2010 GMC Canyon: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

The 2010 GMC Canyon is largely unchanged. This compact pickup truck shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Colorado. Canyon offers regular and extended cab body styles with a 6-foot bed. Four-door Crew Cab models with a 5-foot bed are offered as well. 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. Trim levels, depending on cab configuration, include Work, SLE-1, and SLT. Regular- and extended-cab Canyons come with a 185-hp 2.9-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine is also standard on the rear-drive SLE-1 crew cab. Optional on those models and standard on all other crew cabs is a 242-hp 3.7-liter 5-cylinder. Extendeds and crews also offer a 300-hp 5.3-liter V8. Manual or automatic transmission is available with the 4-cylinder, while 5-cylinder and V8 versions only get an automatic. Maximum towing capacity is 6000 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, antiskid system, and curtain side airbags. Optional for some rear-drive models is a ZQ8 Suspension Package, which includes the V8 engine, sport suspension, and 18-inch wheels. A Z71 Off-Road Suspension Package includes off-road-ready suspension and tires.

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 Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, and Suzuki Equator.