The Quest for the Perfect Midsize Truck: A Deep Dive into the 2016 Chevy Colorado Z71 4x4

There are plenty of midsize trucks out there with four-wheel drive, but finding one that's everything you need it to be efficient, powerful, comfortable, and rugged is a challenge many truck buyers face. This is why we're excited to share our experience with the 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel, specifically the Z71 4x4 version, which includes several Big Ticket add-ons like a 2.8 L Duramax turbo diesel engine and off-road suspension setup.

To get an idea of what these features are all about, we headed out to the Durhamtown Off-Road Track in Union Point, Georgia, where we put the Colorado Z71 4x4 through its paces. One of the first things that caught our attention was how surprisingly quick and quiet the transmission was, considering it's a decent-sized truck. Paired with a 2.8 L Duramax diesel engine, which makes an impressive 369 ft-lb of torque, this transmission is definitely worth noting.

However, if you plan on towing, torque matters even more, and the Z71 off-road suspension package gives the Colorado a ton of four-wheel drive agility. This feature includes a two-speed electric transfer case, automatic locking rear differential, and Hill descent control, all designed to help you ease over tough terrain with a pretty good chance at not getting stuck. With brown clearance on the Z71 at 8.3 inches, which is decent for its size, we were eager to put it to the test.

But before we got dirty, let's talk about some of the other features that come standard on this model. We're talking all-terrain tires, tow hooks, and underbody protection – all designed to help you tackle trails with confidence. And when it comes to towing, thanks to its impressive torque and Z71 trailer brake controller, this truck can haul serious loads. In fact, we were able to tow up to 7,600 pounds if we're pulling with a Duramax under the hood.

Now that we've talked about some of the key features, let's take a look inside the cabin of the Colorado. While it may not be the most impressive interior on paper, both the front and back seats are on par with competition, which isn't saying much but is definitely worth mentioning. But there are other features that really caught our attention, like the clever Corner step that make getting in and out of the bed a lot easier, and the easy lift tailgate – which was surprisingly easy to operate.

The Colorado's tech is truly impressive, with an available 8-inch touchscreen that we found Apple CarPlay and 4G LTE mobile Wi-Fi integration to be really convenient, whether we were on the job site or just exploring on the weekend. And let's not forget about the rear view camera – a must-have for any truck buyer, especially those who plan on tackling tough trails.

So, is the 2016 Chevy Colorado Z71 4x4 sure to be a hit with a wide variety of truck buyers? Absolutely. Especially those looking for the diesel option, this truck offers everything you need it to be efficient, powerful, comfortable, and rugged. With its impressive torque, off-road suspension package, and range of standard features, this truck is definitely worth considering if you're in the market for a midsize pickup with four-wheel drive.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthere are plenty of midsize trucks out there with four-wheel drive the trick is finding one that's everything you need it to be efficient powerful comfortable and rugged good looks don't hurt either which is why you might really like the 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel today we're checking out the Colorado Z71 4x4 here at Durhamtown off-road track in Union Point Georgia now this version includes several Big Ticket add-ons like a 2.8 L Duramax turbo diesel engine and off-road suspension setup and the best way to find out what these features are all about is to get it dirty first off for a decent siiz truck the transmission is surprisingly quick and quiet it's paired to a 2.8 L Duramax diesel engine making 369 ft-lb of torque now if you plan on Towing torque matters but more on that later and the Z71 off-road suspension package gives it a ton of four-wheel drive agility it features a two-speed electric transfer case automatic locking rear differential and Hill descent control now all of these are different ways to say it will help you ease over tough terrain with a pretty good chance at not getting stuck Brown clearance on the Z71 is 8.3 in which is decent there's also a front air dam that serious off-roaders will want to remove other Trail friendly features come standard these include allterrain tires tow hooks and underbody protection as for towing thanks to a lot of torque and the Z71 trailer brake controller this thing will do some serious hauling now you can actually haul at the 7600 lb if you're pulling with a Duramax under the hood now inside the Colorado you can see where it rises over competitors like the Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma the cabin itself really isn't that much to talk about both the front and back seats are on par with competition which isn't saying that much but there also other features we really like like the clever Corner step that make getting in and out of the bed a lot easier and the easy lift tailgate that was easy the Colorado's Tech is impressive with an available 8in touchscreen we found apple carplay and the 4G LTE mobile Wi-Fi really convenient whether we were on the job site or just exploring on the weekend and the rear view camera is a must have in town or off-road very helpful when you're trying to back a midsize trunk of a trail that's possibly built for an ATV with its off-road capability impressive Tech can stylish interior the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 is sure to be a hit with a wide variety of truck buyers especially those looking for the diesel optionthere are plenty of midsize trucks out there with four-wheel drive the trick is finding one that's everything you need it to be efficient powerful comfortable and rugged good looks don't hurt either which is why you might really like the 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel today we're checking out the Colorado Z71 4x4 here at Durhamtown off-road track in Union Point Georgia now this version includes several Big Ticket add-ons like a 2.8 L Duramax turbo diesel engine and off-road suspension setup and the best way to find out what these features are all about is to get it dirty first off for a decent siiz truck the transmission is surprisingly quick and quiet it's paired to a 2.8 L Duramax diesel engine making 369 ft-lb of torque now if you plan on Towing torque matters but more on that later and the Z71 off-road suspension package gives it a ton of four-wheel drive agility it features a two-speed electric transfer case automatic locking rear differential and Hill descent control now all of these are different ways to say it will help you ease over tough terrain with a pretty good chance at not getting stuck Brown clearance on the Z71 is 8.3 in which is decent there's also a front air dam that serious off-roaders will want to remove other Trail friendly features come standard these include allterrain tires tow hooks and underbody protection as for towing thanks to a lot of torque and the Z71 trailer brake controller this thing will do some serious hauling now you can actually haul at the 7600 lb if you're pulling with a Duramax under the hood now inside the Colorado you can see where it rises over competitors like the Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma the cabin itself really isn't that much to talk about both the front and back seats are on par with competition which isn't saying that much but there also other features we really like like the clever Corner step that make getting in and out of the bed a lot easier and the easy lift tailgate that was easy the Colorado's Tech is impressive with an available 8in touchscreen we found apple carplay and the 4G LTE mobile Wi-Fi really convenient whether we were on the job site or just exploring on the weekend and the rear view camera is a must have in town or off-road very helpful when you're trying to back a midsize trunk of a trail that's possibly built for an ATV with its off-road capability impressive Tech can stylish interior the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 is sure to be a hit with a wide variety of truck buyers especially those looking for the diesel option\n"