The GMC Canyon is a popular truck thanks in no small part to its GMC name. If you’re car shopping and interested in the GMC Canyon, but don’t want a new one, you may be wondering which one you should get. You’ll want to go to the used car lot armed with knowledge. Let’s look at Consumer Reports’ ratings to see what the best year for the GMC Canyon is. 

The 2020 GMC Canyon has the best reliability 

The 2020 GMC Canyon is by far the most reliable of all of the GMC Canyons. Whether that’s because it’s also the newest used pickup remains to be seen. The 2020 Canyon has a 5 out of 5 for its reliability, while the rest (with the exception of the 2016) have an alarmingly low 1. The 2016 has a 3. 

The 2017 GMC Canyon has the worst owner satisfaction, according to Consumer Reports. The 2017 GMC Canyon scored only a 1 for owner satisfaction, while the 2016, 2018, and 2019 each have a 2. The 2020 scored a 3 for owner satisfaction.

Some scores were identical

Acceleration, transmission, and routine and emergency handling are identical in the 2016 to 2020 GMC Canyons. All models scored a 4 for acceleration and transmission, and a 3 for routeine handling. Things were a bit worse for all models in emergency handling, which was only a 2. Still, as the scores are identical, it’s hard to say that one is better (or worse) than another. 

All models also scored a 4 out of 5 for their braking. They were able to stop from 60 mph on dry pavement in 132 feet and wet pavement in 150 feet.

Headlights in all five years weren’t great, scoring just a 3 on Consumer Reports’ metric. The fuel economy in all of the trucks is a 2.

All of the GMC Canyons between 2016 and 2020 received just okay scores for their comfort. Noise, driving position, rear seat comfort all got a 3. The ride and front seat comfort only scored a 2. Front and rear access, interior fit and finish, and the climate system all received a 3. The best score went unsurprisingly to usability, which is a 5 in all models. 

None of the Canyons received good moderate-overlap crash test ratings

All of the GMC Canyons have only a marginal score for their small overlap passenger tests. The small overlap passenger test measures how well a vehicle does when 25% of its total width strikes a barrier on the right-hand side. This test is important because the force from the kind of crash that this simulates isn’t absorbed by the crush zone. Car manufacturers started making the driver side safer after small overlap tests on the driver’s side started being conducted, but didn’t always carry those safety precautions over to the passenger side. In the case of the GMC Canyon, it appears that the passenger side isn’t as safe as the driver’s side, which has a good score for every year except for 2016, when it wasn’t tested.

There isn’t a lot to differentiate between the various used GMC Canyons out there. With all of their identical crash test ratings and comfort, it’s hard to decide between them. Yet looking at the good reliability scores and decent owner satisfaction score, the 2020 seems to be the best choice.