The Chevy ZR2 Bison Is The ULTIMATE GM Off-Roader. Here’s Why!
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- (www.TFLoffroad.com) Is the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison GM's best off-road truck? We take it up a snowy Gold Mine Hill to find out!
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#Chevy #ChevyColorado #Coloradobison - Auta a dopravní prostředky
"it comes with a baby exhaust brake. It's adorable!" I like that!
why am i looking at trucks i cannot afford
Lol..good one.lol...me as well...lol
Because your going to be smart and look at used in a couple years after dumb ass original owners like me take the depreciation hit!
@@onlyweknow2 I miss your art show.
@@onlyweknow2 please take care of . New to me future truck.
@@onlyweknow2 I've seen brand new for 38k not bad considering raptor is 60k
What are you talking about? Duratrac's are great in the snow!
Same reason they always run 4lo for everything. After all these years.
Yes. I have a ZR2 and ran the Duratrac's for a year in CO. They were solid. Not the Blizzaks I have on now for winter driving, but damn good for a non-winter tire.
+1 on the duratracs. Not sure what they are talking about but they are fantastic in that sort of wet mushy Colorado spring snow.
Tires aren’t great? Stops on snow mountain then makes it up with no wheel spin. You guys didn’t even air down. Duratracs are very good.
Goodyear has sucked for decades. I know I use to sell tires. Always out of round, hard to balance. Eagle f1 were shit, ats were shit and integrity was shit.
The best for off-road are Copper, Toyo and Nitto's
Jason Moyle True but the Duratracs might be the best combo for off road and every day pavement driving. They certainly don’t suck.
@@mikemissouri5152 no way dude bfg all terrain Ko they balance beautifully very quiet on road and last a while
JJD I wasn’t impressed with how long they lasted when I had a set. Jeep isn’t using them on the Gladiator either. They look cool I’ll give them that.
I know it's a press truck Roman, but don't be such a back seat driver, Nathan knows what he's doing! 😁
He's done that time and time again ! Plus the Bison is a aftermarket equipped Chevy that you happen to be able to buy from the dealership....Kind of like Shelby and Roush are on the Ford camp
Andrew Automotive thats because Roman is the most annoying person on youtube and tommy is second,,Roman ruins these reviews,,all the other guys are good..
@@PhatboyHD88 Agreed he is annoying and always seems to want to put in his 2 cents. He wanted GM to put on 35s with a lift yet he complained about the steep price. Idk about this guy.
He said stop there's a tree and other guy just softly says I know lmfao
I agree that the base zr2 is probably enough for most. I think if they'd have included a winch from the factory for the same price it would be more enticing.
yeah and laser beams too!
Roman, the tires cannot be any larger because of front crash test rating and bumper height, AEV expects the customer to up the tire size after purchase.
I’m not being biased about Gm, but this is the best midsize off roader. I had a Tacoma and would way rather have this.
The Jeep gladiator might do better in some situations but the length of the Jeep will hurt it off road.
Totally agree... the ZR2 Bison is the best midsize truck from factory you can buy.
Ford Ranger Raptor
@fffffffffffffffffftr in general Tacos do run longer and with less issues. But sadly we don't have a diesel Tacoma with a front and rear locker and full armor from the dealer with a warranty!
Are you insane? Have you heard about the problems people are having with this diesel engine. Lemon law buybacks are happening.
As an owner of the ZR2 with the Diesel, I can say without hesitation, that it is the best mid size truck currently out there. The set-up from the factory is spot on. For me the Bison package actually limits the truck. Approach and departure angle are reduced due too the new bumper design. There is a lot of hype with the skid plates. I do see the benefits of extra protection. The Bison is a nice package. In my opinion, GM and AEV should have gone with at least 33's. There is just not enough difference in the 2 models to justify the huge increase in cost. Take care.
Agree - the truck is near perfect, but would like to see more sidewall on those tires: 33s.
Annoyingly, people that are putting on 33s without a body lift are needing to trim the rear of the wheel well. I'm waiting for someone to release an adjustable UCA so I don't have to cut into my new truck.
How does the AEV rear bumper effect the departure angle? The bumper gives you recovery points and it protects the side of the bed.
