Heavy-duty pickup trucks remain the vehicle of choice for the worksite. But in today’s diverse market, there’s room for more, and that’s what smart truck shoppers can get from smaller, midsize pickups such as the award-winning Toyota Tacoma. The Tacoma showcases what it means to strike the proper balance between grit off-road and comfort on it.
If you’re exploring the midsize pickup truck market, you may wonder how the Tacoma compares to competitors, such as the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado. Our experienced professionals at Longo Toyota of Prosper, Texas, serving Prosper and surrounding areas such as McKinney, Frisco, and Celina, have put together this overview to show how the two vehicles compare in fuel efficiency, technology, safety, and other features.
Trim Levels
Drivers interested in the Toyota Tacoma in 2024 will choose from six trim levels: the SR, SR5, TRD PreRunner, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and Limited. Each trim runs on the Toyota i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine. Toyota offers an optional 2.4-liter hybrid powertrain for the TRD Off-Road and Limited. The seventh trim, the TRD Pro, comes standard with the hybrid engine, according to Edmunds.
According to Car & Driver, like the 2023 model, the 2024 Toyota Tacoma offers an extended cab with a six-foot bed, or crew cab with either five or six-foot beds, depending on the choice of trim and configurations. All engines offer an eight-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.
The 2024 Chevrolet Colorado, by contrast, offers five trims: the WT, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2. The WT and LT run off a 2.7-liter four-cylinder gas engine, leveraging an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the ZR2, Z71, and Trail Boss get power from a 2.7-liter I-4 Turbo High-Output DOHC engine. Historically, the Chevrolet Colorado has only been available in a crew cab configuration with a short box.
Capability and Performance
The Tacoma gas engines offer a range of performance at the pump, according to EPA estimates. At the low end, the TRD Off-Road gets 18 mpg in city driving and 23 mpg on the highway. At the upper end, the SR5 checks in at 21 mpg city and 26 mpg on the highway. Toyota has not yet released fuel economy ratings for the Tacoma’s hybrid engine. Most of the Tacoma trim generate 278 horsepower with 317 lb.-ft. of torque, while the hybrid jumps up to 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque.
Chevrolet Colorado engines have two distinct fuel economy profiles. The engines in the WT and LT deliver 19 mpg in city driving and 23 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 21 mpg, according to Chevrolet. The Trail Boss and Z71 are rated at 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 19 mpg. The Colorado’s base four-cylinder engine generates 237 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The TurboMax engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission in the ZR2, Z71 and Trail Boss delivers 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque.
Technology
The high-tech nature of the Toyota Tacoma carries over to the interior, providing drivers with a connected experience. Depending on your configuration, you can monitor car status, listen to podcasts or playlists, and access other cellphone apps via either 8-inch or 14-inch multimedia touch-screen displays. Sync your cellphone to the screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. One convenient feature: Tacoma includes a Qi wireless charging pad with enhanced power output and comes with a Smart Key System with a push-button start.
All configurations of the Chevrolet Colorado come standard with an 11.3-inch LCD display touch screen (measured diagonally) for syncing to driver mobile phones through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You can customize your settings through the screen. The display offers embedded access to Google Voice Assistant. Alongside the infotainment screen, drivers can access an 11-inch driver information center that includes driver personalization, warning messages, and vehicle information with a fully reconfigurable high-definition screen.
Safety
Driving the 2024 Tacoma should give you extra peace of mind. The midsize pickup comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the automaker’s package of safety, driver assistance, and convenience features. The package includes:
- Pre-collision system with pedestrian or vehicle detection, with audible warning.
- Lane departure alert with steering assist.
- Full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control, designed to keep you a preset distance from vehicles ahead of you on the highway.
- Lane-tracing assist, used in conjunction with dynamic radar cruise control, designed to keep your vehicle centered in its lane.
- Road-sign assist, which uses an intelligent camera to detect speed limit signs, stop signs, Do Not Enter signs, yield signs and certain warning signs, and display an icon of the sign on the interior display screen for action.
New in Tacoma’s safety package is proactive driving assist, which provides automatic braking or steering support under certain operating conditions and assistance with distance control between other cars or pedestrians. With Toyota Tacoma technology, the chance of accidents goes down.
The Chevrolet Colorado also has plenty of safety features. Three years of OnStar remote support comes standard with all configurations, as does automatic emergency braking. Other high-tech features include blind-zone steering assist, a following distance indicator, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, a front outboard passenger sensing system, a high-definition rear camera, lane-keeping assistance, and rear-cross traffic braking. When towing, the hitch view can help provide an in-flight view of the trailer hitch; in reverse, use the camera to line up your hitch to the trailer.
Learn More About the Toyota Tacoma at Longo Toyota
The features of the Toyota Tacoma almost sell themselves. Visit Longo Toyota of Prosper to take it for a test drive. We also have an extensive inventory of new vehicles in the Toyota lineup and a broad selection of used cars from other manufacturers for your consideration. As a full-service dealership, we can also help you find appropriate financing and provide maintenance and repair. Our experienced teams would love to make you a member of the Longo family. Call us or contact us online to discuss your needs and set up a time for a visit.
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