Used 2012 Chevrolet Colorado Truck Review & Ratings

Those looking for the practicality and ride of a pickup truck at a reasonable price will love the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado Truck. Starting at a super low MSRP of $17,475, this base model offers the power of a 2.9-liter 4-cylinder engine. This truck produces 185 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque coupled with a five-speed manual overdrive transmission. While this may not seem like a ton of power, it is about what the average driver needs that's not pulling a heavy load. This smaller engine also offers solid gas mileage, returning 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. A four-speed automatic is also available. Three passengers can squeeze in, but only two can fit comfortably. The 5-foot bed supports basic loads, though this model is not meant for frequent or constant heavy towing.

Both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available, and the Colorado is designed in a choice of regular cab, crew cab, and extended cab, with the larger varieties offering a 6-foot bed. The extended and crew cab models can be purchased with a much more powerful 5.3-liter V-8 flexible fuel engine, which produces an impressive 300 horsepower. These stronger engines are vastly preferred to the smaller 4-cylinder versions, as they deliver the power promised by the tough looking design.

The Chevrolet Colorado Truck is offered in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, and suspension choices can be tailored to the expected use. A heavy duty package and the off-road package have heavy-duty shocks, as well as a torsion-bar front suspension. Alternatively, for more general street use, there is a lower performance-tuned suspension, that comes with 18-inch wheels and performance tires.

There are great safety features that come standard on every Chevrolet Colorado Truck, such as side curtain airbags, daytime running lights, ignition disable, and four-wheel anti-lock brakes. OnStar is included with a 6-month free trial of Directions and Connections service, and there is stability control and traction control, which helps keep drivers in the direction where they hope to go on the road.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested the Colorado, and the extended-cab model fared well in frontal-offset collisions with a top-ranking \"good\" score. The smaller version only earned an \"acceptable\" for frontal offset, and \"poor\" for side-impacts. The 2012 Chevrolet Colorado Truck scored four stars on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rollover crash tests (1 = lowest, 5 = highest).