The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Roomy crew cab
- Modern interior
- Good standard tech
- ZR2 and Z71 options
- Clever bed design
Dislikes
- One cab and bed combo
- Odd gear shifter layout
- No more interior space
- Getting pricier
Buying tip
features & specs
The redesigned Colorado comes with a crew cab, short bed, and single engine, but offers plenty of options that range from a basic work truck to trail dusting ZR2.
What kind of car is the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado? What does it compare to?
The Chevy Colorado is a mid-size pickup truck related to the GMC Canyon. It competes not just with the Nissan Frontier and Ford Ranger, but also smaller trucks such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz and full-size trucks such as the Chevy Silverado and Ford F-150.
Is the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado a good truck?
More power, additional standard and optional safety equipment, and improved connected technology earn the 2023 Chevy Colorado TCC Rating of 5.6 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.) That should improve when crash-test scores come in.
What’s new for the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado?
Most of the 2023 Colorado is new, with a fresh exterior look, a modern interior spread, and a single engine in three states of tune. Sold in Work Truck, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2 grades, each model offers a different spin on how owners might use the truck, or more importantly, how they want to be seen while using the truck.
All versions get a new design that moves the front axle forward 2.9 inches and has a 3.1-inch longer wheelbase. Oddly, that doesn’t result in any extra cab space and the overall length has grown only slightly. Matte-black cladding surrounds the wheel cutouts, and the front and rear wheel haunches are more pronounced thanks to new creased character lines that highlight them. The cab’s rear windows kick up at the back just like the old truck and the nose sports a similar look, with a prominent bow-tie badge in the middle of a wide blacked-out grille. Some models incorporate more body color on the nose. Inside, hard black plastic serves as the backdrop for a much larger 11.3-inch screen that comes standard on all models along with an 8.0- or 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
Powering all Colorados is a 2.7-liter turbo-4 shared with the full-size Silverado, but tuned in three different keys. The base output, standard on WT and LT grades, is 237 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque; they can tow up to 3,500 pounds.
The Turbo Plus churns out 310 hp and 391 lb-ft. It’s standard for Z71 and Trail Boss and available for the WT and LT. Towing maxes out at 7,700 pounds.
The ZR2 comes standard with the High-Output engine making 310 hp and 430 lb-ft, though this engine can be optioned on other models through dealers. Towing capacity drops to 6,000 pounds on the ZR2.
The High-Output and Turbo Plus engines are punchy and responsive, though coarse. The decontented base version has 18% more horsepower and 36% more torque than the outgoing Colorado’s 2.5-liter inline-4. It’s even louder than the other versions and it’s power is only adequate.
The 8-speed automatic is a new iteration with quicker downshifts, and the Colorado eschews the 10-speed automatic ubiquitous in other Chevy big rigs because the Colorado doesn’t need the ratios, according to Chevy.
Rear-wheel drive is standard and buyers can get four-wheel drive that adds a 2-speed transfer case above the LT model.
Towing is made easier with standard hitch guidance lines in the rearview camera and a zoomed-in angle of the hitch. Optional features include 10 camera views, including underbody views for the Z71 and ZR2 models to provide more eyes when off-roading or towing.
The new Colorado now has a good set of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Optional are blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera system.
How much does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado cost?
The WT model with rear-wheel drive runs $30,695, and four-wheel drive adds $3,300. It’s equipped well for a base truck, with power features, the large infotainment screen, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and 17-inch steel wheels. The ZR2 pushes the price to $48,295.
Where is the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado made?
In Wentzville, Missouri, at GM’s Wentzville Assembly.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Styling
The 2023 Chevy Colorado evolves from the previous truck while adding some flair to the body.
Is the 2023 Chevy Colorado a good-looking truck?
The new Colorado doesn’t stray far from the last model but adds some visual interest along its flanks. It sits tall and upright, with a purposeful look. It earns a 6 here for its traditional muscular vibe.
All Colorados sport a ridge down the hood that dips down into thin headlights across the top of the grille. The rest of the nose is a heavy black plastic grille, with the base WT having all the character of a work boot with a toe cap. Its 17-inch steel wheels under squared-off fenders lead down a body that only comes in a crew cab configuration with a short 5-foot-2 bed.
The Trail Boss adds a gray lower lip to emulate a skid plate, and black fender flares that show off its 1.6-inch factory lift as well as its 18-inch wheels wrapped in knobby all-terrain tires. The LT opts for a more street-friendly look, with 17-inch wheels and all-season tires, as well as a body-color bar that splits the upper and lower grille elements to welcome effect. The sporty Z71 takes it a step further with a gloss black grille, black bumper and mirror caps, and LED lighting front and back.
Like the kid on the playground you know not to trifle with, the ZR2 looms taller, wider, and burlier with its 2.8-inch factory lift. It wraps 33-inch mud terrain tires around 17-inch wheels, has a pronounced skid plate under the front end for a greater approach angle, and wears a dual black bar across the face like a dumbbell. There’s plenty of accessories to flex the off-road bully even more.
