2009 GMC Canyon vs. Its Competition

Trevor Wild Author

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.