I own a '23 ZR2 and agree with all of your points, its a solid truck at a competitive price. I really dig the yellow ZR2 exterior accents you did! I have the yellow seatbelts as well and I think they really distinguish the interior.
Counter points 1. Its the biggest and heaviest in the class 2. Gets the worst mpg's 3. It has less ground clearance on 33" tires than either the new Tacoma or Ranger has on 31" tires. I think it has a big bulky differential. I'm not saying its a bad truck these are just some of the trade offs
If the raptor wasn’t a thing I would’ve seriously considered the at4x or zr2. Awesome looking trucks. I just love raptors and couldn’t pass up the twin turbo 6 and Fox suspension. Mine gets built in March.
I’m a Tacoma man I love my Tacoma, but driving a 24’ z71 Colorado with the 2.7 turbo 4 cylinder, it was a dream, and honestly it feels very similar to my 99 Taco, and it’s weird to say that because it is a little bit bigger than than the taco, and being wayyy newer, needless to say I fell in love with that z71
Man the outside looks fantastic but the inside is amazing! They did a really good job with the infotainment system and settings. Can’t wait to see you hit the trails in this beast ! 🙌🏻
Just bought a 24 Canyon AT4X. Only got 600 miles on it but already played a little. These trucks are BA, still waiting to get in some mud, so exciting to check out your vids to satisfy my hunger to do off road sht..
Nice ZR2 Colorado, I'm looking at the 24' ZR2 Colorado or may wait for 2025 model . Getting a 24' Silverado TrailBoss first cause I need the bigger truck 1st but Colorado ZR2 will be our fun truck for me & wife. Have fun w/ it & keep posts up on it . Time to trade the 15' Wrangler JK & Silverado LT in for the above vehicles. Need 4WD trucks up here in WNY when we get those 5-7 feet snowstorms .
It is , if it has a Snowdogg plow mounted on it & if you go out & plow several times before it accumulates to 5-7' of snow . Been through many of these snowstorms/blizzards & the key is to keep up w/ the snow & have a tow winch & shovels on hand. It's kinda fun playing in the snow & helping people who get stuck w/ their cars in the snow. Bad thing is , they tend to close everything up cause of the driving bans.
Great overlanding choice. I think the ZR2 is the best value in the midsize. I was just in the market, and opted on a 22 ram backcountry with low miles since I wanted a full size. Almost bought one of these though, they are nice!
Yes, they do but that goes back to my second point, price. The bare bones Gladiator Rubicon is 53k, 5k more than a ZR2. With the base Gladiator Rubicon you get an underpowered V6 engine, a soft top, and a manual transmission (which I personally would go for, but most people prefer auto which is another 2k upcharge). Unless you are going extreme rock climbing every weekend where you gain the benefit of a solid front axle, there really isn't any comparison. All the other points I mention other than capability, the ZR2 excels at over the Gladiator.
@@outlandishoverland don’t take this as me being a gladiator fanboy because I’m not. But there are going for about 20-25% off of retail right now. I’m waiting until the 24 Colorado is available and will likely buy one when they do. We’re at the start of a great time to be in the midsize truck category. ZR2, Raptor, Gladiator, Tacoma TRD Pro & Trailhunter, even the Frontier Pro4x is pretty good (they list is in my order of favorite). I’m currently rolling in a 2020 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with the 5.7 hemi. Which has been an amazing vehicle and insanely good on and off road but having a small bed would be pretty handy on a semi regular basis which is why I’m looking. The tough part about all of these trucks except the gladiator is availability right now.
If youre ok with diesels, consider a gladiator rubicon eco diesel. I have a wrangler rubicon with the turbo diesel and its the best engine ive ever owned. 445 ft pounds of earth tearing torque at 1400rpms. Its sound great, feels great. Plus with a 4 to 1 transfer case, something you wont find on any truck except a rubicon...its gnarly. They stopped production on them but you can still find them new or very lightly used.
@@christopherjb274I’d love to go with the diesel gladiator but… my daily commute is only about 2 miles round trip and I the modern diesel things generally don’t work well with short commutes.
