Chevrolet Colorado Vs. Silverado: What's The Difference Between These Pickup Trucks?

There's now more choice than ever if you're after a midsize or half-ton pickup truck, especially with electric trucks now arriving thick and fast. However, if you're looking to purchase a Chevrolet, your options are down to the Colorado and Silverado 1500. There are some similarities between the two, but the Chevrolet Silverado is generally larger than the Colorado and thus competes in the full-size pickup truck segment against the likes of the famed Ford F-150 .

The Chevy Colorado, on the other hand, is a midsize truck that vies for market share against trucks such as the Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tacoma. Some Silverado models stretch to 232.87 inches long and 81.



24 inches wide, while the Colorado measures up to 213.21 inches long and 78.09 inches wide.

That means each has its own area of expertise and will appeal to different buyers. The Silverado also offers more powerful engine options and higher towing capacity, which make it particularly adept at carrying heavy loads. There's also more cabin space for occupants due to its bigger dimensions.

However, you might find the Colorado easier to drive around town thanks to its smaller size. It is also best suited for less-demanding applications and tends to offer slightly better fuel economy than the L3B-powered Silverado 1500, which is also more expensive to buy outright. We've provided a more in-depth look at how the two Chevy trucks compare below to help you decide which model is right for you.

The Chevrolet Colorado is only available in one cab and bed configuration: crew cab with a 5-foot-long bed. It comes in five trims — WT (Work Truck), LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2 — and starts at $31,900 (MSRP). Having dropped the 237-hp engine from its lineup starting in 2025, Chevrolet now exclusively sells the Colorado with the 310-hp version of the 2.

7-liter turbocharged TurboMax four-cylinder engine, which also produces 430 lb-ft of torque. With that, the Colorado can tow up to 7,700 pounds when appropriately equipped. The EPA says rear-wheel drive Colorado models should return 19 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined.

Four-wheel drive Colorados are good for up to 17 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. The Colorado rides on a 131.36-inch wheelbase and measures 213.

02 inches long (212.69 inches for the ZR2). The midsize truck sits 78.

79 inches tall (climbing to 79.58, 79.83, and 81.

80 inches for the Z71, Trail Boss, and ZR2, respectively) and is 74.91 inches wide — increasing to 76.32 inches for the Z71 and 78.

09 inches for the Trail Boss and ZR2 trims. As for the onboard tech, every Colorado comes standard with features such as an 11.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 11-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

A wireless smartphone charger and a Bose audio system are available as options, as are creature comforts such as a heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats. The Chevy Silverado 1500 offers enough cab and bed options to suit pretty much all tastes and budgets. These include a regular cab model with two doors, an extended cab (Double Cab) with four doors, and a crew cab with four full-sized doors.

In addition, Chevy makes the half-ton truck available with 5.8-, 6.5-, and 8-foot bed lengths and nine trim levels: WT (Work Truck), Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, High Country, and the off-road-focused Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 .

There are several engine options to choose from, including the same 310-horsepower, 2.7-liter turbocharged L3B four-cylinder powering the Chevy Colorado. Others include a 5.

3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft, a 6.2-liter V8 putting out 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, and a Duramax turbodiesel 3.0-liter six-cylinder that produces 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft, allowing for a maximum towing capacity of 13,300 pounds to be achieved.

Of the four Silverado 1500 engines, the Duramax diesel is the most efficient, offering 26 mpg in rear-wheel drive models. Go for the four-wheel-drive model, and that drops to 24 mpg combined. The 2.

7-liter turbo-four's fuel economy tops out at 19 mpg, while the 5.3-liter V8 earns 18 mpg. Predictably, the 6.

2-liter V8 is the least efficient Silverado engine, with 17 mpg max. Many standard tech features should tick the boxes of modern drivers, too. These include a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

A 13.4-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and wireless device charging are also available.

Pricing for the Silverado 1500 starts from $37,000 (MSRP)..