2016 GMC Canyon Diesel

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The easiest way to make a sale is to have something to sell that people want but no one else is selling.'16 Canyon lead

Like a diesel pick-up truck, for instance.

There are very few – and only one that isnā€™t at least a 1500.

Itā€™s the mid-sized GMC Canyon (and its Chevy-badged twin, the Colorado) which is the only truck in its class thatā€™s available with an oil burner.

Which gives this mid-sized truck full-sized truck grunt – 369 ft.-lbs. of torque (almost as much torque as the full-size Silverado 1500ā€™s 5.3 liter V8, but from a 2.8 liter four) and the ability to pull 7,700 pounds – about 1,000 pounds more than the maximum either of its two mid-sized rivals – the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier – can handle.'16 Canyon diesel ID

The diesel-powered GMC also averages mid-high 20s… vs. mid-high teens for the comparably powerful (gas V6) versions of the Tacoma and Frontier.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is the diesel’s expensive – and not just for the diesel itself. The way GMC structures it, you have to buy a mid-trim SLE or a top-of-the line SLT trim first – and then buy the diesel. Which adds (depending on the trim and depending on whether you go with 2WD or 4WD) between $3,730-$4,965 to the truck’s price.

Which means the least you’ll spend to buy one of these is around $32k.

WHAT IT IS2016 GMC Canyon

The Canyon is the GMC-badged version of GMā€™s mid-sized pick-up.

And mid-sized trucks are currently the smallest trucks you can buy new – in the United States, anyhow – now that Ford has stopped selling the compact-sized RangerĀ here (but not in export markets).

Also trending – these mid-sized trucks only come in extended and crew cab versions.

No one currently sells a regular cab mid-sized truck, including GM.

This review will focus on the diesel-powered version of the Canyon, which starts at $32,615 for a 2WD SLE ($28,885 without the diesel; add $3,730 for the diesel) and tops out at $38,065 for a 4WD SLT ($33,100 without the diesel; add $4,965 for the diesel).

Note also that you must buy the crew cab versions of either trim in order to be eligible for the diesel. Extended cab models come only with the gas four-cylinder (standard) or (optionally) a gas V6.'16 Canyon IntellilinkĀ  Ā 

WHATā€™S NEW

In addition to the diesel engine option for the SLE and SLT trims, the Canyon’s LCD touchscreen has been updated to support Apple CarPlay. These two changes aside, the ’16 Canyon is pretty much the same truck as last year.

WHAT’S GOOD

Big truck pulling power in a not-too-big truck package.

Uses less fuel than wimpy gas-four version of this truck.

Exhaust brake – just like a big rig!

WHAT’S NOT SO GOOD

No modestly priced work truck version.

No regular cab version (and no eight-foot bed version).

The diesel’s only available with the crew cab version (but at least you can still get the “long” 6.2 foot bed, if you like).

UNDER THE HOOD'16 Canyon diesel

The Canyon (and Coloradoā€™s) newly available turbo-diesel is a little diesel – just 2.8 liters – but it makes big torque:Ā  369 ft.-lbs. at 2,000 RPM. This is much more torque –Ā and much soonerĀ –Ā than the Canyonā€™s also-available 3.6 liter gas V6, which only makes 269 ft.-lbs. of torque at 4,000 RPM,Ā  a difference of 100 ft.-lbs.Ā  (and 2,000 RPM).

The Duramax diesel also makes 181 hp – which is less than than Canyonā€™s standard (gas) 2.5 liter four (200 hp) and much less than the 3.6 liter V6 (305 hp) but the little dieselā€™s massive whelp of torque is what you want if you want to pull. Equipped with this engine, the Canyon has a maxĀ  tow rating of 7,700 pounds (7,000 with the gas V6; 3,500 with the gas four) which beats the Toyota Tacoma (6,800 lbs.) and the Nissan Frontier (6,500 lbs.) by a healthy margin.

Or, push.'16 Canyon w:boat

This truck would make a great plow truck in winter, too. All that low-end grunt is ideal for such work.

Too bad the rest of the truck is not ideally suited for work (more on that follows).

