2021 Chevy Colorado vs Toyota Tacoma

The 2021 Chevy Colorado offers a smooth, comfortable ride around town or adventures on the off-road. For 2021, Colorado’s Base trim is discontinued, and now features the WT, LT, Z71, and ZR2 trims. The WT and LT trims offer available Crew Cab/short bed and Crew/long bed configurations. The Z71 and ZR2 feature off-road abilities and are capable of tackling trails and terrain, available in Extended Cab/long bed and Crew Cab/short bed configurations. Extended Cab models seat four, and Crew Cab models seat up to five passengers, with spacious, comfortable seating up front. There are plenty of available bed features, including multiple tie downs, a step built into the corners of the rear bumper, and an EZ Lift-and-Lower tailgate. There have been some updates to the exterior, but there are plenty of hard plastics and low-grade materials throughout the cabin. Higher trims however, will offer a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and optional heated front seats (the Extended cab seats four and the Crew Cab models seat five). The WT has a starting price of $25,200 for the Extended Cab/long bed and ranges to a starting price of $43,200 for the ZR2 Crew Cab/short bed configuration.

The Toyota Tacoma has two available cab styles: the standard Access Cab seats four and has a small two-seat second row, while the larger Double Cab has an extended three-person second row and seats five. If you’ll be carrying passengers, the Double Cab is what you’ll want as there is just 24.6 inches of legroom in the Access Cab, and the seats are hard and upright with little cushioning or support. The Tacoma comes with either a 5-foot standard bed or a 6-foot-1-inch-long bed; Access Cab models are only paired with the long bed, while the Double Cab is available with both. The Tacoma offers six trim levels: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited and TRD Pro. Pricing starts at $30,853 for the SR trim and ranges to a starting price of $44,075 for the top-of-the-line TRD Pro trim. Additional Appearance Packages include added pricing.

The Chevrolet Colorado features a fuel efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower, a six-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive. With plenty of power, this is great for everyday driving needs. There are two available engines – a 3.6-liter V6 with 308-horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque or a 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine with 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The V6 is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel comes with a six-speed automatic. The Z71 and ZR2 models offer four-wheel drive, along with heavy-duty suspension and locking rear differential. While the ZR2 is even more capable with driver-selectable full-locking front and rear differential. When equipped with the turbo diesel engine, maximum towing capacity reaches 7,700 pounds, and it can haul up to 1,578 pounds. Fuel is estimated at 19/25 mpg city/highway for the base four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive.

The Toyota Tacoma is known for its outstanding off-road capability, especially in the TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro trims; offering a unique suspension tuning and shock absorbers, a locking rear differential, and skid plates. With that said, the Toyota Tacoma comes standard with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 159 horsepower which delivers sluggish acceleration especially if you are carrying passengers and cargo. Your other option is a 278-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine that is stronger and delivers a quicker acceleration (both engines come with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission). Note, the six-speed automatic transmission gets some criticism as it hampers both engines to find the right gear. The 2021 Tacoma, with the base engine and rear-wheel drive gets an estimated 20/23 mpg in the city and on the highway. Models with the optional V6 get an estimated 19/24 mpg in the city and on the highway. Additionally, the maximum towing capacity of the Tacoma is 6,800 pounds and has a maximum payload of 1,685 pound. The Tacoma offers six trim levels: SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited and TRD Pro.

The Chevy Colorado’s available OnStar System provides emergency crash notification, stolen-vehicle notification, and remote locking and unlocking, which comes standard on the LT and above. Also available on the LT and Z71 models includes forward collision and lane departure warning systems. A rearview camera and the Teen Driver Mode comes standard on all models, and lets you have custom key settings for secondary drivers and provides in-vehicle reports. Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 system comes standard in the Colorado and includes a 7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system. Its infotainment system is easy-to-use with reachable controls and an intuitive menu layout. An 8-inch touch screen, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, HD Radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, additional USB ports, and navigation are available, as well as remote start and automatic climate control.

The Tacoma comes standard with advanced safety features that include a rearview camera, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, automatic high-beam headlights, and adaptive cruise controls. Available safety features include rear parking sensors, blind spot Monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. It also features an easy-to-use infotainment system that comes with both a 7-inch touch screen and physical controls. It includes Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa, as well as six speakers, Bluetooth, three USB ports, satellite radio, and voice recognition. Available features include an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, wireless device charging, and a six-speaker JBL stereo.