I'm not saying the bumper does not provide protection. It is a nice design. To clarify, the bumper by design is lower to the ground. GM and AEV did nothing to increase ground clearance (33"tires would have been nice). Without an increase in ground clearance it obvious that departure angle is impacted. You need the additional protection provided by the bumper because you will be dragging more due to reduced departure angle.
I'm not hating on the Bison. I'm just of the mindset that they could have improved on the original ZR2. In my mind 33's would have made this much more appealing. Hanging on skid plates and bumpers are not enough of an upgrade to justify the additional cost. Take Care.
@@BentonHart gm performance has a 1 or 1.5" body lift that clears 33" tires for the ZR2
GM single handedly re-ignited the midsized truck market with this truck. There is no question.
When the Tacoma never left🙌
@@RudyC27 if you have long hair and your name is Chloe then yeah the Tacoma is perfect for you
rudy c Toyota kind of got caught off guard/with its pants down as well when the Colorado came out. They were forced to spit out a new truck too quick and suffered major reliability issues as a result. Check out carcomplaints.com and look at the owner complaints on the first two years of the new model. However, they should have the bugs worked out now (at owners expense). They are great solid trucks. Not as good as the GM twins in my opinion based on my particular needs. But great trucks. It is a great time to be a truck guy. No matter your favorite flavor!
@@great0789 Yeah I can only go by my experience with trucks. I own a pre-owned dealer that specializes in mainly trucks ever brand has had their hiccups so more than other lol. But the return of trucks that come back for major repairs is a lot less on Toyotas and the re sale value shows that also. But im with you on that its great to be a truck guy. cant go wrong with non...
rudy c That is def. a bonus for midsized trucks. Out of all vehicles sold in the US the Tacoma has the highest resale value. The Chevy Colorado comes in at #8. It would probably be higher if 1/3 to 1/2 of the Colorado’s on the road were not basic work trucks. That is why I bought mine new. The used ones with over 100k miles on them (work trucks) that I was looking at were only $12k cheaper than the loaded Z71 I got for $32.5k dollars. A much better deal to me.
these trucks have come a long way since I owned the 2006 Colorado..
I agree. I sold my 05' Colorado for a 18' Z71 Colorado. It is MANY levels higher in quality than the first truck. However, that first truck was still goin strong @ 223,000 miles. I like this one so much more it ain't funny.
My 18 ZR2 is 10X the truck my 04 ZQ8 or 06 Z71 were. The new Colorado's are just much, much more refined.
And way more expensive
Agreed. I had a 2007 Canyon Z71 package Off Road and now have a 2018 Canyon All Terrain, definitely not the Bison, but still awesome improvements and pretty darn capable with 2"of lift.
I have the 04 colorado z71 I love it 180k on it I'm keeping it until the wheels fall off
This video was worth it just to see you guys have no choice but to say nice things about a GM product.
These are amazing little trucks. Good for you for acknowledging it.
Just bought mine, what an amazing truck
Do you know if the Midnight Edition is the same height and ground clearance as this Bison edition? Thanks
@@americancitizen1885 I believe it’s the same height
'If I had my druthers I druther' have a Chevy Bison ( with a diesel power plant ) than any other off road worthy vehicle in today's marketplace
,..( and I have re-built and played with many Jeeps and Land Rovers in my earlier days.)
Now don't forget that these trucks, and Jeeps have to start with tires. Tires are the real key to getting through those back roads etc.
That Bison , in my book, is just awesome!
Love all your truck reviews boys. The ZR2 is a sweet machine 1👍
That Bison made that look easy despite Roman saying the tires etc. etc. I won't buy one honestly, but I'm glad it exist. Great review! I had fun and enjoyed the presentation.
Lol I love the key clack to each their own I guess idk why I just hate the push buttons I want to turn a key 🤷♂️
Elliott Grossman had the push start in my wife’s Malibu. Had it 6 months and got rid of it. If there’s no place for a key, I don’t want it either.
@@kylerokitjanski7598 true! Plus its another thing to go wrong electronically 🤷♂️
Elliott Grossman and she was having several issues with it, hence why I won’t buy a vehicle with push button start again.
