Mid-size pickups are becoming more popular each year as automakers refine their creations to come out on top in this segment of the market. The two trucks that compete with each other the most, as far as those offered in the lower-priced areas, appear to be the Ford Ranger Supercrew and the GMC Canyon Super Cab.

Ford Ranger is relatively new to the market since it took an eight-year hiatus from production. GMC’s Canyon has been around a few years and tries to compete with the likes of the Tacoma and Nissan’s Frontier. Kelley Blue Book, recently, compared the Ranger and the Canyon to see which one offers the best value. Let’s see how each one holds up to each other.

What do the GMC Canyon and Ford Ranger have in common?

Base prices for both trucks are quite close. The Ranger starts at $27,000 and the GMC Canyon runs at $28,000. There are tons of tech and safety features to choose from as well as other upgrades to customize your purchase no matter which pickup you choose. You’ll find that both trucks will get extremely pricey as you add on those items.

Seating is comfortable in both trucks as they can handle up to 5 passengers and still provide ample legroom for long trips. Gas mileage is also relatively close at 26 highway miles for the Ranger and the Canyon. Ford is slightly better with city mile driving, but only by one mile over the GMC. Both pickups offer a 4WD trim, but neither will give you a manual transmission.

How do the trucks differ?

When it comes to powering up these pickups, Ford Ranger Supercrew gives you a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo engine, but it’s the only option you get. The GMC Canyon offers more choices, at least. You get three engines to choose from, starting with the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder and the 3.6-liter V6. The other option is the 2.8-liter turbo diesel, which you don’t find with the Ford.

Both trucks have automatic transmissions, but it’s the Ranger that outshines the Canyon with its 10-speed option. GMC only offers a 6-speed drivetrain, which might account for the slightly less payload capacity with the base engine. However, the Canyon rides and handles better than the Ford, which, according to Kelley Blue Book, rides pretty stiff.

Which one has the better value for the price point?

With these two mid-size trucks, they come in pretty close to one another. The Ford has a 7,500 lbs towing capacity and offers an FX-4 package for off-roading trips. The GMC Canyon offers more features and is the only one of the two that lets you choose a diesel engine for your pickup. If these two trucks came together as one, you might just have one tough-to-beat pickup, but unfortunately, that is not the case.

In the end, however, the Canyon appears to be the better value, mainly because it scored better in safety test ratings. Plus, it rides and handles smoother than the Ranger.

You can choose between three engine options instead of the one that Ford gives you. The Canyon’s base engine leaves you with a low payload rating, but upgrade to the turbo diesel, and you get max towing capacity. Of course, if off-roading is what you’re looking for, Ford would be the way to go.

Both the Ranger and the Canyon are pretty solid trucks for the mid-size range. The Ranger is a little more affordable when you crunch the numbers, but it’s too limiting with the one-length bed and no upgrade options for the engine. But, at the end of the day, it all comes down to what you plan to do with your purchase and which one has what you need.