Chevrolet is sparking a renewed battle in the midsize pickup segment with the launch of its 2023 Colorado lineup, unveiled on Thursday. Boasting a fresh engine, enhanced technology, and a sleeker design, these trucks are enjoying unprecedented demand.
With that said, let’s examine the new Colorado’s performance against its main competitors: the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma. As each truck has numerous configurations, we will strive to maintain balanced comparisons in every section. Nonetheless, it’s apparent that certain trucks have distinct advantages over others.
The 2023 Chevy Colorado boasts improved aesthetics both inside and outside.
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Size
Although Ford, Nissan, and Toyota provide their trucks in a variety of cab and bed dimensions, Chevy only makes the Colorado in a single Crew Cab and short-bed setup. Honda and Jeep also follow a similar approach by only selling their trucks in this style. Therefore, we will use these specifications to provide an overview of the overall exterior and interior dimensions.
Additionally, it should be noted that Chevy solely releases the measurement of the Colorado’s width including mirrors, whereas the customary method of measuring vehicle width does not include them. This accounts for why Chevy’s figures are the greatest.
Exterior measurements (in inches):
Wheelbase Length Width Height
Colorado 128.3 74.3 57.5
Frontier 125.9 72.8 72.8
Gladiator 137.3 73.8 73.1
Ranger 126.8 71.0 71.5
Ridgeline 125.2 78.6 70.8
Tacoma 127.4 73.7 70.6
Interior measurements (inches)
Front headroom: Colorado – 40.3, Frontier – 39.7, Gladiator – 40.8, Ranger – 39.8, Ridgeline – 40.1, Tacoma – 39.7
Front legroom: Colorado – 38.3, Frontier – 42.3, Gladiator – 40.4, Ranger – 43.1, Ridgeline – 40.9, Tacoma – 42.3
Rear headroom: Colorado – 45.2, Frontier – 36.6, Gladiator – 40.8, Ranger – 38.3, Ridgeline – 38.4, Tacoma – 32.5
Rear legroom: Colorado – 34.7, Frontier – 26.2, Gladiator – 38.3, Ranger – 34.5, Ridgeline – 36.7, Tacoma – 32.6
The 2022 Nissan Frontier receives significant updates.
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Powertrain
This is the aspect that can be a bit challenging. The 2023 Colorado from Chevy has only one engine and transmission available, but with varying power outputs based on the trim level. Meanwhile, several other trucks offer multiple engine options and the only models that come with a manual transmission are the Gladiator and Tacoma.
For the sake of fairness, we will align the engines that have the closest match on paper. Although Jeep earns extra points for incorporating a diesel option, we must presently exclude that engine.
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Capabilities
EnginePowerTorqueTransmissionColorado 2.7L Turbo I4310 horsepower390 pound-feet8-speedFrontier 3.8L V6310 horsepower281 pound-feet9-speedGladiator 3.6L V6285 horsepower260 pound-feet8-speedRanger 2.3L Turbo I4270 horsepower310 pound-feet10-speedRidgeline 3.5L V6280 horsepower262 pound-feet9-speedTacoma 3.5L V6278 horsepower265 pound-feet6-speed
The 2021 Jeep Gladiator is a rugged and versatile vehicle that can handle a variety of tasks.
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Off-road capability
Off-road performance can vary widely among different trucks, making direct comparisons a challenge. To level the playing field, we’ll provide measurements for each truck’s most capable trim level. Keep in mind that certain trucks, such as the Colorado ZR2, Gladiator Rubicon, and Tacoma TRD Pro, may have an advantage over the Ranger Tremor and Frontier Pro-4X. Notably absent from this list is the Ridgeline, as Honda does not currently offer an off-road version of this truck.
Off-road Specifications
Approach Departure Breakover Clearance
Colorado 38.3 degrees 25.1 degrees 24.6 degrees 10.7 inches
Frontier 32.3 degrees 23.0 degrees 19.6 degrees 9.5 inches
Gladiator 43.4 degrees 26.0 degrees 20.3 degrees 11.1 inches
Ranger 30.9 degrees 27.1 degrees 24.2 degrees 9.7 inches
Tacoma 35.0 degrees 23.9 degrees 23.9 degrees 9.4 inches
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Capabilities
No truck comparison can be complete without mentioning towing and hauling capabilities. To ensure fairness, we will be using the maximum specifications for each engine option mentioned above.
Payload and Towing Capacities
PayloadTowingCapacityColorado 1,587 lbs7,700 lbsFrontier 1,480 lbs6,570 lbsGladiator 1,535 lbs7,650 lbsRanger 1,770 lbs7,500 lbsRidgeline 1,583 lbs5,000 lbsTacoma 1,395 lbs6,700 lbs
The 2021 Honda Ridgeline has a more rugged appearance resembling a truck.
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Tech
Each of these trucks provides a complete range of driver assistance technologies, such as blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. Although some trucks offer more standard features than others, no midsize truck currently provides an advanced Level 2 driver assistance system like General Motors’ Super Cruise.
With regards to multimedia features, all trucks except for the Ford Ranger have a full-sized touchscreen infotainment system as standard, whereas the base Ranger only has a small 3.5-inch LCD display in the center stack. In this category, Chevy comes out on top with its standard 8-inch digital gauge cluster and 11.3-inch central touchscreen.
The 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro is a jealous monster in green.
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Price
At present, Chevrolet has not disclosed the pricing details of Colorado. Therefore, we cannot provide that information. However, we have included the basic Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRPs) that comprise the destination charges, and are mentioned on the respective consumer sites of the manufacturers. You might be curious to know why Gladiator and Ridgeline are priced so much higher than the others. The reason is that they come with a greater number of standard features.
Price
Colorado – TBD
Frontier – $29,985
Gladiator – $38,765
Ranger – $27,475
Ridgeline – $39,435
Tacoma – $28,365
