2016 Mid-Size Truck Shootout Cont.

Ergonomics and Features

Well-weathered leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware

“Red Barchetta” – Rush

When it comes to the interior, we hit the Tacoma pretty hard last year even if it was stating the obvious - the interior needed a serious upgrade. When we first got behind the wheel of the 2016 Tacoma, we were immediately impressed with the updated cabin. The Tacoma now looks far more modern – it even has a smart key and push-start now – and yet it still retains truck-like feel for the driver with its thick, leather-trimmed steering wheel, its muscular-looking shift lever, and its body-hugging seats with lumbar support. There are two different touchscreens available on the 2016 Tacoma – a 6.1-inch or a 7-inch – and our truck featured the larger of the two, along with the upgraded Entune Premium Audio, integrated navigation and application suite. The touchscreen looks sleek and works well, but it doesn’t play nicely with the manual knob on the bottom left-hand corner closest to the driver – every tester accidentally changed to a pre-set radio station at some point.

Below the touchscreen at the center of the new dash layout is where dual climate A/C controls are found, and to the left of that is the twist-knob for 4H and 4L. Just below these controls are buttons for the parking sensors, ECT, Qi wireless smartphone charging, and auxiliary and USB connections. Directly in front of the driver is a new instrumentation cluster that features two large analog gauges (speedo and tach) that sandwich a 4.2-inch digital display (a 2.2-inch version is found on the SR model) for the odometer, trip meter, fuel economy, tire pressure and more. This driver’s digital display is all controlled via buttons on the steering wheel, where there are also controls for the stereo and a BlueTooth-connected phone.

There are actually quite a few different buttons and switches throughout the cabin, and if anything we can applaud Toyota for not simply overwhelming the driver with too many of them on the dash (read: Ford F-150). The placement of some controls, like new off-road features CRAWL and Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) up near the moonroof switches, was up for some debate. The overhead-mounted controls were liked by one tester for being out of the way and easy to access when needed, and yet another tester disliked them for their awkward placement.

We can’t say we are big fans of the features really, as the CRAWL system works as intended (albeit very loudly) by allowing the driver to select the speed at which the vehicle will crawl down a section in 4Lo, offering very specific adjustment compared to the one-speed option of the GMC and Nissan’s Hill Descent Control. But these are really more newbie features that may take the fun out of off-roading for more experienced drivers. Safe wheeling isn’t a bad thing, though, so know that we realize we sound like the “Get off my lawn” guy.

The Tacoma’s new seat design is sleek looking and was praised for its comfort, but it should be noted the Toyota was the only truck of the three that featured a driver’s seat with manual adjustment. The seat’s low height in relation to the floorboard may bother some taller drivers, but after knocking the previous generation truck for this we simply weren’t bothered as much by the seat placement on the new model.

Out back, Toyota opted again for a composite bed, which is equipped with a 120-volt covered power outlet and a deck rail system that includes four adjustable tie-down cleats for hauling gear. Toyota also outfitted the new Tacoma with an easy-lower tailgate that is both lockable and removable. The rear backup camera works great overall – and for hooking up to a trailer as we mentioned before.

GMC placed emphasis on keeping cabin noise down in the Canyon, and so the triple-sealed doors with inlaid seams, fibrous wheel-well liners and the other stuff we can’t see (under-floor acoustic absorber and liquid-applied sound deadener) makes the Canyon just as quiet as the Colorado we tested last year – and the quietest of the three trucks. The interior of the GMC is by far the most luxurious of the three, but it’s not so highfalutin that it doesn’t feel like a truck.

The GMC’s soft-touch, stitched dash and lack of plastic on the doors is one of the most noticeable areas where the Canyon separates itself from the Colorado – well, that and the price tag. The largest-in-class 8-inch touchscreen display of the Canyon is easy on the eyes and equally simple to operate, and the upgraded Bose audio system sounds great – in fact, every truck offers upgraded audio and we don’t have a gripe for any of the systems. For additional phone connectivity, Apple Carplay was added this year, and as of now Android Auto can be installed free of charge at your local dealer. The piano-key switch layout at the base of the center stack is easy to control the Tow/Exhaust Brake, traction control, Hill Descent Control, the truck bed lighting and hazards.

