GMC Canyon Denali Video test drive

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I will soon post a complete review of the new GMC Canyon Denali. Meanwhile, you can enjoy this short hands-on video of GMC’s new truck.

I remember the previous generation being quite a decent smaller truck. And was pretty disappointed by this new version. Especially for a “Denali”. I was expecting more than a skin-deep luxury. While the interior is a huge step up from the previous one, the big 2.7 Liter 4 cylinder is much worse than the good old V6. At least for someone like me, who basically has no need for a truck since I don’t ever tow anything or carry stuff in a pickup truck bed. For a daily driver, the constant tractor-like sound of the engine and unsettled ride quality just wouldn’t cut it…

Especially for a $ 54,000 vehicle marketed as a luxury version of the lineup.

Conversation 2 comments

  1. I will admit, not the biggest fan of your YouTube videos, as I think you tend go a bit too far in either direction of too much praise or too much bile, many times based on conditions where you live. Which is fine, but many places in the country have 4 seasons and things you don’t think are all that important are.

    But I think you nailed this one.

    The ergonomics of this thing are ridiculous. Overtime it would get better as you become used to it, but the radio, windows and lights are insane. Let’s say you want FM 105.9? Click, click, click, click, click…….click? Car makers had that nailed down 50+ years ago. That kind of stuff is usually overlooked in a test drive, with all the other stuff you mentioned. To the buyers peril.

    The engine noise? Not so much. Ideally, the potential owner should have figured that out in the test drive. Either it is annoying or isn’t. And it won’t get any better.

    The manual button on the shifter? Depends. If you are carrying a load or encountering a hill, sometimes you want to be in a gear before the vehicle figures it for itself. Can’t really tell if there’s paddle shifters. If you mean redundant, I agree with you.

     
    Nothing wrong with trucks nor really the noise if the truck performs it’s primary function as a truck. And you need that function. But I’d damned if I need a truck to do truck things on a regular basis and then load up on the “Luxury” features. Most likely those luxury features will be trashed in a short period of time.

    You have the luxury of living in an area where old stuff lasts for decades. Maybe the sun does a number on the finish and plastic, but for truck things, I’d buy used.

  2. “Let’s say you want FM 105.9? Click, click, click, click, click…….click?”

    And that is precisely why vehicle and pedestrian deaths have been climbing during the past couple of years.

    Driver distraction is being engineered INTO the new models!

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