2022 Honda Ridgeline vs 2023 GMC Canyon

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline was built on a unibody platform, similar to crossovers like the Honda Pilot and Passport, which provided increased rigidity compared to the body-on-frame construction used by most other pickup trucks. Despite its innovative engineering, the Ridgeline's styling remained fairly conservative, with a snub nose and a classic pickup rear view featuring vertical taillights, a big centered badge, and dual exhausts. The 2021 redesign made the grille blockier and more upright, aligning the Ridgeline's appearance more closely with traditional trucks. The Honda Performance Development (HPD) packages added visual flair with fender flares, alloy wheels, and decals, while the Black Edition test vehicle featured a dark, cohesive look.

Inside, the Ridgeline's no-nonsense design felt appropriate for a truck, with high-quality fit and finish. The Black Edition test vehicle was well-equipped, featuring leather upholstery, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, tri-zone automatic climate control, a power-sliding rear window, and a moonroof. However, the piano black trim was prone to smudges and scratches, detracting from the otherwise practical and comfortable interior.

The 2023 GMC Canyon, on the other hand, adopted a more aggressive and muscular look. Its headlights and daytime running lights were scrunched up along the sides of a broad grille, giving it an angry appearance. The body sides featured bulges and creases reminiscent of tensed muscles. The Canyon shared most dimensions with the redesigned Chevy Colorado, including a longer wheelbase and an "Ultra Wide Track" stance. The Elevation, AT4, and Denali models had a two-inch lift for 9.6 inches of ground clearance, while the AT4X had a three-inch lift for 10.7 inches of ground clearance.

The Canyon Denali featured a chrome grille, mirror accents, side steps, and 20-inch wheels, along with a luxurious interior with laser-etched open-pore wood trim and leather upholstery. The base Canyon Elevation's materials were still competitive, and the AT4X interior offered a dramatic red-and-white upholstery and red dashboard trim. The Canyon's interior space was fairly close to the previous generation, with ample first-row legroom and competitive second-row legroom and headroom.

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline came with a single powertrain option: a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). This V6 engine produced 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. The Ridgeline had a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and varying payload capacities depending on the trim level, with the highest being 1,583 pounds for the Sport trim.

While the Ridgeline's towing capacity was comparable to many midsize crossovers, it lagged behind other midsize pickups like the Ford Ranger and diesel versions of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. However, the naturally aspirated V6 engine provided a smooth and responsive driving experience, although the nine-speed automatic transmission was slow to respond. The Ridgeline's unibody platform contributed to its impressive handling and ride quality, making it feel more like a luxury car than a traditional pickup truck. However, its off-road capabilities were limited by its design, with a maximum ground clearance of 7.64 inches and no dedicated off-road version.

The 2023 GMC Canyon, like the Chevy Colorado, was available with a single powertrain: a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Canyon offered rear-wheel drive (RWD) on the base Elevation trim, with four-wheel drive (4WD) available on higher trims. The AT4X model featured advanced off-road capabilities, including front and rear electronic lockers, skid plates, and 33-inch mud terrain tires.

The Canyon provided a good balance of on-road livability and off-road capability. The Elevation and AT4 models offered quiet cabs and a solid feel, while the AT4X excelled in off-road conditions with features like Multimatic spool-valve dampers and Baja drive mode. The Canyon's towing capacity was impressive, with a maximum of 7,700 pounds for most trims, although the AT4X had a lower rating. The payload capacity was also competitive, with a maximum of 1,640 pounds for RWD Elevation models.

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline was available only in a four-door crew cab configuration with a 64-inch bed. This setup provided a good balance of passenger and cargo space, with the bed being slightly longer than those of crew-cab versions of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. The Ridgeline's bed featured a 7.3-cubic-foot lockable in-bed trunk, a slot for the spare tire, an in-bed audio system, and a 115-volt AC outlet. The Dual-Action Tailgate could open down or to the side, and the bed was wide enough to carry 4-foot-wide sheets of plywood.

Inside, the Ridgeline offered additional storage space under the rear seats and rear USB ports on higher trim levels. The front featured a pushbutton shifter, cupholders, a large center console storage bin, and a wireless phone charger. The controls were sensibly laid out, with toggle switches for cabin temperature. While the Ridgeline's headroom and legroom measurements were not exceptional, the wider stance and lower cowl height made the cabin feel more spacious.

The 2023 GMC Canyon was available only in a crew cab configuration with a 5.2-foot bed. While this bed size was comparable to other crew-cab midsize trucks, GMC no longer offered a longer bed option or other cab configurations. The Canyon's interior dimensions were similar to the previous generation, providing ample first-row legroom and competitive second-row legroom and headroom.

The Canyon addressed the issue of minimal secure storage space with the new MultiStow tailgate, which housed a waterproof storage compartment. However, the compartment's utility was limited by its long and narrow shape. The Canyon lacked a standard telescoping steering wheel and power-adjustable front seats, which was surprising given GMC's premium positioning. The Canyon's towing capacity matched the previous generation's 7,700 pounds for most trims, while the AT4X had a lower rating. The payload capacity was higher than the previous generation but still lower than some rivals.

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and Bluetooth. SiriusXM satellite radio was available on all but the base Sport trim, while navigation was available on the RTL-E and Black Edition models. The interface was straightforward, with analog controls for vital functions, making it easy to use despite its dated graphics and small screen.

The 2023 GMC Canyon featured a more advanced infotainment system with an 11.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and Bluetooth streaming audio. All trims also had a digital instrument cluster, with an 8-inch display on Elevation and AT4 models and an 11-inch display on Denali and AT4X models. The Denali and AT4X trims also included a 6.3-inch head-up display and wireless phone charging.

The Canyon's infotainment system featured Google Built-In functionality, with Google Maps as the default navigation system. The graphics were impressive, and the menus defaulted to a dark background for a less jarring experience. The Off-Road Performance Display menu provided readouts for various off-road metrics, and the available surround-view camera system included an underbody camera for off-roading.

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline received top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests but had a lower "Average" score in the passenger-side small overlap frontal test. It earned a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech but had a "Marginal" headlight rating and an "Average" rating for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the Ridgeline a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover testing.

The Ridgeline came standard with the Honda Sensing array of driver aids, including automatic emergency braking, Road Departure Mitigation, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. Automatic high beams were standard on the RTL-E and Black Edition trims, while blind spot monitoring was standard on all but the base Sport trim. However, the Ridgeline lacked a 360-degree camera system.

Crash-test ratings for the 2023 GMC Canyon were not available at the time of publication. The standard Canyon Pro Safety Package included automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, cyclist detection, automatic high beams, a following distance indicator, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and forward collision warning. The optional Safety Plus Package for the Elevation and AT4 models added rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, blind-zone steering assist, and rear park assist. The Technology Package included adaptive cruise control, rear pedestrian alert, and a surround-view camera system. These features were standard on the Denali and AT4X trims, along with a Safety Alert Seat.