) for the base SR trim, which comes with the 2.7-liter engine as standard—upgrading to 4WD increases the cost by $3,075. Upgrading to the V6 2WD costs $2,260 extra over the base 2WD and upgrading to the 4WD costs $5,725 more than the base 2WD trim. The SR5 starts from $29,135 and is also available with the four-pot as standard.

It's only TRD Sport onwards that the 3.5-liter V6 becomes the standard option. Prices start from $35,540 for the 2WD, and the price includes a $1,285 Technology Package that is mandatory with the TRD Sport—upgrading to the 4WD costs $2,000 extra. But if you go for the manual, you can get the 4WD for only $915 extra. TRD Off-road trim ranges from $36,765 for the V6 AT 2WD.  Upgrading to the 4WD costs about $1,500 more. The price of the 4WD manual is $120 less than that of 2WD AT.

We are moving on to the top trims. The Limited is only available with the 3.5-liter V6, six-speed AT combination, and the upgrade to 4WD costs $3,075 extra. Finally, the TRD Pro is the top trim here and is available with 4WD only. The AT version starts from $47,975, while the manual begins from $45,270.

Click Here to Get Price of Different Toyota Tacoma Models

Chevrolet Colorado:

 Starting from just under $30,000, the base WT trim with the 2.5-liter four-pot lists from $29,780 (including destination). Upgrading to the V6 motor will set you back by $1,485 extra if you add the V6 engine and 4WD—the price increases by $3,500 over the base price. Next up in the trim ladder is the LT trim starting from $32,380. Again, the diesel upgrade adds a hefty $6,915 to the price.

The Z71 is only available with 4WD and comes with the V6 as standard. Prices start from $34,995, while the diesel powertrain adds $4,375 to the price. The ZR2 sits on top of the trim ladder. It starts from $44,395 for the V6 powertrain. While the diesel starts from $47,845 before options and packages.

Bottom Line:

 Tacoma has the advantage here and hence is the winner in this category.

Conclusion: Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado?

As you see, mentioned specification comparison has been pretty balanced. Both mid-sizers have their advantages and shortcomings. Chevy Colorado is more efficient and offers more powertrains. The Toyota starts at a lower price and offers a manual gearbox. But the deciding factor for us was the safety tech. Chevy's standard offering is practically devoid of active safety features. The Toyota offers things like a pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist as standard. Couple that with a lower starting price and bulletproof reliability, and you have your winner.

Also, You Can Compare Toyota Tacoma vs. Jeep Gladiator

Now you can decide which midsize truck after reading this comparison. A Toyota Tacoma or a Chevrolet Colorado?

If your option is Toyota Tacoma, you can get a free consultation from Car Plus Finance experts to obtain more information about different models of this popular small truck.

As the main Used Toyota Tacoma Dealership in Long Beach and Southern America, Car Plus Finance offers you different model years of Toyota Tacoma.

Car Plus Finance provides a Complete Finance Department with the credit application and financing experience to get you financed on all models of Toyota vehicles.