Inside, the new Colorado has a much more refined take, with twin screens spanning a horizontally themed dash flanked on either side by turbine style vents like the Chevy Blazer. The various trims sport different flourishes, such as silver accents and soft-touch trim on the LT, and black synthetic leather with red accents on the Z71. Climate dials and a volume knob grace the interface, but the center console takes an asymmetrical shift, with drive mode and electronic parking brake buttons on the driver side, and the mechanical gear shifter on the passenger side. It makes the mode selector easier to reach for the driver, Chevy says.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Performance
The Colorado has been right-sized, but still leans in corners and bounces over bumps.
The 2023 Colorado has improved engines and plenty of off-road capability, but it’s not fun to drive. We rate it a 6 here.
Is the Chevrolet Colorado 4WD?
The Colorado comes standard with rear-wheel drive in most models. Four-wheel drive is optional. It gets a 2-speed transfer case in all but the base and LT models for better low-speed rock crawling.
How fast is the Chevy Colorado?
It starts out with decent power and progresses to fairly quick. The base version of the 2.7-liter turbo-4 makes 237 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, which is much better than last year’s 200-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. Chevy isn’t providing a 0-60 mph figure, but we’d estimate it’s somewhere in the 8.0-8.5-second range.
The two step-up versions make 310 hp and either 391 or 430 lb-ft. They’re both good for a 6.8-second 0-60 mph time, but the High Output version is a little better for towing and highway merging.
All versions send their power to an 8-speed automatic transmission that offers smooth shifts but can sometimes dawdle to deliver power on downshifts. All also emit a coarse drone, especially in the WT and Trail Boss, which have a lower level of sound deadener.
With the base engine, the Colorado can tow a modest 3,500 pounds, but the two other engine choices increase that to a class-leading 7,700 pounds. Payload capacity maxes out at 1,684 pounds, which is about 150 pounds more than last year.
Smaller than the Silverado, the Colorado is easier to maneuver, but it’s no more fun to drive with its front coil-over shocks and solid rear axle on leaf springs. The Colorado sits high, bounces over bumps without punishing occupants, and leans a lot in turns, especially the Trail Boss, which increases the ground clearance from 7.9 to 9.5 inches. However, the Colorado is well controlled though light, direct steering and strong brakes with a high pedal.
Chevy offers three models with off-road capability that ramps up from good to great. They start with the Z71, which has all-terrain tires, an 8.9-inch ground clearance, an electronic locking rear differential, and four-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case. Then there’s the taller Trail Boss, and the ZR2 that sits 10.7 inches off the ground, and adds Multimatic spool-valve shocks and a locking front differential.
Moving the front axle almost three inches forward improves the approach angle, which now tops out at an impressive 38.3 degrees for the ZR2. Off-roading can be made easier with 10 available camera views, including industry-first underbody views that point forward and backward. Other choices include a top view, a view of each tire, and forward and rearward views.
A Terrain mode works best for crawling, Off-Road is meant for less challenging off-road surfaces, and the ZR2’s Baja mode tunes it to zip through off-road courses without obstacles.
Chevrolet provides two types of hill descent control. One version is activated on the center screen and will adjust the speed and hold the speed based on throttle and brake inputs. The other version can only be activated in Terrain mode. It allows for one-foot driving and has eight settings (L1-L8) chosen via a plus/minus toggle on the gearshift. In L1, for example, the driver can crest a rock, let off the throttle, and the vehicle will stop. L8 will allow the vehicle to go up to 5 mph.
The instrument cluster and center screens also have pages to show off-road information, such as altitude, pitch and roll, g-forces, and transfer case status.
Colorado ZR2 impressions
The off-road ZR2 model cranks up the off-road prowess. Its spool-valve dampers do a great job of soaking up impacts, be they from bumps or jumps. They also provide good control on-road and team with the 33-inch tires to create a smoother ride. The knobby mud-terrain tires, soon to be available with 35s in ZR2 Bison form, provide good traction in wet, dry, and snowy conditions, as well as in mud and dirt.
The ZR2 model adds a Baja drive mode and Chevy’s Performance Shift Algorithm (PSA). Baja mode sharpens throttle response, holds gears longer, and ratchets back stability control. PSA does even more to keep the powertrain on boil, maintaining boost pressure and never letting the engine go below 2,500 rpm as long as the driver’s foot is on the accelerator.
The available surround-view camera system features an underbody camera that can show what’s under the truck to help avoid obstacles. A washer rinses dirt and mud off the camera, but it can’t always keep up. With 10.7 inches of ground clearance and a 24.6-degree breakover angle, the ZR2 can crawl over most obstacles, but the 38.3-degree approach angle is particularly impressive and bests the forthcoming Ford Ranger Raptor.
