Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Laura Walker

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate drivers about...

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance-related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

UPDATED: Apr 25, 2022Fact Checked

The GMC Canyon is an affordable compact pickup truck with a starting MSRP of $17,155. It is available with a regular, extended, or crew cab, and GMC offers a variety of trim levels for the Canyon. These include the basic Work Truck (WT), the middle-of-the-road SLE, and the high-end SLT.

This pickup truck’s relatively low sticker price means it is affordable to insure. According to Edmunds, drivers of the base model 2-wheel drive WT report paying an average of $1,555 per year to insure their vehicles during the first five years of ownership. This breaks down to around $130 per month.

This average rate is a few hundred dollars less than the $1,750 per year reported by drivers of the comparable Nissan Frontier, and a bit more than the $1,455 per year reported by drivers of the base model Toyota Tacoma.

The lower rate for the Tacoma may be due to the fact that is has performed exceptionally well in government and insurance industry crash tests.

It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the premiums you pay to insure your GMC Canyon will depend on your driving history, your credit score, and where you live.

Drivers with clean records will pay less than drivers with lots of tickets and accidents, no matter what type of vehicle they choose.

You can get car insurance estimates for your area by entering your zip code in the box, but first, read this article to help you decide whether or not the GMC Canyon is the right pickup truck for you.

Rankings for the GMC Canyon

If you’re in the market for a compact pickup truck, you’re probably considering a few other vehicles besides the GMC Canyon. U.S. News and World Report ranks the Canyon at #5 in its “Compact Pickup Truck” category, just ahead of the very similar Chevrolet Colorado and behind the Dodge Dakota.

The Nissan Frontier took the top spot in this category, and U.S. News designated the Suzuki Equator as the “Best Compact Truck for the Money.”

Since many drivers choose a compact pickup instead of a full-sized truck to save on fuel, potential owners should note that the GMC Canyon is not a standout in this regard. With an EPA fuel economy rating of 18 city mpg and 25 mpg on the highway, the Toyota Tacoma and the Ford Ranger both outshine it.

If you do most of your driving on the highway, though, the Canyon could be a better choice for you than either the Frontier or the Equator, since both of these pickups get just 23 mpg in highway driving.

In terms of interior comfort, the GMC Canyon ranks in the middle of the pack. It is more versatile than either the Equator or the Tacoma when it comes to seating arrangements since these trucks are only available in extended cab and crew cab models.

In contrast, the GMC Canyon WT seats just three, while the crew cab can accommodate up to six passengers.

Although reviewers are not thrilled with the quality of the GMC Canyon’s interior materials and amenities, they prefer them to those in the Suzuki Equator, the Chevy Colorado, and the Ford Ranger.

GMC Canyon Safety Features and Ratings

Crash test results and safety features are an important consideration for auto insurers. All GMC Canyon models feature standard safety equipment, such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, and tire pressure monitoring.

The crew cab model performed well in government crash testing, earning four or five stars in all categories. It fared less well in the insurance industry’s tests, though, earning a “Poor” rating for side-impact collisions.

GMC Canyon Standard Features and Options

The GMC Canyon WT and SLE both come standard with 5-speed manual transmissions and 2.9 liter, 4-cylinder engines. Drivers can upgrade both with 4-speed automatic transmissions and 3.7 liter, 5-cylinder engines.

These trucks are also equipped with bedliners, heavy-duty suspensions, and 2-position tailgates. Fog lamps are standard on the SLE trim, and splash guards, assist steps, and a tonneau cover are optional.

What are the best selling pick up trucks?

Inside, both the Canyon WT and the SLE feature air conditioning, cruise control, and theft deterrent systems. The main difference between the two trims is the audio features: the WT only has an AM/FM stereo, while the SLE includes a CD/MP3 player and XM Radio.

The SLT trim, available only on the extended and crew cab models, comes standard with the SLE interior amenities and a 4-speed automatic transmission. It’s also equipped with a 3.7 liter, 5-cylinder engine, but it can be upgraded with a 5.3 liter, V8 engine.

GMC Canyon Reviews

Reviewers like Edmunds appreciate the “straightforward” layout of the GMC Canyon’s controls, but complaints about lack of legroom and an excess of plastic interior materials abound.

If you’ve settled on a compact pickup truck, though, these complaints will apply to any vehicle you consider. There just isn’t much space or luxury available in this price range.

Since other compact pickup trucks like the Dodge Dakota come with V6 engines, reviewers agree that the 4- and 5-cylinder engines available on the GMC Canyon feel underpowered in comparison.

The V8 engine model delivers more power but at the cost of fuel economy. U.S. News says that the base model Canyon’s ride is quite good for a pickup truck, but still far from smooth.

U.S. News calls the GMC Canyon’s maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds “average.” If towing capacity is important to you, you might consider the Dakota, which can pull up to 7,200 pounds when properly configured.

The Tacoma’s maximum hauling capacity, at 6,300 pounds, is also slightly higher than the Canyon’s.

Who has the best auto insurnce rates for the GMC Canyon?

Auto insurance rates for any vehicle vary from one auto insurance company to another. In addition to the type of vehicle insured your credit history, driving record and many other variables play a role in the cost of premiums.

Because of this individual risk analysis, there is no provider who has the best auto insurance rates forever driver.

However, consumers who shop around and compare auto insurance quotes always have a much better chance of finding the lowest auto insurance rates. Get started, enter your ZIP code above and find a list of local auto insurance companies.

Compare Auto Insurance Quotes for the GMC Canyon today!

Related posts:

  1. How much is auto insurance for a Dodge Dakota?
  2. How much is auto insurance for a Chevrolet Colorado?
  3. Top 10 Pickup Trucks in the USA
  4. How much is car insurance for a Ford Ranger?
  5. How much is car insurance for a Ford F 150?

Compare quotes from the top auto insurance companies and save!

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Laura Walker

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Laura Walker graduated college with a BS in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. She married her husband and began working in the family insurance business in 2005. She became a licensed agent and wrote P&C business focusing on personal lines insurance. Laura serviced existing business and wrote new business. She now uses her insurance background to help educate drivers about...

Licensed Agent for 10 Years

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance-related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.