“What truck should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would features editor Christian Seabaugh drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here.
I may not look like the type, but I love pickup trucks. There’s just something about their purposeful design and the sense of freedom trucks provide that really gets me going. I may not go off-road, tow something, or need to haul hay bales every day (or ever, aside from that one time), but knowing that I can is incredibly liberating. Because of that, if I were spending my hard-earned money on a new pickup, I’d be purchasing a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison, equipped with a V-6, crew cab, and 5-foot bed.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison is the perfect truck for my little family. My wife and I currently rent a place in Los Angeles, live with two dogs, like to be self-sufficient, and love road trips, both to places where roads actually go and to places where they don’t. Any vehicle we buy would be a lifetime purchase, so we’d be comfortable stretching up to a hypothetical $50,000 in the near term in order to get a truck that best meets our long-term needs.
Aside from a $50,000 price cap, my pickup would have to check a few boxes: It’d have to be off-road capable, able to tow a small trailer or camper (up to 5,000 pounds), and have a minimum 1,000-pound payload capacity. It would also have to have a dog-friendly back seat, Apple CarPlay, and be relatively efficient.
Before settling on the Colorado Bison, I considered a few different trucks, like the Jeep Gladiator, Ram 1500 Rebel, and Ram 2500 Tradesman Power Wagon.
Ultimately, I picked the Bison for a couple reasons. For starters, it (along with the Ford F-150 Raptor, which is outside my budget) is among the best-driving off-roaders on road. The Bison is comfortable and quiet on the highway and actually handles pretty well for what it is, thanks to its Multimatic DSSV shock absorbers. It’s quick, too, thanks to its well-sorted 308-hp V-6 and eight-speed automatic. The ZR2 Bison is also undeniably stellar off-road, expertly balancing high-speed desert running with true rock-crawling capabilities—it’s a harmony not found elsewhere on the market.
As for how I’d spec my truck, I need a crew cab so there’s room for my pups; on the Colorado ZR2, that means you have to get a 5-foot bed. For my purposes, the baby bed is just fine; I rarely ever haul long items, and if I needed to I’d simply rent a trailer. I’d also opt for the standard 3.6-liter V-6 over the fantastic 2.8-liter turbodiesel I-4. The little diesel engine is super-efficient, but it’s $3,500 more than the gas V-6. Plus, it puts out more greenhouse gas emissions than the six-cylinder, and will cost me more to fill up at the pump. Great little engine, but I’m all about minimizing impact both to my wallet and the environment when I can.
I could, in theory save almost $6,000 by opting for the standard Colorado ZR2 over the Bison package, but considering the steel bumpers and well-designed body armor the Bison brings to the table, I’m not sure I can replicate a similar amount of off-road protection on the aftermarket. Plus, it looks cool.
Opting for the Bison package limits your color choices, unfortunately, so I’d opt for a Summit White truck. I’d also go for a soft-folding tonneau cover, extra cargo tie-downs in the bed, and LED bed lighting. All in, my Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison stickers for $49,130. Not half bad for what’s currently the ultimate factory overland pickup and a two-time MotorTrend Truck of the Year winner.
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