The 2008 Chevrolet Colorado 2WD is, unfortunately, due for a major renovation or death by default. This compact truck may carry the GM trademark, but it would appear the GM's focus has been elsewhere. Despite the fact the MSRP is relatively low and that this compact pick up truck is available in a variety of sizes and configurations that offer above average performance, a decent towing capacity and many of the comfort and convenience features typically found in a sedan intended for the luxury minded, the Colorado is still quickly losing consumer appeal, industry interest and sales to the competition.

Still unchanged, despite negative press for the last few years, the interior of the Colorado 2WD is still significantly less refined and comfortable than the cabins of its competitors. Although the interior design is quite user friendly and functional, the mediocre materials throughout are sub par at best. The beneficial abundance of front leg room is nice for the driver but thwarted by the fact that rear leg room is very tight in even extended and crew cab models, not to mention the fact that the small rear door openings make entry and exit very awkward.

The many variations of the Colorado 2WD come with either a 2.9 liter 4 cylinder engine that delivers 185 horsepower or a 3.7 liter 5 cylinder that produces 242 horsepower. The majority of the 4 cylinder models are mated to a 5 speed manual transmission; while a 4 speed automatic is found standard on most 5 cylinder models. Although performance is adequate, the competition boasts larger V6 and V8 engines that are able to easily soar past and transport more than the Colorado.

With its suspension gently tuned to provide a comfortable ride, the Colorado still performs quite well in all regards off road when equipped with the Off Road option package. Standard safety features, such as antilock brakes, OnStar emergency communication system, traction control and a full array of airbags have made the Colorado one of the safest small pick up trucks on the market to date.

Both of the 2008 Chevrolet Colorado's engines are relatively smooth, though acceleration and hauling performance is lacking when compared to the compact pick up truck models with V6 and V8 engines presented by Dodge, Toyota and Nissan. Overall, build quality, passenger comfort and performance are all adequate-but there is more to be found for less in the compact pick up category.