Mid-size pickups once seemed like a dead breed. The GMC Canyon/Colorado twins were neglected in favor of their full-size siblings, and Toyota and Nissan become default choices for those not wanting the larger of trucks.
The 2015 GMC Canyon arrived back on the scene toned and ready to do battle with its now aged rivals, despite refreshes, and its not-so-neglected performance and engineering is getting to noticed. Cars.com recently put the four major contenders in the segment to the test, which included the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado, 2015 GMC Canyon, 2015 Toyota Tacoma and 2015 Nissan Frontier. When judges reviewed their notes, and tallied of scoresheets, it was the GMC who walked away victorious.
“The last time we tested this segment was in 2012 when there were seven midsize pickup trucks, and now just four remain,” said Mark Williams, Cars.com‘s Pickup Truck Expert. “Two of the trucks were all-new entrants, and two are longstanding contestants starting to show their age. While the segment has shrunk, we think there’s going to be a resurgence as indicated by two brand-new entries from General Motors and booming pickup truck sales.”
The trucks were tested not only on their off-road capabilities (each truck sported its optional four-wheel drive off-road packages), but as livable, compelling packages for those not seeking trails. Ergonomics, ride quality, tech and entertainment and value were all considered when choosing a winner for this test.
The trucks were tested on a true off-road course before enduring 200 miles of varying road conditions, where real-world fuel economy was also taken into account. Finally, real pickup truck buyers hopped behind the wheel to provide their thoughts on each entrant.
What set the 2015 Canyon apart? Besides scoring well in each test, the high-quality materials and luxurious driving characteristics put the GMC a peg above even its Colorado cousin. Although the GMC comes with a slightly steeper price tag, the value proposition warranted it. Expect an incoming Denali variant to up the luxury ante even higher, too.
Although the 2015 Canyon was the winner here, Cars.com hasn’t ignored the 2015 Colorado, either. The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado was named “Best Pickup Truck of 2015” by the site previously. Now, the two each go forth with awards, awaiting the next inevitable comparison.
Comments
Yes, but reliability will be poor unless GM did something out of the ordinary here, and it doesn’t look like they did: There are already complaints on ’15’s transmissions going out with very few miles on the odometer. That’s not a good omen, but also not surprising. GM vehicles are reliably unreliable.
Your post is worthless unless you have a proof to back yourself up.
How is GM’s reliability poor? GM has all 4 major brands in the top 10 of JD Power Reliability ratings. They are the most reliable truck over the last 10 years moving onto 20. They also rank #1 for trucks, for ease of working on them (which means cheaper repair bills). Hate if you like, but don’t make up lies.