To each their own. I love not having to pull my keys out every time I need to unlock or start my car. I just keep them clipped on me and never have to touch them.
I'm commenting 3 years later and this truck is still the best out there. We'll see what happens with the news models coming out in 2023...
Solid video beyond the backseat driving, Roman. Relax, man :) I’m waiting for the (hopefully) mid cycle refresh next year.
Love all of your videos folks!! You bring great value to us!
All that armor. Exposed trans pan. 🤷♂️
Got my bison in black. It's a beautiful truck. Got my AEV snorkel on it, its officially complete and amazing. Was bummed the diesels were as rare as moon rocks in my tristate area
I'm starting to love the Colorado's with the baby duramax more and more!! Great video guys
Another excellent video from you guys. I like the Bison package, but agree with Roman in that I’d go with a standard ZR2 & baby diesel. I don’t need all the extra cladding for the type of light trails that I run, which saves a lot of coin.
This is a sweet truck. I love mine. Not a big fan of Goodyear tires but these duratracs have impressed me in mud, snow , ice and pavement
I just bought one of these trucks. Absolutely LOVE this truck. Best vehicle investment I've ever made.
How are you liking it after two years? I really want one and can finally buy a truck of my dreams!
That thing does great in the snow, I'm impressed.
Awesome review guys! I learned alot from your video....thanks.
Holy crap, I had to put on my air conditioning at my house and you guys are still getting snow!
( Texas )
"Think of the Bison as a heavily-armored ZR2 that's what it is." Exactly!
If I start saving now maybe I can get a used Bison in 2025. Very nice vehicle.
they need to make bison a package you can add on more cost effective model. But that is not there are 'bling' down sides if they do.
perfect timing to get one with a rebuilt transmission and motor by then
@@stevencruz4937 I had thought about getting a LT 4x4 then upgrading parts as needed, but it's cooler to have a Z71 or ZR2 in the first place 😀
@@colinmccarthy2698 i just might be. If you know how to make it work. ;) I think the feeling you can. but the part cost.. might be worth waiting until a few, sadly, make there there way to the wrecking yards, and build your own upgrades. ;) the you can get the front and rear lockers.
How about you start investing now? Had you started 6 years ago, you would've had more than enough money to buy one new today.
I guess I have a baby buffalo. I have an older Colorado z71 with the 5.3L
It's engine swapped correct
@@privateparker5698 Nope. It is stock.
I never knew the had a ,5.3 colorado
I believe they had a short run between 2009-12 as an option.
I have an 06 Z71, I want to swap a 6.0l in it but the 3.5l still runs really good.
Hello again Roman&Nathan! Man what a cool job! But anyways I just feel that ZR2, especially with the Bison Package is just too expensive! What I did makes more sense. I bought a new 2019 Colorado Crew Cab W/T 4x4, V6, with every option available in that trim level, that comes with the alloy 16” wheels, dampened licking tailgate, matching door handles and bumpers, bright trim under the side windows, plus cruise control and a 7” Chevy MyLink Touch Screen that also includes the OnStar 4 G LTE WIFI, along with the Factory Tow Package that gets you the auto locking rear differential, hitch and plugs along with the Trailer Brake Control. I also haggled with my dealer to get them to install the three extra skid plates from AEV. All out the door for under 35k! That leaves my plenty of room for aftermarket add ones.
I think its soo awesome that trucks are becoming better and better offroad.
Chevy and AEV's value proposition is that you get a really great turn key off-road vehicle. It has nothing to do with cost or competition with jeep or Toyota. In the aftermarket world, I can take a bone stock 4x4 from whomever and make it out perform the gladiator, zr2 or Tacoma. Don't go there. I've got my eye on this truck, I'm getting old and tired of turning a wrench. Thanks for sharing, awesome vid. Keep it up.
Nice Truck and nice job TFL
Keep the old fashioned key! No push button needed.
Speak for yourself. At a premium price, I want what I’m paying for. If I can get it standard in a $20k Honda Civic, it better be in my over priced truck.
@@mminniear984 Just something else to go wrong is all I'm saying.
