Dirt Dispute: Chevy Colorado ZR2 or Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro?

Stephen Elmer / August 17, 2017

Both Chevy and Toyota offer factory packages that make their mid-size trucks into little trail bombers, and after recently testing them, we want to know which one you would rather take home from the dealership.

The Chevy Colorado ZR2 is new for 2017 and comes with some a two-inch body lift, BF Goodrich Duratrac tires, front and rear locking differentials and a set of Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) dampers from Multimatic.

Under the hood, Colorado buyers can go for either a 3.6-liter gasoline-driven V6 making 308 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque or a 2.8-liter Duramax diesel, making 186 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. In the Tacoma, only one engine is available, a 3.5-liter V6 with 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque.

As for the Toyota’s gear, TRD equips the Pro with a set of FOX Shocks, a one-inch lift, Goodyear Wranglers with Kevlar Protection and a locking differential in the rear. When you look at the numbers, the Tacoma is slightly better off than the Colorado, with 9.4-inches of ground clearance at the differential compared to the Chevy’s 8.5 inches. Same goes for approach angle, with the Tacoma approaching at 35 degrees compared to the Chevy’s 30.

Now let’s look at pricing. At the base, the Colorado ZR2 is cheaper starting at $40,995, though that is a Colorado ZR2 Extended Cab. The Tacoma can only be had as a crew cab, which sells for $41,215 with a six-speed manual transmission or $43,215 with an automatic. Bump up to the ZR2 crew cab and the price climbs to $42,260, and if you want that Duramax diesel, you’ll be paying $3500 more.

So, now that you have some sense for these two trucks, which would you rather take home from the dealership with you? We recently tested these two head to head, so make sure you vote then hit the link to the comparison to see which truck fared better.