The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado is the pickup lovers’ truck in many circles. But in its rear-view mirror is its smaller sibling, the 2021 Chevy Colorado. This midsize pickup is an improved, more robust version of its former self. But is it enough truck to dethrone the mighty Silverado in the hearts of truck-buying consumers?

The 2021 Chevy Colorado is less reliable than the Silverado

U.S. News compared the 2021 Chevy Colorado and Silverado in predicted reliability. And the Silverado achieved a perfect score. The Colorado fell below average in terms of predicted reliability. Despite both trucks offering the same three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, the Silverado does reliability better.

Interior comfort and quality go to the Silverado 1500

In this comparison, the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 offers a higher level of interior quality and comfort. The cabin is roomier in standard and crew cab versions. And there’s more headroom and legroom in the Silverado. The Colorado’s hard plastic pales in comparison to the Silverado’s materials. While U.S. News points out entry-level Silverado models aren’t necessarily impressive, the upper trims deliver all the quality touchpoints. But even the lower-trim plastics offer better aesthetics than those on the Colorado.

Power, acceleration, and engine variations

Comparing these two pickup models’ engines, there’s no question the Silverado’s is bigger. The Silverado’s options include a standard 4.3-liter V6, a 310-hp turbo four-cylinder, a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel six-cylinder. These engines are beefier in torque and acceleration.

The Chevy Silverado also earns bragging rights for its best-in-class towing potential of 13,300 pounds. The Colorado offers three engines: the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the 3.6-liter V6, and the 2.8-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder. All of these engines are quite capable, with decent acceleration and towing up to 7,700 pounds.

The 2021 Chevy Silverado edges out the Colorado in safety

You might assume the bowtie automaker would equip both trucks with similar safety features. And both pickups offer the Teen Driver system and a rearview camera as standard. But the Chevy Silverado edges out the Colorado in the driver assistance category by adding a heads-up display, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control.

In this comparison, the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 is just a better truck. It saw a complete redesign in 2019, MotorTrend reported. Plus, with all of its other benefits — including reliability, safety, engine configuration options, and towing — it stands head and shoulders above the 2021 Colorado. Though the Chevy Colorado did get a refresh this year, it’s still essentially based on an aging body design. It brings great amenities and options for a pickup, but it can’t keep up with the Silverado. There are also more refined pickups in the Colorado’s class. It’s not that it isn’t a good truck. It makes perfect sense for weekend warriors and commuters. But it’s simply not in the same league as the mighty Silverado.

However, what might prompt you to choose the Colorado over the Silverado is the price. A base-model 2021 Colorado starts at $25,200, much cheaper than even the regular-cab Silverado work truck. But if you need a full-size pickup, the Silverado is worth every penny.