Compare the2024 Ford MaverickVS 2023 Chevrolet Colorado

The Ford Maverick has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Colorado doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Maverick has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Colorado doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Maverick’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Colorado doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Maverick uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Colorado uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Maverick and the Colorado have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Maverick’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Colorado’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

The Maverick has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Colorado doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ford Maverick Hybrid’s reliability 39 points higher than the Colorado and the Ford Maverick is rated 43 points higher than the Colorado.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Maverick third among midsize pickups in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Colorado isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 2 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

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

Regenerative brakes improve the Maverick Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Colorado doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Maverick Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Colorado. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Maverick Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Colorado doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Maverick’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 Colorado ZR2’s standard 70 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Maverick has fully independent front and semi-independent rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Colorado has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The front and rear suspension of the Maverick uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Colorado, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Maverick has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Colorado doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For greater off-road capability the Maverick has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Colorado (8.6 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Maverick to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ford Maverick may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 1200 pounds less than the Chevrolet Colorado.

The Maverick is 1 foot, 1 inches shorter than the Colorado ZR2, making the Maverick easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The Maverick is 1 foot, 1.5 inches shorter than the Colorado Trail Boss.

The Maverick is 10.1 inches shorter in height than the Colorado, making the Maverick much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Maverick’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Colorado doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Maverick has .7 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the Colorado.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Maverick’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Colorado doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Maverick’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Colorado’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Maverick’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Colorado’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Maverick will be $8366 to $12311 less than for the Chevrolet Colorado.

Consumer Reports® chose the Ford Maverick as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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

The Maverick was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Colorado has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Maverick as the 2022 North American Truck of the Year. The Colorado has never been chosen.