For some, a mid-size pickup truck might seem like a compromise. The argument often goes that a full-size truck offers more comfort and capability for a similar price. While full-size trucks dominate sales for American automakers, mid-size trucks like the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado hold a strong appeal for many buyers. These trucks provide the versatility of an open bed, better towing and payload capacity than most SUVs, and are often more affordable and easier to maneuver than their full-size counterparts. Many appreciate the rugged and agile nature of a smaller pickup. In this review, we delve into the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado, a recently redesigned model that aims to blend modern features with its work-ready heritage. We’ll explore if it lives up to this ambition and if it’s the ideal pickup for your needs, providing a comprehensive Chevrolet Colorado review.
Alt text: Front profile of a blue 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 parked outdoors, showcasing its redesigned grille and headlights.
Trim Levels and Configurations: Tailoring Your Colorado
The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado starts at a base price of $29,500. Every Colorado model comes as a four-door crew cab with a 5-foot bed, offering practicality and passenger space. The standard engine is a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder producing 237 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, suitable for everyday tasks. However, most buyers will likely opt for the upgraded TurboMax variant, boasting 310 horsepower and a robust 430 lb-ft of torque for enhanced performance and capability. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard across the range, and you can choose between rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive depending on your needs and driving conditions.
The Colorado lineup offers a variety of trim levels to suit different preferences and budgets. The base WT (Work Truck) is a no-nonsense option, while the LT ($31,900) adds more everyday civility and features. For those seeking off-road prowess, the Trail Boss ($37,300), Z71 ($40,200), and ZR2 ($46,800) trims offer increasing levels of ruggedness and capability. It’s worth noting that each trim level can be further customized with a wide range of options, allowing you to personalize your Colorado but also potentially driving up the price significantly. Our Z71 test vehicle, for instance, reached $46,475 with the TurboMax engine, four-wheel drive, heated and ventilated leather seats, advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring, and the mandatory destination charge. Notably, even at this price point, a sunroof remained an optional extra.
Alt text: Side view of a Glacier Blue 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 highlighting its crew cab configuration and 5-foot bed.
Exterior Design: A Squared-Off Stance
The previous generation Chevrolet Colorado had a softer, more rounded design compared to many pickups, projecting a less aggressive image. The 2024 Colorado adopts a more assertive and modern aesthetic. The front end is now more upright and sharply sculpted, featuring high, squared-off headlights that contribute to a bolder presence. Despite these changes, the design remains refined and avoids being overly aggressive or garish. Crisply defined wheel arches add a touch of character to the sides, and the availability of vibrant colors, including our test vehicle’s Glacier Blue, red, yellow, and bronze, is a welcome departure from more conventional truck hues. One minor drawback is the increased visual similarity to its GMC Canyon sibling, as the previous generation models were distinctly different in their front-end styling.
The appearance of the Colorado varies across trim levels. The WT and Trail Boss models feature gray plastic elements across their front fascias, extending from the bumper to the headlights. The Trail Boss and ZR2 trims further enhance their off-road attitude with a 3-inch wider stance and a 2-inch lift, providing a more commanding and rugged look.
Alt text: Close-up of the front grille and headlight of a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71, emphasizing the squared-off design and chiseled details.
Interior and Technology: Big Screens and Modern Features
The interior of the previous Colorado prioritized simplicity and functionality over stylistic flair. While the controls were user-friendly, the dashboard design was rather plain and lacked a distinct character. It wasn’t particularly luxurious or rugged, simply functional.
The 2024 Colorado interior represents a significant step forward in terms of design and technology. Gone are the smaller 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreens and analog gauges. Instead, the new Colorado boasts a prominent 11.3-inch touchscreen paired with an impressive 11-inch digital gauge cluster. These screens feature dynamic graphics that create a modern and engaging user experience upon entering the truck. (The larger digital gauge cluster is a welcome upgrade, now standard for 2024 after being exclusive to the top-tier ZR2 in 2023.) The dashboard design is angular and purposeful, incorporating the screens in a way that evokes the styling of early 2000s Chevy Silverado models. The digital gauge cluster offers customization, allowing drivers to choose between classic analog-style dials or a more modern digital layout. However, this increased digitization means that some functions now require navigating through the touchscreen menus. While physical buttons and knobs remain for essential audio volume and climate controls, tasks like resetting the trip computer or even turning off the headlights now involve screen interaction.
Alt text: Interior view of the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 showcasing the 11.3-inch touchscreen and 11-inch digital gauge cluster.
Cabin Comfort and Practicality
The 2024 Colorado offers more comfort and convenience features than ever before. Optional upgrades include power-adjustable seats with heating, ventilation, and memory settings, a sunroof, and leather upholstery, enhancing the overall driving experience. The front seats are comfortable and offer good space, although they lack the expansive, couch-like feel of some full-size trucks.
