Compare the2022 Chevrolet ColoradoVS 2021 Nissan Frontier

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Colorado and Frontier Crew Cab have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Colorado has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Frontier’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Colorado are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Frontier doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Colorado LT/Z71 offers an optional collision warning system, which detects an impending crash through forward mounted sensors and flashes a bright light and sounds a loud, distinctive tone to warn the driver to brake or maneuver immediately to avoid a collision. The Frontier doesn't offer a collision warning system.

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Colorado. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Frontier.

The Chevrolet Colorado has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Frontier doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

The Colorado LT/Z71’s optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Frontier doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Colorado’s optional blind spot mirrors use wide-angle convex mirrors mounted in the corner of each side view mirror to reveal objects that may be in the driver’s blind spots. The Frontier doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

The Colorado offers optional OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Frontier doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Colorado and the Frontier have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Colorado is safer than the Nissan Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
OVERALL STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	2 Stars

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab is safer than the Frontier Crew Cab:

	Colorado	Frontier
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	79	313
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	19 cm	32 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	0%/1%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.39/.74	1.77/1.37

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Colorado is safer than the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	26 mm	44 mm
Distance Below Top of Head	34 mm	48 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Pass
Torso Acceleration	11.5 g’s	12.4 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Medium
Max Neck Shearing Force	15	152
Max Neck Tension	414	645

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Colorado the rating of “Top Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 221 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Frontier is not a “Top Pick” for 2016.

The Chevrolet Colorado has a better fatality history. The Colorado was involved in fatal accidents at a rate 16.7% lower per vehicle registered than the Frontier, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Warranty

The Colorado’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Frontier’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Nissan dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Colorado’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Colorado second among midsize pickups in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Frontier isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 13th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The Colorado’s 2.8 turbo diesel produces 88 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 281) than the Frontier’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Colorado V6 is faster than the Nissan Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
Zero to 30 MPH	2.3 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	10.7 sec	12.9 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.2 sec	3.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.1 MPH	88.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Colorado gets better mileage than the Frontier:

			MPG
Colorado
	RWD	2.8 turbo 4-cyl. Diesel	20 city/30 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	19 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
	AWD	2.8 turbo 4-cyl. Diesel	19 city/28 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	19 city/24 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/24 hwy
Frontier
	RWD	3.8 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Colorado V6’s fuel efficiency. The Frontier doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Colorado has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Frontier doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Colorado’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier King Cab	Frontier Crew Cab
Front Rotors	12.2 inches	11.1 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	12.75 inches	11.3 inches	11.3 inches

The Colorado stops much shorter than the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	199 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Colorado’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Frontier PRO-4X’s standard 75 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Colorado has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Frontier.

The Colorado has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Frontier doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Colorado has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Frontier base model’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Colorado’s wheelbase is longer than on the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
Extended Cab Standard Bed	128.3 inches	125.9 inches
Crew Cab Short Bed	128.3 inches	125.9 inches
Crew Cab Standard Bed	140.5 inches	139.9 inches

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Colorado is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Frontier.

The Colorado Short Box Z71 Crew Cab 4x4 handles at .78 G’s, while the Frontier Short Bed PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Colorado Short Box Z71 Crew Cab 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Frontier Short Bed PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 (27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Colorado’s turning circle is tighter than the Frontier’s:

	Colorado	Frontier
Extended Cab Standard Bed	41.3 feet	43.5 feet
Crew Cab Short Bed	41.3 feet	43.58 feet
Extended Cab Standard Bed 4x4	41.3 feet	43.33 feet
Crew Cab Short Bed 4x4	41.3 feet	43.33 feet
Crew Cab Standard Bed 4x4	44.6 feet	47.5 feet

For greater off-road capability the Colorado Short Box ZR2 Crew Cab has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Frontier (10 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the Colorado to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Colorado uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Frontier doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Colorado Extended Cab has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Frontier King Cab.

The Colorado Crew Cab has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom and 2.2 inches more rear legroom than the Frontier Crew Cab.

Cargo Capacity

The Colorado Extended Cab has a much larger cargo box than the Frontier King Cab shortbed (49.9 vs. 33.5 cubic feet).

The Colorado Crew Cab shortbed has a much larger cargo box than the Frontier Crew Cab shortbed (41.3 vs. 27.1 cubic feet). The Colorado Crew Cab longbed has a much larger cargo box than the Frontier Crew Cab longbed (49.9 vs. 33.5 cubic feet).

The Colorado’s cargo box is larger than the Frontier’s in almost every dimension:

	Colorado Extended Cab	Colorado Crew Cab	Frontier King Cab
Length (short/long)	74”	61.7”/74”	73.3”
Max Width	57.8”	57.8”	61.4”
Min Width	44.4”	44.4”	44.4”
Height	20.9”	20.9”	18”

The Chevrolet Colorado offers an optional EZ-Lift and Lower, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. The Nissan Frontier doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

The Chevrolet Colorado has a standard CornerStep (not available ZR2), which allows for much easier access to the cargo area. The Nissan Frontier doesn’t offer a rear cargo step.

The Colorado has bed indentations that accommodate 2x4’s for two-tiered loading to help accommodate diverse loads; the Frontier doesn’t offer two-tiered loading.

The Colorado has stake post holes, to allow the containment of tall, light loads. The Frontier doesn’t offer stake post holes.

Payload and Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Frontier is limited to 6720 pounds. The Colorado Crew Cab offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Colorado 4WD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Colorado can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Frontier can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Colorado has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
Crew Cab	1400 lbs.	1020 lbs.
Extended Cab 4x4	1380 lbs.	1340 lbs.
Crew Cab 4x4	1460 lbs.	1020 lbs.

The Colorado has higher optional payload capacities than the Frontier:

	Colorado	Frontier
Extended Cab	1543 lbs.	1460 lbs.
Crew Cab	1548 lbs.	1460 lbs.
Extended Cab 4x4	1504 lbs.	1360 lbs.
Crew Cab 4x4	1550 lbs.	1360 lbs.

Servicing Ease

The Colorado uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Frontier uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Colorado has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Frontier doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

An Oil Life System is standard on the Colorado to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Nissan doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Frontier.

Ergonomics

The Colorado offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Frontier doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The engine computer on the Colorado automatically engages the starter until the car starts with one twist of the key and disables the starter while the engine is running. The Frontier’s starter can be accidentally engaged while the engine is running, making a grinding noise and possibly damaging the starter and ring gear.

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Colorado LT/ZL1/ZR2 has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Frontier doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

The power windows standard on both the Colorado and the Frontier have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Colorado is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Frontier prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Colorado’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Frontier’s power windows’ switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Colorado’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Frontier doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Colorado’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Frontier’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Colorado has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Frontier has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the PRO-4X.

The Colorado’s optional power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Frontier SV/PRO-4X’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

On extremely cold winter days, the Colorado’s optional (except Work Truck) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Frontier doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Colorado Z71/ZR2 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Frontier doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Colorado is less expensive to operate than the Frontier because typical repairs cost much less on the Colorado than the Frontier, including $103 less for a muffler, $55 less for a starter, $277 less for a fuel pump and $398 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Colorado third among midsize pickups in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Frontier isn’t in the top three.

Motor Trend selected the Colorado as their 2016 Truck of the Year. The Frontier has never been chosen.