2022 Chevy Colorado vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma

• 2022 Chevy Colorado

  

  Starting at

  $25,200 ^[a]

  2022 Toyota Tacoma

  

  Starting at

  $27,150

  181-308	Horsepower (hp)	159-278
  191-369	Torque (lb-ft)	180-265
  7,700	Max Towing (lbs)	6,800

  When you need a dependable midsize pickup, there are only a few names that you can turn to in order to rely on for great performance, capabilities, and the latest in tech. However, when deciding which midsize truck to get, it can become difficult trying to figure out what works best for you. If you have been deliberating between the 2022 Chevy Colorado vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma, hopefully, we can put the debate to rest by outlining the pros, cons, drawbacks, and benefits that each truck has.

  For the 2022 model year, Toyota heightened the ground clearance of the midsize pickup by up to 1.1 inches for the Trail Edition and up to 1.5 inches for the TRD Pro trim in the front. The TRD Pro also received a 0.5-inch lift in the rear, along with reinforced, machine-forged aluminum control arms for high-strength rebounding while traveling off-road. All new all-terrain wheels for the TRD Pro have also been added to the line-up from Goodyear Territory, featuring a wider track width. You can get the 2022 Toyota Tacoma in six trims, including the SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, and TRD Pro.

  The 2022 Chevy Colorado has also received new off-road compliments for the model year, rivaling the Toyota Tacoma in that area. This includes the all-new Trail Boss Package for the LT and Z71 trims, which includes a 1-inch suspension leveling kit, as well as front and mid-vehicle undercarriage skid plates and 17-inch ZR2 black accessory wheels. You also get special black Colorado and Chevy bow tie badging along with red tow hooks and the elimination of the front air dam for improved approach angles. The Colorado is available in four different trims, including the base WT trim, the customizable LT trim, the high-performance Z71, and the off-road-tuned ZR2 trim, which is based on the championship-winning race model.

• Performance

  

  The Tacoma Has Two Engines for You

  Both the 2022 Toyota Tacoma and 2022 Chevy Colorado have multiple powertrains for different purposes in rear-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations. The Tacoma has a 2.7-liter inline 4-cylinder as its base power plant, delivering 159 horsepower at 180 pound-feet of torque. A second powertrain is available in the form of a 3.5-liter V6, which outputs 278 horsepower at 265 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, but you can get the V6 in a 6-speed manual as well.

  The Chevy Colorado Has Three

  The 2022 Chevy Colorado gives you three different options, all of which are significantly more powerful than the Tacoma's offerings. The base 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder for the Colorado produces 200 horsepower at 191 pound-feet of torque, which is nearly 21% more horsepower and almost 6% more torque than the Tacoma's 4-cylinder. So in terms of base power, you're simply getting more out of the Colorado than the Tacoma.

  The Colorado also has a 3.6-liter V6 that delivers 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque for a lot of high-revving action on the more performance-driven trims. Alternatively, if you want something with a lot of low-end torque and great fuel economy, the Colorado offers a 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel. The inline 4-cylinder diesel manages 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.

  The Vehicle That Does the Most for You

  Both the 4-cylinder options for the Colorado are paired up with 6-speed automatic transmissions, while the V6 is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. But it's not just about getting more power out of the Colorado over the Tacoma. In terms of gas mileage, the Duramax turbo-diesel nets you better figures than the Tacoma both in the city and on the highway. At the top end of its offerings, the Tacoma gives you up to 19 miles per gallon in the city and up to 24 miles per gallon on the highway. Meanwhile, at the top-end of its offerings, the Colorado nets you 20 miles per gallon in the city and up to 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

  Also, while the Tacoma offers a performance cat-back system for the TRD Pro, the Colorado offers an enhanced cat-back performance exhaust system for every trim, along with the availability of a performance air intake system. So not only does the Colorado offer overall better performance than the Tacoma where it counts, but you can also customize and upgrade the Colorado trims to be more performance enriched, if that's what you want. The added bonus of better fuel economy is just the cherry on top of the performance feats for the 2022 Chevy Colorado.