Great review, always nice to see someone that ACTUALLY uses their truck for the purpose of the package :). I went away from the big three a while ago due to reliability, but I will say, given Toyota's latest changes/mishaps, I would consider the Colorado or Frontier if I were buying new. the Colorado is by far the best looking and most capable, nothing looks as good or is as functional as the ZR2 for what you are using it for.
Thanks, yeah It seems like most people buy these types of trucks to never see dirt in their lifetime. So far been super happy with the truck with 0 issues at 2k miles and some offroading abuse.
I got 8k on mine lots of trips from California to Vegas and rural driving. Not great gas mileage, but great everywhere else. Great from primm to Vegas through desert
I live in Utah(it looks like you might as well, or somewhere near by) and I test drove a ZR2 a couple months ago. I was really excited about this truck and engine combo, but I gotta say, I walked away from the test drive pretty disappointed. I found that the engine seriously lacked in the low end torque department which is exactly what excited me about it in the first place. As the 9 year owner of a 2014 F150 Ecoboost on 35's which I used to tow my travel trailer 20,000+ miles, I knew how strong these turbo engines could be even at elevation, and that was not what I experienced out of the ZR2. At the same time as the ZR2 test drive I was also looking hard at Gladiator Ecodiesels and those motors felt MUCH stronger to me and overall it was a better driving truck IMHO. And after watching the recent TFLTruck videos comparing the 2023 Colorado 2.7 HO to the 2024 2.3L Ranger, I really think that Chevy de-rates these motors heavily at elevation because the two trucks perform very similar, despite the Ranger having 40hp less and a whooping 120ft-lbs less on paper. I think the 2.7L Ecoboost will blow this thing out of the water, never mind the 3.0 Ecoboost in the Ranger Raptor. For my money, I would spend the extra 3-4k on a Raptor. I agree that the interior was nice, but I really disliked how it felt like you were sitting down inside of it, like it was some kind of sports car. I actually liked being in the more utilitarian interior of the Jeep. The Colorado rear seats also had far less legroom than the gladiator and the headroom was pretty poor. Sure, if you are a single person or maybe married with no kids this might be fine, but fitting kids car seats in this truck was a challenge. The Gladiator had a lot more second row space and headroom was much better with the hard top. After all this ranting, I will say I did not buy either the Gladiator or the ZR2. Instead I went and bought a lightly used 200 series Land Cruiser for a similar price as the ZR2. Even though its the 5.7L V8 at elevation, it fells stronger to me than the ZR2 did and the whole truck is just an absolute tank in comparison. Sure, I dont have lockers, but Im pretty sure with some 35's and some mild suspension mods I can run most trails. I already ran Mashed Potatoes and 7 Mile Rim in Moab with a close to stock GX460 on 33's.
I disagree with the low-end torque and think there is plenty of it, especially offroading in 4L. The Ranger vs Colorado HP and Torque isn't everything, curb weight and gears play a bigger factor than what the engine makes. I think to many people mistake trucks as race cars nowadays. It's a truck at the end of the day, if you want HP and Torque go buy a sports car in which is our second vehicle/hobby. Rear space is tight but I would say rear space is tight on the majority of midsize trucks. If space is an issue go full size. You can only go so far without lockers and a lot of the trails we have done on the channel you aren't making it without at least a rear locker. I think a lot of your complaints as far as driving the ZR2 could have been fixed with a pedal monster from Banks just remapping how sensitive the pedal is. Once aftermarket support comes out for these trucks Im sure you can easily make more power and adjust where the power comes in, these motors are extremely over built with pretty much all forged components. The truck is not for everyone but hey that's why there is a market with so many different options.
