Tested: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 4Ă—4 Crew Cab

Updated Apr 5, 2015

Road Test: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado

A midsize pickup for those who want a smaller pickup to help cut down on operating costs while still keeping comfort, handling and utility value in mind

Not everyone who works in the earth-moving world of construction needs a one-ton dually, or even a ½-ton pickup.

Many just need an efficient, reliable pickup as a mode of transportation that can be used once in a while to tow a trailer and enough payload to handle lighter duty work and recreational tasks.

Comfort, agility, utility, and fuel economy are key features of 2015 Colorado Z71 Crew Cab 4Ă—4.Comfort, agility, utility, and fuel economy are key features of 2015 Colorado Z71 Crew Cab 4Ă—4.

And there are also those who like to park their truck in the garage instead of out in the elements. The two-car garages in many of today’s traditional homes don’t accommodate a full-size pickup, while a midsize parks just fine.

It’s those types of needs where Chevrolets’ new Colorado Crew Cab 4×4 is a nice fit.

Like I talked about earlier this year when the Colorado debuted, GM has re-entered the midsize pickup market with the all-new 2015 Colorado (and GMC near-twin, Canyon).

The V-6 Z71 4×4 model I’m road testing for a week has 305hp and a towing capacity of 7,000 pounds, which means it can handle many lighter towing tasks with ease, all the while being more fuel-efficient and costing thousands less than a similarly equipped full-size model.

Colorados have a maximum tow rating of 7,000 pounds when equipped with the trailering package. Our test truck’s Landoll LT1220 trailer and Honda side-by-side combo weighed 4,800 pounds.Colorados have a maximum tow rating of 7,000 pounds when equipped with the trailering package. Our test truck’s Landoll LT1220 trailer and Honda side-by-side combo weighed 4,800 pounds.

Need to bring along a yard of mulch? No problem. The 4×4 Crew Cab shortbed can handle up to 1,440 pounds of payload, which is about 1 ½ yards of mulch.

Right now I’ve got a Landoll LT1220 tandem-axle tilt-deck trailer in tow carrying a Honda Pioneer side-by-side and a box-scraper headed to a friend’s landscape job.

The trailered weight is close to 5,000 pounds, but that doesn’t pose any issues with the truck’s handling or braking: The Colorado is very stable towing such a load.

Last weekend I used the Colorado to tow a 20-foot Hewescraft to the lake for a day out on the water with family and friends. Again, GM’s new midsize is right at home towing the 3,800-pound boat/trailer combo.

Such handling is testament to the midsize Colorado’s suspension and body-on-frame design that’s similar to its big brother, the Silverado.

The Colorado is more than competitive with its Toyota and Nissan rivals, too.

The Colorado Crew Cab 4×4 short box has a 900-pound towing advantage over a comparable Nissan Frontier, and a 500 pound advantage over the 4wd Toyota Tacoma Double Cab – and about a 200-pound advantage over both in load carrying capacity.

The Colorado also has a horsepower advantage over both of its closest competitors: The 305hp 3.6L Chevy V-6 outpaces both 4.0L Nissan and Toyota V-6s on the dyno by 44hp and 69hp, respectively.

Where I am a bit disappointed driving this new Colorado 4×4 is the engine has to be flogged to get those 300-plus ponies to raise their heads and run. GM’s little V-6 gets its peak horsepower some 1,500rpm higher than its competitor’s V-6s, with a redline around 6,800rpm.

GM’s 305hp 3.6L V6 is one of the most fuel-efficient and powerful in this class. We saw 25 mpg during highway trips and 17mpg in city driving.GM’s 305hp 3.6L V6 is one of the most fuel-efficient and powerful in this class. We saw 25 mpg during highway trips and 17mpg in city driving.

Then there’s the torque aspect. Despite the Colorado’s big horsepower advantage, GM’s 3.6L bests Toyota V-6 by just 3 lbs.-ft. in torque (266 lbs.-ft. vs 269 lbs.-ft. GM) and is 12 lbs.-ft. less than the Frontier’s V-6.

Torque is what gets a vehicle moving, not horsepower. So when you are tasked with hauling or towing a load, that low-end acceleration and hill-pulling ability is the result of engine torque.

The Colorado suffers in that arena compared to Toyota and Nissan.

Chevy’s Colorado is nearly a second slower to 60mph than the Frontier and a half-second loser than the Tacoma despite having a big horsepower advantage over both.

