The 2026 GMC Canyon vs. the Competition

Over fifty years ago, Ford offered a rebadged Mazda truck, known as the Courier, as its small truck. Ford began producing its own small Ranger around the same time GMC launched its S-15 small truck, later known as the Sonoma. For 10 years, the Ranger went through generations before being put on a seven-year hiatus. The model returned in 2019 and was last redesigned for 2024. Most models are powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4. A 2.7-liter V6 is available in some trims, and the ZR2-competing Raptor is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. 

• Canyon’s standard 310-horsepower engine is more powerful than the Ranger’s 270-horsepower base engine, which is the standard engine of the Ranger Lariat 4×4 and roughly comparable in price to the Canyon AT4. 
• At 430 lb-ft, the Canyon engine also has considerably more torque than the base Ranger engine (310 lb-ft) and the optional 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 engine (400 lb-ft).
• Canyon AT4 has a slight edge in ground clearance vs the Ranger Lariat 4×4 (9.6 inches vs. 9.3 inches).
• Canyon and Ranger are very close regarding their maximum towing capacity, but Canyon has the edge, with 7,700 pounds compared to 7,500 for the Ranger.
• Canyon’s bed length is longer at 5’ 2” compared to 5’ 0” for the Ranger.
• Canyon has a noticeably larger fuel tank (21.4 vs. 18.8 gallons). 
• Canyon offers 1.5 inches more rear legroom than the Ranger. Shoulder, hip, and headroom are all within an inch of each other. 
• All Canyons have a standard 11.3-inch screen. Rangers have a 10-inch screen until they reach the Lariat and Raptor levels, which have 12-inch screens. 
• Canyon offers the convenience of Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto on all models, while all Rangers require wired smartphone compatibility.

Branded as a Datsun at the time, the first Nissan pickup arrived in the U.S. in 1959, becoming the first modern compact pickup truck sold in this country. The truck was named Frontier in 1997, when it was reclassified as a mid-size truck. The Frontier is powered by a 310-hp 3.8-liter V6 on all trims. It is available with both extended King Cab and 4-door Crew Cab models, the former with a 6-foot bed and the latter with a choice of 5- or 6-foot beds. Trim levels for the Frontier include: S, SV, Dark Armor, Long Bed SV, Long Bed Dark Armor, Pro-X, Pro4X, and Long Bed Pro-4X.

• The Frontier’s V6 and Canyon’s 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 both produce the same horsepower, but Canyon significantly outperforms the Frontier in torque. (430 lb-ft vs. 281). 
• Canyon’s greater torque also peaks at a lower rpm than the Frontier (3,000 rpm vs. 4,400). The Frontier 
• The maximum towing capacity of the Canyon significantly exceeds that of the Frontier (7,700 vs. 7,150 lb.). 
• Canyon also has a slightly higher maximum payload than the Frontier SL 4×4 (1,670 lb vs. 1,620 lb). 
• Rear passengers enjoy more legroom in the Canyon (34.7 inches vs. 33.2 inches)
• When comparing 5-foot beds, Canyon’s is slightly longer (61.7 inches vs. 59.5) and wider between the wheel wells (45.5 inches vs. 44.5). 
• In contrast to the Frontier, Canyon’s rear cross-traffic alert system includes automatic braking. 
• Canyon’s brake discs are significantly larger than the Frontier’s. Front discs: 13.4 vs 11.7 inches. Rear discs: 13.3 vs 11.3.

The Toyota Tacoma name is 31 years old, although it is a descendant of the first compact pickup they brought to the U.S. in 1968. Four-wheel drive was added in the truck’s third generation in 1979, along with an automatic transmission, fuel injection, independent front suspension, an optional V6 engine, and the XtraCab body style. With the launch of the 1995 Tacoma, the truck transitioned to a midsize classification, offering both XtraCab and 4-door DoubleCab configurations, with V6 engines becoming the primary powertrain. The latest fourth-generation model, introduced for the 2024 model year, features 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 engines, with power upgrades supplied by i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain. The hybrids are designed more for power than fuel efficiency. The Tacoma offers an XtraCab option paired with a 6-foot bed and a 4-door DoubleCab option with the choice of 5- or 6-foot beds. The default comparison model to the Canyon AT4 is the Tacoma TRD Off-Road. 

• All Canyons have more horsepower than Tacoma models with the i-FORCE engine (310 vs. 278) and more torque (430 lb-ft vs. 317).
• All Canyons also have more torque than Tacoma models with the i-FORCE engine (430 lb-ft vs. 317).
• Both the Canyon and Tacoma use 8-speed shiftable automatic transmissions. 
• Canyon has a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 lb., compared to 6,500 lb. for the Tacoma model line. 
• Rear passengers in Canyon have more legroom than in Tacoma (34.7 vs. 33.7 inches).
• Canyon’s 5-foot cargo box is larger than Tacoma’s (61.7 x 58.8 x 21.1 inches vs. 60.3 x 53.0 x 21.2 inches). 
• The standard touchscreen on Canyon is significantly larger than the standard screen on Tacoma TRD Off-road (11.3 inches vs. 8.0). 
• Canyon has a noticeably larger fuel tank (21.4 gallons vs. 18.2). 
• Regarding Roadside Assistance services, Canyon comes with 5-year/60,000-mile coverage, compared to 2-year/ 25,000-mile coverage for Tacoma.

The Gladiator, introduced in 2020, is the latest in the gas-powered mid-size truck category. It is based on the Wrangler SUV 4-door, featuring a longer wheelbase and a short rear pickup bed. Consequently, it inherits the Wrangler’s strong off-road performance but also has its poor on-road ride and handling. All versions come with a 4-door cab, a short cargo bed, a 3.6-liter V6 engine, and 4-wheel drive. Though something of a niche offering in this category, the Gladiator is available in a surprising number of trim levels, many of which echo similar Wrangler trims: Sport, Sport S, 85th Anniversary, Willys Sahara, Willys ’41, Rubicon, Mojave, Shadow Ops, Mojave X, Rubicon X.

• Even with 4WD, Canyon has a much lower entry MSRP of $38,900, compared to $40,015 for the Gladiator.
• If you don’t need 4-wheel drive, the Canyon is available with 2WD, along with a lower price and higher fuel mileage.
• The Canyon significantly outperforms the Gladiator in both horsepower (310 vs. 260) and peak torque (430 vs. 260 lb-ft.)
• The EPA-estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy for the 4×4 Canyon and Gladiator matches at 19/22/19.
• Car and Driver reports that the Canyon AT4X has significantly better acceleration, with a 0 to 60 time of 7.4 seconds compared to 8.3 for the Gladiator Mojave. 
• The Canyon arguably has a significantly more refined cabin and dash than the Gladiator.
• The base center touchscreen in the Gladiator is 8.4 inches compared to the 11.3-inch screen in the Canyon.
• Car and Driver also gave the Canyon a significantly higher overall rating than the Gladiator of 9/10, compared to 7.5/10.
• The Canyon rack & pinion steering has a much more precise on-road feel than the Gladiator’s recirculating ball steering system.
• While the Gladiator offers Wrangler-derived features like removable doors and roof panels, these items can be sources of road noise and leaks.
• Basic driver and safety assistance technologies like Forward Collision Alert and Lane Keeping Assist are standard on all Canyons but require an upgrade to the Sport S Gladiator.