@@outlandishoverlandWait, I'm sorry, but torque doesnt matter because its a truck? Trucks are meant to tow trailers and haul loads, torque absolutely matters, and low end torque is critical to having a good towing experience. Your comment about "get a sports car if you want HP and torque" is way off base and shows some serious ignorance. Not once in my comment did I mention 0-60 times, but you somehow took it to mean I was interested in stop light drags. 🤣No, im interested in towing a trailer with the maximum amount of comfort i can get in a small package that is good offroad. I was expressing how I thought the ZR2 engine behaved in my test drive based on experience with other vehicles with similar ratings. I owned a 2014 F150 Ecoboost for 9 years which weighed 1400 lbs more, made 420 ft-lbs of torque, had 35" KO2's and two less transmission gears than a ZR2 and it still felt stronger. Same with the Ecodiesel in the Gladiator. Those gladiators at 5500 lbs and rated at 442 ft-lbs yet the engine moved that truck much more easily. You should not need a banks pedal commander if your truck makes abundant low end torque because the truck should not need to downshift in most situations. My F150 would pull 7% grades at 1600 rpm in 6th gear on 35's. A pedal commander was not necessary to band aid some kind of deficit in engine power. I did have to run a pedal commander on my Lexus GX460 because it didnt have much low end torque and the transmission tuning was terrible.
I’m also considering the ZR2 VS Ranger Raptor. Raptor has arguably the better suspension, stronger engine, and better infotainment system. I see less than $9k difference. I added the convenience package for the ZR2 to be more equivalent to the Raptor’s offerings. See break down below. ZR2 = $49,785 with ZR2 Convenience Package Raptor = $57,065 base Let me hear what you think.
I agree the Raptor has better suspension, but unless you are going to bomb down desert roads every weekend the difference is not going to be really noticed. Stronger engine is a bit of a stretch. More powerful yes, but at the end of the day it's a truck not a race car. For offroading purposes all you need is torque in which the ZR2 has plenty of (just came back from Moab, this truck rules). These 2.7s are over engineered, just about everything is forged and have been super reliable in the Silverado platform. There are a few good break down videos of them. Better infotainment is opinion based. I personally don't care for Ford's SYNC. Thought it wasn't anything special and spent the majority of my days in Android Auto. I find the Chevy infotainment better with a bunch of cool features. It isn't perfect but that's the benefits of software updates. Also the ZR2 actually has physical buttons still for AC and lockers. With the Ranger Raptor that is all buried in the infotainment. Even with how you built it is still a 7k difference. You can do quite a bit for 7k in aftermarket whether you upgraded the suspension to like 2.5 Kings, go 35s, front and rear bumpers, or a tune. There is a few ways to mix and match the get the most of the 7k. At the end of the day, they are both awesome trucks, just really depends on preference.
I took them off and painted them myself. The flow tie pops off with some plastic trim removal tools and the tow hooks are just two bolts from each side.
Agree, this truck would do well here in New Zealand and also Australia. We already get the larger full-size Chevy Silverado. Hopefully GMSV will eventually bring this new Chevy Colorado over this way as well!
I waited 6 months to find the Glacier Blue 2024. This truck is way beyond my expectation. I had the 2018 until this one came on the lot. VERY happy. Suck it Ranger Raptor, See you on the trail. Well, check out my tail lights. :)
I compared all options to include Gladiator, and chose this ZR2. Very impressed. The engine is a BEAST. I reviewed that extensively and am convinced GM crushed it out of the park with the 2.7LI4T.
@@2011buddylee I mean to be fair considering the Tacoma gets that power from having eletric motors and the Ranger Raptor from having two extra cylinders and an extra turbo, the ZR2 numbers are pretty impressive for a 4 cylinder turbo.
The hybrid isn’t even available right now and will undoubtedly add a significant increase in price to an already overpriced and underwhelming truck. The V6 in the Raptor is ONLY available in the Raptor, which costs $9k more than the ZR2. He never said the GM engine was better than others, just that it is really good.
The Toyota TRD Pro and Trailhunter will weigh significantly more wi the the hybrid motor. The extra power will help fuel economy but it’s not going to make it much faster. The Ranger Raptor is more powerful, but when you’re off roading that only matters if the torque is down low where both trucks make effectively the same torque numbers. In dirt at high speed the 2.7 already overpowers the grip in the tires. The 0-60 in the raptor will be better. The 2.7 in the current tune is very good. This is arguably the best priced mid sized truck available in 2024.
