Silverado 1500 vs Colorado: Which Is Best for You?

In the late 1970s, we had a choice of two distinct sizes of pickup trucks. The two sizes were quite distinct. The smaller pickup trucks were compact-sized with engine outputs of under 150 hp or even under 100 hp. The full-sized trucks would have standard 6-cylinder engines, and most were purchased with V8s. Consequently, it was pretty easy to determine if a small economical truck was all you needed or if you required the capability of a full-size truck.

Things have changed. Smaller trucks like Chevrolet’s Colorado have grown to midsize. Full-size trucks have grown as well, but not up a whole size category. An even larger factor is that both the smaller and larger trucks feature four-door cabins that can carry up to five people, enabling them to double as family vehicles and making the smaller trucks seem much less small. Power overlaps as well, all of which makes the decision between the Colorado and Silverado a bit harder. This Chevrolet of Spring Valley blog post hopes to clarify some of the differences and commonalities between Chevrolet’s two truck lines.

Size and Body Configuration

When it comes to configuration, all the choices are with the Silverado. If you don’t need a back seat, you can choose a 2-door Regular Cab. There is also a Double Cab with a half-sized rear set of doors and a rear seat or the Crew Cab, which is a full-size 4-door. You also have a choice of short (70”), standard (80”), or long (98”) beds.

All Colorados have the same body configuration: a 4-door cab and a 61.7-inch-long bed. If you are considering the space in your garage, at 213 inches, the Colorado is 19 inches shorter than a Silverado 1500 Crew Cab with a short bed. The Colorado is also about 9 inches narrower, which may be the difference between walking or side-stepping next to it in the garage.

Powertrains

Silverado 1500 engine choices begin with a TurboMax 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 that produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque and is connected to an 8-speed automatic. The next available engine doubles the number of cylinders with a 5.3-liter V8, rated at 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Next up is a 3.0 Duramax turbo-diesel available on some trims that cranks out 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque. The Silverado’s largest engine is a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque that is available on upper trim levels and is only available with 4-wheel drive. All engines above the TurboMax are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The TurboMax and 4×4 have a towing capacity of 9,000 pounds, while some double-cab models with either the 6.2 V8 or the Duramax diesel have a capacity of over 13,000 pounds.

All Colorados are powered by a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4. In its most basic form, the engine is rated at 237 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. The TurboMax is optional on the WT and LT but standard on the rest of the Colorado lineup. It is the same as the standard Silverado engine, with the same 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque and 8-speed automatic transmission.

Colorado’s base towing capacity is 3,500 pounds, but it can rise to 7,700 pounds for the ZR1 and Trail Boss models.

Fuel Mileage

With the base engine, a 4×2 Colorado has an EPA estimated city/highway/combined mpg of 20/24/22. 4×4 trucks can get 19/23/21. The TurboMax engine, which is only available with a 4×4 drivetrain, is rated at 17/21/19. Models with larger all-terrain tires have lower estimates. TurboMax-powered Silverados are rated at 18/22/20 on 4×2 models and 18/21/19 with 4×4, again, with large tired models getting lower mpg.

The best Silverado fuel mileage comes from the Duramax diesel, which delivers 23/29/26 in 4×2 form and up to 23/27/24 on 4×4 models. The 5.3L V8 drops things to 16/22/18, and the 6.2L V8 is rated at up to 15/20/17 and 14/17/15 for 4×2 and 4×4, respectively.

Infotainment and Other Features

The Colorado and Silverado offer the comfort and convenience features of sedans and SUVs. All Colorado models have a standard 11.3-inch touchscreen, while Silverados have a proportionally larger 13.4-inch screen. Both screens are run by the feature-packed Google Built-in operating system, which features wireless Apple and Android compatibility and standard Google Maps navigation.

Chevrolet reserves some special features for the Silverado. A key example is the six-configuration Multi-Flex Tailgate, which is only available on the Silverado 1500. The Super Cruise hands-free driving system is also only available on Silverado models.

Price Ranges

When it comes to cost, both model lines have a wide price range. They do overlap, but only by a little. Colorado has a starting MSRP of $29,800, which can rise to $48,695 for the off-road-focused ZR2, but does not include any options. For the Silverado, the base MSRP for a Regular Cab standard bed 4×2 WT is $38,795, though a 4×2 Crew Cab with a short bed, which is more comparable to the Colorado configuration, starts at $44,495.

You can get a better-equipped Colorado for the same price as a Silverado. However, none of that will matter if you want to tow over 7,700 pounds. Both trucks are very capable and have been received well by critics, so unless you have a need that sends you directly to one of the two model lines, visit Chevrolet of Spring Valley and look at both model lines back-to-back.