2018 Chevrolet Colorado

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab comes in four flavours - Work Truck, LT, Z71, and ZR2 - with the MSRPs starting at just $26,300 and stretching all the way up to a fully-loaded ZR2 at $41,395. There is a super-basic trim available as well but is only available as an extended cab variant. The Work Truck builds on the decently equipped Base and adds fold-up rear jump seats, carpeting, floor mats, and cloth upholstery. The Work Truck also adds in the scope of the different packages and the optional engine options available on the list. The LT adds in more features while the Z71 adds in amenities and keeps the ZR2 for off-road usage. 

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The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is best in the LT trim because of the perfect balance that it provides with its pricing and the standard features on offer. If one wants to add more, there are a lot of options and packages available on offer to make the truck customised to one’s desire. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is available in three different engine options - a base naturally aspirated 2.5L inline-4 and a bigger naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 that provides the missing oomph over the base engine. The base engine is rated at 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox which drives the rear wheels only. The bigger V6 bumps up the power to 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. 

The base engine isn’t the most powerful among its peers but has a decent time of 8.2 seconds to reach 60 MPH from a standstill while the quarter-mile time remains at 16.3 seconds. The bigger V6 trims the 0 to 60 MPH times to 6.1 seconds while the standing quarter time is reduced to just 14.8 seconds - a massive lead over the base engine. 

The smaller turbocharged engine on the Ford Ranger leaves the rest in the dust, posting the times of the V6-powered alternatives of the other trucks. It also has a better launch than the other trucks kudos to the 10-speed transmission while the segment-leading torque helps the rest. As for the naturally-aspirated engines, the Colorado’s base engine proves to be the fastest among all and gaps the similarly-equipped Canyon by an eighth of a second in acceleration. 

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab: Handling

Since the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is a truck, it isn’t inherently a sporty vehicle but for what it is, it drives pretty well in the city. The suspension does a great job in absorbing the bumps and undulations of the city while the cabin is roomy and gives a good view of what’s happening around. The engine and transmission combo, even in the base engine, works well and has plenty of power and torque for overtakes and moving effortlessly. 

On the highway, the ride may get a bit bouncy which is easily felt at highway speeds and shreds off some confidence but for the most part is manageable. The base engine feels a bit stressed due to the naturally-aspirated characteristic but the bigger V6 and the 8-speed automatic does a great job with this. The handling of the truck is good and it feels very maneuverable both in the city and on the highway. 

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab: Braking Performance

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab comes equipped with a set of 12.8-inch rotors at the front and 12.2-inch rotors at the rear which do a decent job of stopping the near 4,000 lbs effortlessly in just 124 feet from 60 MPH. The braking distance isn’t the best in the business but does well in terms of emergency braking. 

Being sister trucks, the GMC and the Chevrolet both have very similar braking setups on offer but the latter takes a bit more distance to stop due to the excess weight it carries on top. The Tacoma’s braking is the most impressive while the Ford Ranger takes the most distance to stop due to the heaviest curb weight in the segment. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab’s base engine is a small unit and is at par with the others in the segment in terms of fuel efficiency. The base 2.5L inline-4 gets an EPA estimate of 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway while the combined estimate is at 22 MPG in mixed driving conditions. The bigger V6 drops these figures to 18 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway for a combined 20 MPG. Both the engines get a 21.0-gallon fuel tank that provides impressive range on the highway and in mixed conditions. 

The Colorado’s fuel efficiency figures are at par with the other naturally aspirated rivals but the turbocharged mill in the Ranger comes out to be the most fuel-efficient engine in the segment, even though it is such by the slightest of margins. The range isn’t the strongest point since the smaller tank hampers it by quite some margin over the other trucks. Of the others, the Tacoma’s bigger 2.7L engine and the slightly-bigger fuel tank helps in getting good city range but the highway range isn’t as good as the GM twins. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab gets a very utilitarian interior with the Work Truck getting a bit more than the bare minimum, while the LT and above trims adding more luxurious features and visual appeal to the inside. The door panels and the dashboard are simple but are very intuitive to use with the former still getting hard plastics to touch and the latter getting the same treatment. The higher trims do offer some soft-touch material but the hardness remains identical nonetheless. The centre console gets the AC controls, the infotainment controls, a couple of cupholders, a couple of small cubby spaces, the gear lever, and a decently-big centre armrest. 

The seats are rather comfortable right from the Work Truck since the Colorado equips front bucket seats which come as power-adjustability as standard. These seats are super supporting and have decent bolstering for the occupants to be in place while enjoying some twisty roads. The LT adds heated seats while the upper trims add leather upholstery and more adjustability to the mix. The rear seats do get an upholstery upgrade while the rear-seat passengers’ space is a bit tight when compared to the competition. As for the practicality, there are two USB points, a small tray, and a 12V socket in the centre with a centre armrest with a couple of cupholders. 

The GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado share the same platform and hence, there isn’t much difference between the two in terms of their cabin proportions nor in the cargo space but the GMC does offer more comfort than the Colorado in the respective trims. The Taco gets more shoulder room and feels roomier but the legroom and he headroom feel a bit compromised. The Ranger gets the most space in its bed. 

Some of the highlighting interior features of the Colorado Crew Cab are:

• Cloth/simulated leather/leather upholstery
• Heated front bucket seats
• Automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Power-adjustable front seats

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab: Infotainment system

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is equipped with a rather basic 7-inch display in the Work Truck which get’s the carmaker’s proprietary MyLink system. This system also gains Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to the mix as well as Bluetooth for seamless connection and telephony. Optional for the Work Truck, and standard for the LT and above trims, is an 8-inch touchscreen that runs OnStar telematics and adds navigation, in-car 4G LTE Wi-Fi, 4 USB ports, and two 12V outlets. 

The upgraded system is a rather intuitive one and has bright colors, smooth transitions, and a very easy-to-use layout that can be easily operated while on-the-go. The base system gets a 6-speaker setup while the upgraded system gets a seven-speaker premium Bose audio system for an enhanced music experience. Some of the highlighting features are:

• 7-inch display (upgradable to 8-inch touchscreen)
• Chevrolet MyLink/OnStar
• Bluetooth
• Satellite radio
• AM/FM
• 4 USB ports
• Two 12V outlets
• Navigation (with OnStar)
• 6-speaker sound system
• Optional seven-speaker premium Bose audio system

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab gets a very familiar look that hasn't been tampered with since its launch in the American market. The Work Truck and the LT get a very normal look with a big headlight housing and the big Chevy logo in the middle of the grille. The overall look is very clean with minimal styling elements and fog lights and chrome treatment done to the grille. The Z71 and the ZR2 get specific styling elements upfront, with the latter getting a more aggressive off-roader package to improve the approach and departure angle. 

The alloys on the LT measure 17-inches in diameter and are pretty basic Chevrolet ones but the Z71 and the ZR2 add more trim-specific design elements to the wheels. Also, these trims get more equipment by way of off-road-oriented suspension, special dampers, fender flares, bigger all-terrain tires, and an electronically locking rear differential that affects the side profile as well. The rear of the trucks are the usual business with simple lines and a big Chevrolet logo. 

The Colorado and the Canyon get very similar dimensions with the latter being insignificantly different and a bit lighter on the scale. The Tacoma is also pretty similar to the GM twins in proportions but is heavier and has more ground clearance which affects its agility over twisty roads. The Ford Ranger is the heaviest and also has the most compact proportions here including the shortest wheelbase. 

Some of the highlighting exterior features of the Colorado Crew Cab are:

• 16-inch steel wheels/17-inch alloy wheels
• Rearview camera
• EZ-Lift tailgate
• Heated exterior mirrors
• All-season tires/all-terrain tires
• Off-road-oriented suspension (Z71 and ZR2)
• Special bodywork for improved approach and departure angles (ZR2)

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab has had a good safety quotient and comes with a decent list of safety features. Adding to this are the exemplary crash-test ratings that help boost the safety claims of the truck, with a 4-star NHTSA rating and a “Good” IIHS rating to boast of. To be worthy of these claims, some of the highlighting safety features on offer in the 2018 Colorado Crew Cab are:

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• 4-wheel ABS 
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• StabiliTrak 
• Daytime Running Lamps
• Rear Vision Camera
• Teen Driver mode
• Ultrasonic rear park assist

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab Vs. 2018 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab

The Chevrolet Colorado is a more value for money offering when compared to the more expensive Toyota due to all the prowess on offer. It gets a more powerful and a more economical engine while also getting good driving characteristics and a comparatively better interior in the base trims. The Chevrolet also comes equipped with a better infotainment system that offers a lot of features and convenience. The Taco Double Cab gets more ground clearance to get over bigger things but this, too, affects the drive quality and handling. 

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab vs. 2018 GMC Canyon Crew Cab

Both the Colorado and the Canyon are based on the same platform and hence there isn;t much change to them. The Canyon is a bit lighter and has better acceleration and a better feel to the steering. It also has more comfort inside, which is reserved for the higher trims only. As for the rest, the two trucks are rather inseparable when it comes to overall performance. 

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab vs. 2018 Ford Ranger SuperCrew

The Ford Ranger SuperCrew is an excellent choice for someone who wants a punchy engine, good fuel efficiency, a more comfortable cabin, and more safety. Both the trucks cost very similar and for the price the Ford offers more in everything which makes it a no-brainer for someone who is out for a midsize American pickup truck. To add to the Colorado’s perks, it can tow more and has a bigger cabin to fit in people comfortably. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is an impressive offering that has a very tried-and-tested pedigree to back on. The Work Truck is very well-equipped and the more expensive trims are rather well-endowed as well. The engine options are the better ones in the segment while the cabin is rugged and spacious. The only thing where the Colorado could do better was the availability of standard driver assistance features, which makes the Colorado Crew Cab a complete package.