Here I am, part of the biggest corporate scandals the world has ever known being a 2012 VW TDI owner. Chances are that my Touareg will be bought back and I'll get around $40K for my illegal and un-modifiable motor-Unclean Diesel.

I'm 99.9% sure that I'm going to find a Canyon Denali DMax, probably from Laura GMC where I will fly either myself or my family there, buy and then either drive home to MA or continue to FL for a week or two-vacation this summer.

I had thought about a new Range Rover Sport Td6 but for $73K or so, and the wife sort of nixing the idea, I realized I don't need to waste that kind of money on an SUV and the image of driving around in a RR. I had also considered a Porsche Cayenne TDI, either a used 2013 or 2014 that I could get into for about even money or a little more but realized I'd still be in pretty much the same used SUV. The Dmax Denali hits almost all the buttons for me, the right size and the towing and great MPG's that go along with it.

My mind has been wandering though and I've been buliding both Sierra Denali's and F-150 Platinum's/Limiteds with the Denali's coming in at around $52K and the F-150's in the high $50's to low $60's. I'll admit, the interiors of both trucks with the tan/beige interiors look awesome and the amount of stuff in them is to live-for but, between the size of the trucks and their MPG-the 5.3L GM will get 20 hwy while the 3.5L EcoBoost will go 23 mpg in the config. I would want, I'm pretty sure I just don't want to go there.

Anyone who didn't have a full size p/u before their twin consider one before purchasing their twin?

I did, until I saw the price. For an identically equipped Sierra, it would've cost me almost $10k more. I hadn't even considered the Canyon until the salesman there offered me to take one for a spin. The main factor for me was size. I am 6'3 and I thought the Canyon would be too small for me. But it actually turned out to fit me pretty good. The Canyon has everything I would ever need and then some.

 

I considered used full size vs new mid size because that is the only way for the prices to be comparable. A new full size was just out of my budget. Went with the Canyon because I got a great deal (employee discount plus some other perks) and while not being a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton it is still capable enough to meet my needs.

 

Been there done that....... Actually, I did purchase a fullsize many years ago but only becuase I was towing 6500lbs (built Jeep) on a regular basis and long trips. I personally would never purchase a fullsize for anything other than needing to tow/haul really heavy things on a regular basis. Eventually, we stopped towing....and I immediately got rid of the fullsize and went back to a midsize.

Granted, I'm the 'wife' and my daily drivers have been trucks since 1999. A fullsize is just too big to comfortably whip around town in. You're allways in fear that someone is gonna ding your doors (even when I park out in east africa). Always in fear of driving in small areas, etc. When I drive around town, I don't need (or want) to think about 'where' I drive because of the overall size.

I have to laugh......but...

I was pulling into a plaza parking space in the Dodge Ram Quad Cab one day. This very handsome older gentleman says to me, "That's a big truck for such a little girl"
(I'm far from *little* LOL but OK, I get it)

 

I've only owned 3 full sized trucks, a 1969 Chevy C-10, a 1999 FordF-150, and a 2007 GMC Sierra 1500. Only one of them would have fit in the garage, and the time I had it, I didn't have a garage! I have owned several small pickups, and prefer the easier maneuverability. My current mid-sized Colorado is larger than the C-10 I had. Full-sized trucks have just grown to a size where they no longer fit my life style. I'd really like the small truck market to come back. There are plenty of great small 4 cylinder engines on the market now, both gas and diesel, that should be perfect for a small pickup and still give my the hauling capability I would use while delivering exceptional gas mileage. I'd love to see the Big 3 shrink the truck!


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Yes as said above size and cost. I cannot fit a full size in my garage. And full size a pita to park.

 

Around here you can often get a 1/2 ton priced comparably to, or lower than the Canyon/Colorado.

Very limited deals/rebates on Canyons/Colorado's, but quite often the 1/2 tons are heavily discounted with much larger rebates.

 

Life is full of trade offs, and you have to be decide what you're willing to trade for. No vehicle is going to the perfect anything for every situation.

I'v driven full size trucks for years. I had a 2001 Dakota QC and I really liked it. But then they stopped making it. Until now, there were no other options for a mid or smaller sized truck that could actually tow anything. Especially at high altitude. I'll miss the interior size and comfort of a full sized truck. But I won't miss the bulk, rough ride, and cost of operation.

As for mileage, be careful with the ford. The Ecoboost engine gets terrible mileage on premium fuel. 23 is very optimistic; 16 is more common. You'll get better performance and mileage from the 5.0 V8.

