2023 GMC Canyon vs. 2023 Nissan Frontier

2023 GMC Canyon AT4X ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Today’s trucks have become remarkably civilized. Consider the redesigned 2023 GMC Canyon. This mid-size pickup has a powerful but mild-sounding four-cylinder engine, an elegantly detailed and high-tech interior, and a gentle ride. Yet it’s also capable when it comes to towing, hauling, or going off road. 

You can also buy a truck like the 2023 Nissan Frontier. Though heavily updated last year, the Frontier’s bones date back to 2005. And even some of the new parts have an old-school vibe. For this review, we spent a week testing both the Frontier and the Canyon for an even clearer sense of how these trucks stack up in seven different ways. Keep reading to see which one sounds like the right mid-size pickup for you. 

Pricing and Features

No matter what type of flavor you prefer, there’s a notable reason to consider the Frontier over the Canyon: price. The base Frontier S costs just $29,190, while the cheapest Canyon Elevation comes in at a whopping $36,900. 

Now, part of that comes to the GMC’s extra standard equipment. Every Canyon is a crew cab (the Frontier is also available in “King Cab” form with a tiny backseat), and even the Elevation is equipped with high-end features like push-button starting and a lane-departure warning. Also note that General Motors sells cheaper versions of the Canyon’s cousin, the Chevrolet Colorado. But overall, the Frontier is the clear choice for affordability.

Winner: Nissan Frontier  

2022 Nissan Frontier SV ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Exterior Design

The Frontier and Canyon are most similar when it comes to their exterior designs. They’ve both become blocky and assertive without being absurdly in-your-face about it. Angular headlights, vertical front ends, and evident fender flares adorn both trucks. 

One difference is on the face, where the Nissan’s headlights and grille are smaller. And the Canyon has lights all the way up at the hood level, while the Frontier’s are lower down. We also think that in some trim levels and colors, the Frontier looks more plain than the Canyon. If you like a simple truck, that could be an asset; however, you might expect more dazzle when you might be spending upwards of $40,000. Meanwhile, we wish the Canyon looked more different from the Chevrolet Colorado; the cousins were less similar in their previous generation. Overall, we won’t make a judgment call. 

Winner: Tie 

2022 Nissan Frontier SV ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

The redesigned 2023 GMC Canyon comes standard with an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and an 8-inch digital gauge cluster, while upper-trim Canyons also feature an 11-inch gauge cluster. That might sound like the Canyon’s interior feels like a smartphone more than a truck, but the screens fit smoothly into a businesslike rectangular dashboard. Our ATX4 test vehicle, a luxuriously equipped off-road model, has a nicely dressed dash with red-accented white leather and red climate vents. It’s rugged, posh, and yet clearly a truck. The big touchscreen generally works well, and physical buttons and knobs keep most functions simple. But a couple of glitches give us pause: Our test truck reset the digital speedometer and other displays into metric units twice during a weeklong test, making every speed limit into a mental calculation. Restarting the truck reset the system. An issue a few owners have reported as well. Also, you’re forced to delve into touchscreen menus for any manual headlight settings. 

The Frontier’s interior is simpler. It has fewer frills than the GMC, but it’s solidly built and provides traditionally user-friendly controls without skipping a modern infotainment system. We also liked the padded-plastic interior door panels, which give a sturdy vibe without coming off as merely cheap. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, and while a 9-inch upgrade is available, every Frontier has analog gauges. We’ll let you choose between the Frontier’s slightly better ergonomics and the Canyon’s spiffier looks and tech. 

Winner: Tie

2022 Nissan Frontier SV ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Passenger Accommodations

The Frontier has agreeable front seats, and we had no trouble getting comfortable behind the wheel despite a curious lack of a telescoping steering column. (It adjusts only for tilt.) But in the rear, the seatback is bolt-upright, and there’s limited leg and knee space. This is one way when the Frontier shows its age; its underpinnings date all the way back to 2005, and its backseat trailed most mid-size competitors even at the time.

