2015 GMC Canyon Long-Term Review: Introduction

Welcome to the first episode in our long-term evaluation of the 2015 GMC Canyon.

The pickup truck world is full so of choices that many of the lines traditionally dividing segments are starting to blur. GM’s answer to the crowded marketplace is downsizing in the form of the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. These are midsize pickup trucks, although even the definition of these “small” trucks is changing. It’s safe to think of these two like ¾ of a half-ton.

GM says its new trucks are “right sized,” offering a balance between capability and affordability that people are looking for. Staples of every pickup truck, namely a body-on-frame design, leaf-spring suspension and a locking rear differential are all included to prove this workhorse means business.

SEE ALSO: 2015 AutoGuide.com Truck of the Year

But there are many questions that come up when looking at the pros and cons of these pickups. V6-powered half-ton trucks are all powerful enough for regular work at a low price. So do you go for the slightly smaller Canyon/Colorado, or the V6-powered Sierra/Silverado that will return similar fuel economy in a bigger package for around the same price?

That’s what we hope to answer by spending the next four months with the 2015 GMC Canyon. Our tester is a long-bed crew cab fitted with the 3.6-liter V6.

We plan to cover this truck from as many angles as we can to give you a clear picture of what it’s like to own by putting it through everything we would expect from a truck of our own. That includes hooking trailers to back to see how it handles weight and loading the bed until the leaf springs are fully taxed.

As an avid snowmobiler, I will be hitting the trails to see how well it performs as a vehicle for outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts. Finally, thanks to the AutoGuide.com offices being located in a large city, commuting in and out of the downtown core will be a daily job for our Canyon.

This series is meant for you, the reader. So if you have questions, please leave them in the comments section below and we’ll do our best answer them.