Every truck on the market has pros and cons. While some things, such as looks, are hard to judge, other things are easy to compare between different trucks. In terms of the GMC Canyon though, there are some cons that consumers will probably not like about it, according to MotorTrend.

General Motors vs. General Motors 

The biggest issue with the Canyon doesn’t have to do too much with the truck itself, actually. Rather, it’s the fact that GMC is competing against Chevy, both of which are companies that are owned by General Motors. And because of that, Chevy’s mid-sized truck, the Colorado, competes directly with the Canyon and is simply a more affordable option than the Canyon is.

Both trucks are mechanically identically, according to MotorTrend. The Colorado features almost every practical feature and perk that the Canyon features, including the engine choices available. As MotorTrend said, both trucks can use a 2.8-liter diesel engine that gets an incredible 30 MPG fuel economy on highways. 

That said, although the two trucks are very similar, they are not the same truck. They have differences, and those differences are why the option between a Canyon or a Colorado exists. But if you just want to buy a truck for a truck, then the Colorado is simply more affordable than the Canyon is.

Price and safety 

While the base price of the Canyon starts at about $21,000, the options add up, and the trims are pricey as well. MotorTrend mentions that a Canyon Denali with four-wheel drive can easily cost up to $50,000. For a mid-sized truck, that’s a lot of money. For the average consumer, there are definitely better options. 

But, on top of that, the Canyon’s safety scores aren’t very good for the prices that GMC is asking. For instance, like MotorTrend reported, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, gave the Canyon good ratings in its crash tests, the Canyon got bad marks in one test and it scored terribly in terms of its headlights. 

On top of that, MotorTrend says that the Canyon lacks a lot of active safety features. These safety features, which aren’t uncommon in Toyota’s trucks, are great and modern ways to ensure the safety of a truck and its occupants. Toyota trucks can be equipped with those features for less than the asking price of some of the more fancy models of the Canyon. For that reason, the Canyon falls short in terms of its overall safety. 

Not that unique

Although the Canyon has a lot of trims and options available for consumers to choose from, overall, the truck isn’t that different from anything else on the market. That partly has to do with the fact that it’s so similar to the Colorado, but the Colorado isn’t the only truck that’s similar to the Canyon. 

MotorTrend says that the Canyon has a Buick-like interior, but GM knows for a fact that the interior of its trucks aren’t competitive with the interiors of other trucks. Furthermore, to get that Buick-like interior, which MotorTrend does describe as luxurious, consumers will have to pay a premium for it. This again relates to the cost issue that the Canyon has. 

A basic work truck trim of the Canyon won’t have a great interior, and it doesn’t need one, but at that point, consumers will wonder why they’re buying a Canyon instead of the more affordable Colorado. And if consumers want a great interior and can afford one, then the Ram 1500 exists with its award-winning interior. Overall, compared to similar trucks, the Canyon is just not that unique.