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2012 GMC Canyon SLE-1 Regular Cab Review.
If the GMC Canyon is reminiscent of the Chevy Colorado, it’s because they are almost identical. The Canyon is a midsize pickup, and was introduced in 2004 to replace the GMC Sonoma. It received its last facelift in 2007, but is still in its first generation. It is available in regular, extended, and crew cabs.
The 2012 GMC Canyon SLE-1 has a 2.9 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that produces 185 horsepower and 190 foot-pounds of torque. It has 16-inch steel wheels, P215/70R16 all-season tires, rear-wheel drive, and a 4-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. It has a 6.1 foot bed, a maximum payload of 1,429 pounds, and can tow up to 4,000 pounds.
The SLE-1 comes with a leather-covered, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, a 40/60 split bench front seat, keyless entry, power mirrors, power steering, cloth upholstery, a 12-volt power outlet in the front, air conditioning, simulated alloy trim on the dash, a bedliner, privacy glass, automatic headlights, and foglights. The audio system has 4 speakers, AM/FM/satellite radio, a CD/MP3 player, a 3 month subscription to Sirius XM satellite radio, and Bluetooth.
The Canyon also has antilock brakes, side front airbags, stability control, and traction control. There are no safety ratings available on the regular cab as of yet, but a score of “poor” for side impact protection on the crew cab raises a red flag. Fortunately, it also includes the GM OnStar emergency communications system.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
Even in the face of competition that is constantly raising the bar, the Canyon continues to make an “old school” truck. The cabin is attractive enough, but in a retro kind of way. The materials are the same hard materials that were used ten to twenty years ago. The design has no frills, which can be seen as “no-nonsense” or “boring,” depending on who is buying. The seats are old school pickup seats, which means they are built more for practicality and work than passenger comfort.
One great feature about the rather spartan design is that the controls are all very sensible, easy to find, and easy to understand. Also, there is plenty of headroom and legroom here: a total combined measurement of 83.6 inches. That is a great measurement for a midsize truck, and will allow most people under 6-8 to be comfortable.
The Canyon’s handling and ride are both old school, too. You will definitely know that you are in a truck. All in all, the Canyon is a decent vehicle. It is affordable, and will faithfully perform light to medium-duty tasks day in and day out. It will get you from point A to point B with a minimum of drama. It gets a little noisy on the highway, and takes a little longer than one might like to accelerate, but everything is still within tolerable levels.
Someone who goes to work every day and doesn’t need a fluffy cabin will probably like this truck. It’s a nice pickup for someone who needs a bit more than a compact, but wants better fuel economy than a full-size truck would give. As long as it isn’t being used to haul a load of refrigerators or air conditioners, the payload capacity is fine.
The main problem with the Canyon is that almost everyone else is making theirs better. For some reason, the old pattern seems to hold true: the US Big Three Automakers are by far the best at making full-size trucks, but lag behind Japan when it comes to compact and midsize pickups. Also, the low test scores for side impact protection are bothersome. You would really think one of the bigger vehicles on the road would be one of the safest.
The verdict: if you are old school and very adept at avoiding side impact collisions, you will probably like the Canyon. Others need not apply.
Options, other trims, and miscellaneous caveats.
The main options on the Canyon involve other engines and 4-wheel drive.
The next step up in engine size, and the biggest engine available on the regular cab, is a 3.5 liter, inline 5-cylinder engine that produces 242 horsepower and 242 foot-pounds of torque.
If you want to go to the extended or crew cab, though, you can get a 5.3 liter V8 engine that gives you 300 horsepower and 320 foot-pounds of torque. This will allow the Canyon to tow up to 6,000 pounds, but mileage goes down to 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. This is about the same as the base trim of a full-size pickup.
The other trim in the regular cab is called the Work Truck. It has most of the SLE features, but the “audio system” is a 2-speaker AM/FM radio. Bluetooth is still included, though. You also don’t get power doors or windows or foglights. The other omissions are nickel and dime, but add up to a pricetag that is almost $3,000 less.
The Canyon is also available in an Extended Cab, which has a small back seat and two small back doors, and a Crew Cab, which has 4 standard doors and a larger back seat. With the larger cabs, there is one higher trim called the SLT.
The SLT gets a heavy-duty suspension, 17-inch chrome wheels, and heated front bucket seats with 8-way driver adjustment. An off-road package is also available on larger models. It has an off-road suspension, a locking rear differential, various heavy-duty part substitutions, and 17-inch wheels.
So, even though the Canyon is in severe need of an update, at least it is versatile, and there are plenty of options available. If your motto is “be American, buy American,” the Canyon is a serviceable midsize truck, and it looks great in your driveway.
Warranty information:
The Canyon offers a 3-year, 36,000 mile basic warranty, which covers everything except wear and tear parts like brake shoes The drivetrain is covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles, and GMC also provides roadside assistance for 5 years or 100,000 miles.
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