Colorado Wins MotorTrend Truck Of the Year

Winter is awards season, and that applies to television, movies, football, and, most importantly, for our purposes, the automotive industry. While there are many coveted awards out there, few reach the prestige of a MotorTrend Of the Year award. There are three such awards given each year. Chevrolet already brought one home this year with the Blazer EV winning MotorTrend’s SUV Of The Year. Now, McFarland Chevrolet is happy to announce they have taken two out of three with the redesigned Colorado winning MotorTrend’s Truck Of The Year award for 2024.

This is the third time Colorado achieved MotorTrend’s top award after back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016. While the Colorado was redesigned for the 2023 model year, its debut came just after the cut-off for the 2023 competition. That made the redesigned Colorado eligible for the 2024 award, where it benefited from the subsequent launch of the ZR2 and ZR2 Bison off-road focused models. 

“The Colorado lineup’s performance on- and off-road, particularly the ZR2’s prowess, is nothing short of exceptional, rivaling even some of the most revered off-road vehicles available,” said Ed Loh, MotorTrend Group Head of Editorial. “Earning MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year award is a testament to the Colorado’s all-encompassing excellence across various terrains and utility needs.”

GM Dominated the Contenders

Most of Colorado’s competition came from within the GM family. Value gave it an edge over the mechanically similar GMC Canyon. Other contenders were the Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD, and the GMC Hummer EV 3X.

MotorTrend’s award goes to the entire model line, from the Work Truck to the ZR2. In their Performance Of Intended Function evaluation, they made note of the loss of the formerly available long bed. Still, they felt the model made up for it with valuable features such as two tie-downs in each corner, mounting points for various accessory rails or cleats, the soft-open tailgate, and a 400-watt and 120-volt power outlet. They were particularly impressed with the available 45-inch-wide, 4-inch-deep StowFlex stowage box in the tailgate, stating, “It’s a perfect place to store ratchet straps, tie-down ropes, work gloves, and the like, and there’s a drain in case they go in wet.”

Advancement of Design

The exterior was deemed suitably tough looking for an American truck compared to its “soft and bubbly” predecessor. With its two large digital displays, the interior was praised for its modern design. They did quibble about some of the choices between physical vs screen-located controls. 

Engineering Excellence

In terms of engineering, MotorTrend remarks how the Colorado “can do almost anything their half-ton forebears did 20 years ago” and goes on to say it “remains comfortable enough for daily use—even when burdened with a half-ton of payload or up to 7,700 pounds of trailer.” The ZR2’s Multimatic spool-valve shocks received high praise with a mix of both off-road compliance and on-road ride quality they described as “second to none.” But MotorTrend also points out that the standard suspension on the other Colorado models rides and handles better than the direct competitors from Toyota, Ford, Jeep, and Nissan.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see Colorado take home the MotorTrend Truck of the Year award,” said Scott Bell, Vice President of Chevrolet. “The all-new Colorado boasts elevated performance, capability and refinement in every respect, across every trim offered. This award is a testament to Colorado’s mantra: it’s made for more.”

The magazine also praised the Colorado’s safety features, the efficiency of its turbocharged 2.7-liter engine lineup, and its value, citing how less expensive models of the line avoid looking like it. They conclude by stating, “Its strong value proposition, impressive off-road capability across the range—while remaining eminently livable day to day—tough good looks, strong feature content, and broad range of offerings spanning from sensible work truck to junior Baja 1000 star impressed us sufficiently to earn this Chevy fresh set of Calipers.”

If a solid truck with a smaller footprint appeals to you, visit McFarland Chevrolet and see what the award-winning Colorado is all about.