2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD compares

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD returns 16 combined MPG. Cars in the Small Pickup Trucks 4WD class for the same model year average 19.1 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 16%.

The most efficient car in the Small Pickup Trucks 4WD class for the 2023 model year is the Ford Maverick AWD at 24 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 2023 model year (across all classes) returns 33.7 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2023 model year is on its own page.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for regular gasoline, which is $3.99/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 937.5 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Year-over-year MPG for the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD

The EPA has rated the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD across 10 model years, from 2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD through 2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run, hovering close to 17 MPG.

Compare against other Small Pickup Trucks 4WD for 2023

If you are cross-shopping the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Small Pickup Trucks 4WD class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

The Ford Maverick AWD leads this group at 24 MPG, 8 MPG ahead of the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD.

Specifications

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD runs a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with a automatic 8-spd, sending power through 4-wheel drive.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Small Pickup Trucks 4WD

Engine

2.7L 4-cylinder turbocharged

Transmission

Automatic 8-spd

Drivetrain

4-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Regular

Annual petroleum use

18.6 barrels per year

Start-stop system

Yes

Common questions about the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD.

• Is the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD fuel efficient?

  Not particularly. The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD returns 16 combined MPG, which trails the average car in the Small Pickup Trucks 4WD class for the same model year by about 16%.
• What MPG does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD get?

  The EPA rates the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD at 16 combined MPG, 16 MPG in city driving, and 16 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $3,750 for the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• What fuel does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD use?

  The EPA lists the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
• Has the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD become more fuel efficient over time?

  Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD, 20 MPG) and most recent (2026 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD, 17 MPG) versions sit in the same range.
• How much CO₂ does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 539 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 8,085 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD?

  City driving returns 16 MPG and highway driving returns 16 MPG. A flat (or city-better) split is the signature of a hybrid or electric drivetrain, where regenerative braking recovers energy that would otherwise be lost in stop-start city traffic.
• What engine is in the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD?

  The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD has a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine (EPA description: SIDI). Smaller turbocharged engines like this one tend to deliver bigger-engine power on demand while keeping fuel economy closer to a non-turbo version of the same displacement.
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD have?

  The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD comes with a automatic 8-spd transmission and 4-wheel drive.
• How does the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD compare to the best car in its class?

  The most efficient car in the Small Pickup Trucks 4WD class for the 2023 model year is the Ford Maverick AWD at 24 combined MPG. The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 4WD returns 16 MPG, a gap of 8 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.