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Off Road in the 2016 Chevy Colorado Duramax Trail Boss

Zane

By Zane
in Article & Review Archive (Pre-2019)

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Zane Senior Enthusiast

Zane

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Zane Merva

Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com

November, 2015

 

The Chevy Colorado Diesel is just starting to arrive at dealerships. I recently had a chance to take a fully loaded Colorado Z71 Trail Boss with the all new 2.8L Duramax Diesel off-roading in the dusty Nevada desert. How does the special edition Colorado perform off-road? Does the Duramax help or hurt the midsizer? Should you upgrade your Colorado with GM's available performance parts? Let’s go and find out!

 

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Thankfully, being the first few days of November, I didn’t have to worry about the scorching heat of the Nevada desert. I was, however, warned not to wander off the road too far off the road and be on the lookout for rattlesnake. While I never did see any menacing wildlife, the prospect we might made our time with the Trail Boss all the more exciting.

 

I’ve long been a fan of diesel engines for small pickups and SUVs. The low end torque focused nature of the diesel matches nicely with the low-speed driving most owners of these types of vehicles do most. Or at least, at least the type of driving they want to do most. So, to see the Colorado’s off-road model paired with the brand’s new small Duramax Diesel engine is satisfying.

 

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When we gave you our first on-road impressions of the 2.8L Duramax Diesel for the mid-size trucks it was on paved roads and smoother all-season tires. The Trail Boss takes the Colorado to an off-road slant, with large knobby tires, slick LED lights, a blacked out bowtie, and a tubular steel sail at the front of the bed. That’s just naming a few of the features.

 

Traveling down what some might call a "road" in the middle of the Nevada desert, the Trail Boss Diesel I’m piloting reminds me a whole lot of the S-10 ZR2 I used to own nearly a decade ago. A fat low end torque curve and capable off-road parts leave me feeling confident as we traversed through narrow canyons and washed out dry river beds.

 

Without a doubt, the 2.8L Duramax shines in this type of work. The key to off-road driving is slow deliberate movements. With 369 lb-ft of torque on tap at low RPM, piloting off-road at a measured crawl is a pleasure. The Trail Boss’s Wrangler Duratrac tires grip loose dirt and rock substantially better than the standard all-season radial tires that come on a Z71 model. The tubular side steps provide substantial rocker panel protection.

 

Better yet, even if you already own a Colorado, you don’t have to buy a brand new Trail Boss to experience these upgrades. Just pick up a 2016 GM Performance Parts Catalog and turn to page 66. With a little time and money, you can turn your own truck into a Trail Boss, right in your own garage. The company offers off-road Wrangler Duratrac tires, black aluminum wheels, floor liners, color matched grilles, and even a transfer case shield. For performance oriented owners, a performance exhaust and air intake are also available. Best of all, every single one of these parts is covered within your vehicle's factory warranty.

 

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To add some depth and compare, I also drove a Performance Parts loaded Silverado High Country. While the Silverado exhibited a more plush ride, it’s wider girth made it substantially more difficult to maneuver on the tighter sections of the trail. Capable in its own right, the Silverado didn’t give me the same confidence that the narrower Colorado did. This is one circumstance where the just-a-little-bit-smaller outside proportions of the mid-size make all the difference.

 

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If you're looking for a utilitarian vehicle that can take you far off the beaten path, the Colorado Trail Boss should be right up your alley. Chevrolet has a unique offering with it's 2.8L Duramax that you can't find anywhere else. That sets the Colorado to become a popular off-road platform, ripe for modification.

 

You can head down to your Chevrolet dealer and purchase your own Trail Boss straight from the factory, or if you already own a Colorado outfit it with the same parts from GM’s Performance Catalog. You can read the all new edition right here.

 

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newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

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We have a ext.cab Colorado that just came in (3.6) off the delivery truck that is a Trail Boss. Stickered for a little over $42k. The Trail Boss package is $7k and change alone. They look awesome but...a tad steep IMO. They still need to do a ZR2 as the Trail Boss...well...as cool as they look, they aren't a ZR2...

jasaero New Member

jasaero

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Can't wait to get mine. It's a diesel Trail Boss standard bed in blue. Dealer has issued my order, but don't have an allocation for it yet. They are still only allocating a handful of diesels each week and availability of the gas seems real thin also. My dealer was supposed to get 6 allocations yesterday, but they reduced it to 3.

fiero2m4 Enthusiast

fiero2m4

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Ok - I'm sure I won't be the only one to ask - but any real 4x4 required travels? Everything in the pictures looks like a FWD Impala could roll down that gravel road. I know the publicist from GM was likely leading the group - but did anything require any concern for ground clearance, approach angle, anything? Or anything where even a 2wd locking differential would have to engage?

