I picked up a 2019 Canyon Denali (GMC’s gussied up version of a Colorado) Duramax last November. After 5K mikes I will share my good and bad. Good...nimble handling and good brakes...for a truck at least, excellent mpg for a truck (diesel model anyway), tows more weight with less shifting than my 07’ Ram 1/2 ton (with 4.7 V8). The bad...had Onstar chip issue that messed with the Nav system right out of the gate. Took 3 visits but fixed under warranty, so all good so far for 4K+ miles, diesel sensor failure caused CEL (not unheard of I guess, and not an issue if you get a gas truck). Fixed under warranty after 2 dealership visits, running great for 2K+ or - miles so far. So while the long term reliability may be an issue (as with any modern vehicle filled with electronics) I think the Canyon/Colorado twins are a solid daily driver truck to keep miles (especially bad weather ones) off the SS. Just make sure you can live with the front seats. I actually like them l, but a lot of guys complain about the position and lack of cushioning. I guess I’m used to firm seats from my time in my SS lol. Also if you get the 3.6 V6 gas engine some owners complain of having shuttering issues with the 8 spd auto used with that motor (diesel uses the 6 spd...think it might be the same model as in the SS?) Bottom line...I got a great deal on mine, I really like the truck as my daily, and even with the early issues that were frustrating I’d make the purchase again.

 

I had one as a rental when the Saab was in the body shop [an employee at a store damaged it with a cart in hevay wind].

So the Colorado was a base model, no frills. I enjoyed the truck - perhaps more so than my 13 Avalanche in the seating department and fuel economy.

I use the bed, so for me it was a bit of a downer but it isn't an apples to apples with my Avalanche, so any locking bed cover is a must [and I have a utility trailer i use more , so the size difference issue compared to the Avalanche is irrelevant].

The ride quality was decent actually. I would probably go for a loaded up model or a ZR2, or the Canyon twin mentioned above. I like the ZR2 look, it does ride slightly rougher, but I imagine i'd get more in return as well for resale [but who knows]. Looks like a mean mall crawler for my use.

I did find a few quirks in fit and finish, but this truck was a rental and I did not see the same issues in a new ZR2 Bison I looked at while waiting for service at the dealer a while back.

I was pretty comfortable in it, much more so than my 13 Avalanche. Seating was on par more so with my 02 Avalanche which had great seats [kind of liek my old 06 & 07 Grand PRix GXPs had some comfortable seats...which i like better than the G8 or SS quite frankly].

Good deals to be had if you plan to buy new (shoot me a message if so I can provide some input), otherwise perhaps a CPO if used.

 

I miss my 02 avalanche. Road so nice. Great seats too. I put the late model gmc wheels with the same size tires so it looked lifted. Road perfect. I need to find another dd myself.
Colorado is a nice truck if you don’t need the full-size pickup. Serves its purpose. Go test drive them and see for yourself if you like the ride quality.

What you’re asking is really a preference. What one would say is rough could be smooth to others so the only way you will find out if you like it to go out and check for yourself.

 

I just picked one up on a 3 year/30k lease in November to serve as a winter vehicle, and do more kid hauling, both with the purpose of preserving the SS. Basic LT crew cab with the 3.6, I didn't want to spend extra for a Z71 with a bunch of options, though the salesman kept trying to nudge me that way. I think sticker was 37, sale price was just under 30 with employee pricing and rebates.

No real complaints in 6 months and 5k miles, I like it for the purposes it's used for. Last "truck" I had was an S-Blazer back in '03 so the usefulness of a pickup to a homeowner is much appreciated. Gas mileage has been between 21-22 which is my most efficient vehicle by far (lol) amongst the TA (11-12), SS (17-18) and Traverse (17-18). No issues with 8 speed, the V6 pulls well even in the lower rpm range despite it's high revving nature. The ride is very comfortable and not too bad with axle hop on rough surfaces. The rest of the truck is fairly basic, uses an ignition key (oh the horrors), cloth seats (actually here's the low point, the seats are terrible), and base level radio which sounds good enough as is, no Nav but does have Carplay/AA which work well. I like it enough I'll probably buy it off lease since I should be well below the mileage limit.

