Midsize trucks are all the rage, lately. They’re the perfect size to use for your commute to work, they’re usually comfortable enough for long trips, and they offer enough storage space for the occasional furniture move or Home Depot run. One of the more popular options is the Chevrolet Colorado. The Colorado has proven to be a dependable midsize truck, but with its only 5-foot 2-inch long truck bed, is there really enough space back there to be useful?

What’s great about the Chevrolet Colorado

The Colorado may be a midsize truck, but it’s powerful enough to get pretty much any job done. The standard edition is equipped with a 2.5L V6 engine that gets you 200 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque. And while you get a powerful engine with the Colorado, you don’t sacrifice your gas mileage, getting 20/26 mpg city/highway. That couldn’t be more perfect for a commuter truck that you still need to perform strong tasks every once in a while. On top of that, it even won Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year award two years in a row.

Inside, the Colorado doesn’t lack in comfortable touches. The 2019 standard model is equipped with Chevrolet’s infotainment system, an 8″ touchscreen control panel, Bose audio speakers, USB charging ports, and an HD rearview camera. The second row offers enough room to comfortably seat three people, along with seats that fold up to access additional storage compartments.

Is the bed big enough?

Staff at Motor Trend put a Colorado through its paces in a long-term test drive. They started out thinking that a 5-foot 2-inch bed would be repeatedly too short, compared to other models with a 6-foot bed. Instead, they found that they didn’t really miss that extra foot. For a midsize truck, the Colorado’s truck bed is a great size. It allows you enough space for running errands that require a little extra room, plus you can still fit in a suburban garage stall. We’d call that a win-win.

The testers at Motor Trend made a compelling point when they stated, “Granted, full-size trucks could do many of the tasks, but that we didn’t need a truck that massive demonstrates how well the midsize Colorado completes suburban work.” That’s a great point to keep in mind if you’re in the market for a new truck. If you don’t absolutely need the extra towing capacity or payload that comes with a giant, full-size truck, then why add on the extra expense and lower fuel economy? Stick with a midsize truck.

How do I know I won’t miss the full-size truck bed?

There’s no way of knowing for sure if the length of the Colorado’s truck bed will work for you until you get it home and start putting it to work. But take a look at what you need out of your next truck. If you need it to carry a lot of heavy loads very frequently, and if you need to tow a lot of loads all the time, then look at getting a full-size truck.

If you’re looking to get something that you can use to drive to work, run errands, and use as your everyday family vehicle, but would still like the option to be able to move furniture or pick up lumber for home improvement projects, then a midsize truck is all you need. The Colorado is one of the best-selling midsize trucks available, even with the shorter truck bed. You won’t know if it’ll work for you for sure until you take it home, but the chances are good it’ll work out in your favor.