The True Cost of Owning a Chevrolet Colorado

Cost example prepared October 25, 2026

Start with the price you will actually pay

For a representative example, use a 2025 Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab at $35,800, Crew Cab means four full doors, and the LT is the step up from the work truck, adding comfort and utility features most buyers want (starting MSRP, the manufacturer's suggested retail price, confirmed by J.D. Power and multiple dealer listings, and stated to include the delivery fee). The Colorado's 2.7-liter turbo engine makes 310 horsepower in every trim. Trims run from the WT at $31,900 to the ZR2 at $49,600, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering. Note the four-wheel-drive LT starts higher, at $39,100, so a 4x4 example would cost more than the one below.

The down payment does not make the Colorado cheaper; it changes how much you finance (borrow). With 10% down ($3,580), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months to pay, this example finances $35,626 at $722 a month, and the loan costs about $7,716 in interest over five years.

Fuel: a turbo four that drinks like a truck

The LT Crew Cab with two-wheel drive is rated 20 mpg combined (19 city, 23 highway, per one EPA table). At 12,000 miles a year that is 600 gallons annually, roughly $2,492 a year, $12,459 over five years at $4.153 a gallon (the EIA national average for the week ending November 2, 2026). Real-world results move with load and right foot: towing or off-road weekends pull the real number down. Sources disagree slightly here, another listing shows 19 city and 24 highway for the same configuration, which would work out a little better, so this example uses the lower 20 mpg figure rather than the kinder one. The four-wheel-drive LT is rated 19 mpg combined and would burn about $643 more gas over five years. The method behind that math is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.

Depreciation is the Colorado's biggest question mark

Depreciation is just the word for the value a car loses over time. iSeeCars puts the Colorado's five-year value loss at 36.9%, worse than the midsize-truck average of 30.2%, but better than the all-vehicle average. This example uses that figure, leaving a $22,590 resale value after five years, about $13,210 of depreciation. Tougher cross-checks are stated here, not hidden: Kelley Blue Book's own five-year work for the Crew Cab LT shows $19,377 of depreciation, about 51.7% lost on its implied base price, and CarEdge's average Colorado loses about 48.1%. If either tougher figure holds for your truck, the five-year total would be roughly $6,000 to $8,000 higher. Run the tougher scenario too, so the decision does not depend on the kindest resale number.

Insurance: the widest spread on this page

Full-coverage averages (coverage that pays for damage to your own truck, not just the other driver's) for a Colorado run about $130 to $212 a month depending on the source (one tracker $130–$168, Insurify $179, CarEdge about $197 a month implied by its $2,358-a-year figure, CarInsurance.com $212, averages for the Colorado as a whole, not prices for the LT trim specifically). This example uses $175 a month, or $10,500 over five years. That spread of more than $80 a month between sources, and more than $100 between carriers on the same truck, is itself the point: get quotes from at least three carriers on the exact trim with matching deductibles (what you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in) and limits before treating any average as yours.

Colorado maintenance costs: mid-pack for a midsize truck

Kelley Blue Book's five-year cost-to-own work puts Crew Cab LT maintenance at $5,246 over five years, with expected repairs adding $1,758 more, $7,004 combined. This example rounds that to $1,400 a year, or $7,000 all-in, which also covers a tire set inside five years at 60,000 miles (a set runs about $600–$1,000). Repair-only trackers run lower, about $600 to $850 a year, and CarEdge's maintenance-only figure is $3,348 over five years, both partial buckets, which is why the example uses the fuller Kelley Blue Book sum.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2025 Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab (two-wheel drive), $35,800 price, 10% down ($3,580), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 20 mpg, $4.153 per gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), $175 per month insurance, $1,400 per year maintenance, $22,590 resale value after five years.

