Nissan Frontier vs Chevy Colorado
Compares the 2026 Nissan Frontier against the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado — the model year currently on our lot and the current model year for the Colorado as of August 2026. Neither Nissan nor Chevrolet has announced 2027 pricing for these trucks.
The Colorado has the biggest torque number in the midsize class: 430 lb-ft, standard on every trim, from a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The Frontier makes 281. That’s a real gap and we’re not going to talk you out of it.
What the spec sheets don’t show you is what happens between the advertised price and the number on your buyer’s order. Chevrolet charges $2,095 in destination on the 2026 Colorado — up $400 from the $1,695 it charged on the 2025. Nissan still charges $1,695 on the Frontier. That’s $400 before you’ve discussed a single option.
There’s also something about the Colorado’s towing numbers that’s worth knowing before you shop. We’ll get to it.
Standard engine output
The Colorado’s biggest advantage, and it is a real one. Both engines make 310 horsepower.
Nissan Frontier vs. Chevrolet Colorado: Full Spec Comparison
| Specification | 2026 Nissan Frontier | 2026 Chevrolet Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Starting MSRP | $32,150 | $32,400 |
| Destination charge | $1,695 | $2,095 |
| Starting price with destination | $33,845 | $34,495 |
| Trim levels | S, SV, PRO-X, PRO-4X | WT, Custom, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, ZR2 |
| Trim pricing | $32,150 – $42,370 | $32,400 – $50,700 |
| Standard engine | 3.8L V6, naturally aspirated | 2.7L TurboMax turbo 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 310 hp | 310 hp |
| Torque | 281 lb-ft | 430 lb-ft |
| V6 available? | Yes — standard on all four trims | No — no V6 offered on any trim |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Max towing | 7,150 lbs | 7,700 lbs (max available — see note) |
| Max payload | 1,590 lbs | Not published by Chevrolet |
| EPA combined MPG (2WD) | 21 | 21 |
| EPA combined MPG (4WD) | 19 | 19 |
| Standard touchscreen | 8 inches | 11.3 inches |
| Maximum touchscreen | 12.3 inches | 11.3 inches |
| Cab configurations | King Cab and Crew Cab | Crew cab only |
| Bed lengths | 5-foot and 6-foot | One 5-foot bed |
| Off-road trim | PRO-4X ($42,370 max) | ZR2 ($50,700), Bison package available on ZR2 |
| Basic / powertrain warranty | 3 yr / 36k · 5 yr / 60k | 3 yr / 36k · 5 yr / 60k |
About That 7,700-Pound Towing Number
Chevrolet advertises the Colorado at up to 7,700 pounds of maximum available towing, and that’s a real, manufacturer-published figure. Read the phrase carefully, though: maximum available. It describes the best any Colorado can do, not what every Colorado does.
Here’s the part worth knowing. Chevrolet does not publish trim-by-trim tow ratings for the Colorado anywhere on its consumer site. There’s one lineup-wide number. Third-party outlets have published trim-level figures — several report the ZR2 at 6,000 pounds and the ZR2 with the Bison package at 5,500 — but those are not Chevrolet’s numbers, and we’re not going to present them as though they were.
What that means for you practically: if towing is why you’re buying, ask the Chevrolet dealer what that specific truck is rated for, and ask to see it on the door-jamb label or in the owner’s manual towing table. That’s a legitimate question and any honest salesperson will answer it. Don’t assume the truck on the lot carries the advertised number, and don’t assume it doesn’t.
We’d tell you the same thing about a Frontier. The 7,150-pound figure is a maximum too, and the Frontier PRO-4X is rated at 6,310. Ask us, and we’ll show you the label.
MSRP plus destination charge
Base MSRP is nearly identical. The $650 gap at delivery is almost entirely destination.
Where the Chevrolet Colorado Wins
Torque, and it isn’t close. 430 lb-ft versus 281. In real driving, that’s the difference you feel merging onto the 215 with a trailer, or pulling away from a light with a bed full of block. The Colorado’s TurboMax is a genuinely impressive engine and its torque advantage is the single strongest argument in this comparison.
Screens. An 11.3-inch touchscreen and an 11-inch digital instrument cluster, both standard on every trim, with Google built in. The Frontier’s base 8-inch unit looks small next to it. The Frontier’s optional 12.3-inch screen is technically larger, but you have to climb trims to get it and there’s no digital cluster to match.
Maximum towing. 7,700 pounds max available beats the Frontier’s 7,150 max, with the configuration caveat noted above.
The ZR2 is a more extreme off-road truck than the PRO-4X. Factory lift, 33-inch mud terrains, Multimatic DSSV dampers. If hardcore off-road capability is the priority and $50,700 is in budget, the PRO-4X is not the same animal.
Where the Nissan Frontier Wins
1. $400 less in destination, before you negotiate anything. Chevrolet raised the Colorado’s destination charge from $1,695 to $2,095 for 2026 — a $400 increase in one model year. Nissan’s Frontier destination is still $1,695. Destination isn’t negotiable at any dealership, ours included, so that gap follows the deal all the way to signing.
