With the Jeep Gladiator and Ford Ranger having come onto the midsize truck scene only recently we decided to do a comparison between them and the established Honda Ridgeline and GMC Canyon. Each of these midsize trucks is unique in their own ways so this is not the same as to compare a Mustang and Camaro.

Compare Midsize Differences And Similarities

First off the Ridgeline is a unibody, meaning it only has a subframe up front and not a full frame. The other three midsize trucks compare in typical American truck fashion all have bodies attached to frames. The Gladiator is a bit of an outlier because it rides on a much longer wheelbase. In some cases, it’s a full 15-inches longer.

Both the Ranger and the Canyon are what one would consider traditional trucks, just downsized a bit from a Chevy Silverado and Ford F150. But while the Ranger is new, the Canyon is showing its age in the fast-paced safety and driver-assist categories. 

Then there is the feature only the Gladiator can boast; removable top and doors. These are just some of the discrepancies trying to compare these trucks. But there are reasons to favor some over others.

Compare Midsize Trucks List

We compared each truck for price, powertrain, horsepower, torque, maximum towing weight, payload, and city/highway miles-per-gallon.

Price 

GMC Canyon: $45,775

Jeep Gladiator: $55,840

Ford Ranger: $44,285

Honda Ridgeline: $42,965

Powertrain

GMC Canyon: 3.6-liter V6, eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Jeep Gladiator: 3.6-liter V6, eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Ford Ranger: 2.3-liter turbocharged four, 10-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Honda Ridgeline: 3.5-liter V6, six-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

Horsepower

GMC Canyon: 308 hp @ 6,800 rpm

Jeep Gladiator: 285 hp @ 6,400 rpm

Ford Ranger: 270 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Honda Ridgeline: 280 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque

GMC Canyon: 275 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm

Jeep Gladiator: 260 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

Ford Ranger: 310 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

Honda Ridgeline: 262 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm

Maximum Hauling Weight

GMC Canyon: 7,000 lbs.

Jeep Gladiator: 6,000 lbs.

Ford Ranger: 7,500 lbs.

Honda Ridgeline: 5,000 lbs.

Maximum payload

GMC Canyon: 1,360 lbs.

Jeep Gladiator: 1,020 lbs.

Ford Ranger: 1,490 lbs.

Honda Ridgeline: 1,499 lbs.

Highway/City MPG

GMC Canyon: 17/24

Jeep Gladiator: 17/22

Ford Ranger: 20/24

Honda Ridgeline: 18/25

Oh, the variables. Yes, it’s never apples and apples but you can see overall differences that intrigue or turn off. Depending on what you’re looking for maybe none of these figures matters. With the top and doors removed from the Gladiator, there’s nothing like it. That may be all it takes to slide into one. Or take the mileage and also the reputation that Honda has. Not to mention the lowest price and highest payload of the four.

Compare Subjective Issues?

There are also the subjective issues of styling, how the truck makes you feel, and how it actually feels or rides. You may prefer a firm ride or one that is a bit more like a sedan with less chop and harshness. 

When Cars.com did a comparison of these four midsize trucks they rated the Honda Ridgeline on top, with the Gladiator coming in second, Ranger third, and Canyon last. To compare may not be completely fair because the Canyon being the oldest will be updated for 2020, and these were all 2019 models.

The good thing is that just a few years ago none of these midsize trucks existed except for the Ridgeline and Tacoma. Now, we’re fortunate to have abundant choices for virtually any priority we might have.