Between the hardware and software, the Colorado ZR2 is one of the most capable off-road pickups money can buy.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Chevy Colorado is built to work, not to impress with refinement.
The Colorado’s short bed has some useful functionality, but the crew cab cabin is better for four passengers than five and none of them will be overly comfortable. It earns a 6 here with an extra point for the cargo versatility of its bed.
Inside, front passengers have good headroom and legroom, but the seat bottoms are too short for ideal long-trip comfort. Cloth upholstery is the norm, with leather available for only the Z71 and ZR2 pickups.
A pair of 6-footers will just squeeze behind another pair of 6-footers in the rear seat, but those delegated to the back will start negotiating for more legroom as their heads scrape the roof and they’re forced to sit church pew upright. Anyone taller than that will have to contort themselves and three across will only work for kids or supermodel waifs. Storage below the rear seats is a nice touch.
The Colorado gets more expensive this year, so you might think the interior materials would take a commensurate step forward. You would be wrong. Hard black plastic is the material of choice for the dash and door panels, and it’s only broken up with flourishes of contrasting color and/or soft-touch surfaces on the Z71 and ZR2. It all fits together well, but we suspect it will start to creak and rattle with time.
Useful features of the bed include eight tie-downs, four stake pockets, bed lighting, and an available damped tailgate. Two tire grooves in the front bed wall help locate motorcycles, and the tailgate can be half raised while supporting 500 pounds. Though the tailgate doesn’t flex the multifunction capability of GM’s larger trucks, it offers an available storage feature that has a locking lid.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Safety
The 2023 Colorado gets the standard safety features it needed.
How safe is the Chevy Colorado?
The redesigned Colorado hasn’t been crash tested yet, and we hope it does better than the last model when those tests are performed. It does, however, add standard safety features it has sorely missed.
Now standard are automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Also available are blind-spot monitors with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, rear pedestrian alerts, rear cross-traffic alerts with braking, a rear-seat reminder system, and a surround-view camera system.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Features
The mid-size Colorado comes in full-sized configurations.
The 2023 Colorado features a simplified lineup with just one cab, one bed, one engine in three states of trim, rear or four-wheel drive, and five trim levels. It comes well equipped in its base level, offers plenty of options, and has a good infotainment system to earn an 8 here.
The Colorado WT starts at $30,695 with rear-wheel drive or $33,995 with four-wheel drive. It comes standard with cloth upholstery, a six-way manually adjustable driver seat, a four-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, power accessories, an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google Built-In, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and 17-inch steel wheels.
The Colorado comes with an average 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
Which Colorado should I buy?
The $36,395 LT four-wheel drive adds keyless access and starting, a rear USB port, carpeted floor mats, a front center console, a locking tailgate, and alloy wheels. We’d add the $2,450 Convenience Package II with an eight-way power driver seat, wireless smartphone charging, heated front seats, remote start, and the 310-hp engine. We also recommend the $505 Safety Package with rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alerts with brake support, and blind-spot monitors with steering assist. That brings the total to $39,350.
For those interested in off-roading, the Trail Boss is equipped like the WT, but also has a 1.6-inch lift, the 310-hp engine, an automatic locking rear differential, four-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case, a drive-mode selector, hill descent control, a remote locking tailgate, and 18-inch all-terrain tires with alloy wheels. Additional convenience features from the LT and other packages can be added, as can skid plates.
How much is a fully loaded 2023 Chevy Colorado?
The $48,295 ZR2 is the ultimate off-roader. It gets the top engine tune, a 2.8-inch suspension lift, spool-valve dampers, a front locking differential, a stiffer frame, rocker protectors, and unique styling. We wish it also had steering wheel shift paddles.
Colorado infotainment
The Colorado’s standard 11.3-inch screen is a pleasant surprise in the base model and a good system overall. It has Google Built-In, which includes navigation, music apps, and the ability to answer questions by pressing the voice button and saying “Hey Google.” It also comes with other Google functionality. The screen sits within easy reach, can be configured for easy access to commonly used functions, and reacts quickly to inputs. Such a big screen puts GM at the front of the class, at least for gas-powered models.
2023 Chevrolet Colorado Fuel Economy
Don’t expect the 2023 Colorado’s turbo-4 to be very efficient.
Is the 2023 Chevy Colorado good on gas?
The 2023 Chevy Colorado no longer offers a diesel engine as a fuel economy play, but the base version of the 2.7-liter turbo-4 gets better fuel economy than the base inline-4 it replaces. It tops out at an EPA rating of 20 mpg city, 25 highway, and 22 combined. That earns it a 2 here.
Add four-wheel drive and the ratings fall slightly to 19/23/21 mpg. Higher output versions make 18/23/20 mpg with rear-drive and 17/21/19 mpg with four-wheel drive.
The Colorado ZR2 with its knobby mud-terrain tires and highest state of engine tune gets 17/19/18 mpg.
