Chevrolet Colorado vs Toyota Tacoma: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Tacoma burns about $2,550 of fuel annually against $2,800 for the Chevrolet Colorado. That $250 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,250 over five years and $2,000 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Toyota Tacoma is the stronger commuter at 23 mpg city, while the Chevrolet Colorado pulls ahead on the interstate at 30 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Chevrolet Colorado is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Late Model Year, SIDI; Stop-Start), the Toyota Tacoma with 4 (SIDI & PFI; 3-mode(Sport/Normal/Eco), w/SS, SIDI & PFI; 2-mode(Power/Normal) TM, w/SS, SIDI & PFI). Across 91 recorded Chevrolet Colorado configurations and 90 for the Toyota Tacoma, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Chevrolet Colorado is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Tacoma with Rear-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Pickup Trucks 4WD and Small Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Tacoma emits 379 g/mile of CO2 versus 396 g/mile for the Chevrolet Colorado. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.