Powers Swain Chevrolet · Hope Mills and Raeford
The Right-Size Truck for Hope Mills and Raeford: Why the Colorado Fits
Chevrolet lists the Colorado at 84.4 inches wide with the mirrors out and the Silverado at 97.5. That is 13.1 inches, and 13.1 inches is the difference between backing into your garage and parking on the street for the next six years.
The Number Nobody Checks Until It Is Too Late
People shop trucks on horsepower and towing. They find out about width on a Saturday afternoon, standing in the driveway, folding the mirrors in and hoping.
Chevrolet publishes both figures. The Colorado is 84.4 inches wide including the mirrors. The Silverado 1500 is 97.5 inches including the mirrors. That is a 13.1-inch difference, and mirrors are exactly what catches a garage door frame, a carport post, or the concrete edge of an older Hope Mills driveway.
For scale on why this matters here: a common single garage door is 8 feet wide, which is 96 inches, and a wider one is 9 feet, or 108. Do not take our word for what fits, because door frames, tracks and the junk along the wall all eat into the real opening. Measure yours. But do the measuring before you fall in love with a truck, not after.
Length is the more nuanced comparison and we are not going to oversimplify it. The Colorado is 214 inches. Chevrolet lists the Silverado 1500 anywhere from 211 to 242 depending on cab and bed, so a regular cab short bed Silverado is technically a couple of inches shorter. Almost nobody buys that truck. Against the crew cab Silverado most families actually shop, the Colorado gives back real length in a garage where depth is usually the binding constraint.
Crew cab, five-foot bed, five seats. The configuration most families end up with anyway.
Back to topHope Mills: Older Lots and Narrower Openings
Hope Mills is about ten minutes south of our lot on Bragg Blvd, and a lot of its housing stock predates the era when everybody's daily driver was a full-size crew cab. Driveways were poured for sedans, garages were framed for one car and a lawnmower, and the trees have had forty years to grow over the approach.
That is not a knock on Hope Mills. It is the reason a midsize truck makes practical sense there in a way it might not in a newer subdivision with a three-car garage.
Where the extra foot of clearance shows up
- Getting into your own garage. The obvious one, and the one that decides whether the truck lives inside or under a pine tree.
- Hope Mills Road on a Friday afternoon. Narrow lanes, turning traffic, and cars parked along the shoulder. Thirteen inches is a meaningful amount of margin.
- The lot at Hope Mills Lake and the municipal park. Older striping, tighter stalls, and a lot of people trying to leave at the same time.
- Drive-thru lanes and car washes. Trivial until you are the person with the mirrors folded in, holding up eight cars.
- Backing a trailer down a residential street. A shorter, narrower truck simply pivots in less room, which matters more than most people expect.
None of this makes the Silverado a bad truck. It makes it a truck that wants a bigger property. If you have one, buy one. If you have a 1970s driveway in Hope Mills, the Colorado is the truck that actually fits the life you have.
Back to topRaeford: The US-401 Commute Changes the Math
Raeford is about twenty-five minutes west of the dealership on US-401, and a large share of Hoke County works on Fort Bragg. That commute happens twice a day, five days a week, in whatever you bought.
This is where midsize starts paying you back in something other than parking. A rear-wheel-drive Colorado is EPA rated at 19 city and 24 highway. Run that against a full-size crew cab twice a day for a year and the arithmetic is not subtle. Your actual mileage will vary, but the direction does not.
What the Raeford-to-Bragg drive actually asks of a truck
- Steady highway miles on US-401. Fuel economy matters more than towing ceiling for a commute this length.
- Gate traffic and parking on post. Motor pool lots and post parking were not laid out for a 97-inch-wide truck.
- Weekend hauling that still has to happen. A five-foot bed with up to 25 tie-downs handles mulch, a mower, or a dirt bike without complaint.
- A trailer a few times a year. 7,700 lbs when properly equipped covers a boat, a two-horse trailer or a loaded utility trailer.
- PCS season. A truck that fits base housing, a rental driveway and the next duty station's parking is worth more than one that only fits some of them.
Best pick for this use caseRear-wheel-drive LT at $36,000. Best economy in the lineup at 19 city and 24 highway, plus the EZ Lift tailgate and remote start you touch every day.
What You Actually Give Up
A page that only lists advantages is a brochure. Here is the honest ledger.
| Consideration | Chevy Colorado | Chevy Silverado 1500 |
|---|---|---|
| Width including mirrors | 84.4 inches | 97.5 inches |
| Overall length | 214 inches | 211 to 242 inches by configuration |
| Horsepower | 310 on every trim | 310 to 420 depending on engine |
| Torque | 430 lb-ft on every trim | 383 to 495 lb-ft depending on engine |
| Max towing, properly equipped | 7,700 lbs | 13,300 lbs |
| Bed lengths offered | Five foot only | Short, standard and long |
| Cab configurations | Crew cab only | Regular, double and crew |
| Engine choices | One | Four, including a V8 and a diesel |
| Standard touchscreen | 11.3 inches on every trim | Varies by trim |
| Starting MSRP | $32,400 | $36,900 |
Dimensions and starting MSRP are Chevrolet published figures. MSRP excludes the $2,095 destination and handling charge on the Colorado and the applicable destination charge on the Silverado, plus tax, title, license and dealer fees. Towing figures are maximums when properly equipped and are reduced by passengers, cargo, options and accessories.
Read the middle of that table honestly. The Silverado wins on tow ceiling, bed length, cab choice and engine variety, and those are genuine wins. If you pull a fifth-wheel, haul sixteen-foot lumber flat, or need a V8, the answer is the bigger truck and we will happily sell you one.