The Canyon isn’t a limousine either, but GMC managed to squeeze in space for adults in the front and the back. And like most modern vehicles, the steering column tilts and telescopes to help tailor the driving position. 

Winner: GMC Canyon

2023 GMC Canyon AT4X ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Driving Experience

The redesigned Canyon’s headline change is a new engine: a 2.7-liter four-cylinder turbo that makes 310 horsepower and a wild 430 lb-ft of torque. This replaces last year’s lineup of a 200-hp non-turbo four-cylinder, 308-hp non-turbo V6, and 181-hp turbodiesel four. This engine delivers easy power, but to our ears, it sounded more like a hummy drone than the throatier engine note of a four-cylinder Ford Ranger, to say nothing of a V6 Nissan Frontier. The Canyon should continue to ride and handle better than most small pickups, a strong point of the previous generation. Our AT4X test vehicle is an off-road-focused model with a bumpier ride and looser steering and handling, but it’s still quite civilized. 

The Frontier, meanwhile, is a more old-school truck. Its 3.8-liter V6 makes 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. It makes a richer rumble than the four-cylinder GMC, though it’s not as quick. It also gives up some ride and handling polish, though we’d still pick it over a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger. Our main complaint about driving the Frontier is extra-heavy low-speed steering, but we’ll still award this category to the smoother, quicker GMC. 

Winner: GMC Canyon

2023 GMC Canyon ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Fuel Economy

Despite its four-cylinder engine, the GMC Canyon falls behind the V6-powered Nissan Frontier’s EPA fuel economy ratings: 18 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined with four-wheel drive. We averaged 21 mpg during a weeklong test of a 4WD Frontier. 

The Canyon, meanwhile, gets 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 20 mpg with rear-wheel drive and 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined with four-wheel drive on most trim levels. The AT4X gets a miserable 16 mpg both in the city and on the highway, and we averaged 18 mpg during our test. 

Winner: Nissan Frontier 

2022 Nissan Frontier SV ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Capability

The Frontier is rated to tow between 6,260 and 6,670 pounds, depending on the trim level. Its payload ranges from a modest 1,160 pounds to a more competitive 1,610 pounds – with popular crew cab models falling on the low end of that range. Frontiers come in a choice of extended cab (“King Cab” in Nissan-speak) and crew cab variations; the King Cab comes with a 6-foot bed, while the crew cab has a choice of 5- and 6-foot beds. For off-roading, there’s a Pro-4X model with off-road shocks, higher ground clearance, and an electronic locking rear differential. 

The Canyon is the mightier little truck, though. It can tow up to 7,700 pounds on all but the AT4X model like our test vehicle, which reaches 6,000 pounds. Payload capacity maxes out at 1,640 pounds, barely edging out the Frontier, but that’s a well-equipped crew cab rather than a base extended-cab model. When it’s time to play, the Canyon AT4X brings up the rear with a capacity of 1,250 pounds. The AT4X offers heavier-duty off-road capability than the Frontier Pro-4X. One GMC drawback: Every Canyon is a crew cab with a 5-foot-2-inch bed, with no available longer bed. That bed also has an available tailgate with a built-in cargo compartment and the ability to latch half-closed to carry long items. Overall, the Canyon is the more capable truck. 

Winner: GMC Canyon

2023 GMC Canyon AT4X ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The redesigned 2023 GMC Canyon is a modern pickup with polished ride and handling; a high-tech, well-finished cabin; and a powerful and capable engine. The 2023 Nissan Frontier has more of an old-school experience, with a big V6, a simpler interior, and available base models with relatively affordable prices.

We think you’ll know what flavor you like a truck. Are you looking for a vibe of toughness and hardy simplicity? Or do you like the most modern comfort and technology? The Frontier feels like an honest truck without being outdated, while the Canyon feels like a modern vehicle despite being a highly capable pickup. Each truck also has its foibles, but we think that’s the main way you’ll choose unless you know you need a body style or entry-level trim level that only Nissan offers. 

Winner: Tie 

2023 GMC Canyon AT4X ・ Photo by Brady Holt