A Truck-Sized Debate: Chevy Silverado 1500 vs Chevy Colorado

Chevy is a staple in the American automotive landscape. You can easily find the iconic bowtie anywhere you look, whether you’re picking up groceries, cruising down the highway, or dropping the kids off at school. It’s trucks like the Silverado 1500 and the Colorado that have built Chevy’s reputation for producing reliable workhorses that cater to a variety of needs, whether you’re looking for a truck that’s easy to maneuver like the Colorado or you need a powerful hauler like the Silverado that can handle all the demands of the road. As your used Chevy truck dealer in Lexington, we’re proud of the fact that Chevy truly offers something for everyone.

We know firsthand that shopping for a truck can be confusing, especially when there are so many options. That’s why we’re here to show you a few key differences between the Silverado 1500 and the Colorado so that you can choose the best Chevy for your lifestyle and driving needs. Let’s get started!

Size, Purpose, and Price

A few of the first things to consider when shopping for a used Silverado 1500 or a Colorado is size, what you plan to do with the truck, and how much you want to spend. The midsize Colorado is the smallest truck in the Chevy lineup, measuring almost 15 inches shorter than the larger Silverado. Because of its size, the Colorado is easy to maneuver and is ideal if you live in a busy city with a lot of traffic but still need the conveniences that a truck offers. Its smaller size also lends to its lower price, which means even more savings when you shop for a Colorado on our used lot.

The Silverado 1500 is a full-size truck and is designed as a workhorse. While the Colorado can handle your weekend landscaping projects around the house, the Silverado does it all with greater ease. The Silverado is designed to haul large loads, whether that means loading the bed with tools and equipment, towing a large trailer, or hauling the party barge to the lake for the weekend. This capability and the Silverado’s larger size add to the truck’s higher price, but you can snag a great Silverado that’s loaded with features at an affordable price when you shop our used inventory.

Performance and Efficiency

While you’re thinking about how you plan to use the truck, it’s important to consider performance and efficiency. The Colorado doesn’t offer the same power or capability as the larger Silverado 1500, but it is more efficient. You also have more powertrain choices on the Silverado 1500, which means you can customize the truck to fit your performance needs. To see these differences firsthand, let’s look at the 2019 Silverado and the 2019 Colorado. Chevy made vast improvements to both trucks for 2019, and that’s made these models some of the fastest sellers on the used lot.

2019 Colorado

Offering best-in-class trailering in the midsize truck segment at 7,700 lbs, the 2019 Colorado has a lot to offer for its size. You’ll find three different powertrains – a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, a 3.6-liter V6, and a 2.8-liter Turbo-Diesel – that are paired with an 8-speed automatic (3.6-liter), a 6-speed manual (2.5-liter), or a 6-speed automatic (2.5-liter and 2.8-liter).

The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque. You’ll see a boost in power when you find a 2019 Colorado equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 that delivers 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. This drastic increase in power makes the V6 less efficient than the four-cylinder with the 3.6-liter averaging 18 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway compared to the 2.5-liter at 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway.

The 2.8-liter Turbo-Diesel delivers less power at 186 horsepower but boosts the Colorado’s torque rating to 369 lb-ft. This makes the diesel-powered Colorado a great workhorse when you’re hauling heavy loads. Luckily, this capability doesn’t come at the cost of efficiency with the diesel giving the Colorado an EPA-estimated average of 20 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway on two-wheel drive models.

2019 Silverado

The 2019 Silverado is lighter, larger, and stronger than ever, thanks to a complete redesign that extended its wheelbase, added interior passenger and cargo volume, and reduced the truck’s weight by 450 pounds. Chevy also added several new engine options to extend the Silverado’s powertrain lineup for 2019 to include the 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8, 2.7-liter turbo, 6.2-liter V8, and 3.0-liter Turbo-Diesel. The 4.3-liter V6 engine, which is paired with the 6-speed automatic transmission, is the base powertrain and delivers 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque.

A 2019 Silverado that’s equipped with a 2.7-liter turbo engine is mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission to deliver 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque. If you’re looking for more power, keep an eye out for models with the 5.3-liter V8 engine under the hood. Offering either active or dynamic fuel management and paired with either the 6-speed or 8-speed automatic transmission, the 5.3-liter engines deliver 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque.

For diesel lovers, look for the 2019 Silverado (or newer year model) outfitted with the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel that’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The pairing delivers 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, which gives it enough pulling power to boost its capability when hauling heavy loads. In fact, the specs are so impressive for the 2019 Silverado that the truck beat the F-150 diesel across the board.

Other Considerations: Tech and Safety

One of the great things about shopping for a used Silverado 1500 or a Colorado is that you’ll enjoy a variety of connectivity and safety features in each model. Chevy’s commitment to innovation is undeniable on both models, which means you’ll find plenty of standard and available features across each lineup. Once you decide on the truck that best meets your performance, capability, and pricing needs, then you can narrow down your selection based on the features you want in a Chevy workhorse.

This begs the question, “How important is having the latest technology at your fingertips?” When you shop for newer models like the 2019 Silverado or the 2019 Colorado, you’ll find an even bigger suite of tools at your disposal than if you shop for older models like a 2014. Chevy’s redesign of the Silverado in 2019 added the next-generation Chevrolet Infotainment system with tools like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can find the same technology on the Colorado’s 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreen display.

As far as safety, you’ll find the Silverado has a more extensive suite than the Colorado, which is to be expected considering the Colorado’s lower price. Aside from the standard airbags and rear vision camera, the Colorado also offers tools like a Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Park Assist. These tools extend even further on the Silverado with enhanced features like Front and Rear Park Assist, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, a Following Distance Indicator, and Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking.

Decisions, Decisions!

You’ve already made an exceptional choice the moment you decided to shop for a Chevrolet. Now, it’s time to choose between the Silverado 1500 and the Colorado. Are you looking for a powerful workhorse that can handle everything from your daily commute to towing the family camper? Or, do you need a truck that’s smaller and easier to maneuver? Either way, Chevy has you covered with the Silverado 1500 and the Colorado.

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