2012 & 2013 GMC Truck Reviews & Ratings

GMC, a division of American auto company General Motors, has always been known for its big, powerful trucks, although it also sells vans, SUVs, and military vehicles. Some of the most famous GMC trucks to ever hit the road are the GMC Caballero (1970-1987), the GMC Sierra (1988-present), the GMC Sonoma (1991-2004), the GMC Astro 95 (1968-1988), the GMC General (1977-1988), the GMC C-Series (1980-2009), the GMC Forward (1980s-2010), and the GMC TopKick (1980-1996) and W Series (late 1980s-20... (full review continues below)

GMC, a division of American auto company General Motors, has always been known for its big, powerful trucks, although it also sells vans, SUVs, and military vehicles. Some of the most famous GMC trucks to ever hit the road are the GMC Caballero (1970-1987), the GMC Sierra (1988-present), the GMC Sonoma (1991-2004), the GMC Astro 95 (1968-1988), the GMC General (1977-1988), the GMC C-Series (1980-2009), the GMC Forward (1980s-2010), and the GMC TopKick (1980-1996) and W Series (late 1980s-2010). For the 2012 model year, GMC is offering the light-duty GMC Canyon and the light-duty GMC Sierra.

The GMC Sierra 1500 first appeared in 1988 and has been a popular model since it first appeared. The Sierra was originally used by small-business owners, farmers, construction workers, etc. and was known for its reliability, longevity, and as a truck that could haul whatever was necessary. The Sierra is available in several different trim, powertrains, and body styles. It's lowest starting price is a Regular Cab variant at $21,945.The base Extended Cab model has an MSRP of $26,340, and the Crew Cab model has a starting price of $30,320. The most popular trim, in terms of sales, is the mid-level Sierra SLE, which comes with the most desired standard features at the best price. Other trims include: the base Work Truck trim, (the aforementioned SLE trim) in Regular cab, the same trims in extended cab, with a mid-level SL and a more luxurious SLT model. Available Crew Cab models include all of the trims listed above plus an XFE trim and a sleek and stylish Denali trim.

For 2012, the GMC Sierra truck received only a few small edits, including a new, hard-drive based navigation system and added trailer sway control to the already included stability control system. The Sierra competes with the Ford F-150, the Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra, and it certainly deserves a second look from buyers.

The GMC Canyon was first introduced in 2004 and was GMC's entrant into the small compact truck category. The GMC Canyon truck boasts good looks and comes in many options and variants. The 2012 Canyon Regular Cab group of models have a starting price of only $17,490, the 2012 Extended Cab group has a starting price of $20,840, and the Canyon Crew Cab has a starting MSRP of $24,685.

The Regular cab line comes in Work Truck and SLE-1 trims, the Extended Cab line comes in Work Truck, SLE-1, and SLE-2, and the Crew Cab line comes in SLE-1, SLE-2, and SLT trims. For the 2012 year, the Canyon receives a new automatic-locking rear differential as standard on Crew Cab and 4WD models and adds front bucket seats to its midlevel trims. The 2012 GMC Canyon truck has several competitors, including the Nissan Frontier, the Dodge Dakota, and the Toyota Tacoma, all of which boast distinct advantages over the Canyon in different ways. However, if it's an affordable truck with a variety of engine choices that you're searching for, this GMC truck could be the one for you.