Colorado was designed to offer improved comfort and maybe replace the family sedan in the process. Colorado favors roominess, ride comfort and fuel efficiency over traditional truck virtues such as payload and towing capacity. That's a strong selling point because compact trucks are increasingly bought as alternatives to cars, and their owners want more hip room, leg room and head room. Most are willing to sacrifice bed length for cab room. Sales of Regular Cab trucks, which typically offered the longest beds, are way down (although Colorado is one of the few to still offer this variation). The Extended Cab has largely replaced the Regular Cab as the truck for serious haulers, many of whom like being able to stash gear, tools, luggage, or groceries behind the seats. Crew Cabs are exploding in popularity because they offer the convenience of a comfortable back seat for family and friends. Their short bed lengths are an acceptable compromise for many buyers. But don't get us wrong: The Colorado isn't a car with a bed.

In fact, the Colorado provides all the trucking capacity most owners will ever use. It has a six-foot bed with Regular and Extended Cabs, and a five-foot bed on Crew Cabs. A properly equipped Colorado is rated to tow 4,000 pounds, enough for transporting ATVs, dirt bikes, personal watercraft, bass boats, and small camping trailers. In most configurations, the Colorado can carry more weight in the bed than the old S10 could. So it'll get the job done.