C W192004 My dad owns a 10-year-old Kia with push to start. And nothing has happened to it… The chances of that happening are no more than anything else breaking on the car. I had an old 90s Honda when I was a kid that had the ABS lock up on it, so now I should never buy a car that has ABS? I also had a stick pickup that had the clutch go out, I shouldn’t buy stick vehicles? I’m just saying, that you’re complaining about something that more than likely won’t ever happen in the time you own that vehicle.
Man idk gm has issues with ignition switches maybe a button would be better
@C W192004 This logic is flawed considering a push button has less moving parts, is less likely to fail and costs a fraction of the price to replace than the tumbler with a new set of keys.
I have to agree with Michael. In todays world, this is a feature that is rapidly becoming a standard and excluding it on one of your most expensive trim models is just lazy cost cutting.
Great video. Liked the OEM lockers and the performance of the truck in the snow. I like diesel engines for towing large heavy loads.....great launch from stops because of the low rpm torque. However, diesels are expensive to maintain. Fuel economy is wash because even though diesel engines typically get better mpg, the cost per gallon is higher. I have diesel truck to tow my horse trailer. For off-road truck, prefer a gas engine. Moreover, that gas engine will get high mpg once natural gas is readily available.....and the engine will be clean inside and able to rack up considerably more miles on the odometer. I would like to know what type of rear axle the ZR2 has? I am not a big fan of IFS axles. The Jeep Gladiator has the stout Dana 220 axles.....which replaced the Dana 44 axles. It will be interesting to find out what type and size of axle Ford will use on the new Bronco and Bronco pickup. Maybe the Bronco trucks will have good approach and departure angles like the ZR2 and stout solid front and rear axles like the Gladiator. Any Ford engineers reading this??? Strong axles will support bigger tires. The tires on this ZR2 Bison are dinky small. At bare minimum the ZR2 needs to roll off the assembly line with a 33 inch tall tire before AEV adds their goodies. The truck needs rounded wheel well openings so bigger tires can be added in the aftermarket. That has been the biggest downside to GM trucks since 1988. If GM engineers had a clue to off-road use in the real world.....they would have a larger share of the truck market.
Love your channel!!! And I love this Zr2.. I may buy it in addition to my 6.6 Duramax!!!
HyperXism If you’re in the CSRA, I’ll sell you one. Holler at me
@@jdrobertson25 Thanks! I am gonna hold off to make sure these dont have issues and then maybe get one next year. I literally just walked off with a 2019 Duramax midnight edition ... loving it!
Thanks for your videos guys, They are awesome 👌
Have to wonder if the new 3.0L I6 diesel would fit in the ZR2??
I'd add it if getting that and adding 3rd party bumper and winch, armor, rack and HD tow and hitch. 10 speed would be nice upgrade too.
You guys raised a very good point. With all this situation now I'm looking to go out in the wild more. I'm looking for my first off roader, a ZR2 after the mid cycle refresh or a Ranger Raptor, when it will be launched. I'm a city guy and don't put alot of miles.
So, is the diesel or the aditional armour? Will not consider both since I don't want to spend that much. Don't intend to do difficult rock crawling, but more of the take the kids and go out in mini adventures, short overlanding kind of things.
Appreciate your help.
Only 10 minutes :-/ still gave you a thumbs up. hope a more detailed version of this episode is in the works
"to hell with push buttons!" I like a real key. Totally agree about the manual trans with a diesel. In Europe, they're amazing. And fuel efficient!
I hope all that covered up stuff underneath can get some air flow at slow speeds in hot weather. And where is the land cruiser tfl bought?
Ijust hoped gm would have the same setup for the silverado trail boss, it will be awesome.
Did pretty darn good in the snow.
Finally you guys together again
You can replace GM in the title for Mid-Size Truck.
Great video thank you!
AEV Chevy Colorado Bison Win's on the Gold Mine Hill!!! Way to go AEV!!!
Great review!
My dream truck thanks guys awesome video 👍
Dream truck, hands down.
Been looking at getting this rig for a year now. I’m putting in an order in July of this year. Hopefully I’ll get it by October
That is so much money for this class of truck. It looks like a fun rig though. Nice content guys.
Love the reviews boys.needed this bad boy to get the CU graduation 😁
That whole 2" that stuck to the grass but not the roads...
