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2009 GMC Canyon Quality Review

March 7, 2009

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Rental-car interior décor
Car and Driver

Highway wind rush is prominent around the doors
ConsumerGuide

Gives the impression of being cheap
Edmunds

The interior build quality and use of subpar materials don’t win the Canyon any fans, but the truck’s ride quality is better than most.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com clearly show that the 2009 GMC Canyon falls short in terms of interior quality. Automobile Magazine puts it nicely: “The top-shelf Colorado and Canyon interior trim doesn't wander far from pure molded plastic. Stuff you touch—such as the leather-wrapped steering wheel, the console top, and the armrests—are thoughtfully finished in resilient materials.” Car and Driver points out that the compact truck has "flimsy seats" and "no protective coating or tie-down rails in the bed." Edmunds concurs, going as far as saying that "the Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma are simply better trucks in almost every regard." Edmunds also points out the 2009 GMC Canyon "remains saddled with sub par materials" and "an abundance of hard plastic." Cars.com notes that the new 2009 "Canyon's interior trim was revised to include chrome accents."

Theoretically, the 2009 GMC Canyon Crew Cab can seat up to six occupants, but reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that comfort is a serious problem if six are crammed inside the Canyon GMC. Seating capacity and style vary by model of GMC Canyon, and Cars.com reports that regular cabs offer "a standard 60/40-split bench seat" up front, though "reclining bucket seats are available," while "four-door extended cab trucks have two forward-facing rear seats" and "Crew Cab models contain front bucket seats." The front seats fare well, and ConsumerGuide attests that they deliver "lots of headroom and legroom" and are "adequately comfortable for long drives." The backseat, however, is a different story, as Edmunds claims that "rear legroom is tight in both extended cab and crew cab models," and ConsumerGuide contends that rear "legroom is still no better than a subcompact sedan's," even on the GMC Canyon Crew Cab. TheCarConnection.com’s editors find the Crew Cab just adequate for four adults.

On the highway, wind noise intrudes, leading reviewers to question the build quality of the 2009 GMC Canyon. Edmunds reports that "wind noise around the doors picks up at highway speeds," and ConsumerGuide finds that "highway wind rush is prominent around the doors."

Ride quality, however, is one area where the 2009 GMC Canyon shines. ConsumerGuide applauds the 2009 GMC Canyon, stating that the drive is "better than most compact pickups, provided you stick with the base suspension." Kelley Blue Book feels the "new body-on-frame chassis is much more rigid," making it the "greatest improvement over previous GMC compact trucks."

Conclusion

The 2009 GMC Canyon sacrifices interior comfort and impressive materials, all in the name of value and simplicity.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 6 out of 10Expert Quotes:Rental-car interior décorCar and DriverHighway wind rush is prominent around the doorsConsumerGuideGives the impression of being cheapEdmunds The interior build quality and use of subpar materials don’t win the Canyon any fans, but the truck’s ride quality is better than most. Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com clearly show that the 2009 GMC Canyon falls short in terms of interior quality. Automobile Magazine puts it nicely: “The top-shelf Colorado and Canyon interior trim doesn't wander far from pure molded plastic. Stuff you touch—such as the leather-wrapped steering wheel, the console top, and the armrests—are thoughtfully finished in resilient materials.” Car and Driver points out that the compact truck has "flimsy seats" and "no protective coating or tie-down rails in the bed." Edmunds concurs, going as far as saying that "the Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma are simply better trucks in almost every regard." Edmunds also points out the 2009 GMC Canyon "remains saddled with sub par materials" and "an abundance of hard plastic." Cars.com notes that the new 2009 "Canyon's interior trim was revised to include chrome accents." Theoretically, the 2009 GMC Canyon Crew Cab can seat up to six occupants, but reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that comfort is a serious problem if six are crammed inside the Canyon GMC. Seating capacity and style vary by model of GMC Canyon, and Cars.com reports that regular cabs offer "a standard 60/40-split bench seat" up front, though "reclining bucket seats are available," while "four-door extended cab trucks have two forward-facing rear seats" and "Crew Cab models contain front bucket seats." The front seats fare well, and ConsumerGuide attests that they deliver "lots of headroom and legroom" and are "adequately comfortable for long drives." The backseat, however, is a different story, as Edmunds claims that "rear legroom is tight in both extended cab and crew cab models," and ConsumerGuide contends that rear "legroom is still no better than a subcompact sedan's," even on the GMC Canyon Crew Cab. TheCarConnection.com’s editors find the Crew Cab just adequate for four adults. On the highway, wind noise intrudes, leading reviewers to question the build quality of the 2009 GMC Canyon. Edmunds reports that "wind noise around the doors picks up at highway speeds," and ConsumerGuide finds that "highway wind rush is prominent around the doors." Ride quality, however, is one area where the 2009 GMC Canyon shines. ConsumerGuide applauds the 2009 GMC Canyon, stating that the drive is "better than most compact pickups, provided you stick with the base suspension." Kelley Blue Book feels the "new body-on-frame chassis is much more rigid," making it the "greatest improvement over previous GMC compact trucks." ConclusionThe 2009 GMC Canyon sacrifices interior comfort and impressive materials, all in the name of value and simplicity.  2009 GMC CANYON STYLING | [6 out of 10] MyRide.com: "looks mean and menacing, albeit in a classy GMC manner" Car and Driver: "A broad variety of body styles, wheelbase and cargo-bed lengths" Kelley Blue Book: "Interior layout is highly functional" Most reviewers are quite happy ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Chevrolet Colorado is nearly identical to the Canyon in every way—except for different grilles and slight variations in badging and trim. The Ford Ranger reigns as the strongest competitor to the Canyon and Colorado; the Ranger is an aging design, but at the four-cylinder level it’s more enjoyable to drive than the GM twins and gets decent fuel economy. The Ranger also comes in a wide range of configurations, including strong V-6 versions, although it doesn’t compete with the new V-8. The Toyota Tacoma is a step larger, but it gives the Canyon a run for the money, as its base price is more than $1,000 lower, with strong, smooth performance from its standard four-cylinder engine and hearty, competitive hauling power from its optional V-6. The Tacoma also has especially solid resale value. The Nissan Frontier feels larger, though it comes with a base four-cylinder engine or an exceptionally torquey and smooth 3.5-liter V-6. The Dakota is another alternative, but in terms of size it’s just short of full-size trucks; it’s not as maneuverable and gets less-than-stellar fuel economy from its V-6 and V-8 engines.

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See the GMC Canyon in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

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