Chevrolet Colorado (US) review

Honestly, that depends on the model. The Trail Boss we drove is… well, not great. Based on the Work Truck spec, this Colorado is awash in cheap plastics and drab design, and the whole thing has a ‘don’t be gentle, it’s a rental’ vibe. No telescoping steering wheel, power seats cost extra, yet this is still a $41,000 truck. No way.

On the other hand, more expensive Colorado trims aren’t bad. The material quality gets better the more money you shell out, and you can add niceties like leather upholstery, heated seats, a full-width digital gauge cluster – the lot.

The Colorado Crew Cab has seating for five passengers, and while the rear bench isn’t super spacious, it’s not bad. Adults won’t have trouble fitting back here, and there’s enough space on the seats or floor to carry things you don’t want to risk getting dirty in the bed. 

How’s the tech?

Honestly, this kind of saves the interior. Every Colorado comes with the same high-res infotainment system, and Chevy’s multimedia suite is super simple to use. You can connect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but even if you choose to run the native infotainment system, the menu structure is easy to learn, the system responds quickly to inputs, and the graphics are colorful and bright. Our one nitpick: the headlight controls are in the touchscreen. Why would anyone do this?

How much stuff can I haul?

That depends on the model, pal. In terms of sheer payload, the Work Truck and LT specs are the most capable, rated to haul 1,684 pounds. The Trail Boss and Z71 lower that number to 1,587 and the ZR2 takes things another step down, to 1,151.

Happily, there are several tie-down hooks to help you secure objects in the bed, and a spray-in bedliner will keep you from damaging your sheetmetal. That said, the Colorado doesn't have any fancy tailgate tricks like the larger Silverado, so you'll have to do things the old fashioned way here.