With the hefty roster of smaller pickups on the market, it can make choosing your next purchase a little tough to decide. There are a ton of best of type features from each manufacturer, but when it comes down to it, the Chevrolet Colorado tops many consumer lists. What might be surprising is that the basic work truck model not only competes well with the others in its class, it brings more to the table in many cases. It may in fact be the best Colorado for you.

Why do consumers choose smaller pickups?

The Chevrolet Colorado and others in its class meet a specific need. It’s the perfect size for work, play, and function. People looking to avoid the SUVs often opt for the smaller truck to handle their active lifestyles. They’re easy to drive and tend to be cost-effective in purchasing and operation. In other words, they are many times the goldilocks of value vehicles. They’re not too big, not too small, and are ideal for almost any practical use.

Chevy Colorado is best in lifestyle, city, and farm life

MotorTrend took a look at the midsize truck market and ventured out to test a few of the favorites. Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tacoma were put to use on the farm for comparison. The crew also hit the highways and evaluated performance and convenience for each in everyday lifestyle use. The Colorado, even with its most basic of options, far exceeded the others in terms of refinement, ride quality, and peppy performance.

Chevy Colorado Work Truck is better than Ranger

The Ford Ranger, while comparable in a variety of areas with Colorado, is just not as smooth of a ride. It’s even rougher on the jostling with the FX4 package. There hasn’t been much improvement to the Ranger over the years. It still has marginal ergonomics, tight cabin space, and limited back seat utility. While you may be considering a Ranger, and they may be best for you, the Chevy Colorado basic work truck meets and exceeds many of these Ranger setbacks.

Comparable to Tacoma’s smooth ride

Tacoma wins in style and quality materials and enjoys the best-selling midsize pickup title. However, a few challenges, noted by the team at MotorTrend at least, include a cramped cabin, harder than anticipated seats, and a super tiny back seat. If a flashy design is your primary objective, you might want the Tacoma. But, when comparing apples to apples, the Chevrolet Colorado work truck earns points where Tacoma deficits, and boasts an almost smoother ride than Toyota as well.

Everything you need in one little truck

If you’re looking for a functional everyday vehicle, with work capability, the Chevy Colorado work truck might just check all your boxes. It’s small and maneuverable for ease of use in the city, including parking in tight spaces. It’s big enough, with bed length options, to swallow all your gear. With a V6 engine, you’ll enjoy quicker take-offs and acceleration. It offers a happy medium on fuel economy as well.

The V-6 Chevy Colorado base work truck includes some tech features as well. Considering this model doesn’t mean you have to forgo your everyday tech needs.

• 7-inch touch screen
• Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Four-way power driver seat
• Dual USB
• Rearview camera

Again, we can’t decide which of these trucks is the best fit for you; we can certainly suggest that the Chevy Colorado base work truck is worth a test drive. It can hang in every category, and in many cases, still outperforms the competition. Before you decide, consider all your options. You might find you agree and save a little on your bank account, too, with the reasonable $29,280 starting price tag.