Chevrolet Colorado vs Toyota Tacoma: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Toyota Tacoma's best version gets 23 mpg combined against 20 mpg for the Chevrolet Colorado.
Chevrolet Colorado
20mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.7L turbo 4-cyl · RWD · 8-speed automatic
Toyota Tacoma
23mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.4L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · 8-speed automatic
The cheapest Toyota Tacoma to fuel costs $2,700 a year at EPA's prices, $400 less than the cheapest Colorado. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2025 Colorado and 5 recalls for the Tacoma.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Colorado | Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 20 mpg 2.7L turbo 4-cyl · RWD · 8-speed automatic | 23 mpg (clearly better) 2.4L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · 4WD · 8-speed automatic |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 20 mpg | 23 mpg (clearly better) |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | Hybrid 23 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $3,100 | $2,700 (clearly better) |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $4,500 more | Costs $2,500 more (clearly better) |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 1 | 5 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 28 | 118 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 4 stars | 4 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | Not rated | 18.5% to 19.8% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2010. The Colorado rated higher in 8 and the Tacoma in 6 of the 15 years both were sold; they tied in 1.
- Chevrolet Colorado
- Toyota Tacoma
2025: Chevrolet Colorado 20 mpg · Toyota Tacoma 23 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Chevrolet Colorado | Toyota Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21 | 22 |
| 2011 | 21 | 22 |
| 2012 | 21 | 22 |
| 2013 | – | 23 |
| 2014 | – | 22 |
| 2015 | 22 | 22 |
| 2016 | 25 | 21 |
| 2017 | 25 | 21 |
| 2018 | 25 | 21 |
| 2019 | 23 | 21 |
| 2020 | 23 | 21 |
| 2021 | 23 | 21 |
| 2022 | 23 | 21 |
| 2023 | 22 | 21 |
| 2024 | 22 | 24 |
| 2025 | 20 | 23 |
| 2026 | 21 | 23 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Chevrolet Colorado (left bar)
- Toyota Tacoma (right bar)
2026: Chevrolet Colorado 1 recall · Toyota Tacoma 0 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Chevrolet Colorado | Toyota Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 13 |
| 2011 | 5 | 9 |
| 2012 | 2 | 7 |
| 2013 | – | 6 |
| 2014 | – | 4 |
| 2015 | 7 | 4 |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 5 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 |
More on each model
- 2025 Chevrolet Colorado MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Chevrolet Colorado by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Toyota Tacoma MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Toyota Tacoma by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Colorado or the Tacoma?
For 2025, the Tacoma. Its best version is rated 23 mpg combined; the Colorado's best is 20 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel, the Colorado or the Tacoma?
For 2025, the Tacoma. At 15,000 miles a year and EPA's fuel prices, its cheapest version to fuel costs $2,700 a year and the Colorado's costs $3,100, a difference of about $2,000 over five years.
How do the Colorado and the Tacoma compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Colorado is rated 4 stars overall and the Tacoma is rated 4 stars overall. Rollover risk is 18.5% to 19.8% for the Tacoma.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.