Autoblog’s Praises the Chevrolet Colorado

The midsize pickup category as a whole has been nearly completely redesigned in the past two years. It started with Nissan’s Frontier redesign for 2022, followed by the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon redesigns of 2023, and in 2024, new models from Ford and Toyota will be introduced. Automotive enthusiast site Autoblog has looked at all these new models, so it really means something when they say: “The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado stands tall as our favorite midsize pickup truck this year for a host of reasons.” What are those reasons? Let McFarland Chevrolet tell you. 

Autoblog wastes no time before discussing Colorado’s “Stellar exterior design.”  It appears rugged without trying too hard, and you will not find one surface crease or detail out of place. It looks like a tough, mid-size truck because that is precisely what it is. 

Beauty on the Inside

The interior is praised for its attractive design, where even the base 2024 Work Truck gets an 11-inch touch screen and an 11-inch digital gauge cluster. You will find larger center screens in this class, but the Colorado screen is large enough to see everything while being proportional to the interior size so as not to be a distraction.

The big screen wouldn’t mean much if it didn’t work well, but fortunately, it is powered by the Google Built-in operating system. The response is quick and precise, and the menus are intuitive. The system comes standard with the well-loved Google Maps navigation app. With a simple, commonly worded command, the versatile Google Assistant AI voice command system can speed up multi-function actions or search for a contact number or music artist. Other apps are downloadable from the Google Play Store.

The Colorado still has plenty of physical controls for the climate control system, drive modes, and proper knobs for volume and temperature control, and they all have a precision feel to them. The interior colors are a choice of black or gray, but models like the Z71 spruce things up with red for the stitching and other accents. Padded surfaces add a level of refinement to the interior. Autoblog also found the cabin’s room to be in line with the segment, which means plenty of room up front while acceptable for adults in the rear, though falling short of the Silverado 1500 in this area.

Turbocharging brings Power on Demand

All Colorados are powered by a choice of two 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 engines paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The WT and LT come with the standard engine version, which produces 237 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy for the rear-drive trucks is listed at 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. 4WD knocks off just one MPG each. These two models come standard with rear-wheel drive and available 4-wheel drive.

Power to all four wheels is standard on the Trail Boss Z71 and ZR2, as is the high-output version of the turbo 2.7L with 310 horsepower. The Trail Boss and Z71 Models produce 391 lb-ft of torque, while the ZR2 produces 430 lb-ft. The greater power and 4WD bring the Trail Boss and Z71 EPA-estimated mpg to 17/21/19. The excellent torque, big all-terrain tires, and other off-road hardware on the ZR2 bring its mpg rating to 16 mpg for both city and highway.

While body-on-frame construction and rear leaf springs are not the best ingredients for a good ride and handling, Autoblog found that Colorado “comports itself well in terms of both ride and handling. It’s reasonably composed, comfortable, and civilized.” They were even more impressed with the ZR2: “…the ZR2 with its giant tires and Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers completely changes the game in terms of ride quality. It’s going to be the best performer both on and off the road.”

Autoblog concludes that Colorado is far better than it has ever been and the best mid-size truck line amidst all of its competitors’ latest efforts. Check out the Colorado at McFarland Chevrolet for yourself and give it a test drive.  You may quickly conclude that the best midsize truck in the segment is everything you need.