2020 Chevy Colorado

If you're looking for a pickup truck but don't need all the considerable capability and size of a full-size or heavy-duty rig, there are a lot of appealing options these days in the midsize truck segment. Notably, the Chevy Colorado is right up near the top of that segment. Like its big brother Chevrolet Silverado, it offers a wide variety of trim levels and available engines and has a comfortable ride on the highway. Its payload and towing capacities aren't as high, but it's much more maneuverable than its full-size brethren.

You can get a Colorado with a base four-cylinder, an optional V6 or even a diesel engine, all of which return respectable fuel economy. The optional engines have robust towing ratings for the class. Inside, the Colorado gets the truck vibe right: It's simple, sturdy and easy to use. What's more, Chevy has expanded the availability of safety equipment this year, making equipment such as forward collision and lane departure warning available on a broader selection of trim levels.

So, what are the drawbacks? Well, a topped-out Colorado has a hard time competing with a similarly priced Silverado. Sure, the Colorado will have more features, but the Silverado has much more interior space, more hauling capability (a larger bed helps there) and a much larger potential tow rating. And then there are the midsize rivals such as the more refined Honda Ridgeline, the all-new Jeep Gladiator and the popular Toyota Tacoma. Yet the 2020 Colorado occupies a nice middle ground, offering a little bit of something for everyone and compromising very little along the way. If you're in the market for a midsize pickup, you'll want to see what the Colorado has to offer. Notably, the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado is a featured vehicle in our Cheapest New Cars article.

What's it like to live with the Colorado?

Edmunds' editors ran the Colorado ZR2 off-road variant through a battery of tests over the course of more than two years and 50,000 miles. While we were conflicted about its optional turbodiesel engine, the Colorado proved able to handle duress, and the rugged ZR2 add-ons provided loads of fun. Read our long-term Colorado ZR2 test to learn more. Note that while we tested a 2017 truck, the 2020 Colorado is of the same generation and most of our reporting still applies.