2021 GMC Canyon vs Sierra 1500

The 2021 GMC Canyon features a nice interior with a functional design, cloth upholstery and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. Leather upholstery, a power-adjustable passenger seat, and a heated steering wheel are available. It seats two people but the Extended Cab models have two rear seats, and Crew Cab models have a three-person rear bench seat. Crew Cab models offer extra legroom and full-size doors. The Extended Cab comes with a 6-foot-2-inch bed and the Crew Cab models can have either the same or a 5-foot-2-inch bed. The GMC Canyon is available in four trims: Elevation Standard, Elevation, a new AT4 trim, and Denali trim. Starting price for the Elevation Standard is $22,200 and ranges to $44,700 for the Denali Crew Cab/long box configuration.

The Sierra offers a quiet, well-built cabin with plenty of quality materials. Your choice of cab style will decide your seating and comfort, with the Crew cab giving you the most space and legroom. The Sierra comes in three cab styles and three bed lengths - Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab; a 5 foot, 8-inch bed for Crew Cab models, 8 foot bed for Regular Cab models, and 6 foot 6-inch bed, available in Double and Crew Cab models. Cloth upholstery comes standard, and a rear-seat reminder comes in models with rear seats. A dual glove compartment, angular air vents, and a bold steering wheel come on all trims. Leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel are available on the SLT and higher trims. An available GMC MultiPro Tailgate has six distinct functions to help improve loading, unloading and accessing the cargo box. It is standard on the SLT, AT4, and Denali, and available on the SLE and Elevation trims. Trims include: Sierra, Sierra SLE, Sierra Elevation, Sierra SLT, Sierra AT4, and Sierra Denali. Pricing starts at $29,700 for the Sierra and ranges to $55,200 for the Sierra Denali.

The GMC Canyon has a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that gives you 200 horsepower, with 191 pound-feet of torque; and works great to get you around town. You can also opt for a 3.6-liter V6 with 308-horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque that delivers smooth and quick acceleration for some of your heavy-duty work. A 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine is also available and produces 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The four-cylinder and diesel engine are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and the V6 is paired to an eight-speed automatic. The new AT4 trim adds several off-road-oriented features, including a locking rear differential, a two-speed transfer case, and hill descent control. With the GMC Canyon’s base engine, it can tow 3,500 pounds. When properly equipped with a turbo diesel engine, you will get a towing capability of up to 7,700. With the Crew Cab, you will get a maximum payload capacity of 1,605. The Canyon gets an estimated 19/28 mpg in the city and on the highway, with its diesel engine and 19/25 mpg with its base engine.

The Sierra is full of power, towing capability and offers improved fuel economy and ample low-down torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard and four-wheel drive is available. The base Sierra comes with a 4.3-liter V6 and 285 horsepower and a six-speed automatic transmission. A turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine with 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque is available on the Sierra, SLE, and Denali, and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. A 3.0-liter inline-six turbo diesel engine with 277 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque is available in SLE, Elevation, SLT, and Denali. A 5.3-liter V8 with 366 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque that is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission is available in Sierra, SLE, SLT, AT4, and Denali. A 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque and a 10-speed automatic transmission is available in SLT, AT4, and Denali. It estimates 16/21 mpg in the city and on the highway with its base V6 engine. The Sierra can tow up to 11,800 pounds and haul up to 2,250.

The Canyon comes standard with a rearview camera, and GM’s Teen Driver system. Available active safety features include rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning. All Canyons come with the GMC’s intuitive infotainment system, featuring a 7-inch touch screen that is straightforward with easy-to-use controls. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard; as well as six speakers, two USB ports, and Bluetooth. Optional features include an 8-inch touch screen, HD Radio, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless device charging, and navigation.

The Sierra 1500 features plenty of available features on the SLE trim and above, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane change alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, a surround-view parking camera system, a rear camera mirror, and a heads-up display. A rearview camera and Teen Driver also come standard. A safety alert seat that vibrates to alert you of hazards is available; as well as its ProGrade Trailering system and new Jackknife alert. Sierra’s infotainment system is easy to use and responds quickly to inputs. Controls are within easy reach of the driver and the menu layout makes it simple to adjust settings. Standard features include a user-friendly 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, Bluetooth, a USB port and a six-speaker audio system (two speakers in Regular Cab models). Available in all but the base trim: wireless device charging, an 8-inch touch screen, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, additional USB ports, voice recognition, and navigation. Other available features include a sunroof, keyless entry, automatic climate control, remote start, and two 120-volt household-style power outlets.