How the 2025 Colorado Bests the 2025 Honda Ridgeline

Pickup trucks come in all shapes and sizes; in fact, many pickup truck drivers feel these are the most important factors in choosing a truck. While full-size trucks are capable of handling heavier loads, many drivers gravitate to midsize trucks due to how well they perform both on and off the road. And while smaller trucks like the Chevy Colorado and Honda Ridgeline won’t ever be mistaken for heavy-duty trucks, they are still extremely versatile, with plenty of power and towing capacity for most drivers.

But how do you compare the 2025 Chevy Colorado vs 2025 Honda Ridgeline? How do you decide which of these smaller trucks is best suited to your lifestyle? From power output to multitasking and more, there are plenty of reasons why we choose the Colorado over the Ridgeline. Take a look to see whether you agree with our reasoning and whether you should add a Chevy Colorado to your garage.

Power and Capabilities

Historically speaking, Honda has ruled in the midsize truck segment. However, for 2025, Chevy has discontinued its less-powerful standard engine option, leaving the TurboMax I-4 engine in charge of the entire lineup. With 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, the 2.7L TurboMax I-4 engine gives the 2025 Colorado an incredible amount of juice. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, this engine is nimble, quick, and responsive. Whether you’re tooling around the city streets or are twenty miles north of nowhere, this engine provides plenty of reliable gusto.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline is powered by a hefty 3.5L V6 engine that’s good for 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, which is a rather meek output considering the engine’s size. While this is certainly plenty of power for most city travels, drivers who are looking for off-roading ability or excellent towing prowess will appreciate the extra power provided by the Colorado’s engine.

Offered exclusively as a four-door Crew Cab paired with a 5.2-ft short bed, the 2025 Chevy Colorado is capable of towing up to 7,700 lbs. The 2025 Honda Ridgeline has a slightly larger bed, measuring 5.3 feet, and it is also offered exclusively with a four-door Crew Cab. The towing capacity of the Ridgeline reflects its less powerful engine, though, as the maximum strength rating is a mere 5,000 lbs, according to Honda. If this discrepancy wasn’t bad enough, it’s not like the Ridgeline makes up for it with a better payload rating; the 2025 Colorado can haul 1,684 lbs, while the 2025 Ridgeline can haul only 1,583 lbs—over a hundred pounds less.

Off-Road Performance

Not every driver requires off-road capability from their pickup truck, but for those who do, both the 2025 Chevy Colorado and 2025 Honda Ridgeline provide an interpretation of adventure-readiness. Off-roading is one area in which the 2025 Colorado definitely shines. Whether you’re looking for a truck that can adapt to strange terrain or one that can conquer defined trails, Chevy has an appropriate option in the Colorado’s trim lineup.

The Colorado Trail Boss offers the most basic off-road setup with all-terrain tires, standard all-wheel drive, an off-road-tuned suspension that takes ground clearance up to 9.5 inches, and an Autotrac two-speed transfer case. The Colorado Z71 adds red recovery hooks, LED lighting, and plenty of luxury features such as leather seating. The ZR2 trim raises the suspension and increases ground clearance to 10.7 inches while offering off-road necessities like a driver-selectable full-locking rear differential and Multimatic DSSV dampers.

If that is still not enough off-road prowess, drivers can consider the 2025 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, a collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) to create a best-in-class off-roader. With 35-inch tires, five boron steel underbody skid plates, and an impressive 12.2-inch ground clearance, this truck is designed to go anywhere, as proven by desert racer Chad Hall.

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline does not have such diverse off-roading chops. The suspension on its TrailSport trim is tuned for off-roading, and this trim goes even further with all-terrain tires and all-season floor mats. Still, even though the Ridgeline is offered with standard all-wheel drive and the capability to tackle slippery surfaces, its ground clearance is a mere 7.6 inches, which limits how much actual “trail” the TrailSport can tackle.

Overall Versatility

There are many ways to measure a truck’s overall capabilities, including towing and off-road prowess, but a truck is so much more than this. For example, the most instrumental part of a pickup truck is its box bed.

The 2025 Colorado includes up to 17 available tie-downs, with eight fixed cleats and up to nine movable points. The tailgate can be configured in several different ways, depending on the trim and options selected. Folded down, it can support up to 500 lbs, and it has an optional StowFlex integrated storage space. A handy ruler tool is built into the tailgate, while available features like cargo bed lighting and a 120-volt power outlet will make your truck even more useful.

All 2025 Honda Ridgeline trims include a two-way tailgate that supports 300 lbs when folded down or swings outward from a side hinge. A 150-watt bed outlet is issued only to the top of the trim ladder, as is bed lighting. To its credit, Honda also provides drivers with a lockable 7.3-cu.ft. trunk space beneath the load floor, creating a smart place to put smaller or more valuable tools.

Points of Interest

There are always a few features that we can’t live without. Thankfully, both Chevy and Honda offer their pickup trucks in a variety of trim levels, allowing every driver to find the spot where their desires and their budget meet.

The 2025 Chevy Colorado is offered in WT, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2 trims, with the ZR2 Bison Package available for those who choose the lattermost trim. Standard features across the lineup include safety tech like Rear Cross-Traffic Braking, a six-speaker audio system, an 11-inch Driver Information Center, and an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google Built-In. Moving up the trim ladder unlocks features like heated power-adjustable front seats with lumbar settings, HD Surround Vision, an underbody camera, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Every trim in the 2025 Ridgeline’s lineup includes the famously robust Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance technology and a seven-speaker audio system. However, the Ridgeline has a standard nine-inch touchscreen and a seven-inch driver display. Stepping up to the RTL trim unlocks heated power-adjustable seats and the auto-dimming rearview mirror. Selecting the top Black Edition trim brings ventilated seating and a premium upgraded audio system, which are offered in the Colorado’s Z71 and ZR2 trims.

Why We Choose the 2025 Colorado

There are plenty of things to like about the 2025 Honda Ridgeline, especially if you’re looking for a daily driver that doesn’t have to do too much hard work. However, if you like your truck to be able to not only perform but excel at tasks like towing, stowing, and going wherever you need to go, the 2025 Chevy Colorado is far more well-equipped.

With a more powerful engine, greater towing prowess, and more off-roading options and equipment, the Chevy Colorado is an easy choice over the Honda Ridgeline—especially when you consider that the base Colorado costs way less than the base Ridgeline.