Comparison Test: 2015 GMC Canyon vs. 2015 Toyota Tacoma
Story by John LeBlanc
Way to go Canada! According to the latest figures, you’re buying new vehicles like never before. Despite a low-value loonie and even lower oil prices, 2014 was the best year ever for new car and truck sales in this country and 2015 is shaping to be more of the same, with record new vehicle sales being driven mainly by trucks.
Full-size trucks still make up the majority of those sales, but some city dwellers may want a more urban-friendly pickup like the GMC Canyon or Toyota Tacoma. Both are advertised as more efficient versions of the Sierra and Tundra, respectively, but we think they also make great choices for the urban truck buyer.
So, which of this pair makes for the best city truck?
SECOND PLACE: 2015 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4X4 Limited
As the successor to the first compact trucks Toyota started importing to North America in the late 1960s, the midsize Tacoma is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. However, compared to the fresher GMC Canyon, the Tacoma is looking a bit aged.
The base, $25,975 (including freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) Tacoma 4X2 Access Cab is a four-door (two front-hinged, two rear-hinged), four-passenger, rear-wheel-drive truck. Its 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine makes 159 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft of torque and can be mated to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Traction at all four wheels costs another $4,940.
To better match our top line $36,945 GMC Canyon, the $41,635 Tacoma Double Cab 4X4 Limited has four front-hinged doors, another seatbelt in the rear seats, a 4.0-litre V6 engine with 236 horsepower and 266 lb.-ft. of torque, and a five-speed automatic.
The Tacoma’s included $7,725 Limited package tries to turn the Toyota truck into a luxury car by adding such niceties as chrome wheels, a JBL Premium audio system, heated leather seats and various chrome trim bits. However, despite its best efforts to gentrify the Tacoma, the Toyota feels more like a full-size truck in use and in price compared to the more urban-friendly and less expensive GMC.
We’d pick the GMC over the Toyota on the basis of its more modern interior alone, but the Canyon is also a better vehicle to drive in town. Better suited for suburban or rural work, the Toyota will make urban drivers feel nervous.
By sitting taller than in the Canyon, it’s harder to gauge where the Tacoma’s body starts and stops when parking. Its steering is too-heavy off-centre and its brake pedal travel is extremely short, adding up to a less-than-coordinated urban driving machine. Plus, the V6 engine sounds rough when pressed upon, and wind and road noise are prevalent — even at low speeds.
The 2015 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4X4 Limited wouldn’t be our first choice if we wanted an urban truck, but its tried-and-true design means it may be the better long-term buy. The Tacoma won the Canadian Black Book Best Retained Value Award and the and Kelley Blue Book 5-year Cost to Own Award for 2014. If you’re looking for traditional truck driving experience but just in a smaller size, the Tacoma may suit your needs
FIRST PLACE: 2015 GMC Canyon 4WD Crew Cab SLT
After going on hiatus for 2013, the GMC Canyon (and its Chevrolet Colorado twin) returned for 2014 not only to battle rivals like the Nissan Frontier and the Tacoma but to also offer more efficient packages than the full-size Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Compared to the more truck-like Tacoma, our 2015 GMC Canyon 4WD Crew Cab SLT tester was by far the better choice for city truck buyers.
For starters, you can get into a Canyon for way less than a Tacoma. Even if you can’t afford the topline model, GMC will happily sell you a rear-wheel-drive, Extended Cab base model (with a 200-horsepower 2.5-litre inline-four and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox) for only $22,295. Whichever GMC Canyon model you can afford, its interior design, and ride and handling make it much more usable for city dwellers than the Toyota.
Although full-size truck owners will complain of the lack of seat height in both the Canyon and Tacoma, the Canyon does a much better job pretending it’s a big truck on the inside. Its seats are more comfortable, with power-adjustable lumbar support helping considerably. The GMC’s in-dash touchscreen infotainment system is more modern and easier-to-use, and the Canyon’s use of soft-touch materials will make buyers who are graduating from compact cars or crossovers feel more at home.
The Canyon also felt more at home in crowded city streets. One of the main reasons shoppers consider a midsize truck is how unwieldy a full-size version can be in tight spaces. As well, the GMC’s more comfortable ride and tighter handling made it drive more like a car than the Toyota. Plus, it offers safety features like a lane departure warning system and forward-collision warning not available on the Toyota.
We were not surprised to find the Canyon’s more powerful 305-horsepower 3.6L V6 and six-speed automatic made it 0.3 seconds quicker than the Tacoma (7.6 versus 7.9) from a standstill to 100 km/h, or that the GMC’s fuel economy estimates are not as good in the city – 13.5 L/100 kilometres versus 12.1 in the Tacoma. Still, we think city trucks buyers will be happier with the more urbane GMC over the truculent Toyota.