The Toyota Tacoma has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Canyon doesn’t offer knee airbags.
The Tacoma has standard Pre-Collision System, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Canyon offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.
The Tacoma’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Canyon and is not available with Elevation Standard.
The Tacoma offers an optional Panoramic View/Multi-Terrain Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Canyon only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tacoma (except SR/SR5 Access Cab)’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Canyon doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.
The Tacoma’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Canyon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Tacoma and the Canyon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive and blind spot warning systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Tacoma is safer than the GMC Canyon:
|
|
Tacoma |
Canyon |
|
|
Passenger |
|
| STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
| HIC |
221 |
309 |
| Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
| Neck Stress |
244 lbs. |
300 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
12 lbs. |
45 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Tacoma is safer than the GMC Canyon:
|
|
Tacoma |
Canyon |
|
|
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Abdominal Force |
163 lbs. |
203 lbs. |
|
|
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Spine Acceleration |
37 G’s |
41 G’s |
| Hip Force |
480 lbs. |
545 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Tacoma, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 2.3% to 7.3% less likely to roll over than the Canyon, which received a three-star rating.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tacoma the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 183 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Canyon was last qualified as only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2016.