Initially, the Ram 1500 turbodiesel looked like a nice compromise. But that V.M. Motori engine is turning out to be a turd, and I wouldn't own one. Unfortunately, the mini-Duramax is also a V.M. Motori engine, but it seems to be doing much better. Time will tell.

 

What constitutes considering a full size? Does 30 seconds meet your standard?

There are several threads on the FS versus MS comparison. They usually end up just being a bunch of chest pumping.

 

I owned several FS trucks before the Twins. The Twins are so more more maneuverable when parking and better fit in my garage.

 

I had a 2004 Tundra for 9 years and 118,000 miles before I traded it and a 2008 G8 GT for my current truck. The Tundra was only an access cab and was considered a 7/8 sized truck but because the back seat was so small, we could not have both our kids in car seats without us being up against the dash/steering wheel.

Even today, my wife said that we don't need a full size truck. I'm glad as I'd rather have a twin.

 

Good Wife

... Even today, my wife said that we don't need a full size truck. I'm glad as I'd rather have a twin.

I went from 2007 Sierra to a 2011 Sierra to a 2016 Canyon All Terrain to a 2017 Canyon Denali. The Denali beats them all. :grin2:


zoz

 

Last full size truck I had was a 1988 Chevy short bed standard cab. At that time being able to haul more than two people was not important.
When I needed more seats I moved to a SUV and stayed until I found my Canyon. Four doors and enough bed space and toe ability for my boat. Plus it fits my garage.

 

I traded my '12 Silverado for my Colorado. And since it is a more user friendly size, with car like handling, the wife just acquired her own.

 

I've had both very recently. A 16' Silverado crew cab and now my 16' Colorado crew cab. I had the Silverado for just over a month before a meth head tried to take me and the family out.
My complaints with the Silverado was that it was simply bigger than I needed, tougher for a city commute as it was nearly impossible in some garages, local parking, etc. Replaced with the Colorado as it does hit all the points I need for what I do. However, while I don't regret the change as the small truck handles better and just feels more solid, there are times where I do miss the big truck....Grass always greener?
Price is very similar as they discount the big trucks much deeper than the small truck.
Just have to figure out what works best for what you do.


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Traded my Sierra for my Canyon, Best decision I ever made, with respect to vehicles. More Versitile, more economical, easier to drive and park, much better for winter driving, and generally feel more safer.

 

I went the opposite way. I traded in my Canyon last week for a full size due to most importantly a) towing needs, and b) the Canyon was a lemon (it had 8 warranty issues -- not including campaigns and recalls -- in less than 2 years).
That being said, I find the Canyon much easier to navigate in traffic, and much easier to park. That 6" of width makes a huge difference. Oh, and the fuel economy of the v6 in the Canyon was excellent.

 

I did before we signed the papers for the Colorado. My wife wanted to see what the FS trucks were all about, so we drove a Silverado Double Cab first, and she felt it was too big for the area we live in, and said she'd never drive it if we bought it cause she just wouldn't feel comfortable driving it. I wasn't happy that it took up so much space in our drive way, which would've made getting our other vehicle in/out of the garage very difficult as well. So, we were more than happy to go with the CC Colorado, and I don't regret it in the least.

Eventually I would like to have a FS though, and my wife seems to be ok with that thought since it'll be at least 6 years from now, and we will be in a much better place at that time. But, I'm not opposed to staying in a MS truck though, just going Diesel instead. Only time will tell what will be best.

 

I considered a full size for about 2 minutes. They are just to big. I've been driving for 40 years so I actually remember when a full size was pretty much the size of the twins and 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton classification meant the trucks actual payload rating. So when the 2Gen twins came out I was immediately drawn to them. They were a manageable size with the payload and towing capabilities competitive with a 3/4 ton truck from way back in the day. In other words they were exactly what I wanted in a truck. The only way I could ever imagine I would consider a full size is if I had a need to tow something that required it and I just don't see that ever having that need.

 

I just ordered our 3rd Colorado since 2005. Each time we shopped, I of course looked at a Full Size truck. All but one time a Full sized cost more than a Colorado with the same options/features. Even this last time with $11,000 off MSRP for a Full Size, it still was $4,000 more than a comparable trim level Colorado I can get for about $32,000.

But the other factors are parking and garage space, greater insurance costs, and the (real world) MPG both around town and highway in a crew cab configuration are better in the mid sized Colorado.

Wife feels fine when she drives the Colorado. Not so much in a full size which we used to have also.

My brother has always bought full size and I don't know why. He puts maybe 6,000 miles on a year, hates when he has to drive it on a gravel road, and uses it mostly doing short trips around town except for 2 or 3 trips on vacation a year (300 miles or so).

