2026 Chevrolet Colorado: Kirkland Buyers Guide
Quick Answer: The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado at a Glance
The 2026 Colorado is a Crew Cab mid-size pickup with a 5-foot bed, sold in six trims: WT from $32,400 MSRP, Custom from $33,545, LT from $36,000, Trail Boss from $40,500, Z71 from $44,600 and ZR2 from $50,700, plus a $2,095 destination charge. All six share one engine, a 2.7L turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, with an 8-speed automatic. WT, Custom and LT come 2WD with 4WD available; Trail Boss, Z71 and ZR2 are 4WD only. Lee Johnson Chevrolet at 11845 NE 85th Street in Kirkland sells and services the Colorado for drivers across the Eastside, from Bellevue and Redmond to Issaquah, Bothell and Sammamish.
One engine, six very different trucks
People coming over from the full-size Silverado usually ask which engine to pick, and with the Colorado the answer is short: there isn't a choice to make. No V6, no V8, no diesel, no hybrid. Every trim runs the 2.7L TurboMax four-cylinder at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft, shifts through an 8-speed automatic, and drinks regular unleaded. So the shopping happens somewhere else, in the wheels, the ride height, the tires, the drive modes, the cabin finish, and whether the front axle is driven at all.
Chevrolet builds the whole lineup as a Crew Cab with a 5-foot bed, which means five seats and a bed sized for bikes, a kayak rack, a few bags of bark dust, not a sheet of plywood laid flat. Inside, every trim gets an 11.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in, an 11-inch digital driver display, and the Chevy Safety Assist suite (forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist). Chevrolet lists wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the lineup, and it's worth asking to see it working on the specific truck you test drive.
What each step up in price actually buys
The price ladder is orderly. Custom adds $1,145 over WT, LT adds $2,455 over Custom, and then the steps get bigger as the hardware gets more serious: $4,500 to Trail Boss, $4,100 more to Z71, and $6,100 more to ZR2, for a total spread of $18,300 from bottom to top. One comparison that rarely shows up in brochures is worth doing, though. A 4WD LT runs $39,300 (4WD is about $3,300 on WT, Custom and LT), which lands roughly $1,200 under a Trail Boss. If you want four-wheel drive and nothing else, that's the cheaper door; if you also want the factory lift and all-terrain tires, Trail Boss is the one that has them standard.
Where a mid-size truck earns its keep on the Eastside
Kirkland is a place where a full-size truck can feel like overkill about half the time. Parking around the Kirkland waterfront and in downtown Bellevue is tighter than it looks on a map, the NE 85th Street corridor and I-405 reward a vehicle that threads through traffic without drama, and a Colorado fits a standard garage in the older neighborhoods without a mirror-fold ritual. Then the weekend arrives and the same truck is pulling a boat to a Lake Washington or Lake Sammamish ramp, loading bikes for the trails around Issaquah, or heading east on I-90 toward Snoqualmie Pass. Max towing reaches 7,700 lbs, but only with the Advanced Trailering Package, which is standard on Trail Boss and Z71 and a $945 option on WT and LT. Without it, those trims are rated at 3,500 lbs.
Pick your 2026 Colorado
Each trim has its own guide with the equipment details, the 2WD-versus-4WD math and the questions buyers tend to ask.
Colorado WT
from $32,400 MSRP
The entry point: 17-inch steel wheels, 2WD standard, 4WD available.
Colorado Custom
from $33,545 MSRP
Black 18-inch aluminum wheels and black badging for about $1,145 over WT.
Colorado LT
from $36,000 MSRP
Remote start, keyless access and the EZ Lift and Lower tailgate.
Colorado Trail Boss
from $40,500 MSRP
A 2-inch factory lift and 32-inch all-terrain tires, both standard.
Colorado Z71
from $44,600 MSRP
LED lighting, four drive modes and a Jet Black cabin with red accents.
Colorado ZR2
from $50,700 MSRP
A 3-inch lift, Multimatic dampers and 33-inch mud-terrain tires.
What Colorado buyers say about the store
Lee Johnson Chevrolet holds a 4.6-star average across roughly 2,200 Google reviews, and the Colorado turns up in them across several years. A buyer who picked up a Colorado ZR2 for a family member wrote that the salesperson "answered all our questions with knowledge, and provided excellent customer service," and signed off with "Super content with our purchase." A shopper who'd been hunting for specific options put it this way in a 2020 review: "I searched around for the Colorado with just the right options and found it here. They were able to match other dealer discounts making this a no brainer." (Angel R. and Lindsay G., Google reviews.)
Service gets mentioned too. Matt T. wrote in October 2024: "I recently had my 2024 Colorado serviced by [Lee Johnson Chevrolet] in Kirkland. The service manager was pleasant to deal with, quoted an accurate wait time (almost unheard of these days) and explained all the possible expenses clearly." The Colorado service and repair guide goes deeper on the maintenance side, and the pricing and leasing guide walks through Washington's tax math.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado still a current model?
Yes. The 2026 Colorado is on Chevrolet's current lineup with pricing from $32,400 MSRP, and it's a running-change year on the same generation that launched for the 2023 model year, so you'll see small updates such as a new White Sands paint color and a new 20-inch wheel design on Trail Boss and Z71 rather than a redesign.
How much does a new 2026 Chevy Colorado cost?
MSRPs run from $32,400 for the WT to $50,700 for the ZR2, before the $2,095 destination charge, Washington sales tax, licensing and any dealer fees. The pricing and leasing guide shows how the Kirkland sales tax works, and current offers are posted on the new Chevy specials page.
How many miles will a Colorado last?
Chevrolet doesn't publish a lifespan number for the Colorado, and anyone quoting one is guessing. What you control is the maintenance rhythm: oil changes when the Oil Life Monitor asks for them, tire rotations around every 7,500 miles, and brake and fluid checks twice a year (the service guide lays out a schedule suited to Eastside driving).
Does the 2026 Colorado have transmission problems?
Every trim uses the same 8-speed automatic, and Chevrolet backs the truck with 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage plus a longer powertrain term (confirm the exact terms for a specific VIN). If you've read an owner complaint about a particular model year, the service team at Lee Johnson Chevrolet can look up open recalls and service bulletins for the truck you're considering before you buy.
What's the difference between the Colorado and the GMC Canyon?
They share a platform and the same 2.7L turbo engine, but each brand has its own trim ladder, so features don't line up one for one. Compare a configured Colorado against a configured Canyon at the same price rather than assuming they're identical trucks with different badges.
Is there a diesel or V8 Colorado?
No. The 2026 Colorado is offered only with the 2.7L TurboMax four-cylinder, in every trim. For a V8 or diesel you'd step up to the full-size Silverado family.
Where can I test drive a Colorado near Bellevue or Redmond?
Lee Johnson Chevrolet on NE 85th Street in Kirkland, roughly 15 minutes from Bellevue via I-405. You can browse the current Colorado inventory online first, and sales hours run 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 to 7 on Saturday and 11 to 6 on Sunday.
MSRP figures exclude the $2,095 destination charge, taxes, licensing and any dealer fees or installed options; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel economy, towing and equipment details are manufacturer and EPA specifications that vary by trim, drivetrain and options; see the Owner's Manual or Lee Johnson Chevrolet for vehicle-specific ratings. Warranty terms follow Chevrolet's published coverage and apply to a specific VIN. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Lee Johnson Chevrolet in Kirkland, Washington.