The 2023 Chevy Colorado Is the Best Mid-Size Truck, for Now
The mid-size truck segment is weird. Despite balooning sales volumes and increased competition, the average truck in the segment is old, visibly outdated, unsophisticated, and marred by compromise. The 2023 Chevy Colorado is a different story. With an all-new engine, a massively improved cabin, class-leading capability, and a value-oriented trim structure, it's the new king of the mid-size segment.
Holding on to that title may not be easy. Both the Toyota Tacoma and the Ford Ranger—Chevy's two biggest competitors in the segment—will be redesigned this year, with the former likely to include a new hybrid version and the latter a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine. But after a day and a half driving the LT, Trail Boss, and Z71 versions of the new Colorado, I'm convinced that it's got every other mid-sizer beat.
At its core the truck is fundamentally the same. The platform is the same, the styling is evolved but familiar, and the maximum tow rating is unchanged. What's different are the engine and cabin, primarily. There's a new-for-the-Colorado 2.7-liter four-cylinder as the only engine and an all-new electrical architecture underpinning a transformed cabin. That 2.7 debuted in the Silverado (with a side appearance in the Cadillac CT4-V), but it's a much better fit for this application.
There are three versions available, two of which share the same engine code. The standard and high-output versions of the "L38" make 310 hp each. Torque figures are momentous: 390 lb-ft for the mid-range model and 430 lb-ft for the HO, which comes standard in the off-road-oriented ZR2. It's well-fit for truck service, too, with all of that torque available at 3000 rpm. Chevy proudly notes that the best version of the L38 is 80 lbs lighter than the outgoing V-6, makes torque like the diesel, and should be nearly as efficient as the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-banger from the 2022 truck. If you don't need those kind of bragging rights, you can get the 237-hp base engine. It's largely the same as the L38, but ditches a few parts for cost reasons. There's no sound insulation on the fuel rail and fuel pump, and the piston squirter that cools the cylinder walls is removed due to the much lower combustion temperatures in the "L2R."
The L38 needs those squirters because its engine is under serious pressure. Chevy is feeding 27 lbs of boost into this four-cylinder at times. Kevin Luchansky, the architect of the engine, told Road & Track that the team designed this motor with a lot of expertise from the diesel team, and with similarly strong materials. A fully forged bottom end and tri-metal rod bearings are two examples, he said. The truck also gets an electronic—rather than mechanical—water pump, to keep coolant flowing when temps are high but revs are low. Altogether, Luchansky says the focus on durability is paying out: Silverados with the 2.7 are reporting low warranty and maintenance claims, and the truck's successive durability improvements (including a new block) should make it even better.
Perhaps more importantly, it's an incredibly strong engine for mid-size truck duty, even if we only sample the mid-grade motor. Power comes on early and tapers late, with only a whiff of turbo lag and some lovely boost noises. The eight-speed automatic is not as unflappable as the best in the business—with some light bucking when caught off guard—but it works. Max towing remains at 7700 lbs, tied with the Gladiator for best-in-class, but that rating is now applied to more of the truck's trims and configurations.
Speaking of which, there is no longer an extended-cab or long-bed version of the Colorado. All 2023s are crew cabs with a 5-foot box, due to customers increasingly opting for the four-door option. Lower trim complexity means lower production costs, a win here as the starting price for the crew-cab 2WD Work Truck is just $30,695 with destination. But the value sweet spot may be the Trail Boss, which gets a 2-inch factory lift, a G80 limited-slip differential, bolder styling, a wider track, an automatic four-wheel-drive system with low range, and a terrain management system all for $38,495 delivered.
On a brief off-road run, the Trail Boss and Z71 both handled a rutted fire road with some big mounds quite well. The hardcore will still want the ZR2 with its magic spool valve shocks and underbody protection, but the Trail Boss and Z71 can both handle anything you might encounter on an unmaintained trail into the country. They're not Wranglers, but if you're not seeking out tough obstacles intentionally, either will do quite well. And both are cheaper than a Ranger Tremor or Tacoma TRD Pro.
They're also much better on road than any Tacoma. There's some shimmy from the chassis over big bumps, and in the Trail Boss you occasionally encounter some bounding, but both are buttoned down at highway speed and plenty comfortable on road. The new driver's seat is a great place to spend time—reason alone to pick this truck over the Taco, with its tortuous buckets—and the cabin is mostly quiet at freeway speeds. That four-cylinder is a grumbly workhorse, however, and you'll hear its (new) truckish tone droning on through long uphill sections.
The steering is also considerably heavier than I expect from a mid-size truck, helping the Colorado capture the solid, unshakeable feeling you get behind the wheel of a half-ton. The brakes also inspire confidence. I've never driven a truck with such a firm, precise pedal. All of this made the truck easy to pilot on endlessly twisty Southern California back roads, at a pace beyond what any truck driver would expect or need.
It's also a nice place to spend time. Even the work truck gets Chevy's new 11.3-inch infotainment system, which is a revelation among pickups. It's smoother, crisper, better looking, and faster than any infotainment system this side of Tesla, with Google Assistant and Google Maps built in. The search box and graphics are so responsive that I found myself using the car's on-board navigation system over my phone's navigation apps, despite wireless CarPlay making that a cinch, too.
What's lacking are buttons and knobs--notably Chevy made the baffling decision to remove the headlight control switch. Lights are controlled only through the infotainment. There's also no tuning knob, a bummer if you're used to using the radio while wearing gloves. You still get knobs for climate control, buttons for heated and cooled seats, and a knob for volume, but the team relied a bit too much on the infotainment system and forced some compromises.
It's there, really, where the Colorado takes a step back. The new model is clearly designed with wealthier, younger buyers in mind, with a lifestyle-oriented pitch and a focus on technology and on-road drivability. Payload, towing, and off-road capability are all at or near the top of the class, but the digitization of the cabin and the switch to a one-engine, one-cab, one-bed offering makes this truck a little less compelling to contractors, small business owners, and those that use their trucks only as tools. If you want something simpler, or with a long bed, you'll just have to get a Silverado. For everyone else, this is an exceptional truck.
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