 

I considered a FS, but ultimately ended up going with a MS due to it fitting comfortably in my garage without displacing our grill, bicycles, and sports equipment. The fact that the MS gets slightly better fuel economy doesn't hurt. Around here, comparably equipped FS were only slightly more expensive after rebates and discounts, especially end of the model year examples, so price wasn't a major factor. I have 3 boys, so the extra space inside the FS has been missed, but my wife is rarely with me when I picking all 3 boys up form school, practices, etc., and my 12 yo can now ride in front legally. It is very tight in the backseat with the three boys. My younger two, ages 4 and 7, still require boosters which take up more space. We have a Toyota Sienna that handles trips and such for the whole family. If we move and end up with a larger garage, which I really want, I may consider getting a FS when the time comes to trade in. In the mean time, I'm really enjoying my Canyon!

 

My brother was trying to get me to buy the FS Ram with the Hemi. Great financing options. He and my brother in law and my father each own one. Nice trucks. Hemi is a very strong motor and truck is really nice. But really BIG. I do not tow much so I dont need it for that. Didn't want the 18mpg (at best) or lower. Bought a house and am remodeling. Needed to haul things to dump, from Home Depot...etc. Love love love my Colorado. It does everything I need and more. (Plus its a blast to drive in the snow!)

 

Needed a new rig to accommodate our first kid arriving in May - child seat didn't fit in the F250. Considered going used, but starting checking out the new trucks. I had no idea that the Colorado was available with a diesel until I stumbled upon it online. Chevy should really be advertising that fact. I'm not dissing the gas versions, they're great if that's what you want, but after having a diesel previously it's hard to go back to a gasser.

I drove new Tundras with both the 4.7 and 5.7. The 4.7 was a bit gutless, but the 5.7 felt good enough. However, that mileage! The Tundras will maintain value, so the 5.7 was in the running.

I drove a Chevy 1500 with the 5.3. I've never enjoyed a half ton Chevy - they just feel too soft and mushy. And I wasn't impressed with the 5.3, so had to rule them out.

I would've considered the diesel Ram 1500, but couldn't find a single one anywhere near me to test drive.

It came down to 5.7 Tundra versus Colorado Duramax. Financially, it came down to resale value of Tundra versus gas savings of Duramax, since the resale of the Duramax Colorado is unknown. If the 2.8 Duramax proves reliable, then it's going to be sought after in the used market. From a driving standpoint, I enjoyed driving the Colorado more. It may only be 181hp, but the flatter torque curve just feels right.

So far, with 400 miles on the truck, I couldn't be happier with my decision to go with the Colorado.

 

Nope. Didn't want a full size, knew I didn't want a full size, so there was nothing to consider

 

It really depends on what you like and how much you want to spend on a recurring basis. We have both a 2015 Canyon SLE and a 2017 Sierra Denali Ultimate. The Sierra is fun to drive with the 6.2, if you're going fairly straight at least, the turning radius is insanely wide compared to the Canyon, makes me think of that song, give me 40 acres and I'll turn this rig around. It runs premium gas and has been averaging about 15L/100km (around 16mpg) lifetime. It gets tons of looks and compliments and sounds great. My Girl drives this truck because she works pretty close to home (funny enough she was choosing between this and a loaded cruze, folks at the dealerships thought we were nuts), and we take it if we're going out for dinner or moving stuff that won't fit in the Canyon. The Canyon turns almost like a car, runs regular gas at 11.7l/100km (20mpg) lifetime. I drive this one through the week,I put about 1000kms on it weekly, much more economical and enjoyable to drive in traffic. The Canyon is usually the truck that goes up to the cottage as well, the Sierra's 22" wheels worry me on washboard gravel roads, though the magnaride suspension does a decent job, the extra rubber and lower replacement cost of the Canyon wheels makes it less worrisome to take those roads at speed. The canyon is enough for anything we need to tow, but the Sierra has all the toys that you can;t get on the canyon, like the heated steering wheel, homelink, cooled seats, power running boards, power folding mirrors, entry lighting etc. etc. Both trucks are great for their own uses. For us the Sierra is the costco runs, out for dinner, visiting friends, trips with passengers, comfortable vehicle and the canyon is the commuter, daily grinder, more all around functional truck.

 

My Canyon is my first truck. I looked long and hard at the F150. With discounts, I figured I could get a comparable one for about the same as the Canyon. In the end, I didn't need / want the extra size and capability. For my daily driver, comfort, convenience, mpg were more important. I wanted to be able to fit into a parking garage. The Tacoma and Ridgeline were also contenders but the Canyon ended up being the right fit for me in the end.

 

I gave it some thought this past week and I just don't need a FS truck at all.