Pros: Refined road manners for a pickup truck; good selection of modern comfort, safety, and technology features; available full-time 4WD system
Cons: Rear seat space is tight, especially in extended-cab models; prices rise quickly as options are added
CG Says: The GMC Canyon is redesigned for 2015, after taking the 2013 and 2014 model years off. The Canyon and its slightly less-ritzy cousin, the Chevrolet Colorado, are GM’s “compact” pickups–though they are really more midsize. They share a basic extended-cab or crew-cab platform and available 4-cylinder or V6 power, but the GMC offers a more sophisticated full-time 4-wheel-system that is not available on the Chevy (it only offers part-time 4WD). These new GM pickups debut as Best Buys in their segment, since they offer technology and all-around refinement that their aged class competition (the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma) can’t match—at least until those two rivals are redesigned, which is likely to happen in the near future.
| Class | Compact Pickup Truck |
| Body Style(s) | extended cab, crew cab |
| Passenger Count | 5 |
| Drive Wheels | rear-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive |
| Manufacturer | GMC |
| Nation of Manufacture | USA |
| Base Prices | (Only select models listed) SL ext. cab: $20,955 Base crew cab, 5-ft. bed: $25,205 SLE 4×4 ext. cab: $31,145 SLT 4×4 crew cab, 6-ft. bed: $37,250 |
| Base Engine 2.5-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower 200 |
| Std. Transmission 6-speed manual (ext. cab only) |
| Avail. Transmission 6-speed automatic |
| EPA City Range (mpg) 19-20 |
| EPA Hwy Range (mpg) 25-27 |
| Optional Engine 3.6-liter V6 |
| Horsepower 305 |
| Std. Transmission 6-speed automatic |
| Avail. Transmission NA |
| EPA City Range (mpg) 17-18 |
| EPA Hwy Range (mpg) 24-26 |