Set by the manufacturer, not negotiable at any dealership
Chevrolet raised the Colorado’s destination charge from $1,695 to $2,095 for the 2026 model year.
2. Cab and bed choice the Colorado doesn’t offer. The Colorado is crew cab only, with one 5-foot bed. Every single one. The Frontier gives you a King Cab with a 6-foot bed, and a Crew Cab in 5-foot or 6-foot. For contractors and anyone whose cargo is longer than it is heavy, that’s not a preference — it’s whether the truck works.
3. A V6 in a truck. The Colorado has no V6 option at all — the 2.7L four-cylinder is the only engine offered, across all six trims. The Frontier’s 3.8-liter V6 is standard on all four of its trims, with nothing to option and no trim to climb to. Some buyers don’t care. Plenty do, and if you’re one of them, Chevrolet doesn’t sell you a way out.
4. The published tow rating applies to the truck you’re looking at. Nissan publishes Frontier tow ratings by configuration, and we’ll show you the door-jamb label on any truck on our lot. You shouldn’t have to do detective work to find out what your truck pulls.
5. Getting into the off-road trim costs $8,330 less. A loaded Frontier PRO-4X tops out at $42,370. A Colorado ZR2 starts at $50,700. Different trucks with different missions — but if what you want is a capable 4×4 with a locking rear differential and skid plates that still tows over 6,000 pounds, the Frontier gets you there for meaningfully less money.
Frontier PRO-4X fully loaded vs. Colorado ZR2 starting price
The ZR2 is the more extreme truck. It also costs $8,330 more to get into.
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the Chevy Colorado if: torque is your priority and 430 lb-ft is worth paying for; you want the biggest standard screens in the segment; or you want the most hardcore factory off-road truck in the class and the ZR2’s price doesn’t scare you.
Buy the Nissan Frontier if: you need a 6-foot bed or a King Cab; you want a V6 and Chevrolet doesn’t offer one; you want a tow rating you can verify for your specific truck; you want off-road capability without a $50,000 entry point; or you’d rather not hand over an extra $400 in destination before the conversation starts.
Drive Them Both
Torque numbers are easy to compare on a page and harder to evaluate in a parking lot. If you’re cross-shopping, drive them back to back — the Colorado’s low-end pull is real, and so is the difference in how the Frontier’s V6 delivers it. We’ll happily send you to drive a Colorado first.
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Frontier vs. Colorado: Common Questions
Does the Chevy Colorado have a V6 engine?
No. The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado is offered with a single engine across all six trims: a 2.7-liter TurboMax turbocharged four-cylinder producing 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. There is no V6 option at any trim or price. The 2026 Nissan Frontier comes standard with a 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 on every trim.
Which tows more, the Nissan Frontier or the Chevy Colorado?
The Colorado’s maximum available rating of 7,700 pounds exceeds the Frontier’s 7,150. Both are maximums that depend on configuration. Chevrolet does not publish trim-by-trim tow ratings for the Colorado on its consumer site, so buyers should confirm the rating for a specific truck on its door-jamb label rather than assuming the advertised figure applies.
Is the Nissan Frontier or Chevy Colorado cheaper?
Base MSRP is nearly identical at $32,150 for the Frontier and $32,400 for the Colorado. The gap widens at delivery: Chevrolet charges $2,095 in destination on the 2026 Colorado versus Nissan’s $1,695, making the Frontier’s starting price with destination $33,845 against the Colorado’s $34,495 — a $650 difference.
Why did the Chevy Colorado’s destination charge go up?
Chevrolet raised the Colorado’s destination and freight charge from $1,695 on the 2025 model year to $2,095 on the 2026, an increase of $400. Both figures are published on Chevrolet’s own destination and freight charges page. Destination charges are set by the manufacturer and are not negotiable at the dealership.
Does the Chevy Colorado come with a 6-foot bed?
No. The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado is offered only as a crew cab with a single 5-foot bed, across all six trims. The 2026 Nissan Frontier offers a 6-foot bed in both King Cab and Crew Cab configurations, plus a 5-foot Crew Cab bed.
Is the ZR2 Bison a separate Colorado trim?
No. Bison is an option package available on the Colorado ZR2, not a separate trim level. The 2026 Colorado lineup consists of six trims: WT, Custom, LT, Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2.
Towing figures are for properly equipped vehicles and vary with configuration, options, and passenger load. Chevrolet publishes a lineup-wide “up to 7,700 lbs maximum available” towing figure and does not publish trim-level ratings on its consumer site; confirm any specific vehicle’s rating against its door-jamb label. Manufacturer tow ratings are SAE J2807 sea-level figures — real capacity is reduced by altitude and high ambient temperatures, both of which apply in Southern Nevada. Chevrolet specifications and pricing sourced from Chevrolet as of August 2026 and subject to change. Prices exclude tax, title, license, and dealer charges.
