2023 Chevrolet Colorado: Simple, Yet Powerful Reimagination
Inevitable Showdown: Trail Boss vs Z71
It’s no secret that the Chevrolet Colorado is a promising off-roading gambit for the 2023 model year, so let’s focus on the Z71 and all-new Trail Boss trims.
We took both of these trucks over to trails near the ever-scenic Volcan Mountains in Julian, California. With the exception of the LT and WT, the L3B motor comes with 310 HP, 390 lbs.-ft of torque on 87 octane (yes, you read that right), and up to 7,700-lb. towing capacity, thanks to a well-tuned and finessed 57-inch Borg Warner turbo.
‘Smaller wheels with bigger, knobbier sidewall tires is the name of the game when it comes to off-roading, but really, the Trail Boss is the better choice over the Z71 because of its nifty 2-inch factory suspension lift.’
The zinger for it all, is the impressive new 8-speed 8L80 (LT and WT have 8L45). The Gen 1 version, 8L90, was panned for its dodgy gearing ratios and shift logic, but this iteration is a substantial leap forward in performance. Lower torque capacity means lower inertia and faster shifts.
Off-Road
Both trims proved their mettle on the rocky, boulder-rich trails in different ways, despite sharing the same spec’d powerplant. The Z71 comes standard with glossy 18-inch “Android Dark” wheels, however the Nitro Yellow Metallic Colorado I spent time with had the Z71 Convenience Package II ($1625), which has the 20-inch aluminum Android Dark offering wrapped in 20-inch 255/55R20 All-Terrain Bridgestone Duelers.
In comparison, the Harvest Bronze Metallic Trail Boss had smaller, 18-inch glossy wheels with 18-inch 265/65R18 All-Terrain Goodyear Wrangler tires. Smaller wheels with bigger, knobbier sidewall tires is the name of the game when it comes to off-roading, but really, the Trail Boss is the better choice over the Z71 because of its nifty 2-inch factory suspension lift.
Both trims handle the bumps and ditches very well (even with leaving the drivetrain in “Auto” mode), but the Trail Boss’ 9-inch elevation allows for even greater confidence.
On-Road
The surface street commute to the mountains, however, offered a unique insight to both the L3B, suspension, and redesigned chassis pairing for both vehicles. We drove the Z71 Colorado over to the trailhead, and, as expected, it handled the switchbacks handedly. It was also fun to see how beautiful the L3B turbo whistle sounds, and how remarkably scalable the throttle mapping is from tip-in; nearly no turbo lag.
The commute back down the mountains in the Trail Boss, though, was a different story. Surprisingly, the Trail Boss handles exceptionably well on hairpins and switchbacks, even with such a tall lift, and on smaller wheels and tires. Thanks to the truck’s wider track and bigger sidewalls, the body roll on this truck is actually considerably less than I expected.
Impressive handling, even though this is obviously an off-road vehicle.
NEXT: ‘Elevated Interior from the Base Up’