It’s alsoĀ not slow.

Stand on it and the diesel CanyonĀ can get to 60 in about 9 seconds flat, quicker than all its gas-engined, four-cylindered rivals and only slightly less quick than the gas-engined, V6-powered versions of its rivals. The V6-equipped Tacoma and Frontier get to 60 in the low-mid eights (the gas V6 Canyon – packing 305 hp – is the hot rod of this bunch, capable of a mid-seven-second run).'16 Canyon diesel tailpipe

The diesel-Canyon’s acceleration is also much better thanĀ that delivered by the four-cylinder (gas) Canyon, which – like its (gas) four cylinder-powered rivals – takes 10-plus seconds to achieve 60.

Unlike the gas four and six – which are made of aluminum – the diesel has a cast iron block (more rugged) as well as forged steel connecting rods and crankshaft. It also has a dedicated lube system for the turbo designed to keep it cool – and alive – for a long time.

Another worthy feature of this engine is that it – unlike pretty much all the still-available passenger car diesels,Ā of which there are few, Because Uncle Ā – the Canyonā€™s diesel is bio-diesel copacetic. You can run B20 without fear of screwing up your warranty or the engineā€™s emissions controls.'16 Canyon exhaust brake 2

The diesel is paired with a heavy-duty six-speed automatic and (additional coolness) features fast-light ceramic glow plugs and an exhaust brake system, just like the Big Rigs. Itā€™s driver-selectable and when engagedĀ  uses engine compression/backpressure to help keep speed in check when descending grades, lessening the need to ride the brakes or gear down.

An electric-adjustable trailer brake is also available.

Official EPA mileage numbers were not available as of early May, when this reviewĀ  was written, but during a weeklong test-drive ofĀ  4WD-equipped Canyon, I averaged between 23.5 and 25.2 MPG. This is about as good as the four-cylinder/4WD Canyon manages on the highway (25 city) about 10 MPG better than the gas V6 averages, based on my prior experience with one.

ON THE ROAD'16 Canyon road 1

Turn the key (yes, an Old TimeyĀ physical keyā€¦ GMC does not offer push-button start, even with the top-of-the-line SLT trim) and the diesel engine starts as quickly as the gas engines. No waiting for the glow plugs toā€¦ glow. They are ceramic-tipped and provide enough instantaneous heat to light things off right away.

Once running, thereā€™s little indication youā€™ve got a diesel under the hood. It doesnā€™t rattle like a coffee can fullĀ  of loose nuts and bolts. Some gas engines (direct-injected)Ā  ā€œdieselā€ as much as this diesel does.Ā  Really. Listen for yourself.

The chief obvious Diesel Difference is the power band, which is lower and more accessible. That 369 ft.-lbs. of torque is pretty much right there, right now – no need to rev the engine much to get a reaction. And same goes for the hp. Maximum output is achieved at about half the engine RPM vs. the gas four (3,400 RPM vs. 6,300 RPM).

The gas fourā€™s 200 hp rating is deceptive in terms of how it gets the truck moving vs. the diesel.

Basically, it doesnā€™t – while the diesel does.'16 Canyon road 2

The four is underpowered and not just for towing purposes. This a 5,400 lb. truck – and thatā€™s the 2WD version with the extended cab. Add 4WD and youā€™re at 5,600 lbs. before adding the weight of the driver and passengers. That is as uneven a contest as Walter Mondale vs. Ronald Reagan.

But the diesel handles the weightā€¦ handily.

The raw numbers donā€™t convey this adequately. While on paper, the diesel-powered Canyon only gets to 60 about 1 second sooner, the ease with which it gets there vs. the gas four-powered Canyon’s squeal-like-a-pig struggle to to do the same is a a study in contrasts. The gas four revs furiously to 6,000-plus RPM before each upshift vs. an almost lazy 3,500 for the diesel – which never feels (or sounds) like it is straining.

The four does.

Because it is.'16 Canyon road 3

GMC tries to crutch the power deficit by fitting the four cylinder (gas) truck with a 4.10 rear axle, but that only makes things feel (and sound) busier. The dieselā€™s rip-tide of torque is such that a much less aggressive 3.42 rear axle ratio is all thatā€™s needed. And this less-aggressive final drive ratio further helps cut the revs at highway speeds. At 80-something, the tach says not quite 2,000 RPM.

