What qualifies a truck as a great family vehicle may be the roomy interior or the fact that riding in a pickup truck is smoother than ever. The 2019 Chevrolet Colorado has many features that will appeal to those choosing a compact or midsized family truck.

You can’t go wrong when consider safety. The Chevy Colorado’s crew cab models are roomy enough for families. In fact, it received the highest rating in five crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). So what’s the Chevy Colorado’s setback?

The Chevrolet Colorado’s single flaw

What makes the Colorado a good family car — besides roomy, comfortable back seats — may be its fuel efficiency. FuelEfficiency.gov‘s statistics found that the Chevy Colorado will get up to 22 MPG combined city/highway. It’s closest competitors, the Nissan Frontier averages about 19 MPG. So, with four-wheel-drive and a 2.8 liter, four-cylinder engine, the Colorado’s fuel economy may be an attractive selling point.

Back to those safety ratings, the Chevroler Colorado comes standard with a driver safety system especially for teen drivers. This technology encourages safe driving by tracking key driver data when the system is enabled. Parents can also set speed limits, control volume, and program speed warnings when traveling over 40 miles per hour.

Yet, there is one big flaw as Consumer Reports explains. The 2019 Chevrolet Colorado only received a marginal rating for IIHS front small overlap, passenger. And the Colorado only received three stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for rollover resistance in both the two-wheel- and the four-wheel-drive models.

What the Colorado’s safety numbers mean

The front small overlap frontal crash test is used to see how vehicles of a similar size and weight perform in a crash at 40 miles per hour when 25% of the right front side of a vehicle hits a barrier. The driver of a vehicle with a marginal performance means the passenger is only 33% less likely to die than a driver of a poorly rated vehicle. 

The poor rollover resistance score means that the Chevy Colorado is top-heavy, so the operator can lose control when navigating curves too fast. In a severe maneuver, the Colorado may be more apt to tip over. While it’s not the only pickup truck to score poorly in these categories, it’s worth noting.

The Chevy Colorado is fuel-efficient

Many Chevrolet Colorado owners are women. According to JD Powers, “Colorado owners are more often female (13% vs. 11%) and enjoy a greater median annual household income ($105,388 vs. $101,820).” This may be why the Colorado is rising in the ranks as a family truck. Many of the favorable reviews include the exterior styling, which stands out from other trucks, and the comfortable, stylish interior design.

Looking further at the Colorado’s fuel economy, it costs less to keep the tank full compared to other gas-hogging trucks, like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. Also, you may want to consider the diesel engine option, which has a fuel efficiency closer to 24 MPG. This makes the Chevrolet Colorado one of the most fuel-efficient pickup trucks on the market. 

The nice thing is that you don’t lose much in hauling capacity, as the gasoline-engine Colorado can tow 7,000 pounds and boasts a 1,555 payload while the diesel engine option can tow 7,700 pounds. These numbers beat both the Toyota Tacoma and budget-friendly Nissan Frontier. Don’t expect the high torque numbers that real truck enthusiasts seek in the Colorado, because the gasoline V6 is short on torque.