What the table also shows is how little you give up on the things most people use daily. Same crew cab. Same five seats. A bigger standard screen. 430 lb-ft, which is more torque than a Silverado's standard 5.3L V8 makes. Midsize stopped meaning underpowered several years ago.
Back to topWhich Colorado Trim for a Hope Mills or Raeford Driveway
If the truck is a daily driver that occasionally works, the answer is at the bottom half of the lineup, not the top.
| Trim | Starting MSRP | EPA city/hwy/comb | Why it fits this use |
|---|---|---|---|
| WT | $32,400 | 19/24/21 RWD | The cheapest way into 310 hp and the 11.3-inch screen. Add the trailering package and it tows the same as anything else. |
| LT | $36,000 | 19/24/21 RWD | The daily driver pick. EZ Lift tailgate, remote start, available wireless charging, best economy in the lineup. |
| Trail Boss | $40,500 | 17/22/19 | Only if you genuinely go off the pavement. The lift and 32-inch all-terrains cost you 2 mpg every single day. |
Starting MSRP excludes the $2,095 destination and handling charge. EPA figures are estimates and your actual mileage will vary. All six trims are broken down on our Colorado trim comparison page.
One note worth making because it comes up constantly at the desk: the cheap trims are not the slow trims. Every Colorado runs the same 2.7L TurboMax at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft. The horsepower and engine guide explains why Chevrolet built it that way, and it is the main reason a Work Truck is a serious recommendation here rather than a consolation prize.
Sources: Chevrolet Colorado specifications, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 specifications, and EPA fuel economy ratings.
Back to topSize Questions from Hope Mills and Raeford Buyers
How much narrower is a Chevy Colorado than a Silverado?
13.1 inches, measured the way it matters. Chevrolet lists the Colorado at 84.4 inches wide including the mirrors and the Silverado 1500 at 97.5 inches including the mirrors. That is more than a foot, and mirrors are what actually catch a garage door frame or a carport post, so it is the number worth writing down before you go shopping.
Will a Chevy Colorado fit in my garage?
Measure your opening rather than trusting anyone's web page, including ours. For context, a common single garage door is 8 feet wide, which is 96 inches, and a wider one is 9 feet or 108 inches. The Colorado is 84.4 inches across the mirrors and 214 inches long. Older Hope Mills and Raeford houses often have openings on the narrow end of that range, and depth is frequently the real constraint rather than width.
Is the Colorado actually shorter than a Silverado?
Compared to a crew cab Silverado, yes, and by a lot. The Colorado measures 214 inches. Chevrolet lists the Silverado 1500 anywhere from 211 to 242 inches depending on cab and bed. So a regular cab short bed Silverado is actually a couple of inches shorter than a Colorado, but almost nobody buys that configuration. Compared to the crew cab Silverado most families buy, the Colorado gives back a substantial amount of length.
Do I give up capability by going midsize?
Less than you would expect. Every Colorado makes 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque and tows up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped. That covers a bass boat, a two-horse trailer, or a loaded utility trailer. Where a Silverado still wins is the heavy end: it goes to 13,300 lbs when properly equipped and offers longer beds and a V8. If your trailer is genuinely beyond 7,700 lbs, buy the bigger truck. Most Cumberland County trailers are not.
Is a midsize truck big enough for a family?
Every Colorado is a crew cab with five seats and four real doors, so the school run out to Hope Mills or the drive to a game at Segra Stadium works the same as it would in a bigger truck. The compromise is bed length. The Colorado comes only with the five-foot bed, so an eight-foot bed is not on the menu at any price. For most families that trade is easy.
Which Colorado trim is best for a daily commute from Hope Mills or Raeford?
A rear-wheel-drive LT is the sensible pick. It is EPA rated at 19 city and 24 highway, which is the best economy in the lineup, and it adds the EZ Lift and Lower tailgate, remote start and available wireless charging over the cheaper trims. The lifted Trail Boss and Z71 sit at 17 and 22 because of the taller stance and 32-inch all-terrains, so if you are not going off the pavement you are paying for that every week.
Does the smaller truck have a smaller screen?
No, and this surprises people. Every Colorado, including the Work Truck, ships with the 11.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in plus an 11-inch digital driver display, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported. Chevy Safety Assist is standard on all six trims. Going midsize costs you bed length and tow ceiling, not technology.
Can I compare a Colorado and a Silverado at Powers Swain?
Yes, and you should park them next to each other before you decide. We keep both on the lot at 4709 Bragg Blvd, about ten minutes from Hope Mills and twenty-five from Raeford. Bring a tape measure and the width of your garage opening written on your phone. Call (910) 864-9500 and we will have one of each waiting.
What Our Fayetteville Customers Say
Ten Minutes From Hope Mills, Twenty-Five From Raeford
Powers Swain Chevrolet
Family owned on Bragg Blvd since 1961. Bring the width of your garage opening and we will park a Colorado and a Silverado side by side so you can see the difference rather than read about it.
- 4709 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303
- Sales: (910) 864-9500
- New Colorado inventory
- New Silverado 1500 inventory
- Get directions
- Financing and pre-approval
- Serving Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Raeford, Fort Bragg, Spring Lake and Sanford
Bring a Tape Measure. We Are Serious.
Inventory changes weekly. Call and we will have a Colorado and a Silverado parked next to each other when you arrive.
Powers Swain Chevrolet · 4709 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28303