The rear seat is more compact, and has actually shrunk slightly compared to the previous Colorado generation. While still usable for adults, knee room is limited. Cargo space is also a consideration. Every Colorado model comes with a 5-foot bed, whereas competitors like the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier offer both 5-foot and 6-foot bed options. On the positive side, the Colorado offers a convenient dampened tailgate option and the innovative lockable in-tailgate StowFlex compartment for secure storage. The tailgate can also be locked in a half-open position to extend the loading length for longer items. In terms of payload, most Colorado models can handle around 1,400 pounds with the base engine and about 1,600 pounds with the TurboMax engine (varying slightly by trim). The off-road focused ZR2, with its specialized suspension, has a lower payload capacity of 1,280 pounds. These figures are competitive within the mid-size segment, exceeding the Nissan Frontier and Jeep Gladiator and roughly matching the Toyota Tacoma, although slightly less than the newly redesigned Ford Ranger.
Alt text: Rear interior view of the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab, showing the rear seats and legroom.
Performance and Fuel Efficiency: Turbocharged Power
The 2024 Colorado offers two output levels for its turbocharged four-cylinder engine: 237 horsepower and 310 horsepower. Especially in the TurboMax configuration, this truck feels surprisingly quick and responsive. It also boasts a respectable towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds (3,500 pounds with the base engine tune and 6,000 pounds for the ZR2), matching the Jeep Gladiator for best-in-class towing within the mid-size segment. Fuel economy is reasonably good, with most trims achieving 20 to 22 mpg in combined driving (slightly lower with off-road tires). Our 4WD Z71 test vehicle is EPA-rated at 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined, and we achieved that combined figure during our week of testing.
However, some may miss the richer sound of the previous generation Colorado’s V6 engine. While the new four-cylinder is powerful, its engine note is less inspiring than some other four-cylinder trucks. It’s neither particularly quiet nor intentionally loud, and the fuel pump whirring upon unlocking the doors is noticeable. While the new four-cylinder is efficient, the older V6 was nearly as economical and just as quick in real-world driving. Competitors like the four-cylinder Tacoma and Ranger achieve slightly better fuel economy than the Colorado, and the V6 Nissan Frontier is comparable in fuel consumption (though not as quick).
Alt text: Engine bay close-up of the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado, highlighting the turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine.
Ride, Handling, and Off-Road Prowess
Even in its more off-road oriented trims, the Colorado maintains a comfortable ride. It can feel slightly jiggly on smooth roads, but it handles bumps and uneven surfaces with ease. The steering is light and responsive, making the Colorado feel agile and easy to maneuver, even in tighter corners. While the previous generation Colorado may have offered slightly better on-road ride and handling, the new model still strikes a good balance.
Considering its capabilities, the Colorado offers a surprisingly refined driving experience. Beyond payload and towing, it’s a capable off-road machine. The Trail Boss trim, pictured here, provides enhanced off-road features straight from the factory without requiring extensive aftermarket modifications. In addition to the wider track and lift, the Trail Boss includes a front skid plate, an automatic locking rear differential, and 32-inch all-terrain tires. The ZR2 takes off-road capability even further with features like an adaptive suspension system, electronic locking front and rear differentials, additional underbody protection, larger tires, and a selectable “Baja” driving mode. Our brief test of the Trail Boss revealed it to be just as comfortable on-road as the Z71, with the main difference being off-road tuned shocks and the absence of a two-wheel-drive option on the Z71.
Alt text: Angled shot of a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss driving on a dirt trail, showcasing its off-road tires and lifted suspension.
Competitive Landscape: How Does the Colorado Stack Up?
The Chevrolet Colorado competes most directly with the recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma (now also featuring a turbocharged four-cylinder engine) and the newly redesigned Ford Ranger (now offering a V6 option alongside its turbo four). Previously, the Colorado was considered the best to drive, the Ranger the most modern, and the Tacoma the most traditional. However, these trucks have become increasingly similar in many respects, with different models excelling in specific areas or offering slightly different feature availability.
The Colorado also faces competition from other mid-size trucks with varying strengths and weaknesses. The Nissan Frontier is a more old-school truck with a simple interior, heavier steering, and a robust V6 engine. While not the quickest or most capable in towing and hauling, it offers a straightforward and relatively affordable utility option. The Jeep Gladiator, often available with dealer discounts, presents a compelling value proposition and boasts the unique appeal of a removable roof and doors, though it’s less refined for daily driving. Car-based trucks like the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick excel in on-road comfort and handling but are less capable in traditional truck tasks compared to the Colorado.
Alt text: Front three-quarter view of a 2022 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X in red, parked on a paved road, representing a competitor in the mid-size truck segment.
Conclusion: Capable and Refined, But Does it Stand Out?
The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado is undeniably a highly capable mid-size truck. It offers impressive towing and hauling capabilities, competent off-road performance, and the widely available TurboMax engine delivers strong acceleration. Its updated design is also more assertive and modern than its predecessor.
However, the driving experience of the Colorado can be described as somewhat unremarkable on the road – which can be both a positive and negative aspect. While it performs well in all key truck categories, it might lack a distinct personality that sets it apart from the increasingly competitive mid-size truck segment. If capability and modern features are your primary priorities over a particularly engaging or characterful driving experience, the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado deserves a prominent spot on your mid-size truck shopping list.
Alt text: Front view of a blue 2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 parked on pavement, illustrating its overall stance and road presence.