Thoughts. First, my Chevy dealer will not even try to sell me the Bison. Dealer simply wants me to trade my Silverado 2016 for a new 2019. Second, the seating in front in the Colorado is not built stout enough or roomy enough for older (ahem) adults. The Bison is awesome if you are younger, you have the money and your Chevy dealer will agree to sell you one. BTW, TFL always rocks!
Awesome truck ! , my 1985 GMC JIMMY 4x4 , S-15 had a front , differential and , gas tank skid plate ( 3 plates ) .
But with 2 open diffs ...... 🤣🤣
Save the Drama for your Mama! Bison just waltzed right on through. :)
jedironin380 I agree. There is no other truck that would have done that so easily. The jeep gladiator would have been wrapped around one of those trees with that long wheelbase.
I spent a couple of months researching the midsize truck market for a truck to downsize from my Ram Cummins. The Colorado being the only midsize with a diesel quickly put it near the top of my list, after all, I’m a diesel guy! Yet the Colorado’s competitors were better appointed, offered more options, they’re better supported in the aftermarket and are price competitive. My attempts to find a ZR2 diesel came up short, but realistically, after considering how I use the vehicle the majority of the time, I deemed the ZR2 unnecessary for my needs. Nor could I justify the price of one! After looking at what I could find for aftermarket kits that I could get to modify the Z71 Duramax to fit my requirements and being successful at, my search for the right truck began. You’re comparison videos clinched that decision! I still couldn’t justify the price of a new truck, so I went to the used market and found a year old 2017 with 10,000 miles on it that I purchased for $13,000 under the price of a new one! I spent another $3,000 for a well done 4” lift kit from a well known 4x4 company, along with a set of 18” take offs from a GM dealer and a set of aggressive 285/65-18 from a well established tire manufacturer that culminates in the perfectly suited truck for me!
As a side note, I tried to rent a car trailer from U know Hoo using my Colorado and was denied! The diesel version isn’t in their vehicle list, therefore, no dice! I had to get my 24 year old 1/2t beater Tahoe with 240,000 miles on it to get the trailer! And yes I went right back home and swapped it onto my Colorado and got the job done.
Now. The Goodyear Duratrac is actually great for snow wheeling. I know lots of guys that run them studded as winters not just for wheeling but out on the black gold rush in Canada.
Prairie Off Road they don’t know what they’re talking about.
At 7:45: "These tires aren't great in snow". Actually, those Duratracs are excellent in that type of snow. Lots of siping on those tires gives you great traction in light to medium snow. In very deep snow, a dedicated mud tire might be better, but for the snow you were in, the Duratracs are excellent snow tires. They even have the winter snow peak symbol for snow tires, which mud tires do not.
The Bison is sick! I want one!
Neat how the multimatics are coloured like the bilstein's on the old s10 zr2s
Good job Guys. This size is more to my liking. I drove a Colorado as a work truck for a good while as an "essential personnel" for a school district and even the old ones were pretty capable, but too bad GM is so greedy at 50+k. They'd dominate sales with this truck if it was priced right.. IMHO. But as always, good presentation and thanks for letting us know it's out there
Bob/Okc
Cool! You guy's should do a comparison with the Toyota tacoma trd offroad truck against the bison?! I think that would be interesting to watch!😎👍
I'll keep my original V6 ZR2. I'm thinking about adding a few skid plates on it.
I own a Tacoma off road but i gotta admit this truck is beast. Toyota needs to offer front locker too.
Colorado, Tacoma, Ranger, et al, are great for small trucks (mid-size is such a misnomer). I hope this put this package into the K1500. If I am off-road, I probably need some hauling/towing capability too.
It must be so hard to keep these trucks at a price point that most people will be able to handle. Of course if you have the skill and time; I'm sure you could make something like the ZR2 Bison with a regular trim Colorado.
But I like how much protection they gave it; and I agree that it could use bigger tires. The ZR2 platform preforms admirably off-road. Both for the fast stuff and the crawling.
Got my 2008 Colorado Z71 LT with no rust, just a couple add ons for under $10,000 and I guarentee it will go through anything that does. $50,000+, are you nuts?
I have a ZedR2. One word about it in the snow and mud is Civil. No whining or bitching.
