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For the 2009 model year, the Chevrolet Colorado took another step toward becoming the Silverado: It added a V-8. There were a few more changes to the Colorado, though I’m not sure this “little” truck is really that small anymore. My test model arrived with a crew cab, the $1,300 optional 5.3-liter 300-horsepower V-8, enough room for five people, a full-size bed and more features than a lot of cars. There were heated leather seats, a sunroof, air ride suspensions, XM Satellite radio and a $34,000 price tag. While I believe there’s lots of room for small trucks in the market, I have a tough time understanding why a consumer would spend this much money on a truck with fewer capabilities than its full-size brother and few real advantages other than it’s easier to put in the garage. (The I-4 Colorado makes sense, and the I-5 does as well, but the V-8 version is just a Silverado in lesser sheet metal.)

Yes, lots of features are now standard, such as electronic stability control. The 15-inch wheels have been replaced with 16s, and there are even a few new colors to the Colorado’s lineup. But if you need a V-8, shouldn’t you spend less money on the bigger Silverado? By the numbers, the V-8 Colorado doesn’t add up. Gas mileage? 14 miles per gallon city / 19 mpg city, nothing to get excited about. Power? The Silverado with a smaller V-8 (the 295 horsepower 4.8-liter) can tow 2,900 pounds more than the Colorado air suspension. Smaller? Not really, a long wheelbase Colorado’s overall length stretches an inch more than a regular cab Silverado. This truck is big enough that I considered growing a mullet or at least buying a confederate flag front license plate. Building up the Colorado is a move in the wrong direction.

Small truck owners may want some of a big truck’s abilities but have chosen a smaller truck for a reason, and their second choice is not a bigger truck, it’s someone else’s small truck. The bucket seat was very comfortable. The interior was more day laborer than architect: Black-faced gauges with orange needles, simple silver trim around the center stack and a low-slung plastic center console. Like the Silverado, the Colorado air suspension has a very worklike feel about it, and can, no doubt, take a beating. The folding seats in the back provide additional cargo space. While the Colorado creeps up in size, I must admit that I like its looks. The front end is distinctly a brawny Chevy and different than the Silverado. The chrome bumper and matching silver bar across the front sparkle while drawing a thick line on the dual port grille and separating the turn signals and the headlights. It gives this truck a wide stance and powerful face.