See what it says with the gas four at the same road speed. See what happens when you ask it to go faster.

Of course the gas V6 doesnā€™t suffer from Horsepower ED. But while youā€™ll see 60 MPH soonerĀ – and have more than enough power to go much faster –Ā youā€™ll also be stopping to refuel sooner.

On the highway, especially.

The Duramax-powered Canyon can go 500 miles or more on a full (21 gallon) tank. With the gas V6, you’ll probably have to stop about 150 miles sooner than that. Ā  Ā Ā 

AT THE CURB'16 Canyon interior 1

No one offers a regular cab/ long bed mid-sized truck right now(and it’s hard to find a 1500 in that configuration) which is unfortunate for people who don’t needĀ room for more than two people but could absolutely use more roomĀ for 2x4s and sheets of drywall.

It’s odd.

Also, that GMC (and Chevy) decided to make the diesel engine available only in the pricier SLE and SLT trims – and only with the crew cab (four full-size doors) body. I suppose the marketing shows that the typical buyer is a rich guyĀ with a boat or horse trailer – not a working guy with a plow blade or contracting business.

At leastĀ you can order it with either the 5.2-foot or the 6.2 foot bed (which is 1 inch longer than both the Tacoma’s and the Frontier’s 6.1-inch long bed).'16 Canyon back seats

ButĀ if you want the diesel, you will have to accept the leather seats and “soft touch” interior materials, the bigger (8-inch) IntelliLink LCD touchscreen, andĀ “EZ lift” tailgate (very metrosexual) embellishments – as well as the MSRP that goes with these things.

Also the four-door body, which is more than a foot longer overall (224.6 inches) than the extended cab version (212 inches) with the 6.2 foot bed.

It’s a pretty big truck.

But then, so are the others. The new (just redesigned) Tacoma is actually slightly bigger – 225.5 inches long overall in Double Cab (crew cab) form. That is longer thanĀ a 1970 Buick Electra “deuce and a quarter” (225).

That said, all these trucks are much more manageable than current 1500s – which have bulked up like a circa 1978 Soviet-bloc Olympic weightlifter on steroids and human growth hormone. I am a big guy – 6ft. 3 – and the current 1500s make me feel 12 years-old again. I can barely see what’s in the bed when standing outside the truck.

Let alone get at what’s in the bed.'16 Canyon bed 1

Most guys are not 6ft. 3 – and dealing withĀ any current 1500 pretty much requires a step-ladder. Literally. Ford actually builds one into the tailgate of the current F-150.

Madness.

The Canyon is less cod piece-compensatory.

Walking up to it, standing beside it, driving it – and loading/unloading it – is like having a 1500 the way they used to be before the industry went insane right around the time the country did, post 9-11. Remember? People were scared out of their skins and everyone wanted to armor up. The Hummer craze swept the landĀ and bigness became the virtue. Trucks swelled to their current grotesque proportions, especially the too-tall bed walls they’ve all got now.

If you prefer something a bit more sane, this could be it.

THE REST'16 Canyon diesel detail

Diesels go with trucks like big V8s go with muscle cars.

So how come so few trucks offer them?

Uncle.

The government, via increasingly nutty emissions edicts, has made diesels expensive to sell and (lately) more expensive to fuel. Diesel used to cost less than gas because it required less refining. As Inspector Clouseau used to sayā€¦ not anymore.Ā 

Ultra Low Sulfur diesel – the only stuff you can legally put into an on-road diesel-powered vehicle – costs more than gasoline.

And in order to keep emissions within Uncleā€™s Happy Zone, diesels are tuned for that and not best-case mileage.because Uncle

As good as the Canyonā€™s MPGs are, theyā€™d be even better absent Uncle. Ā 

A bed extender would be nice – but it’s not available. From the factory, anyhow.

