2008 GMC Canyon: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

The 2008 GMC Canyon is little changed this year. This compact pickup truck shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Colorado and Isuzu i-290/i-370. Canyon offers regular and extended cab body styles with a 6-foot bed. They come in Work, SL, and SLE trims. Four-door Crew Cab models with a 5-foot bed are offered in SLE guise. All are available with rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive that should not be left engaged on dry pavement but includes a low-range gear for off-roading. Off-road suspension is optional. Most Canyons come with a 185-hp 2.9-liter 4-cylinder engine. Standard on 4WD Crew Cabs and optional on others is a 242-hp 3.7-liter 5-cylinder. Manual or automatic transmission is available with the 4-cylinder, while 5-cylinder versions only get an automatic. Maximum towing capacity is 4000 lb. Regular cabs seat up to three. Extendeds have rear-hinged back doors and seat up to five with two rear jump seats. Crew Cabs have four conventional doors and seat up to six with a folding rear bench. Available safety features include ABS, traction control (2WD only), and curtain side airbags.

COMPETITION

Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Compact Pickups offer a true-truck design in a relatively modest package. They are best suited for personal or light-duty use rather than commercial use, heavy hauling, or towing.

Our Best Buy is the Toyota Tacoma. Our Recommended picks are the Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, and Nissan Frontier.