Midsize Matchup: 2024 Chevy Colorado vs 2024 Nissan Frontier

Chevy and Nissan have both made some significant improvements to their midsize pickups over the last few years, but which one comes out on top in the battle of the 2024 Chevy Colorado vs 2024 Nissan Frontier? Debuting in 2023, the third-gen Colorado marks a notable upgrade over its predecessor; Chevy has simplified the Colorado while retaining everything that’s made it such a success in the midsize segment, hitting the sweet spot between comfort, convenience, and performance on the way to earning a 2024 Editors’ Choice award from Car and Driver. With six trims to choose from—including three off-road-ready variants that allow drivers to get out and explore the road less traveled—the 2024 Colorado can be customized to fit a wide range of driving styles and preferences.

Nissan also updated its midsize Frontier in 2022—but while the third-gen model is certainly an improvement in the looks department, some drivers might find Nissan’s budget-oriented focus to be a bit underwhelming. That’s not to say the Frontier is a dud, as this pickup is competitively priced and comes standard with a powerful 310-hp V6, but it falls behind the rest of the pack in some key areas. Let’s take a deep dive into each model and see which truck comes out on top in this midsize matchup…

Capacity & Comfort

If there’s one area where the midsize pickup segment has lagged, it would have to be passenger capacity and comfort—but that’s all changing. While four-door trucks were once a rarity, more and more automakers are offering spacious cabins that make these models an increasingly popular choice for those seeking a reliable family vehicle. Just take the 2024 Colorado, for example; Chevy dropped the Extended Cab design as it moved into the pickup’s third generation, meaning all customers will be treated to the roomy four-door Crew Cab with seating for up to five passengers.

However, judging a vehicle’s comfort based solely on the number of passengers it can accommodate can be a little misleading; you could advertise a five-passenger capacity only to deliver a cramped cabin that has riders feeling like they’re packed into a 4WD sardine can—but that’s not the case with the 2024 Colorado. Chevy’s midsize pickup offers more generous dimensions in almost every category when compared to the Frontier, outpacing the Crew Cab model in everything from front headroom and legroom to second-row legroom and cargo capacity.

The difference is even more noticeable when comparing the Colorado to the Frontier’s smaller King Cab design. While the two-door Nissan does beat the Frontier when it comes to cargo capacity, the Colorado is superior in almost every other comfort-related measurement. Not only can the Colorado accommodate one more passenger than the Frontier’s King Cab, but it’s also designed with an extra four inches of second-row shoulder room and more than eight inches of second-row legroom. It might not sound like much of a gulf at first, but it can make all the difference if you’re looking to improve passenger comfort on longer rides.

Safety Technology

Today’s pickups have come a long way from the bare-boned work trucks of old. Designed with well-appointed interiors that are packed with advanced tech and safety features, these trucks can rival any other class in terms of the sort of family-friendly features that are so important to modern drivers. When you start looking at standard safety features, the 2024 Colorado is certainly one of the standouts of the midsize segment. This truck is packed with a generous suite of cutting-edge tech as part of the Chevy Safety Assist suite, meaning customers won’t feel nickel-and-dimed when trying to access the features that can mean the difference between a close call and a major accident.

Features like child safety locks and daytime running lights might seem like par for the course, but just tell that to Nissan; while the Colorado offers both as standard features, they’re not even an option on the 2024 Frontier. The same is true of advanced driver assistance features like lane-keeping assist, which is notably absent from the Frontier. The Colorado also comes standard with a forward-collision and lane-departure warning system and automated emergency braking, but Nissan has locked these vital safety features behind a pesky paywall.

Likewise, adaptive cruise control and cross-traffic alerts are both optional add-ons for the Colorado, but the latter is nowhere to be found on the Frontier. Both trucks have earned solid ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but if you’re in the market for value, the Colorado is the clear winner.

Towing & Payload

You can pack a truck with all the advanced safety, convenience, and entertainment tech you want, but drivers are always going to put a premium on a model’s work-ready credentials. Whether you’re looking at a hard day on the job or a weekend of off-the-grid fun, the Chevy Colorado offers plenty of towing and payload capacity for whatever the drive might hold. The truck’s 2.7-liter TurboMax engine is heavy on the torque, allowing the Colorado to post a best-in-class maximum towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. That number drops to 3,500 lbs when opting for the Colorado’s base engine, which, while sufficient for most applications, provides a compelling reason to invest in the Trail Boss trim or higher.

The Frontier holds its own in terms of towing capacity but fails to live up to the high bar set by the Colorado and its cousin, the GMC Canyon. Still, the Nissan’s 6,720-lb maximum towing capacity is good enough to land it a third-place finish behind the Colorado/Canyon and Ford Ranger. There’s only one problem: in order to reach that number, drivers will have to opt for Frontier’s most basic configuration in the 2WD S trim with the smaller King Cab. The Frontier’s towing capacity drops to 6,470 lbs on some models and as low as 6,260 lbs on the SV trim when equipped with the Crew Cab, 4WD, and the longest bed. That said, the Colorado and Frontier are pretty well-matched when it comes to payload capacity, with a max rating of 1,684 and 1,620 lbs, respectively.

Fuel Economy

It’s really a tale of two different approaches when you compare the fuel efficiency of the 2024 Colorado and 2024 Frontier. Nissan has opted for an old-fashioned, naturally aspirated approach in the Frontier, bucking the trend that has seen a number of major automakers gravitate toward including turbochargers as part of their design. This allows the midsize Nissan to offer more power than some of its rivals, but this extra brawn definitely comes at the cost of fuel economy. The Frontier’s 3.8-liter V6 is a thirsty little powerplant that limits it to an EPA-estimated 18 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway for the 4WD model; the latter number rises to 24 MPG on the highway when you choose the RWD Frontier.

The Colorado’s turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four is a different story. The addition of forced induction goes a long way, allowing the Colorado to post an impressive 20 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway for most RWD models. The beastly ZR2 trim does fall a bit behind the curve with 17 MPG in the city and 19 MPG on the highway, but that’s a small price to pay for the sort of off-road fun such a rugged truck can deliver. 4WD versions of the Colorado average out to around 18 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway, which are still solid numbers for the midsize segment. Fuel economy might not be the first thing a driver considers when shopping for a new truck, but in an age of fluctuating gas prices, it’s an important metric to keep in mind.

Check Out the 2024 Chevy Colorado

From seating and interior space to fuel economy, safety features, cargo, and payload capacity, the 2024 Chevy Colorado holds a clear advantage over the Nissan Frontier. This should come as little surprise to longtime fans of the Chevy brand, which has largely built its reputation on hard-working trucks like the Colorado. The new model year marks a new milestone for the midsize Chevy with the debut of the ZR2 Bison, an upgraded version of the existing ZR2 off-road trim that distinguishes itself with a little help from the off-road and overland experts at American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).

The Frontier also gains a new trim option for 2024 as Nissan unveils the retro Hardbody Edition that takes a number of design cues from the 1980s pickup of the same name. Still, aside from a new bed-mounted sports bar, it comes across as little more than a nostalgic appearance package. Drivers will have to weigh their driving needs and preferences when deciding between the 2024 Chevy Colorado and Nissan Frontier, but one certainly makes a more convincing case than the other.