Sierra6.0 Enthusiast

Sierra6.0

Posted
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I agree with 08 SBirch. This Duramax Colorado is a sweet truck...everything but the front end. It doesn't matter how many grill-black outs I can purchase, or even a good set of Wrangler Duratracs, that front bumper will kill all of your off-road performance. It's the reason my Sierra HD is relegated to nothing more than trailering duty, the approach angle virtually guarantees you will crack your bumper, even if you remove the air-dam ahead of time.

Why doesn't chevy offer a REAL off-road package?
The 2015 TRD Pro Tacoma is stock with a 37.8 degree approach angle. That's your competition. The Colorado Z71 approach is 17.3 degrees.....that's why this dirt road looks like something an Impala can drive over...because it can.

I want to see the Trail Boss on Poison Spider in Moab, out of the box. The TRD Tacoma can do it.

A mini chevy duramax drivetrain would be a dream for many over landers and off-road enthusiasts alike; however, the amount of "mod" $$ to fix that approach angle makes the Tacoma king of the hill again.

I understand why they have the low bumper: Improved MPG to meet the EPA's standards. That's fine. Offer the base with it. Customers who order the "Trail Boss" would take 30 degree approach at the expense of 2-3mpg every day of the week.

It's sad that the last out-of-the-box off-road able Chevy was the H2/H3 combo. This is exactly why Jeep is selling everything their factory can produce, and with a wrangler-based truck coming in '16 with the Dodge Eco-Diesel and this Colorado "Trail Boss" is DOA.......despite having the better engine/tranny combo.
:(




Mr Manana New Member

Mr Manana

Posted
Posted

Agree with the off-road lite comments. That was a dirt road and not off-road".

 

I miss the days of metal bumpers and 24" of clearance under the radiator. There is so much plastic so low to the ground on my 2008 4x4 Sierra that the truck is essentially a plow off road.

 

I am optimistic that the little oil burner will be a game changer in the mid-size pickup truck market. I love the L76 monster 6L engine in my crew cab, even though it only gets 10 MPH, but since I have crested 60 years old, I'm looking to downsize and slow down a bit. The Colorado Duramax might be the ticket.

 

If I bought one the first thing that I'd do is yank off that front end plastic and replace it with one of the after market steel bumpers like FabFours or Boondock.

 

 

f5fstop Enthusiast

f5fstop

Posted
Posted

Poison spider is not rough enough; give me one to hit Moab Rim, Steelbender, Metal Masher. Lets see how many rear end parts are ripped off on the wall, and front end parts on the fall. :ughdance: And never saw a stock TRD do Steelbender or Metal Masher the entire time I spent in Moab, which was six years, and with a Rubicon and Hummer, i ran every trail they had except for Coyote and Pritchett.

Zane Senior Enthusiast

Zane

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Ok - I'm sure I won't be the only one to ask - but any real 4x4 required travels? Everything in the pictures looks like a FWD Impala could roll down that gravel road. I know the publicist from GM was likely leading the group - but did anything require any concern for ground clearance, approach angle, anything? Or anything where even a 2wd locking differential would have to engage?

Aww man, ouch The photos I took happened to be on the best parts of the trail with the most room for us to get out and stretch our legs. Yes, there was a group of us led by an instructor. We did actually use 4WD high during most of the drive. :dunno:

 

Not sure what I can say other than acknowledging it's not the Rubicon Trail and it could have been worse but that I got a sense the Colorado Diesel is going to be a trail monster versus the Silverado on what I had available to me.

 

Hopefully we'll get a chance to drive one for longer than a few hours in the near future. :thumbs:

f5fstop Enthusiast

f5fstop

Posted
Posted

Vs. the Silverado? Yea, can't be any worse. :thumbs:

  • 2 weeks later...
Brad10281 Enthusiast

Brad10281

Posted
Posted

GM is probably banking on the fact that the wannabe off-roaders will buy this...it is a nice looking truck. If I spent $42k on a truck, it wouldn't leave the pavement...not on a "real" trail anyways. I'm no off-road enthusiast, but my mindset is: if I own a truck I would like it to look like it's at least capable of going off road. I got a 2" level and some mild AT tires...that's good enough for me. You guys with 6+ inches of lift are nuts...I would hate getting in and out of a truck that tall every day.

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