COLORADO ZR2

hp 3.6L gasoline V6. The optional diesel is the same 2.8L four-cylinder Duramax found in other Colorados, with identical output figures of 186 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.

So how does the diesel work in the ZR2? Truth be told, it wasn’t at its best on the trophy truck track; the turbo takes a bit too long to start delivering boost when you stomp the pedal, and once it does, you don’t just get some torque; you get all the torque, which sets the tires spinning on loose dirt. But for everything else the ZR2 does, the diesel is, in my opinion, the better choice. It delivers loads of justoff-idle torque for low-speed off-roading and smooth, quiet power for on-road driving.

And let’s not forget fuel economy. The extra off-road kit takes its toll: The diesel ZR2 is Epa-rated at 19 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined, down quite a bit from the 20/28/23 city/highway/combined figures for the regular 4WD Colorado diesel. But my test truck still delivered around 23 mpg during our onroad drive. Not bad.

Pricing

for the Colorado ZR2 starts at $40,995 (including a $995 destination charge) for the gaspowered extended cab version; the diesel is priced at $44,495. Crew cab ZR2S are priced at $42,630 with the gas V6 and $46,120 with the Duramax engine. That’s not cheap, I grant you, but when you consider that the least-expensive diesel-powered Colorado 4x4 (LT crew cab short box) runs $40,060, it’s not a huge leap. The ZR2 has no real competitors, but when you compare it on price to the trucks that come the closest, it’s a darn sight cheaper than a Ford F-150 Raptor ($50,560) and not much more expensive than the lesscapable Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro ($41,920). (Neither of those trucks are available with a diesel engine, but we won’t hold that against them.)

Bottom line: The ZR2 is one impressive truck. The Chevy Colorado has long been a favorite of mine.

In my experience, it tows and hauls better than other compact and mid-size pickups. Plus, it’s the only one to offer a diesel option. With the ZR2, Chevrolet has given us a good-looking small truck that is good at everything, including high-speed off-roading, lowspeed rock-crawling, day-to-day comfort, and lightduty towing and hauling. Apparently, I was wrong—you can have one truck that does it all, provided that one truck is the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.