Truck Month: The 2015 Chevy Colorado and Silverado Pickup Trucks

Chevrolet has named September its “Truck Month,” and in that spirt your local Chevy dealers in Ohio are offering outstanding deals on the 2015 Chevy Colorado and Silverado pickup trucks. How can you know which truck is right for you?

We’ve done the legwork for you and have compiled the stats and features distinguishing one from the other. While the choice is ultimately up to you, we feel confident that either pickup truck, the 2015 Chevy Colorado or 2015 Chevy Silverado, are ideal trucks to help you “Find New Roads.”

Read on for a quick profile of each pickup…

The 2015 Chevy Colorado Gets an “A”

At least, according to the discerning automotive industry experts at Edmunds, this year’s Chevy Colorado gets top marks. And for good reason…plenty of reasons, actually.

Starting with the basics, the 2015 Chevy Colorado is a  midsize truck with full-grown capability. Slightly larger than the discontinued Colorado, which exited the market in 2012, this year’s Colorado features a total makeover. Now closer in size to its competitors, the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, the 2015 Chevy Colorado takes the lead with respect to fuel economy and enhanced interior.

No longer available as a regular cab, the new Colorado comes as either an extended-cab, owing to its six-foot, two-inch bed, or a crew cab, which boasts four doors and either a five-foot, two-inch short bed or the extended bed.

A Colorado’s Trimmings

For the 2015 model year, in addition to the two bed lengths, the Colorado comes in four trim levels: Base and Work Truck, the LT, and the high-end Z71.

From the Base Colorado, which is exclusively offered as an extended cab, expect standard equipment like: automatic headlights, air-conditioning, four-way power driver seat, tilt-only steering wheel, rearview camera, power windows, daytime running lights, front bucket seats, six-speaker AM/FM stereo system and 4.2-inch screen with USB and audio jacks.

Stepping up to the Work Truck, you get more task-master type options, like the WT Convenience package, consisting of keyless entry, cruise control, EZ-Lift tailgate, and anti-theft system. Or, the Work Truck Appearance package which spruces up the Colorado’s exterior with body-color mirrors, door handles, and rear bumper, all atop 16-inch alloy wheels.

Move up to the Colorado LT trim level and you’ll get the best of the WT Convenience and Work Truck Appearance packages, as well as an overhead console, an adjustable leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, power-adjustable exterior mirrors with integrated convex spotter mirrors, cruise control, OnStar support, Chevy’s own MyLink audio, which includes satellite and Pandora radio, and an eight-inch touchscreen, the LT also has larger, 17-inch alloy wheels.

Additional features come from the LT Convenience package, and include the EZ-Lift tailgate, rear window defogger, front foglights, and remote start. Want a little extra luxury? Check out the Luxury package, which can be added to the LT Convenience package, and includes heated power-adjustable chrome exterior mirrors, four-way power front passenger seat, chrome door handles to match the rear bumper, power lumbar adjustment for both driver and front passenger, automatic climate control, heated front seats, projector-style headlights, and automatic dimming rearview mirrors.

For extra safety, you can get lane departure warning and forward collision alert systems by adding the optional Safety package.

But, when it comes to the top of the line, the Colorado Z71 is where you should set your sights. The Z71 was once an off-roading option, and it continues to offer adventure enhancements like suspension tuned for off-roading, supported by hill descent control, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a combination cloth-leatherette interior materials.

How about that power?

You’ve got two engine options in the 2015 Chevy Colorado. The first, is the standard 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder, which generates 200 horsepower and 191 lb.-ft. of torque. When paired with a six-speed manual transmission, the Colorado gets 19 city/26 highway/22 mpg combined. The six-speed automatic transmission returns 20 city/27 highway/22 mpg combined with the two-wheel drive, while the four-wheel drive gets 19 city/25 highway/21 mpg combined.

Depending on its equipment, the 2015 Chevy Colorado is able to two a maximum of 3,500 pounds.

For added power, you can always opt for the 3.6-liter V6 engine, which produces 305 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy from this drivetrain is delivered at 18 city/26 highway/21 mpg combined to the two-wheel drive trucks, with four-wheel drive returning fuel efficiency rated at 17 city/24 highway/20 mpg combined. With the right equipment the V6 Colorado pickups can tow up to 7,000 pounds.

The Colorado is a quick, too. According to Edmunds, the 4WD Colorado crew cab short bed tested made the zero to sixty mph sprint in 7.5 seconds – great numbers for the pickup truck segment.

And Edmunds brake testing was equally impressive, with the Colorado able to stop from sixty mph in 129 feet, a good five feet shorter than the results averaged by its competitors.

This, along with the Colorado’s slew of standard and available active and passive safety features yielded top marks for safety from both government crash tests and the Insurance Instiute for Highway Safety.

If you want a capable truck with comfort and refinement, the 2015 Chevy Colorado is an enticing option.

The 2015 Chevy Silverado: A Full-Sized Force

If you want a full-sized pickup truck, the Silverado is the truck to test drive.

With a range of cab and cargo bed combinations to choose from, the Silverado is available in both two and four-wheel drive, much like the Colorado – only bigger.

The trim levels for the regular cabs, with either a 6.5-foot or 8.2-foot truck bed, include the Work Truck, LS, and LT. If you need the extra room afforded by the extended cab, your trim choices are found in the WT, LT, LS, and LTZ levels.

All Silverados, with the exception of the LTZ levels, are equipped with the standard 4.3-liter V6 engine, producing 285 horsepower and 305 lb.-ft. of torque, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission, operated by four or rear-wheel drive. Thus equipped, the two-wheel drive Silverado gets an EPA-estimated 18 miles/24 highway/20 mpg combined. The four-wheel drive sees a slight decrease to 17 city/22 highway/19 mpg combined.

Depending on equipment, the Silverado with standard V6 power is able to tow a range of 5,500-7,600 pounds.

Towing capacity increases to 6,200 and upwards of 11,500 pounds when the Silverado is outfitted with the available 5.3-liter V8 engine, standard on the LTZ, rated at 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque.

In rear-wheel drive, the V8 Silverado gets you 16 city/23 highway/19 mpg combined, while 4WD returns 16 city/22 highway/18 mpg combined.

Quick, like its smaller-boned sibling, the Silverado was measured at 6.8 seconds in Edmund’s zero to sixty mph performance testing.

If you want even more power, check out the High Country trims, which are available on the LTZ, and come with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, which is backed by 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, operated by an eight-speed automatic transmission.

With the High Country option, you’ll be able to pull anywhere from 9,100-12,000 pounds. Depending on the tasks at hand, you  might need to opt for this Silverado. Whether or not you choose the two-wheel or four-wheel drive, this V8 returns the same EPA estimated numbers, measured at 15 city/21 highway/17 mpg combined.

Similar to the Colorado, the Silverado garnered top safety awards from federal crash tests and the IIHS, stopping shorter than most other full-size pickup trucks from sixty mph in 128 feet.

Tough Truck Month Decisions…

Truck Month is giving us a lot to celebrate from Chevy. The choice to drive a Colorado over a Silverado or vice-versa really just comes down to size and how much space and towing strength you need. Consider your driving preferences and the tasks you intend to put this truck up against.

Either way, there are no better trucks out there to help you “Find New Roads” safely, and in style than the 2015 Chevy Colorado and Silverado.