That’s because the competitors have lower axle ratios to help get them moving quicker and easier.

GM has saddled their midsize pickups with one axle ratio (3.42:1) in an effort to achieve “best-in-class” fuel economy numbers. There’re no other axle ratio options.

On the plus side, Colorado does deliver on unladen fuel economy. Thus far my highway numbers are steady at 25mpg and city driving in the mid-17mpg range. (EPA is 17city/24 highway.) Those are class-leading numbers.

Highway towing fuel economy has varied between 9.5-11.2mpg, with the higher number coming while towing a 3,800-pound Hewescraft boat/trailer combo and the lower mpg towing the lightly loaded Landoll equipment trailer.

So far I’ve put more than 600 highway miles on this Colorado. The Z71 4×4 crew cab package is the most comfortable and quietest of any midsize truck I’ve tested.

It’s not as spacious as the full-size Silverado 1500, and one wouldn’t expect it to be as the midsize Colorado is both narrower and shorter than its full-size brethren.

The Z71 trim level is the premium package. Power seats, lost of creature comforts and six-speed automatic are standard on this model. Seats have good support and there’s a lot of legroom.The Z71 trim level is the premium package. Power seats, lost of creature comforts and six-speed automatic are standard on this model. Seats have good support and there’s a lot of legroom.

But it’s every bit as quiet comfortable as the full-size trucks, and if you are a current GM pickup owner, the interior layout will be very familiar.

The front bucket seats of the Z71 model have excellent side and thigh bolsters, good support and adjustability, and plenty of track adjustment to fit the majority of drivers.

I really like the optional Bose sound system and the optional GM MyLink system that includes the big, bright 8” navigation system with touch-screen.

The touch screen, by the way, is easy to navigate with great connectivity features – and all the functions can be accessed by the passenger while the truck is rolling down the road.

The Crew Cab’s back seats are the nicest you’ll find in smaller pickups, with good legroom, bolsters like those found in front, and a flip-down center armrest/cup-holder that will make passengers comfy. The 60/40 split seatback folds down to open up rear storage, too.

During one off-pavement outing with the truck I found it necessary to slip into four-wheel-drive. The 4×4 Z71 Colorado uses the same GM electronic 4wd transfer case system as the ½-tons, so dropping into 4Hi on-the-fly was a simple turn of the dash-mounted control knob.

The transition from 2wd to 4wd and back is quick and silent. (Getting in/out of 4Lo requires stopping—or slowing below 3mph.)

One of the bonuses of buying the Z71 model is it comes standard with a ton of features including GM’s G80 locking rear differential, which adds considerably more traction than its competitors’ pickups’ limited-slips whether in 2wd or four-wheel-drive.

Colorado’s smaller size and quick steering makes it easy to maneuver around jobsites.Colorado’s smaller size and quick steering makes it easy to maneuver around jobsites.

The Colorado is right at home in tight confines, too; its steering is quick and overall visibility excellent.

That’s the beauty of GM’s newest midsize pickup: You sacrifice a little in muscle when putting it to work towing or hauling those bigger loads compared to a full-size ½-ton with a V-8.

But trucks like the 2015 Colorado Crew Cab 4×4 make up for it in fuel economy and maneuverability during all those other times when there’s nothing hooked to the hitch, or the loads it is tasked with moving are of the lighter variety.

I think it’ll make a good parts chaser, light-duty work truck, and all-around commuter pickup for those who want to keep annual operating costs down.

Chevy Colorado SpecificationsColoradoDetailBWS_0862

  • Make/Model: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Crew Cab 4Ă—4 Short Bed
  • Base MSRP: $34,115
  • Price as tested: $36,710
  • Engine: 305hp 3.6L V-6
  • Transmission: 6spd automatic
  • Axle Ratio: 3.42 w/G80 locking rear diff
  • Suspension (f/r): IFS coil-over/Solid-axle w/ leaf springs
  • Seating: 2/3
  • Fuel Tank: 21 gal.
  • EPA MPG: 17 city / 24 highway
  • Observed MPG: 17.5 city / 25.1 highway
  • Towing Capacity: 7,000 lbs. (as equipped)
  • Payload: 1,590 lbs.
  • Performance: 0-60mph: 8.1 sec; ÂĽ-mile: 16.1 sec @ 89mph

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