Whether regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab, the Canyon has a balanced look. The regular and extended cab have 6-foot, 1-inch beds. The crew cab has a 5-foot, 1-inch bed in exchange for its larger cabin. Regular and extended cab models have steps in the rear fender ahead of the rear wheels, making it easier to reach and load things in the front of the bed. Extended cabs have door handles inside the door jam, at the front edge of the rear-hinged doors. Crew cabs have front-hinged rear doors with reach-through door handles that are easy to grip and pull open.

The tailgate can be opened fully (89 degrees) or dropped 57 degrees to provide support (level with the tops of the wheel wells) for a 4x8-foot sheet of plywood.

Interior Features

The base Canyon has a no-fault interior right down to its rubber floor mats, so you can get in with muddy work boots and not feel guilty. The SLE, however, is more oriented toward comfort with carpeting and more luxurious fabric on its seats.

Although GM's interior measurements don't show it, the Canyon feels wider inside than the Sonoma, especially in the rear seat of the crew cab, which more easily accommodates three adults. Front and rear seats are chair height; that allows the driver excellent visibility over the hood and improves leg room and comfort for rear-seat passengers. The front seats are still the first-class section of the cabin, but those in coach won't have to endure the pain of the old sideways-mounted seats in old extended-cab pickups. Our biggest gripe with the Canyon is directed at its seats. The seat bottoms are flat and lack sufficient lateral support, so we always felt like we were sinking to one side or the other.

Even the Canyon's extended cab is large enough to orient its occasional passengers facing forward. Don't expect them to be comfortable, though. The back seat in the extended cab is cramped for anything but short trips to the store for Munchkins. Better to flip the rear seats down, which opens up space for cargo. With modifications (like a fleece mat), it would work passably for a medium-size dog. The front-hinged doors on both sides of the extended cab offer good access to this area.

The instrument panel has large white numerals on a black background, with the orange needles that GM loves. They're easy to read at a glance. Lighting functions are clustered on the dash to the left of the steering wheel; there are no switches in any remote location. Turning on the dome light requires spinning the small wheel used to dim the instrument lights and we found this a bit challenging in the dark. We recommend opting for the electrochromic ($175) mirror, which features a pair of map lights, compass and outside temperature display, and dims automatically.

The center stack, outlined with silver-colored plastic, neatly groups together 4x4, audio, and HVAC functions. The emergency flasher button is high in the center where it's easily seen. The cruise control switches, however, are the same turn-signal-stalk system GM has used since the 1970s, albeit refined. Some people hate it; others are familiar with it and don't seem to mind.

The Canyon features triple seals around the doors, another example of its refinement relative to the old Sonoma. The seals not only reduce water and dust intrusion; they also reduce wind noise for a quieter cab.

Driving Impressions

Your experience with the Canyon will vary by model. The four-cylinder engine delivers adequate performance, costs less, and is a bit more frugal. The five-cylinder offers brisk acceleration performance, feels like an inline-6, and works well with an automatic.

The 3.5-liter five-cylinder Vortec 3500 is a dual-overhead cam engine with variable cam timing rated at 220 horsepower. It develops 225 pound-feet of torque at 2800 rpm. Its torque, that twisting force that propels the truck from a stop and helps it tow heavy loads up long grades, is spread over a broad rpm range. The all-aluminum engine construction aids in cooling and, because of its lower weight, saves fuel and permits quicker acceleration. The five-cylinder is essentially the newly developed six-cylinder from the GMC Envoy with one cylinder lopped off. The five-cylinder engine idles and cruises quietly, but the uncommon number of cylinders makes a peculiar siren-like sound when accelerating. It doesn't sound bad, just different. Recommended fuel is unleaded regular, another plus for economical operation. A 2WD five-cylinder with manual transmission gets an EPA-rated 19/25 mpg City/Highway.

The 175-horsepower four-cylinder engine is essentially the five-cylinder minus one cylinder. It's rated 20/27 mpg with manual transmission and 2WD. We found it worked well with the manual transmission, perfectly adequate for drivers who favor economy over power.