General Motors is known for making some of the sturdiest and most capable trucks on the market. Two of them are the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon. Entry-level trucks, they compete against each other for the loyalty of mid-sized pickup truck prospective buyers.
And today we compare them side by side to see which one is more deserving of your hard-earned money.
Appearances
Both the 2022 Colorado and the 2022 Canyon play the old-school cool card to great effect. In a sea of increasingly crossover-like trucks, the Colorado and the Canyon still sport a boxy look and they do so well.
With sharp straight lines, the trucks project raw power and a no-Vs attitude. Although similar, the Canyon seems to be better put together and a pinch more modern than its counterpart.
Price
As with the exterior aesthetics, the price tags are also similar. Similar but not quite as the Colorado starts at a little over $25,000 and the Canyon at just below $27,000.
A price difference of around 6-7% for their base models goes in the favor of the Chevy. Considering they come with identical engines, all that’s left to justify the difference is their respective lists of standard features. And we’ll get to that, but first…
Engine options
Under the same GM umbrella and both catering to the same audience – the mid-size pickup truck crowd, the Colorado and the Canyon come with an almost identical engine lineup.
Let’s start with the Colorado and its base engine, the 2.5-liter inline-4 gas engine that will deliver 200 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a 6-speed automatic, the 2.5-liter is somewhat sluggish and was designed mostly for fleet purchases. It‘s standard on the basic Colorado model, the Work Truck trim, and on the LT.
The Canyon debuts with the same engine but manages to squeeze out an extra 10 pound-feet of torque for a total of 191 out of it. It too offers the 2.5-liter engine as standard on its first two trims, the Elevation Standard and the Elevation.
From here on both trucks take an absolutely identical path by offering the 3.6-liter V6 engine for their top two trims, the Z71 and ZR2 plus the AT4 and Denali respectively. With an output of 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, it doubles both models’ towing capacity to reach 7,000 pounds. The engine comes paired with a responsive 8-speed automatic and is the most ordered one by retail buyers.
There is also a third option available, and its specs are again identical for both the Colorado and the Canyon. We’re talking about the 2.8-liter inline-4 turbodiesel engine that can belt out 181 horsepower and a whopping 369 pound-feet of torque for a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds.
Trim levels
Both models come in four different trims. The Colorado has the WT, LT, Z71, and ZR2 while the Canyon has the Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali.
For a little over $25,000, you can get the Colorado WT that comes with the 2.5-liter online-4 engine plus air conditioning, cloth upholstery and vinyl floor covering, a power-adjustable driver’s seat with manual recline, power windows, a tilt-only steering wheel, a 7-inch touch, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, two USB ports and a six-speaker sound system.
A better option for retail buyers is the Colorado LT that includes everything listed above plus remote keyless entry, cruise control, the EZ Lift tailgate, OnStar telematics and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, power recline for the driver’s seat, and upgraded 8-inch color touch.
As for the Canyon, its base model comes at just under $27,000 and also features the 2.5-liter inline-4 engine plus 18-inch wheels, a tilt-only steering wheel, a 7-inch color touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility, a four-way adjustable power driver’s seat with manual recline, and a six-speaker sound system.
Very similar standard features and almost identical standard engines for the two base models, so the Canyon’s $1,500 price hike isn’t quite justified.
The Canyon Elevation is where most retail buyers begin to consider the model, and if you order it you’ll get all the features listed under the base model plus a sliding rear window, cruise control, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, body-colored exterior door handles, LED foglights, and a remote locking tailgate.
The best way to see which of the two trucks better fits your needs is to compare them in real life. And you can do that if you visit us here at Northwest Hills Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac in Torrington, Connecticut where you can see and inspect both the 2022 Colorado and the 2022 Canyon in our showroom.
Not only that but if you stop by, our dedicated sales team can help you decide which trim suits you best and we can also make the necessary arrangements for you to take the 2022 Chevrolet Colorado and the 2022 GMC Canyon out for a test drive.