SLT trims get a premium version of the IntelliLink system as well as in-car (4G) WiFi through the OnStar, plus two additional USB ports (four total). Also available is what amounts to the better-known Z71 off-road package that’s available with the Chevy-badged Colorado. It includes M/S-rated tires, a locking differential and heavy-duty suspension. However, the new Toyota Tacoma offers significantly more ground clearance (9.4 inches vs 8.4) and its angle of approach (29 degrees standard; 32 with the TRD off-road equipment) is much more rugged-terrain-favorable than the GMC’s 17.1 inch angle of approach.

Ah, but you can’t buy a diesel-powered Tacoma…

THE BOTTOM LINE

Itā€™d be nice if GMC – or Chevy – would sell you a work truck version of this truck.Ā 

The diesel engine in a regular cab (or at least, extended cab) body and how about a long bed to go with it? Without the nice to have but not necessary (for work) stuff the SLE and SLT come standard with, including leather trim and the upgrade 8-inch LCD display.

The base SL extended cabĀ  stickers for $20,995 – and comes standard with the things needed for work, like AC and even has standardĀ power windows and a six-speaker stereo with a 4.2 inch LCD displayĀ in addition to that.Ā Itā€™s hardly a stripper. Imagine if you could add the diesel to this for say $4,000 or so – about $26k, sticker.

Hell, Iā€™d buy one.'16 Canyon last

But the way it is, you have to spend at leastĀ  $32,615 – and thatā€™s the 2WD version.

On the other hand, the next-least-expensive diesel-powered pick-up, the Dodge Ram 1500 (with the optional 3 liter ā€œEcoDieselā€ V6) starts at $37,685 – and not everyone needs a full-size Kahuna.

Also in the GMCā€™s (and Chevyā€™s) favor is the Biodiesel Option – which is freeĀ (my favorite price). No extra charge for this capability and – if you have access to bio-diesel – itā€™s a potentially huge savings over time on fuelĀ and a way to end-run Uncle, too.

Which – along with the great fuel mileage – mitigates the truckā€™s somewhat daunting MSRP.

But regardless,Ā where else are you gonna go?

If you want that dieselā€¦ .

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24 COMMENTS

  1. “The government…has made diesels expensive to sell and (lately) more expensive to fuel.

    Ultra Low Sulfur diesel ā€“ the only stuff you can legally put into an on-road diesel-powered vehicle ā€“ costs more than gasoline.”

    It should be pointed out that while highly illegal, home heating oil is generally no different than the ultra low sulfur diesel, except for red dye and lack of road taxes.

    In some states, such as here in New Hampshire, the law requires home heating oil to meet the same 15ppm as ultra low sulfur diesel. And even in states where it isn’t required, it’s often used anyways to simply supply chains and logistics.

    In my town today, on road diesel is going for $2.88/gallon. I can get #2 heating oil for $2.39/gallon. So if you’ve got an oil boiler/ furnace and a transfer pump…

    While there are stiff penalties if you’re caught, the odds of getting checked in passenger vehicle are far less than the big rigs. It’d be an interesting situation where a cop would feel the need to dip your tank.

  2. Jeez, remember when GMC was the lower priced line of General Motors trucks? Alright, there was only GMC and Chevy in the GM corral, but anyway…

    Now, the “Jimmy” is more expensive than the Chevy. It’s all about marketing, right?

    Personally, if I ever buy another truck, it will be a Chevy just like the one I have–a work truck without all the fancy BS and crank windows. Just give me an AC, a big engine to tow my house and a long bed to haul stuff or put up a pop-up camping shell. My ’05 is just getting broken in with just over 100K. No Dodge (under-powered & crap tow power), no Ford (under-powered & just okay tow power) and no Toyota (nice but not enough power for my towing needs).

    I’ve owned or driven all of those brands and then some and, for me, Chevy 3/4 ton and over is my choice.

    If you want U.S. luxury, buy a Caddy or a Lincoln–and even those aren’t what they used to be in the luxury world–not a truck. Chrysler will never an option for me, anyway.

