Used 2019 Chevrolet Colorado

Few recent vehicles have done more to change the market than the Chevrolet Colorado, which proved there’s real life left in the midsize-pickup segment. For many buyers, the Colorado offers all the interior space and cargo and towing capacity they need, while adding plenty of great features, good performance and handling and a reasonable price tag. Chevy has broadened the Colorado’s appeal by adding new variants, including both a diesel model and the rugged, off-road-oriented ZR2. The 2019 Colorado gets a number of small but welcome updates to enhance its appeal.

Chevy delivered a big surprise when it brought back the Colorado a few years back. It wasn’t just the fact that it reentered a market segment many wrote off for dead but just how good a job its designers and engineers pulled off. The 2019 pickup continues to impress. The Colorado features a solid and well-planted ride, with good performance even when carrying a full load in the cargo bed. The 2.8-liter Duramax diesel is a particularly good choice both for those hauling a trailer and for buyers looking for great mileage. The ZR2, meanwhile, offers a well-engineered alternative to the Toyota Tacoma if you’re into off-roading.

While not quite as roomy or plush as comparable versions of the bigger Silverado, the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado offers a well-appointed cabin that goes well beyond the Spartan features you once expected from a midsize truck. The big updates for 2019, in fact, enhance the Colorado’s high-tech features, starting with its 3rd-generation infotainment system. Depending upon the trim level, it offers up to an 8-inch touch-screen display. That said, the cabin has the rugged feel of a truck that can stand up to serious work.

Unlike the crossover-SUV-based Honda Ridgeline, the new Colorado retains its traditional body-on-frame bones and a classically rugged exterior design. That may be a little conservative for some buyers, but it reinforces the rugged capabilities of this midsize truck. That’s especially true of the ZR2, which is designed to go rock-crawling over the weekend and then take you to your office on Monday. The off-road edition features a raised suspension, a wider track, revised bumpers and a functional skidplate.

DURAMAX DIESEL
The Chevrolet Colorado (and its sibling, the GMC Canyon) is the only midsize truck available with a diesel engine, and the 2.8-liter Duramax is a prize. Smooth and powerful, it offers a first-rate driving experience along with superior fuel economy. A Smart diesel exhaust brake enhances control while reducing brake wear.

COLORADO ZR2
Chevrolet pulled no punches introducing the 2018 Colorado ZR2; it continues for 2019 with serious off-road equipment including Multimatic shocks, independently lockable front and rear differentials, and additional skidplates under valuable components.

Chevy has come up with a version of the Colorado for just about every taste, need and budget. Even the base model offers some welcome features, such as the CornerStep rear bumper, locking tailgate and cargo-box lighting. The mainstream LT trim adds an 8-inch touch screen for the updated 2019 model’s gen-3 infotainment system, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite radio, as well as rear park assist. The ZR2 off-roader adds tow hooks, an off-road suspension package and skidplates.

The base 2019 Chevy Colorado features a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine. There are two optional powertrain packages: a 3.6-liter V-6 and the stump-pulling Duramax diesel. Like most trucks, Chevy also offers a wide range of body styles. That includes a crew cab, as well as standard and extended-length beds. You can add features like a spray-in bedliner, fog lights, cargo-bed storage rails, as well as all-wheel drive and a low-speed transfer case. The Z71 adds some off-road features, and the ZR2 takes you to rock-crawling extremes.

Where most midsize pickups offer a minimal choice of powertrain alternatives — if any choice at all — Chevy has three different packages, starting with the base 2.5-liter four, as well as a 3.6-liter V6 and the muscular 2.8-liter turbodiesel-4 that not only offers the truck’s best towing numbers, but also delivers its best fuel economy, at up to 30 mpg in rear-wheel-drive configuration. Depending on the model, the 2019 Chevy Colorado is available with either 2-wheel (rear) or 4-wheel drive (2WD, 4WD), and the Z71 and ZR2 models beef up off-road capabilities. A low-range gearbox is also on the option list.

2.5-liter inline-4
200 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm
191 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/26 mpg (manual, 2WD), 19/24 mpg (4WD)

3.6-liter V6
308 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm
275 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25 mpg (2WD), 17/24 mpg (4WD), 16/18 mpg (ZR2)

2.8-liter turbodiesel inline-4
186 horsepower @ 3,400 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/30 mpg (2WD), 19/28 mpg (4WD), 18/22 mpg (ZR2)