2024 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison Review: Is Bigger Really Better?

It’s time to test drive and review the 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison pickup truck!

The Colorado is Chevy’s midsize truck, available in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel drive versions. The ZR2 Bison is the hardcore off-road version of the Colorado, designed to compete with trucks like the Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road and Ford Ranger Raptor.

The Colorado is currently in its 3rd generation, which began in 2023. The truck debuted in 2004 and replaced the beloved Chevy S10, and that original generation lasted until 2012 before the 2nd gen arrived. As of this video, all modern Colorados are 4-door crew cabs with 5-foot beds. They also all have 2.7-liter, four-cylinder engines, but with varying outputs, and eight-speed automatic transmissions. 

The bottom two trims on the Colorado offer either 2WD or 4WD, with the base WT trim starting at $31,000 for rear-wheel-drive, and the next trim, the LT, starting at $33,500. Four-wheel-drive adds about $3,000. The base turbocharged engine option offers 237 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the step up, the “TurboMax,” makes 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet. 

The top three trims — the Trail Boss, Z71, and ZR2 — are more off-road-focused, so they only come with 4-wheel-drive. The Trail Boss starts at $39,000, the Z71 starts at $41,000, and the ZR2 starts at $48,000. They all come with the 310-horsepower engine.

The Bison package is a $12,000 add-on for the Colorado ZR2, which beefs the truck up even further for off-roading with features like Multimatic jounce-control dampers, all-weather floor liners, and lots of upgrades from off-road company American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). The ZR2 Bison also changes out the regular ZR2’s 33-inch tires for 35-inch ones.

The ZR2 Bison looks like it has an aftermarket lift kit and all kinds of mods, but it’s straight from the factory with a warranty — and that’s part of the charm. The rest of the charm comes from the fact that it’s a toy, not really a work truck, and that it’s compromised. There’s limited visibility out of the front, side, and back; there are no power running boards, making the truck a literal stretch to get in; and the fuel economy is dismal, especially for a vehicle with only four cylinders.

But there’s so much to love about the ZR2 Bison. Its interior is funky yet classy. Its suspension controls bumps and dips like magic. Its driver-instrument cluster and infotainment system are crisp and easy to read, and they show all kinds of off-road gauges. It cruises surprisingly well on the highway, and you don’t get a lot of intrusive sound from the road or wind. It can get you into and out of almost any location with no problems. Its metallic blue paint is stunning, and the black exterior accents make it look so tough.

I didn’t expect to love the ZR2 Bison as much as I do. If buying an off-road-ready mini monster truck is on your wishlist, it’s a pretty good choice.

Thanks for watching my YouTube channel. Enjoy the drive!

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00:00 Quick overview on the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison
00:57 History of Chevy Trucks
02:23 What Makes the ZR2 Bison Unique
03:02 Apex Coffee Roasters
03:24 The Chevy Colorado Lineup
03:43 The TurboMax Engine
05:28 Colorado ZR2 Fuel Economy
05:54 The Bison Package
07:55 The Cost
08:11 Trunk Test
09:16 Miatas Beware
09:39 Interior Impressions
14:19 Offroad Disclaimer
15:08 Offroad Impressions
19:34 Driving Impressions on Road
28:58 Alanis’ Report Card
30:38 Conclusion
31:08 Subscribe!