    • Harry, we have the same needs. I don’t want a half ton anything even though all new ones of any brand are gargantuan and will stand well above your ’05 Chevy. I know since I sometimes drive on ’06 3/4 T 4wd ext. cab Chevy and it’s easy to get in and get something out of the bed with a new Dodge half ton 2 wheel drive I couldn’t even see into the bed to get my tools right under where I stood, and couldn’t reach them either….shit.

      I prefer a single wheel one ton but that’s because the brakes and rarely get worked to the point of going a couple hundred thousand miles on the rears with no replacement. I like that extra amount of bed weight hauling too and the added hitch weight.

      I don’t know about 50’s stuff but GMC was the alternative and a bit pricier I think in the 60’s with big leaf springs in the rear where Chevy had those coil spring set-ups that wouldn’t do crap in the mud but they were fairly good at weight hauling, esp. the Heavy Half’s. Oh, no Heavy Half’s in the 60’s. Ah contraire, I had one with 6 hole wheels(still have the bed as a trailer)only now the Heavy Half has been burned off the side by west Tx sun.

      I recently pulled up beside a restored ’55 Chevy pickup just like I had. I think it could have been set in the bed of the pickup I was driving……and barely poked above the cab. I climb in and out of big rigs all day but getting into a new Dodge 3/4 or one ton 4 wd is a young man’s game. When I had a broken leg the only way I could get in a friends 3/4 T Dodge 4wd was to jump and get as far into the back seat as I could and then drag myself into that behemoth. If it weren’t too far to walk, I’d just decline and limp my way somewhere.

      If I had to use a new one ton 4wd pickup i’d airbag it and use a remote to lower it down where I could use the steps. I say “hey, can yall hear me up there? Pull up to those horse mounting steps will ya?”.

  3. Sure, this is a brilliant technofora where I’ve learned so much and not post a random piece of shit meme email forward, but as the title says, sometimes that just ain’t enough to keep a man like me interested…

    The Clover Anthem – Denis Leary
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs

    Piece of shit car song – Adam Sandler
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fw0OvKFKhw

    Folks, I’d like to sing a song about the American Dream
    About me, about you, the way our American hearts beat
    Down in the bottom of our chests, about the special feeling

    We get in the cockles of our hearts, maybe below the cockles
    Maybe in the sub-cockle area, maybe in the liver
    Maybe in the kidneys, maybe even in the colon, we don’t know

    I’m just a regular Joe with a regular job
    I’m your average white suburbanite slob
    I like football and porno and books about war

    I’ve got an average house with a nic hardwood floor
    My wife and my job, my kids and my car
    My feet on my table and a Cuban cigar

    But sometimes that just ain’t enough
    To keep a man like me interested
    (Oh no)
    No way
    (Uh-uh)

    No, I’ve gotta go out and have fun
    At someone else’s expense
    (Oh yeah)
    Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

    I drive really slow in the ultrafast lane
    While people behind me are going insane

    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, what an asshole)
    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, such an asshole)

    I use public toilets and piss on the seat
    I walk around in the summertime saying
    “How about this heat?”

    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, what an asshole)
    I’m an asshole
    (He’s the world’s biggest asshole)

    Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces
    While handicapped people make handicapped faces

    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, what an asshole)
    I’m an asshole
    (He’s a real fucking asshole)

    Maybe I shouldn’t be singing this song
    Ranting and raving and carrying on
    Maybe they’re right when they tell me I’m wrong

    Nah!

    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, what an asshole)
    I’m an asshole
    (He’s the world’s biggest asshole)

    You know what I’m gonna do?
    I’m gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac, El Dorado convertible
    Hot pink with whaleskin hub caps and all leather cow interior
    And big brown baby seal eyes for headlights, yeah
    And I’m gonna drive around in that baby at 115 mph

    Getting one mile per gallon, sucking down quarter pounder
    Cheese burgers from McDonald’s in the old fashioned
    Non-biodegradable Styrofoam containers
    And when I’m done sucking down those grease ball burgers

    I’m gonna wipe my mouth with the American flag
    And then I’m gonna toss the Styrofoam container right out the side
    And there ain’t a goddamned thing anybody can do about it
    You know why? Because we got the bombs, that’s why

    Two words, nuclear fucking weapons, okay?
    Russia, Germany, Romania
    They can have all the democracy they want
    They can have a big democracy cake walk
    Right through the middle of Tienanmen square

    And it won’t make a lick of difference
    Because we’ve got the bombs, okay? John Wayne’s not dead
    He’s frozen and as soon as we find the cure for cancer
    We’re gonna thaw out the duke and he’s gonna be pretty pissed off
    You know why? Have you ever taken a cold shower?

