The 2008 GMC Canyon is available in a regular cab, extended cab or crew cab. Two- and four-wheel drive, a powerful 2.9L inline four-cylinder and 3.7L inline five-cylinder engine, three different suspensions, and two pickup bed lengths allow for maximum customization. A number of different trims enable consumers to pick both the price and level of equipment they desire.

Rack-and-pinion steering, intermittent wipers, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, and folding outside mirrors are all standard on the 2008 Canyon. In addition, Insta-Trac is standard on the 4WD models. The Z71 Off-Road Package provides distinguishing visual indicators to supplement its suspension differentiation.

The Canyon is available in many different trims, from the basic work truck to the mid-level SL and SLE, to the high-end SLT, which can range from well equipped to downright luxurious. The SL adds popular equipment like upgraded tires, aluminum wheels, and cloth seats, while the SLT adds the 3.7L engine, a rear sliding window, deep tinted glass, heated power leather seats, and an auto-dimming interior mirror with compass and exterior temperature display. In addition, chrome accents including front door sill inlays, interior door handles, air outlet knobs, small speaker bezels, instrument cluster trim rings are added to the SLE and SLT trims. Anti-lock brakes are standard on all models.

Options are plentiful, and include luxury items (such as enhanced audio systems and a sunroof) as well as working grade equipment (like recovery hooks and a bed extender).

Editors' Review

2021 GMC Canyon AT4 review: 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 review: An old truck with a few new tricks

Andrew Krok July 4, 2021

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Think of the 2021 GMC Canyon AT4 as a Chevy Colorado ZR2 for people who have never consumed Monster energy drinks. It's a little calmer, a little less rugged, and while it's getting pretty old, it still makes for a solid off-road-oriented midsize pickup.

Butch exterior, blah interior

I've always appreciated the GMC Canyon's design over its sibling, the Chevy Colorado. The fancier of the two has withstood the test of time a little better, thanks to a reliance on butch rectilinearity that doesn't look nearly as aged as the Colorado's big-headlight mug. My tester's $3,195 Off-Road Performance Edition Package zhushes things up a little further with 17-inch gloss black aluminum wheels, skid plates, black badges and a spray-on bedliner. The beefy 31-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires look pretty boss, too. The near total lack of chrome doesn't hurt, either.

While the exterior has held up, I can't say the same for the interior, which is just as Playskool plastic fantastic as nearly every other Canyon and Colorado trim. My AT4 tester tries to perk things up with some cool leather front seats, and I like how the headrest looks integrated into the seat, but the cloth-seat AT4 costs $1,800 less, which is worth noting for buyers trying to stick to a budget. There is some faux stitching around the dash, but I can run a finger over nearly any surface and it mostly feels hard and cheap, which is a bit of a bummer on a $40,000 truck. If you want something resembling plushness, you'll have to opt for the $45,000-plus Denali getup.