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Starting at
Starting at
| 310 | Horsepower | 280 |
| 430 lb-ft | Torque | 262 lb-ft |
| 7,700 lbs | Towing | 5,000 lbs |
As you are looking for the perfect truck, you will quickly discover that you have a tremendous number of options available to you these days. Even just figuring out which size truck is right for you can be a struggle; once you decide you want a midsize pickup, you still have a wide range of different options available. That is why we find it helpful to look at just one or two models at a time to see how they compare, such as the 2024 Chevy Colorado vs 2024 Honda Ridgeline. While Honda certainly has a fine truck available in the Ridgeline, the lack of power, lower towing capabilities, and less impressive off-road functionality it offers quickly leaves it in the dust of the remarkable Chevy Colorado.
Looking at the engines, for instance, we can quickly see that the Ridgeline is at a disadvantage since it has only one engine available compared to the two engines offered by Chevy. This might not be a big deal if the Ridgeline's engine was unsurpassed, but it only stacks up against the standard engine of the Colorado. When you compare the 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque that Honda offers on the Ridgeline to the available TurboMax engine for the Chevy Colorado and its 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, then the Ridgeline falls behind completely. You might not need the kind of power in a midsize truck that you want in a full-size pickup, but you still deserve a robust engine that ensures you have a great time behind the wheel.
This difference in performance also translates into very different capability from these two trucks, with the Colorado once again coming out on top. With its single engine, the Honda Ridgeline offers 5,000 lbs of towing capacity, which looks good compared to the 3,500 lbs of towing possible with the standard engine in the Colorado. But if you go with the more-powerful engine that Chevy offers, you get 7,700 lbs of max towing and a truck that can handle far more than the Ridgeline. Plus, the Chevy Colorado has an off-road focused ZR2 trim available with a ZR2 Bison special edition that includes 35-inch tires and more than 12 inches of ground clearance, giving you the freedom to go anywhere you can imagine in your truck.
Although there are a lot of different things you need to consider when shopping for your next truck, we would argue that no single item is as important as the engine. So much of your driving experience and what your truck can do comes down to the engine and the kind of power and performance it delivers while you are on the road. Even a midsize truck, which will not have the high-end power of a full-size model like the Chevy Silverado 1500, still needs to have plenty of muscle under the hood. This is something that Chevy clearly understands with the Colorado and while the Honda Ridgeline is pretty good, it simply cannot keep up.
The biggest issue, we would say, with the Ridgeline is that it has only a single engine on offer rather than giving you a couple options with enhanced power. Honda has done well with the standard engine to make it more impressive than you might expect at first, but it still falls short of what the Colorado is capable of. The Honda Ridgeline is powered by a 3.5L V6 engine that offers 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, which is good but not exceptional. This is a completely respectable standard engine, honestly, but the lack of a second option to offer greater power is what lets the Ridgeline down.
Looking at the 2024 Chevy Colorado gives you two engines to choose from, and you will see why this makes such a big difference. The starting engine for the Colorado is a 2.7L Turbo I-4 that provides 237 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque; you can see this is not quite as powerful as what the Ridgeline offers, though the torque is at the same level. Where Chevy goes further, however, is with the available 2.7L TurboMax engine that delivers an impressive 310 hp and a remarkable 430 lb-ft of torque. This far surpasses what Honda offers and it makes the Colorado a clear winner in terms of power and performance, providing you with a superior driving experience.
Most of us do not choose a midsize truck because we are looking for massive towing; after all, the engineering and power of a full-size pickup is a better choice for that. At the same time, we still want to be able to do some towing and have a truck that can reliably handle whatever we throw at it. This is something Chevy understands better than most, offering impressive capabilities that go beyond what you might expect from a midsize pickup; this is also an area where the two engines available for the Colorado make a big difference.
Looking at towing, the Honda Ridgeline actually does better than a lot of people expect, providing good capabilities across the board. With its V6 engine, the Ridgeline offers up to 5,000 lbs of towing capacity, which is superior to the 3,500 lbs of towing capability that the Colorado offers with its standard engine. The key factor here, however, is that the Colorado has an available TurboMax engine that boosts its capabilities up to 7,700 lbs of maximum towing. This more than doubles what the Colorado is capable of and gives you more than 2,000 lbs of towing beyond what the Honda Ridgeline can do.
In terms of payload rating, the story is pretty similar with the Chevy Colorado once again coming out on top, though things are a bit closer. The 2024 Honda Ridgeline offers up to 1,583 lbs of payload, while the Colorado can handle up to 1,684 lbs of maximum payload. As we said, this 100-lb difference is certainly not as substantial as the 2,700 lbs of increased towing that you can get with the Colorado, but it means you can ultimately load more weight onto Chevy's truck and hit the road with everything you need.
One of our favorite uses for a midsize truck like the Chevy Colorado and Honda Ridgeline is for going off-road. These trucks are perfectly designed for hitting the trail since their smaller size can make them much more maneuverable than full-size pickups in tight spots and on narrow trails. Honda offers an off-road focused trim in the TrailSport, which works well but is not nearly as impressive as we would like. The TrailSport has mostly the same engineering as other models, though it does feature an off-road-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires; ultimately, however, it has the same 7.64 inches of ground clearance as other Ridgeline models.
Chevy offers one of the most impressive off-road models on the market for the Colorado with the ZR2 trim and its bold array of features. For starters, the ZR2 includes a three-inch factory-installed lift with a high-performance suspension. This features DSSV Multimatic suspension dampers that can handle even the roughest terrain, plus you get an off-road front fascia, rear bumper, and fender flares to improve maneuverability on the trail. You get 33-inch OD Multi-Terrain tires on the ZR2, an Autotrac 2-speed transfer case with push-button controls for different terrain settings, and red recovery hooks.
Taking things to the next level, there is also an exclusive ZR2 Bison special edition for the Colorado that has been designed in partnership with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV). This incredible truck sets a new standard for midsize off-road performance thanks to 17-inch beadlock capable wheels wrapped in 35-inch OD MT tires, providing more than 12 inches of ground clearance. You get a special AEV stamped steel skid plate, and AEV skid plates for the transfer case, rear differential, and fuel tank. And with AEV stamped steel bumpers with heavy-duty cast recovery points on the rear bumper, the ZR2 Bison is ready to take you on your next adventure.
We would never say that the Honda Ridgeline is a terrible truck—it is a fine option that does have some decent features and a good engine. The problem, ultimately, is that it simply cannot compete with what Chevy offers on the Colorado, including much greater performance, enhanced capabilities, and remarkable features inside and out. When you start looking at things like the standard 11.3-inch infotainment display in the Colorado compared to the 9-inch screen in the Ridgeline, things become even clearer. Chevy knows trucks better than just about any other car company out there, and we know the Chevy lineup better than just about any other dealership out there, ensuring you have a great shopping experience.
Here at DePaula Chevrolet, we focus on providing you with the highest level of customer service, which starts from the moment you first contact us or step onto our lot. Everyone you work with will be friendly and helpful, ready to assist you with everything you need, whether that is finding you the perfect truck today or providing your current vehicle with service and maintenance to keep it in great shape. No matter what you are looking for, we are here to assist you and work hard to go the extra mile and deliver the best customer service possible. Call or come visit us at DePaula Chevrolet today to learn more about the Colorado and the rest of the Chevy lineup—we will help you find the right pickup.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.