I love Chevy my bro is all Ford …….. he loves racing and all that. I’ve always been more take it easy just let it cruise man. Chevy just works for me and baby bro loves his fords.
Great video. I agree that the new ZR2 is a better then your old Ranger but if you compare it to a Ranger Lariat Tremor other then the front locker you’re not getting to much more. I’m still happy for you and will be watching your new adventures.
I disagree. Compared to my Ranger, the Tremor just comes with Fox 2.0 shocks which are okay and more leaf springs in the back and you get leather seats, everything else is basically the same. IMO it's an overpriced package in which you could put that roughly 5k in so good suspension and still have left over for tires. Still doesn't compare to what comes on the ZR2 from factory, but glad you are sticking around 🤟
@@outlandishoverland You are omitting all of the Lariat digital equipment that you get for off roading. Almost everything you have in the ZR2 you get in a Lariat Tremor just not as pretty. By no means am I trying to suggest your ZR2 isn’t superior but what I’m suggesting is that it’s not crazy superior when compared to my 2021 Ranger Lariat Tremor
Did You play with the GMC AT4X ??? I like ZR2 Exterior AT4X Interior.....FU, GM. Now I have to find a way to customize the ZR2 Interior... Good Review Thanks! I really enjoy my 2018 ZR2 hope you Enjoy your civilized Beast! lol
I didn't. I personally couldn't justify the large price difference between the two and personally think the AT4X interior will be outdated in a few years. I rather save the couple thousand bucks as they are the exact same vehicle just different exterior and interior and use the money towards modifications.
@@outlandishoverland totally Agree! Thanks for the replay. I liked and sub. Also, cool patches on the ceiling. I'm finding ways to stain the interior leather colors to my liking. Planning moving from a 2018 ZR2 to the 2023 maybe coming off a lease if, I can find one lol.
This truck is so sweet. Looks so mean and fun to drive. I'm even more impressed with Colorado Bison (even though they should've added more HP). GM did a great job on these trucks.
No cooled seats in the Raptor. Just don't understand why Ford didn't offer them. Given black is the only interior option, just don't see how anyone in a hot climate would spend 58K and not have cooled seats. Aside from the V6, and the power rear window, no reason to buy the Raptor. It tows less, torque numbers are the same, and unless you're a fan of the crazy orange-accented interior and setting all of your climate through a touch screen, buy the ZR2. The ZR2 is probably the more formidable off-roader, whereas the Raptor is a purpose built baja truck.
I havw owned a 2023 colorado trail boss foe 1 full year. I love tye truck bur have decide to sell it and buy a 2024 colorado zr2 to ge5 tye 3" lift with bigger 33" tires,the fron electronic locking differential and the sweet suspension that comes on this zr2. Nor surw yet what color i want it in. I reallky like the truck in the glacier blue,silver metallic,sand dune metallic or the uniqie harvest bronze metallic greenish looking color.
Yes, it does I just used the Ranger Raptor as an example. As I explained in another comment it still goes back to price and almost every other reason I mentioned. The base Gladiator Rubicon is still 5k more than a base ZR2 and the ZR2 is better for every reason (interior, engine, technology) than the Gladiator.
I would agree on the the price point but I really depend on what your looking for because the diesel engine on tq and gas mileage even on 35s is amazing. And technology wise the Chevy is nice when it works😬. Jeep been doing it for longer and unfortunately is expensive because it works. I have a friend with the gladiator other with the ZR2 and I have the ranger tremor and the ZR2 is the only one that has given us issues with the vents in the front and infotainment issues. But I would agree that it looks the best when they all park next to each other
The 3L Jeep diesel is so unreliable they’ve discontinued the motor as an option in the gladiator. I loved my Gladiator, but my wife’s 5.3 suburban had more pep than that v6 with a car that weighed 1000 lbs more.
nice looking truck, i have to disagree with you on #2 and #4 though. I was going to buy one when they hit dealerships but changed my mind when I found out they were canceling the diesel motor option and only offering a turbo 4cyl gas. not a fan of little motors working hard, i favor larger motors working easily, or a diesel which traditionally is more reliable, longer lasting and better mpg. In hindsight im glad I didnt get one because the software has proven to be terribly buggy in them so far. I'm sure this is something GM will eventually get sorted out and then itll be fine, but it would have been frustrating to have owned one early.