• Capabilities

  

  Towing and Payload Side-by-Side

  Pickup trucks serve a different purpose on the road compared to typical sedans and SUVs. They're expected to be more rugged and handle more utilitarian tasks than smaller vehicles. In that regard, both the midsize trucks offered by Chevy and Toyota get the job done. However, one manages to do it better than the other. In terms of payload, the Tacoma does edge out the Colorado with its 4-cylinder, but in terms of towing and trailering, the Colorado takes the cake no matter what the configuration is.

  The Tacoma tops out at 6,800 pounds worth of towing capacity, while the Colorado tops out at 7,700 pounds. You're looking at nearly 1,000 more pounds worth of towing in favor of the Colorado when it's equipped with the Duramax turbo-diesel. That means you not only save more fuel with Chevy's midsize pickup, but you also get a lot more out of the towing capabilities. That means a bigger boat you can hitch to the back, more cargo you can stuff into a trailer, or more equipment you can load a carrier up with. Overall, you just get more out of the Chevy Colorado by comparison.

  Taking These Trucks Off the Pavement

  In terms of off-road capabilities, the Colorado ZR2 is still a tough trim to beat. It's a consumer production model based on a championship-winning, high-performance, race-tuned truck. This is evident in its specs, such as the Multimatic DSSV race-tuned suspension damping system and a 10-inch ground clearance riding on Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires on 17-inch graphite and oxide gold aluminum wheels. Alternatively, the Tacoma's ground clearance tops out at 9.4-inches even with the off-road TRD Pro. It does feature Bilstein shocks with FOX internal bypass coil-overs and remote-reservoir shocks in the rear, but it's equipped with 16-inch TRD black alloy wheels with Goodyear Kevlar all-terrain tires. So the Colorado still edges out the Tacoma in terms of ground clearance and tire quality.

  On the upside, both vehicles offer seating for up to five people across multiple cab configurations. The Tacoma is available in Access Cab format, which seats four, or Double Cab format, which seats five. For the Colorado it's available in Extended Cab format, which seats four, and the Crew Cab, a four-door format that seats up to five people across two rows. However, when it comes to towing and off-road capabilities between the 2022 Chevy Colorado and the 2022 Toyota Tacoma, the Colorado clearly steps out ahead of the Tacoma.

• Technology

  

  Both Trucks Have Some Great Safety Features

  There is a lot of great tech available in both the Colorado and Tacoma for the 2022 model years. On the Tacoma side, you have the Toyota Safety Sense P, featuring everything from dynamic radar cruise control and lane departure/keeping assists, along with pedestrian detection and collision mitigation systems. The 2022 Chevy Colorado also features the availability of various lane keeping/departure assists, parking assists, rear vision cameras, and OnStar Connected Services. Available collision alerts and collision mitigation systems are also present for the Colorado.

  And while both vehicles take safety and stability seriously––as evident with the Colorado's StabiliTrak and the Tacoma's Star Safety System for traction and stability control––the Colorado does get a leg up in the safety department with one key feature: Teen Driver. It's not available on the Tacoma and makes a big difference for parents who have teens who may be of driving age and ready to take the Colorado out for a spin...or two. With safety monitoring systems, automated pre-driving checklists, and post-driving report cards for parents to look over, the Colorado is fully equipped to make life easier and safer for families where fledgling teen drivers are emerging.

  All that said, you get a lot of the basic tech features and services you would expect from modern-day midsize pickups. This includes an infotainment suite built into both vehicles with integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as power adjustable seats, power doors and locks, as well as anti-theft measures. However, the added safety capabilities and performance scaling certainly put the 2022 Chevy Colorado vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma comparison clearly in favor of Chevy's premier midsize pickup.

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