Compare the2026 Chevrolet ColoradoVS 2025 Jeep Gladiator

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
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Gladiator doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking/Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking, the Chevrolet Colorado is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Gladiator, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Colorado	Gladiator
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH	AVOIDED	No Slowing
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	-24 MPH	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	-20 MPH	No Slowing
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	-22 MPH	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	-24 MPH	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	-18 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	1.8 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-15 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.8 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Chevrolet Colorado achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Jeep Gladiator has not been tested.

The Colorado’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Colorado LT/Trail Boss/Z71/ZR2 offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Gladiator only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Colorado has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Gladiator’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Colorado has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Jeep charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the Gladiator and the Gladiator’s Rear Cross Path Detection does not include automatic braking.

Both the Colorado and the Gladiator 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 all wheel drive.

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 Jeep Gladiator:

	Colorado	Gladiator
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	194	220
Neck Injury Risk	26.1%	34.9%
Neck Compression	10 lbs.	91 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	150/71 lbs.	576/707 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

There are over 20 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Jeep dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Colorado’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Colorado has a standard 800-amp battery. The Gladiator’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 3 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The Colorado’s 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 25 more horsepower (310 vs. 285) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (430 vs. 260) than the Gladiator’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Colorado is faster than the Jeep Gladiator:

	Colorado	Gladiator
Zero to 30 MPH	2 sec	2.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	8.7 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.1 sec	15.1 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.5 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.9 MPH	83.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Colorado’s fuel efficiency. The Gladiator 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 Gladiator doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Colorado	Gladiator
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.9 inches

The Colorado stops much shorter than the Gladiator:

	Colorado	Gladiator
70 to 0 MPH	186 feet	194 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Colorado has larger standard tires than the Gladiator (255/65R17 vs. 245/75R17). The Colorado ZR2 Bison’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Gladiator (315/70R17 vs. 285/70R17).

The Colorado ZR2’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 70 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Gladiator Sport’s standard 75 series tires. The Colorado Trail Boss’ optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Gladiator Nighthawk’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Colorado Trail Boss offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Gladiator’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Chevrolet Colorado’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Gladiator only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Chevrolet Colorado’s independent front suspension is much lighter than the Jeep Gladiator’s solid front axle, which allows the Colorado’s wheels to react more quickly and accurately to the road’s surface, improving both ride and handling.

For much better steering response and tighter handling the Colorado has rack and pinion steering, like Formula racecars, instead of the recirculating-ball type steering of the Gladiator.

The Colorado LT 4x4 handles at .78 G’s, while the Gladiator Mojave pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Colorado LT 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the Gladiator Rubicon (27 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Colorado LT 4x4’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Gladiator 4x4’s (41.5 feet vs. 44.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Colorado ZR2 Bison has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Gladiator Mojave (12.2 vs. 11.6 inches), allowing the Colorado to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Chevrolet Colorado may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 350 pounds less than the Jeep Gladiator.

The Colorado ZR2 is 5.3 inches shorter than the Gladiator, making the Colorado easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Colorado has standard flush composite headlights. The Gladiator has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

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 Gladiator doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Colorado has 4 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Gladiator.

Cargo Capacity

The Colorado has a much larger cargo box than the Gladiator shortbed (41.9 vs. 35.5 cubic feet).

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

	Colorado	Gladiator
Length (short/long)	61.7”	60.3”
Max Width	58.8”	56.8”
Min Width	45.5”	44.8”
Height	21.1”	17.7”

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 Jeep Gladiator doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

The Chevrolet Colorado has a standard CornerStep, which allows for much easier access to the cargo area. The Jeep Gladiator doesn’t offer a rear cargo step.

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

Payload and Towing

The Colorado’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Gladiator’s (7700 vs. 4500 pounds).

The Colorado 4x4 has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Gladiator (1700 vs. 1050 lbs.).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Colorado (except WT/Trail Boss/LT), the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Colorado (except WT/LT/Trail Boss)’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Gladiator doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Colorado’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Gladiator has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Colorado’s standard front and rear power windows all open with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Gladiator’s rear windows don’t open automatically. The Colorado LT/Trail Boss/Z71/ZR2’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches, and its driver’s window also automatically closes.

The Colorado’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gladiator’s available power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

On a hot day the Colorado’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Gladiator can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Gladiator doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost SOS Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Colorado’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Gladiator’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Gladiator only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

The Colorado has standard power remote mirrors. The Gladiator only comes with remote mirrors at extra cost. Without them the driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

The Colorado’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Jeep charges extra for heated mirrors on the Gladiator.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Colorado (except WT/LT/Trail Boss) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Gladiator doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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

Model Availability

The Colorado is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

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

Motor Trend selected the Colorado as their 2024 Truck of the Year. The Gladiator has never been chosen.

The Chevrolet Colorado outsold the Jeep Gladiator by over two to one during 2024.

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