Yes the diesel would have been nice, but this 4cyl is great. Most people just turn away because the number of cylinders and not looking at the numbers it makes. I've had 0 issues with mine as far as the "bugs" and have had the truck going on 4 months and 2k+ miles.
@@outlandishoverland I'm guilty of that. I turn away because of the number of cylinders, but its because i DO KNOW the numbers it makes. The numbers are impressive, but when little motors make big numbers I start to question longevity. 4cyl are good in alot of applications but I dont understand them in trucks. fuel efficiency is usually their talking point when they go to these small turbo motors, but when youre asking that little motor to move that truck, it works alot harder. that 4cyl will operate at a much higher rpm to make boost and power than a v8 which can drag that truck around at basically an idle. Once you're doing all that heavy lifting you realize that the little motor is eating just as much fuel as the larger one. Evidenced by the fact the 4cyl MPG and V6 MPG from the last generation are 1mpg different. Honestly the appeal for me was the low end torque and dual lockers, on a truck that could get high 20's MPG and last a long time. they lost that in my opinion when they got rid of the diesel.
Looks like a great truck. Unfortunately, we are being forced to go to 4-cylinder engines. We will look back and long for the towing capacity and longevity of 6 and 8 cylinder motors when these trucks (and cars, SUVs) are scrap metal.
I agree with you on the forcing of 4 cylinder motors. This one in the GM trucks gets worse mileage than the previous 6 cylinder. That is all the 4 cylinder version get worse mileage than the previous V6. If a person isn’t towing I am sure they will have somewhat of longevity to the engine with normal maintenance. Towing will effect the towing with the rpms being high all the time and heat added to the engine.
Chevys 4 Banger is a direct injection-only platform. you will need to have that top end torn down and cleaned 3-4 times throughout its lifetime to clean out carbon. Further more chevy is using cylinder deactivation on a 4 banger.. Unneeded complexity with known failure parts and design.. I wont say more lol
The cylinder deactivation almost never comes on. I've seen that ECO light come on maybe once or twice for like 3 seconds so that isn't a concern. 3-4 times for carbon built up not sure where you pulled than number from. I've had several direct injection engines and the carbon cleaning process is usually needed around 100k miles and there is no need to tear down the motor its quite painless of a procedure. 🤣 Also these motors have built in oil seperators to severally reduce the carbon build up.
Considering the sane truck, disappointed that the 6 cylinder is no longer an option. With that said is the reliability of these turbo engines just as good?
Yeah they have been around a few years as an option in the Silverados and have been nothing but reliable in those platforms. You can do some digging for yourself through the forums but these motors are pretty well engineered.
For the built-in Google Maps/Waze, do you need a data plan through GM to use it? Otherwise it just makes more sense to use Android Auto/Apple Carplay through a phone.
@@outlandishoverland oh good! Looking to buy a Colorado soon. I think it's much safer to have the map in front of you than to the right. Thanks for the info!
It is a beast of a truck but I saved myself thousands of dollars by going with the ZR2. Plus I don't need all that horsepower, that's why we have a race car as a secondary vehicle.
I will be getting into some extreme stuff soon enough. 🤟 I wouldn't say it's superior to the gladiator off road but more on par with it. It can do 95% of what a Gladiator can do but have a far more comfortable ride to and from the trails.
I mean I don't pick any offroader for the MPGs. To be fair they do come factory with 33s and so far in my findings I find those EPA ratings a bit low. I'm going to make a video soon enough on real world testing of MPG
seems like you're not considering the gladiator as a mid-size truck when talking about the front locker? granted, this seems like a far more reliable, comfortable, attractive midsize truck, but the gladiator rubicon certainly has a front locker...
