Is the Tacoma More Impressive Than the Chevy Colorado?

This is a question we’re asked more often than you might expect; we love the Tacoma and everything it has to offer, but there’s no denying that the Chevy Colorado is a very popular midsize pickup. It’s only natural, then, for folks who are interested in the Toyota Tacoma to also be curious about the Colorado and how the two trucks stack up. Whether you’re already looking for a Toyota Tacoma for sale near Alpharetta or you’re still exploring different options, we’re here to tell you that the Tacoma is an incredible truck that surpasses the Colorado in numerous ways. If you want the most powerful engine, the highest payload rating, the most options for cab and bed sizes, or the largest infotainment screen in your truck, the Tacoma comes through and leaves the Colorado in its dust.

The Tacoma Gives You More Engines and Greater Power

Although we’re going to look at several different ways that the Toyota Tacoma is superior to the Chevy Colorado—particularly the 2025 model—the most significant is the engines. To be fair to the Colorado, it has a very impressive standard engine, but that’s it. There’s just one engine available from Chevy, and while it’s quite good, this greatly limits your options and means you have to go with what they provide. If you want something different or more power, then you’re out of luck—the Tacoma, however, is ready to deliver.

Looking at the 2025 Chevy Colorado, it has a 2.7L TurboMax engine that provides 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. As we said, that’s a good standard powertrain, and we can see why Chevy fans are very happy with it; this engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission for a smooth, responsive drive. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is standard for the Colorado, with four-wheel drive (4WD) available, which is good to see, and select off-road-focused models have enhanced suspensions and other equipment to boost performance in challenging conditions.

With the Toyota Tacoma, however, you have an incredible range of options that let you take things further when driving around Alpharetta or heading off-road. To begin with, the starting SR model features a 2.4L i-FORCE turbocharged I-4 engine that provides 228 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. If you’re looking for a straightforward pickup with reliable performance, then this is a great place to start. Higher trims feature a version of this engine tuned to deliver up to 278 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, which is a better choice for many drivers. This engine—on most models—is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission for a great overall driving experience.

If you’re looking to take things to the next level, however, then Toyota has you covered with an impressive i-FORCE MAX turbocharged hybrid engine that delivers 326 hp and up to 465 lb-ft of torque. You can see that this is more powerful than the Colorado’s engine, which is why it is such a benefit to have more options available. You get RWD standard on the Tacoma, with 4WD provided on high-end trims and TRD models designed to go off-road. In fact, you can even get the 278-hp version of the standard engine with a six-speed intelligent Manual Transmission on select TRD models, providing you with enhanced control to go along with options like Bilstein shocks and more for tearing up the trail.

Enhanced Payload Capacity with the Toyota Tacoma

All of that power is terrific, but having multiple engines is about more than just giving you greater performance—it also provides more capabilities. The Chevy Colorado, with its single engine, can handle up to 1,684 lbs of maximum payload, which is impressive but not best-in-class. Choosing the Tacoma with its standard engine, when tuned for higher output, you can get up to 1,690 lbs of maximum payload; that’s admittedly not much of a difference, but it does show that the Tacoma is designed to handle more work. If you’re looking to go further, then the available i-FORCE MAX engine lets the Tacoma support 1,710 lbs of payload, providing a notable amount of additional capability. Since it’s always a good idea to play it safe and never push the payload to its absolute limit, having this extra rating gives you more to work with as you load up the Toyota Tacoma.

Bed and Cab Sizes to Find What You Need

Toyota is all about giving you great options to get the perfect midsize truck; we saw that with the engines, and we can see it with the configuration options for the Tacoma. The Chevy Colorado is a fine truck, but it has only one configuration available: a standard cab and a single bed that measures just over five feet in length. The cab has two rows of seating inside for up to five passengers, which is just fine, but if you want a smaller cabin, then you’re out of luck. Toyota, on the other hand, gives you four different possible combinations to get the perfect truck with everything you want for driving around Alpharetta.

For starters, you have two different cab sizes available for the Tacoma, which lets you choose the right kind of setup for what you need. The XtraCab provides you with a single row of seating for two people, making it perfect if you like having a smaller cab or you want a midsize work truck. For more room inside: the Double Cab gives you two rows for five passengers, which is ideal if you need to have more people along with you. Then, you can choose between a six-foot and five-foot bed—no matter how much stuff you want to take with you, Toyota has you covered.

Superior Tech Options and Trim Levels

Toyota has long been an industry leader when it comes to making reliable vehicles with fantastic features and options in them. This is particularly true when it comes to the kinds of tech features you can get, transforming your ride each day. While Chevy has a lot to offer, it falls behind in some key ways with the Colorado. For example, the standard 11.3-inch infotainment display for the Colorado is a great place to start, but there’s no available option if you want something larger. The 11-inch Driver Information Center screen that goes with it is quite good, too, with some fine options like a wireless charging pad.

Looking at the Toyota Tacoma, we’ll admit that it falls behind a bit with some of its standard features, like its eight-inch Toyota Multimedia display. But when you check out the available options for the Tacoma, you can see that Toyota lets you customize things to take tech features to another level entirely. Available options include a stunning 14-inch Toyota Multimedia screen with a 10-speaker JBL sound system, plus a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with selectable features and customization options. Combine that with a head-up display, a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and more great features, and you have a remarkable truck that surpasses the Colorado.

The Toyota Tacoma Is Perfect for Alpharetta Drivers

As you can see, the Tacoma is a tremendous truck that offers you big performance, robust payload capabilities, numerous options for the cab and bed, plus so much more. That’s why, as far as we’re concerned, the Tacoma is more impressive than the Chevy Colorado; the Colorado is a fine truck, but it just can’t keep up with what Toyota offers. What truly puts the Tacoma on top is all of the amazing options you have to choose from: numerous engines, a variety of trim levels, and so much more. This lets you put together the perfect pickup with everything you’ve been looking for. All you have to do is decide on the features and driving experience you want, and then let us take care of everything else as we find you the right truck.