Compare the2024 Toyota TacomaVS 2024 Chevrolet Colorado

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Tacoma have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Colorado doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Toyota Tacoma has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Colorado doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Tacoma has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Colorado doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tacoma offers an optional Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Colorado doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Tacoma’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Colorado doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Tacoma and the Colorado have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Toyota Tacoma achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Colorado has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Tacoma’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Colorado’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tacoma for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Colorado.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fourth.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 20th.

The Tacoma has more powerful engines than the Colorado:

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Tacoma turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Chevrolet Colorado (310 HP engine) (automatics tested):

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Tacoma (326 HP engine) is faster than the Chevrolet Colorado (310 HP engine) (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Tacoma gets better mileage than the Colorado:

The Tacoma offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Colorado doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Tacoma’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Colorado are solid, not vented.

The Tacoma stops much shorter than the Colorado:

The Tacoma has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your work or a trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Colorado. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For superior ride and handling, the Tacoma has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Colorado has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Tacoma offers an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Colorado doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the optional Tacoma uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Colorado, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Tacoma offers an available. The Colorado’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tacoma 6-ft. bed Double Cab’s wheelbase is 13.7 inches longer than on the Colorado (145.1 inches vs. 131.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tacoma is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Colorado.

The Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab handles at .77 G’s, while the Colorado ZR2 Bison pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tacoma 6-ft. bed TRD Sport Double Cab executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Colorado ZR2 (27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.2 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tacoma XtraCab has a 2.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Colorado (10.7 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Tacoma to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

A standard locking glovebox, optional locking center console and standard locking underseat storage drawer (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Tacoma. The Colorado doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Toyota Tacoma has a standard easy lower and lift tailgate, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. Tailgate assist costs extra on the Chevrolet Colorado.

The Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Colorado doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Tacoma’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Colorado’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. The Colorado LT/Trail Boss/Z71/ZR2’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tacoma the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Colorado can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tacoma’s standard Smart Key allow you to unlock the doors from the driver’s outside door handle and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Push Button Start standard on the Colorado only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the truck. Push Button Start is not available on the Colorado LT/Z71/ZR2 The Tacoma’s optional Smart Key also allows you to unlock the doors from either rear door handle and unlock the tailgate. The Colorado LT/Z71/ZR2’s available Keyless Access doesn’t offer a sensor on the tailgate.

The Tacoma’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Colorado’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Tacoma’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet charges extra for heated mirrors on the Colorado.

The Toyota Tacoma comes in extended cab and crew cab bodystyles; the Chevrolet Colorado isn’t available as an extended cab.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its February 2024 issue and the Toyota Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab won out over the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.

The Toyota Tacoma outsold the Chevrolet Colorado by over three to one during 2023.