    Well multiple that by 15 million times
    That’s how pissed off the Duke’s gonna be
    I’m gonna get the Duke and John Cassavetes

    (Hey)
    And Lee Marvin
    (Hey)
    And Sam Peckinpah
    (Hey)
    And a case of whiskey and drive down to Texas
    (Hey, you know you really are an asshole)
    Why don’t you just shut-up and sing the song pal

    I’m an asshole
    (He’s an asshole, what an asshole)
    I’m an asshole
    (He’s the world’s biggest asshole)

    A S S H O L E, everybody
    A S S H O L E

    Arf arf arf arf arf arf arf
    Fung achng tum a fung tum a fling chum
    Ooh, ooh

    I’m an asshole and proud of it

  4. GM can get back to me when they make a regular cab long bed Colorado until then they can keep their soccer dad trucksters .

    • Hi Kent,

      Yeah… me too.

      I really like this engine… but I don’t need a crew cab. Or leather. Or a $32k price tag…

      • The Chevy version, extended cab, base engine is a decent deal at $21k, too bad that engine is under-powered. Looks like it would have to be ordered, as none exist at any local dealer. Lame. Maybe GM sells all of the base models to fleets?

        You have to go up a trim level to even get the V-6, making it 25k. That is a big jump in price. I can’t seem to get the price below 35k for the diesel, how did you get the 32k price? Are you talking the actual price it would go out the door for and not the MSRP?

        Why won’t GM offer the six and diesel in the base truck? They could make it so you couldn’t get any other options with it in the base truck so they could keep the high end sales. Just the engine and the necessary mechanicals and the base version period. People still need the non fancy vinyl seats and no carpet versions with the power for work.

    • Kent, good luck on that. I perused a GM lot last year. Not a single long bed in stock….in the full-size line. If’n you want a long bed in a used pickup, be prepared to pay a premium or get one worked to death. People simply don’t sell those and the salesmen will tell you that. I gave a couple salesmen my number in case they got an ext. cab long bed in on trade…..nary a call.

      • It’s really strange. I traded my 08 doublecab long bed tundra in January for a 16 doublecab long bed. I went in in December. No long beds. No dealer in the area to trade with other dealers had one except for Bozeman MT. The dealer there said go fu** yourselves. We aren’t trading you guys for another shortbed.

        After waiting for a month, traded my old one when it came in. After my old pickup got cleaned up and freshened, it was sold in 3 days. There is demand for these trucks–big demand–they just want you to settle for a short bed with more options which equals more money for them. “How about a crew max with a massive back seat and tons of leg room”. Put an 8 foot bed on that and I’ll consider it. That 5.5 bed is ridiculous. Even a 6.5 is a joke.

        I’d get a 1 ton srw 4 door offered by the big 3, but I don’t want to drive a rental when they’re in the shop for warranty work–every other week.

        • What it is is bullshit. As you said, they want to sell you something optioned out but only with a bed that’s technically a pickup. A couple years back the patch was replete with Ford pickups that the bed was an afterthought, barely hold a toolbox and cooler…..ridiculous. I’m looking for an early 90’s GM I can rebuild to like new. I know it’s not worth anything on the books but they’re super-reliable and still plenty of them out there running…..with 8′ beds. I can’t think of anything on them I can’t fix except the body……and comparing those bodies to new ones are like comparing the early 80’s or late 70’s bodies to the 90’s, much heavier sheetmetal. If my ’82 Chevy 3/4T was an ext. cab I’d rework it with a Perkins diesel or a 6.5 and call it mighty fine with a 4500 New Venture Gear transmission, also easy to come by since GM and Dodge both used them all through the 90’s and since I have one not 30′ away.