@@outlandishoverland thanks for the reply - I'm looking at a 2024 Jeep Gladiator on their site right now. Are you based outside of the US? Where is it discontinued for 2024?
I don't remember the exact amount but it was right around 51k. I would say maybe the only upgrade would be the speakers to the Bose system. The stock ones are decent but if you turn them up past 80% they get distorted, in which I rarely do so I'm fine with the stock speakers.
@outlandishoverland Do your passengers find the backseat space too small? I'm looking at the Ranger Raptor but it's 10k more. I like the twin turbo v6 power it has.
Hard choice honestly. I have a video tomorrow of the Ranger Raptor versus my ZR2 offroad. The thing is you can actually be able to get a Bison versus getting your hands on a Ranger Raptor is going to be very hard without paying way over MSRP.
@@outlandishoverland I look forward to that video. There is about a 10k difference between the Bison and Raptor in my area (at least from the prices the dealerships are quoting me). Bison is a 2 month wait and Raptor is likely 6 months.
At 48k, it shouldn’t come with ANYTHING cheap! Sad how expensive these midsize trucks have gotten. But, as long as people are willing to pay the price, the seller will gladly take it.
The raptor has a front locker and gladiator does as well. As previously mentioned in other comments the Gladiator is being discontinued as you cannot buy a 2024 Gladiator so I did not include it in my comparison.
Hope yours works out. But from my judgement, theres a reason why theyre cheaper than the Tacoma and better equipped. All Ive heard are horror stories. Hopefully Chevy figures it out.
I'm not sure what horror stories you have heard but from the several FB groups I'm in, they are mostly positive reviews. The early 2023 models had some bugs and issues with their infotainment but that has been fixed with software updates. Unlike the Toyota lately with Tundra engine failures recalls I would say Chevy is doing pretty good. No way you are justifying the cost of Tacomas right now.
Trust me I've been dying to take it out as well but waiting for the break-in period before really abusing the truck. I'm hoping to be down in Moab in two weeks pushing the truck to the limit.
It is a lot of money for a midsize truck. I'm sure once they release pricing on the new TRD Pro it will also be around that pricing, but only time will tell.
@@outlandishoverland don’t get me wrong brotha…it’s a super nice truck. But 60 grand for a midsize truck?! These manufacturers have lost touch with reality.
See I’m completely opposite I have a 2016 GMC Canyon after about two years owning it I couldn’t stand that sissy boy V6. and I would absolutely lose my crap if I had a four-cylinder, I’m a person and I won’t take less. Within the first two years of owning that truck, I stripped engine and transmission out of it and threw it in the trash where it belong. And then I put an LSA engine in it and that truck absolutely rips. When I buy a vehicle, I buy it for performance meaning speed. The truck still has four-wheel-drive and I can still go off road and haul my slid in camper. it just absolutely disgust me that these car manufactures are putting these little sissy engines in these tough looking trucks with aggressive looks you want an aggressive engine? Not something that sounds like a gay guy getting hot and heavy every time you hear the exhaust. that’s the big problem for me is the way it sounds. This is why besides my canyon all my vehicles are from the 80s and 90s I won’t buy anything new.
😂😂😂 that’s why I’ll buy a jeep when I get the opportunity!! When it comes to off road capability, you don’t get just anything!!! I’m a Chevy & GMC girl, don’t get me wrong! But off roading, jeep has always & will always be “it!” THE ONE & ONLY!!!
I've been wanting a new ZR2 for over a year now, STILL haven't seen one at a dealer. I guess I'll have to ORDER a 2024 and then wait. As I have a Toyota that's been an extremely reliable car, I was hoping that they would FINALLY put a front locker in the Tacoma...but no, Toyota FAILED....AGAIN. Sorry, Chevy is getting my money.
Oh I know as they aren't frame mounted but it is a lot better than not having anything. I wheeled the Ranger I had hard for 2 years with no sliders and never got any body damage (If you don't believe me just check the rest of the channel lol). It all comes down to picking a good line. They will eventually get upgraded but front and rear bumpers are coming first.