• Depreciation: $13,210 ($35,800 minus $22,590 resale)
• Insurance: $10,500 ($175 x 60 months)
• Fuel: $12,459 (12,000 / 20 x $4.153 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $7,000 ($1,400 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $11,122 ($2,506 sales tax, $900 fees, $7,716 loan interest)

That totals roughly $54,291, or about $905 a month. Notice what that says about the $722 payment: on this truck the payment is about 80% of the average month. But during the loan years the cash actually going out is higher: the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep runs about $1,221 a month, and the $905 average only looks that low because it spreads the truck's resale value across the five years.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $35,800 price minus the $22,590 resale value after five years, which is $13,210. Insurance is $175 a month times 60 months, which is $10,500. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 20 miles per gallon, times $4.153 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $12,459. Maintenance is $1,400 a year times 5 years, which is $7,000. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $35,800, which is $2,506, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $7,716 of loan interest, which is $11,122.

Added together, $13,210 plus $10,500 plus $12,459 plus $7,000 plus $11,122 equals $54,291, or about $905 a month. The amount financed is the $35,800 price plus $2,506 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $3,580 down payment, which is $35,626. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $35,626 is $722 a month, and the loan costs about $7,716 in interest over five years.

Why Colorado buyers should think past year five

Midsize trucks are keepers, owners run them a decade or more, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the bigger out-of-warranty items. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.

Shopping the Colorado against the Tacoma or its GMC twin? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.153 a gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: J.D. Power 2025 Colorado LT Crew Cab MSRP, $35,800; iSeeCars Colorado five-year value loss, 36.9%; EIA weekly gas prices (week ending November 2, 2026); Insurify Chevrolet Colorado full-coverage average, $179 a month; CarInsurance.com Chevrolet Colorado full-coverage average, $212 a month.

Primary sources: J.D. Power, 2025 Chevrolet Colorado 2WD Crew Cab LT; iSeeCars, Chevrolet Colorado resale value; EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update; Insurify, cheapest trucks to insure; CarInsurance.com, Chevrolet car insurance costs. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a car loses over time. On this page, the $35,800 price minus the $22,590 resale value after five years, which is $13,210.

Resale value. What the truck is worth after five years in this example, $22,590. A planning assumption, not a forecast.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly cost of borrowing before fees. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $3,580.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 20 for the LT Crew Cab with two-wheel drive, 19 in the city and 23 on the highway.

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. This example uses $175 a month.

Sales tax. A percentage tax charged by the state on the purchase price. This example uses 7%, or $2,506 on the $35,800 price.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a Chevrolet Colorado cost per month?

In the example on this page, about $905 a month over five years. The loan payment alone is $722 a month; during the loan years the cash actually going out is about $1,221 a month for payment, insurance, gas and upkeep, and the $905 average only looks lower because it spreads the truck's resale value across the five years.

How much does a Chevrolet Colorado cost over 5 years?

About $54,291 over five years in the example on this page: $13,210 in value lost, $10,500 for insurance, $12,459 for gas, $7,000 for upkeep, and $11,122 in sales tax, fees and loan interest.

How much does a Chevrolet Colorado depreciate in 5 years?

This page's example uses iSeeCars' 36.9% value loss, about $13,210 on a $35,800 truck. Tougher cross-checks exist: Kelley Blue Book's own five-year work for the Crew Cab LT implies about 51.7% lost, and CarEdge's average implies about 48.1% lost. The example uses the iSeeCars figure and states the tougher ones here, so the total does not hide them.

How much is insurance for a Chevrolet Colorado?

Full-coverage averages for the Colorado as a whole run about $130 to $212 a month depending on the source, the widest spread on this page, because carrier quotes for the same truck differ by more than $100 a month. This page's example uses $175 a month. These are model-level averages, not prices for the LT trim specifically, so get quotes from several carriers on the exact truck.

What gas mileage does a Chevrolet Colorado get?

The LT Crew Cab with two-wheel drive is rated 20 miles per gallon combined (19 in the city, 23 on the highway) in one EPA table. Other sources list 19 city and 24 highway for the same configuration, which would work out a little better; this example uses the lower 20 mpg figure rather than the kinder one.

Related: See the Toyota Tacoma, the midsize truck most Colorado shoppers also price

Related: What it costs to own a pickup truck, beyond the payment

Related: See every model with a true cost page

Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.