Great video . Need more mini trucks with a small torquey diesel motor and a huge fuel tank .
I like the ZR2 better than the bison, it may be more expensive to add the bumpers ect. yourself but at least that way you can get the ones you really want
The bison bumpers sacrifice approach angle
At least AEV got the naming correct. Fun fact: the north American bison is not in fact a buffalo. It’s very loosely related to the water buffalo and cape buffalo of Africa. Buffalo and bison are commonly used just to add to the confusion. So hopefully we won’t see a “buffalo” model down the road haha.
I hate the way you Nick pick Little Things that makes no difference to the test you are doing. That truck is the best truck on the market bar none!! 🤠 👍
I hear them talking about the fancy multimatic suspension, but they're still bouncing around inside like I do in my gen 1.
Cant wait to get my 2020 bison
No matter how good it is off-roading it doesn't change the fact that it will break down and will have a million recalls.
Any idea if they have any plans to offer the GMC canyon with an off road package?
I was looking at the Bison but went with the Gladiator. I've had a lot of trouble with GM products in the past. This is my first Jeep so I'll see.
Don't forget there owned by fiat so...
I remember when the Bison was a conventional cab tractor. It's always interesting when auto manufacturers recycle names. This truck is a better use of that name.
Bison don’t care.
Love the pic. I have the same truck.
Power Wagon.... Nathan
Raptor don't care too
With a tray bed?🤔
Twenty years later and my S10 ZR2 has yet found another truck that it can destroy off road. This bison doesn't look bad but it's definitely not worth the 50k
Killian Deaton Absolutely not worth close to $50k
None of these new trucks are like that.
naw dude i got a 2020 bison and its way more capable. i couldn't believe how much better it is then my old zr2
You guys call the last part of video driving in snow. Driving in snow would be more like at least 8 in of snow. Other wise good video. I have driven the Z71 and ZR2. They are simple, strong and reliable! And they look Cool !!!
Looks like the sports cat we have over here in Australia
My fav team on tfl..
Guy says he needs a push button. Cost of key under 10 bucks.... Cost of push button 1,500+
I like keeping my key in my pocket. It just makes life easier. That and remote start. It's going to reach 100° today! 🙃
Seriously? New keys are up to 800 to replace if lost
Are you guys gonna be at Overland Expo West ?!
I’m in the market for a truck/Jeep and I want to get into the over landing community! Any ideas on what rig I should be looking into.
The 2.8 and the 6 speed is a nice set up...It's like a Rolex watch.
Really does not need the 8 speed at all, the 8 speed has been plagued with problems anyways
@@davidbroadbent1878 8 is too damn many. Trans wants to wander between gears too much. These vehicles have such a wide torque band that 6 a speed is perfect.
Watching this 3 years later. That diesel is a boat anchor and they have replaced it with the 2.7 gas turbo with 430 lb ft of torque. Also they have replaced the 30.6” tires with 33’s.
I am impressed!
My suzuki samurai got these trails no problem. Got the key chatter though... maybe I'll swap in a push button.
I own a 2017 zr2 it wheels very good but the 31 inch tires dont cut it for more serious off roading as well as the bumpers are basically made of tin. I found that out early. I was not doing anything crazy.
"It really comes down to tires and these tires aren't great" ... Yes you are both impressed that the truck stopped at stage 2 and got going again, only the rear was locked up. But yea, those tires suck in the snow. Just and FYI, I have had DuraTrac's on my F150 since 2010. Living in Ontario and Nova Scotia, we get some pretty nasty snow storms. Yes, WINTER TIRES WILL ALWAYS be better, but for what these tires are, they are INCREDIBLE in the snow!
I just orders the 2022 ZR2 dusk edition, has 3.6, is this the same as the bison? if not/what are the differences between the two editions, Other that the engine? Thank you!
Zr2 is a absolutely beast except for only 2 weakness. 1. rear shock position 2. reliability problem
An extra 2” lift and maybe 33” tire option, would improve approach, break over, and departure angle. But, 33” tires in an E load size tires would kill power and gas mileage. Basically, a good stage 2 off-roader with limited rock capability’s. Not a bad option, it would fit the market for some.