Chevy vs Toyota: Whose Midsize Truck Is the Better Daily Driver?

If you’re looking for a versatile pickup truck that can work hard and play hard but also get you around town comfortably, it would be ideal for you to find a midsize model. While these models can’t tow or haul quite as much as a full-size truck can, a capable midsize model can handle the needs of most drivers while providing a smaller footprint that’s easier to maneuver in tight spaces, from cramped worksites to tight off-road trails to narrow city streets.

A good model in this class will be well-rounded and work well as a daily driver. With that in mind, let’s take a look at two popular midsize trucks and see how each one functions for day-to-day driving. In the battle of 2025 Chevy Colorado vs 2025 Toyota Tacoma, there are plenty of aspects to explore, from onboard tech to what’s under the hood. We’ll take a balanced look at a variety of different categories so you can get a good idea of which truck is the most well-rounded.

Powertrains

Before a truck can be a good daily driver, it has to first be a good truck, and that means having plenty of towing and hauling capability. The 2025 Chevy Colorado delivers on that front, with a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs and a payload capacity of 1,684 lbs—and you don’t even need to upgrade to a top-tier trim level or pay extra for a more powerful engine to get this capability. Every 2025 Colorado is powered by a 2.7L TurboMax I-4 engine that can produce up to 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. Even the ZR2 trim, which is designed for off-road play rather than work, can tow up to 6,000 lbs so that you can bring plenty of equipment along.

The Tacoma’s engine just can’t match the Colorado’s capability. The base SR trim comes with an underpowered version of Toyota’s 2.4L turbocharged I-4 that produces just 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, giving the truck a maximum towing capacity of just 3,500 lbs. Upgrading to a higher trim can get you a version of the engine that’s tuned to produce more competitive stats, with up to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, a decent towing capacity of 6,500 lbs, and a solid payload capacity of 1,690 lbs. Unfortunately, the trim one step up from SR (the Tacoma SR5) blows past the base price of the two most affordable trims of the Colorado (the WT and LT), so you have to pony up over $36k to still end up with less power than you’ll get from a $32k Chevy.

Ride Quality

If you’re going to be driving around town in your truck regularly, you certainly want the ride to be comfortable. While the 2025 Tacoma has a decent ride quality for the segment, you can still feel its size from behind the wheel; it’s not particularly quick and the steering is better than previous generations but still not amazing. As for its brakes, a reviewer for MotorTrend testing a 2024 model found that they weren’t quick to act and took some getting used to, going so far as to say that the brakes’ feel “wouldn’t instill [them] with confidence when towing or hauling heavier loads.” That’s not how you want to feel if you’re running errands around town with a full bed.

While the Tacoma’s ride quality is fine for a truck, the 2025 Colorado’s is exceptional. Chevy has put its expert knowledge to good use, crafting a pickup that doesn’t feel as big or heavy as it is when you’re driving around town. Part of the secret to that success is its powerful engine, which gives you more than enough juice to glide through a drive at a range of speeds and with a variety of loads being carried in the bed or towed in a trailer. Its steering is solid and its braking feels secure, so you can drive with confidence wherever you go.

Cargo Space

We’ll give the Tacoma this: it does offer two different bed lengths instead of just one. The standard 5-foot bed is similar to the one on the Colorado while the available 6-foot bed is obviously significantly longer. Of course, getting this option does cost extra and eats into the turning radius, defeating some of the advantages of driving a midsize truck instead of a full-size model. While its slick composite plastic bed is useful for easily sliding bulky cargo in and out, it can be tricky when you’re trying to climb up into the bed, move around to get your cargo, and come back down.

Chevy’s 5-foot, two-inch bed is the sole offering for the 2025 model year and it’s got plenty of space for work gear, materials, or kicking back at tailgate parties. This steel bed is tough and can be had with a durable spray-in bedliner that provides a textured, non-skid surface perfect for protecting the metal’s surface, preventing cargo from shifting in the bed and giving you a solid grip underfoot while you’re loading and unloading. Chevy’s clever CornerStep bumper, which comes standard on all trims except the ZR2, also makes it easy to climb in and out—an elegant solution to help give you a boost into the cargo area.

Infotainment

Whether you’re driving around town or out on a longer road trip, you want to be able to stay connected and entertained during the drive. That means having a state-of-the-art infotainment system to help you make and take calls, play audio entertainment, and more. Both the Tacoma and the Colorado come standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so that you can connect your phone to the truck’s interface. But that interface itself isn’t going to be great if you opt for an entry-level trim of the Tacoma since the standard system has a small 8-inch screen.

Upgrading to the larger 14-inch screen means forking over more cash for a higher trim level. On the Chevy, meanwhile, all trims come standard with the same 11.3-inch central touchscreen, which also features Google Built-In, so you can have a digital assistant to help you out on the go. On top of that, the Colorado’s base 6-speaker audio system outpowers the Tacoma’s 4-speaker equivalent, so you can enjoy your music loud and clear as you go about your day.

The Colorado Has Your Back All Week Long

The Tacoma is a beloved truck for a reason: it’s capable, fairly comfortable, and reasonably reliable. But the Colorado has it beat where it counts: it’s stronger, it drives better, and it gives you more bang for your buck. This midsize Chevy is a well-rounded pickup that’s equally at home on the highway, in a parking lot, or out on the trails. That means you can tackle anything life throws your way with confidence, knowing that you’ve got the perfect ride to take you and your cargo where you need to go.

If you’re in the market for a truck like that, visit us here at McCluskey Chevrolet. Our friendly team can walk you through the 2025 Colorado’s trim lineup and help you find a model that’s perfect for you so you can get more out of your time behind the wheel.