  5. Just drove my coworker’s brand new one (less than 2500 miles) after reading this post this morning. Not bad at all, but no doubt you’re driving a truck, even with the flappy paddle shifters (really?) on the steering wheel and the infotainment center. GM and Ford are both very, very good at selling you what your lizard brain wants. And the more I think about diesels, as much as I love mine, searching for a filling station that 1) has it and 2) has more than one pump -usually with someone parked at it while they’re buying scratchers inside, is something I won’t miss if I go back to gas.

    Unless there’s some major deal breaker when I test drive one, the rest of my brain is still looking at the Ridgeline. I wonder if it comes with a “I’m OK with my manhood” bumper sticker?

    • Cute…
      Gives me an idea.
      A bumper sticker, “I’m OK with YOUR manhood!” on a rainbow pattern…

      Perfect for an electric car. šŸ˜€
      And the powder blue Prius …. (Jeff Dunham reference)

      • That Jeff Dunham thing was funny as hell…..as well as depressing. You can haul some light stuff and not a great deal in a Ridgeline but as far as towing something you won’t see it. It’s the true Yuppie-mobile. I wonder if you can still get tires on a new 4WD pickup that are suited to….well….4WD. I can tell you for a fact those new big wheel, short sidewall tires don’t last long out in the field. The option on those trucks should be a floorjack and a batter-powered impact wrench…..and two spares. I would have said a Dammit jack but not sure some of them have anywhere to jack except the axle.
        My favorite bumper now that real ones are banned is 4 or 5″ drill pipe that’s welded with at least 1/2″ strap as far back up the frame as possible with another piece welded between the frame rails a foot or more back up the frame with a toweye in line with each frame rail.

      • ā€œIā€™m OK with YOUR manhood!ā€
        But did you see that Vanity Fair is NOT okay w/Captain America’s manhood?

    • Hi Phillip,

      Yup – they overlap. Nominally, the Chevy version is “less prestigious” than the GMC, but they’re about the same price, when equipped comparably.

      • For earlier model-years, you want the GMC because it has a better transfer case. For MY2017 I’ve been told that they both now use the better one.

      • eric, for decades there were mechanical differences in GMC and Chevy. Now GMC is the luxury brand and is priced as such.

        In their large pickup line, GMC is available with crap(crap)you can’t get in a Chevy. I was looking at a GMC crewcab Duramax that had a list of options I had a difficult time even getting through reading. There were literally a dozen or maybe a couple dozen options I had no idea of what they were. I quizzed the salesman with each one. Time after option, he would simply be confused and then come up with some guess as to what it meant. I investigated a few online and he was wrong on them. But what they really are I still don’t know. They all add anywhere from a hundred or two to much more. When you have a list of 50 or 60 options, it’s more than confusing. I’ve seen GMC option lists that were longer than my leg, the right or left one.

        There really are(and I don’t recall which)options GMS offers that Chevy doesn’t. GMC does have much more bling or did up until the last couple years, externally. Now you can get the close to same bling grill on a Chevy although it’s not 24 K gold coated titanium with vanadium(WTF ever that is)inserts.

        Ford does the same thing with models like Platinum, King Ranch, Harley-Davidson(Oh god), Super Duty and who knows what else.

        One of the ways they have of taking your money is super bright metallic paint jobs on the most expensive models.

        But it beats that color Toyota has that looks like they scoured(sic)my grass patch of new spring grass after a good rain and found in loose patties.

        • Hi Eight,

          I’m pretty sure the differences between the Chevy and the GMC are limited to slight cosmetic/trim variances and standard and available features… I am pretty sure that a given engine/transmission (and so on) available in both is mechanically the same thing.

          • Yes eric, I thought that’s what I said, maybe not. My point being a couple years ago I looked for a GMC and they had options I didn’t find on a Chevy, all fancy bs, nothing to do with what makes them go. There were many options salesmen didn’t even understand and would throw out a theory, often wrong. Maybe you could get the same things on a Chevy but in looking at used ones, it wasn’t evident. The options I’m recalling were almost all interior not mechanical. My point being, they can be very close to the same truck but the GMC costs more.

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