EDIT: On the 8-speed issues, this was common to a lot of the 8L transmissions in various platforms. They traced it down to the trans fluid. As of 3/19 all models got the new fluid from the factory, and very few reports of the shuddering issue after. Now, mine is a 1/19 build, I have not had the shuddering yet. But GM gave the green light for dealers to do the fluid swap on any 8 speed if the owner complained of shuddering, even without test driving it first.

 

I've had my '19 Canyon SLT v6 4x4 for almost a year now. I really enjoy the way it drives/handles. It belies its size. Mine has the nav/Bose and I have had it at the dealer 3 times to try to get the rattle in the passenger door fixed. It's a fairly common issue with the Bose and there's even a TSB for the 15-16 on it. My dealer's trim guy dismissed it for my '19 because it didn't say it was covered, even though nothing's changed in the doors. I've never had a shudder with the transmission but it does do some weird things after it's been sitting over night. The cabin is pretty quiet compared to the SS. The ride is nice and the seats are decent now that they're broken in. Nothing compared to Ram seats. I'd kill to have those in the Canyon.

 

A good friend of mine has a '17 V-6 Colorado LT and absolutely loves it. He changed out the seats (upgraded from cloth to leather + heat) and put a matching color camper shell on it. I don't know what Chevy calls that color (might be Burning Hot Metallic), but it's really close to OBM on our cars. The thing really pops! I've been on a couple of short road trips with him and while it's no scorcher like our cars, it does well at highway speeds...

 

They have been really good trucks so far, not a lot major problems. They're a huge step up from the old ones. As long as the bed size isn't a problem, I say go for it. The 3.6L is very well ironed out by now so really nothing to worry about there. The only thing to pay attention to is the price, if you're buying new and the full size is on sale sometimes it's only a few thousand dollars more to get a full size.

 

i drive a 2000 land cruiser with 286,000 miles, love it and will drive it to 500,000 miles. built like a tank. I had a 2015 canyon all terrain and it treated me well. Best midsize truck on the market i think

 

GM making millions selling stripped Colorado ZR2 to Army as Infantry Squad Vehicle that fits inside CH-47 or transported sling loaded from a Blackhawk Helicopter...contract must include spare parts and Platinum Protection with Roadside Assistance?

U.S. Army Awards GM Contract For Colorado ZR2-Based Infantry Squad Vehicle

 

GM making millions selling stripped Colorado ZR2 to Army as Infantry Squad Vehicle that fits inside CH-47 or transported sling loaded from a Blackhawk Helicopter...contract must include spare parts and Platinum Protection with Roadside Assistance?

U.S. Army Awards GM Contract For Colorado ZR2-Based Infantry Squad Vehicle

As a 2.8 Duramax owner I must say thanks for posting this article. I wonder if the sentence stating "the small diesel will have a different tune than the production model since it doesn’t have to meet emissions requirements." also means it isn't saddled with the DPF, SCR, and EGR that the EPA mandates on the version for public consumption? I get in the 30 mpg range on #2 diesel fuel when doing interstate/rural highway driving, so I'd imagine if the military one isn't saddled with regens and all the pollution treatment it could do as good or better (even with those big AT tires).

 

I leased a Denali Canyon Crew with the V6 4x4 and now have a Silverado Crew 4cyl Turbo 4x4. I do not regret making the change. The truck was way too small for my needs and the MPG wasn't bad but wasn't good either. My silverado was $7K less than the Canyon. I don't have leather or NAV in the silverado but I do have heated seats and wheel, and apple carplay. If I had to buy the truck I would spring for the V8, but as a lease I could care less. Also the longer wheelbase of the Silverado gives a better ride. The Canyon was really bouncy.

 

I had a ‘17 4x4 Z71 4 door with the 5.3l 6speed for a while through work, highway MPG was great 25-26 normally, it edged over 30MPG on a couple trips taking HWY40 from Raleigh to near Memphis.

That truck ended the days of me ever considering spending my own money on anything smaller than a V8.


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At least parts should be available...

 

I say go test drive one. If that is what you are looking for.

Perfect size for my needs I've had fullsize this is much easier to live with. Also I drove the Z71 then a ZR2 it is a misnomer that the ZR2 rides rougher it is actually better the DSSV shocks take the bumps much better .

I picked up a 19 Colorado ZR2 Bison and love it.

 

thanks for that response...I had read that the ZR2 rode nicer than the Z71 but that was written by a vehicle reviewer and it seemed everywhere else I looked at it was reported it rode worse than the Z71...

Bill