Chevrolet Colorado
2018 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
The Chevrolet Colorado is nearly identical to the GMC Canyon, which also earns a spot on this list for its dependability. Chevy introduced the Colorado in 2004 as a replacement for its previous compact pickup, the Chevrolet S-10. The Colorado has been known for dependability throughout its run, which is unsurprising given the strong history of Chevrolet. The Colorado gets good safety ratings and comes with a strong warranty to show the confidence that Chevy has in the auto. Specifically, the Colorado comes with a 36,000-mile/3-year basic warranty plus a 60,000-mile/5-year powertrain warranty.
The Colorado is a nice, dependable option for those in search of a compact truck that can provide daily comfort and some capability without the pricing or loss of efficiency that come with a full-size truck. You can choose to configure the Colorado with one of five trim levels, two bed lengths, and two cabin sizes.
2018 Chevrolet Colorado Z71
The Colorado Base for the latest model year has some features that stick to basics, such as vinyl upholstery. However, it doesn’t lack in terms of other features, such as power windows, power adjustment for the driver, Bluetooth, voice controls, a 7-inch display, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Chevy MyLink. If you want more features from your Colorado, you can also get a version with leather upholstery, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, Bose audio, heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and navigation. You can also find advanced safety technologies, such as lane-departure warning and forward-collision warning.
Those who want to put the off-roading capabilities of their dependable truck to the test should consider the Z71. It has all-terrain tires, a locking rear differential, an off-road-oriented suspension, and hill descent control. The ZR2 does even better in off-road conditions with its raised suspension featuring unique dampers and fender flares. It also has larger all-terrain tires, a spray-in bedliner, an electronically locking rear differential, and special bodywork that enhances the departure and approach angles.
As with most compact pickup trucks, the Colorado’s base engine is a 4-cylinder. In this case, it is a 2.5-liter with 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. It works with a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, depending on the trim level. Most drivers will want to go with either the 308-horsepower, 275-pound-foot 3.6-liter V6 or the 181-horsepower, 369-pound-foot 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel. You also get the choice of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on most trims, except the ZR2. It has a 4-wheel-drive system with a part-time transfer case for wet pavement, plus the Chevy AutoTrac system that has an automatic mode.