Our Canyon features the All-Terrain Adventure Package (that includes the Z71 Off-Road upgrades), featues a host of additional touches such as Jet Black and Cobalt Red cloth on the power adjustable, heated front seats, which also feature power lumbar adjustment for both driver and passenger. The front seats are well contoured and received good marks during off-road testing and long road drives.

Outside of the cabin, the Canyon is fitted with Goodyear Wrangler with Kevlar tires mounted on Dark Argent Metallic 17x8 wheels, a paint-matched rear bumper, black 3-inch round step bars for entry and exit of the vehicle and a transfer case shield for added protection on the trail. We’re not fond of the side steps, which are simply off-road hazards, waiting to snag just about anything (and they can be shin bangers at times, too). With the lowest ground clearance of the bunch, we question why these steps are on GMC’s off-road truck.

That goes double for the air dam up front, which simply becomes a shovel (or snow plow, depending upon where you’re wheeling) when the truck gets off the pavement. This should either not be equipped on Z71 models, much like Tacoma did by removing its air dam from TRD Off-Road models, or should be easier to remove. NOTE: To be fair to all the trucks, we actually tested the Canyon with the air dam on – equipped the same way it comes from the dealer. GMC does suggest its removal for continued off-road use, but the fact is once you take it off (which is a pain in the ass) you likely won’t bother to put it back on. It simply doesn’t belong on an off-road package. Period. 

Our Canyon was actually the lone long box of the bunch, offering a 6’2” bed (and if you’re wondering, this adds another 50 lbs. of weight to the truck when compared to the 5’2” box). The bed features a spray-in bedliner, and our truck was fitted with added cross rails for tiered storage. The GMC features an “EZ Lift and Lower” tailgate, and although it lacks a rail tie-down system like the other trucks it does have the only rear bumper corner step.

There’s not much change in our opinion of the Frontier’s interior from last year, as it hasn’t changed one bit. The PRO-4X-stitched leather seats are still a little too hard and don’t have enough definition for long-distance comfort. Nissan does offer eight-way power adjustability for the driver. Sorry front-seated Frontier passenger, you only get four-way power adjustability – but that’s still four more than the Tacoma passenger … or driver. More leather can be found wrapped around the steering wheel and shift knob, which may be to draw attention from the plastic dash and door panels. The steering wheel does offer adjustability for the 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate stereo and BlueTooth phone controls.

The controls of the Frontier are exciting to those whose favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla. Then again, there’s something to be said for the classic flavors and controls that are easy to find and use. The NissanConnect 5.8-inch touchscreen is the smallest and most dated of the bunch, and the backup camera, while it works, offers the murkiest picture. The value proposition of the lowest-priced Frontier stands out with its dual climate controls just below the touchscreen, which is a feature the highest-priced Canyon somehow doesn’t offer. Below that are switches for stability control, the rear backup sensors and driver and passenger seat heaters. The Frontier, like the Tacoma, also has a selectable rear locker (the Canyon’s is automatic) that is controlled by a button placed in the middle of the aforementioned buttons and switches, while a twist knob mounted closest to the driver controls 2WD and 4WD settings.

Another area where the Frontier has an edge on the GMC is the moonroof department, mainly because the Canyon doesn’t have one. Up top, the Frontier’s roof features the lone roof rack of the group, and dual power remote-controlled heated outside mirrors will be useful on days when the moonroof likely isn’t. To show that Nissan takes its off-roader seriously, it equipped the truck with oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case skid plates. Out back, the truck bed features a spray-in bedliner and Nissan’s Utili-track Channel System to secure cargo via the four adjustable tie-down cleats.

While Nissan does add value to the Frontier with additional features, our test truck was the lone mid-sizer lacking a tow package.

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