By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

When the latest versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon hit the marketplace as 2015 models it created renewed excitement in the mid-sized truck market that had all but passed away. Since then, Toyota after 10 years completely overhauled its top-selling Tacoma, and a new Honda Ridgeline has earned high praise from auto critics. The Nissan Frontier is due for a total remake in the near future, and there are rumors the Ford Ranger will return to the U.S. in the foreseeable future.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

It was going to be a week of hauling out-of-town visitors so we were in need of a vehicle that could on occasion carry as many as six passengers. When we heard that our automotive supplier had scheduled a GMC Acadia, we were happy and relieved — until we discovered that GMC had downsized the all-new 2017 Acadia — the first complete makeover of the vehicle since its introduction in 2007 — from a near full-sized crossover to more of a standard mid-size CUV.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

More than two decades ago four of us decided to do the ultimate baseball tour attending 10 major league stadiums in 12 days. It involved a lot of driving, eating what seemed like a ton of hamburgers and hot dogs, and keeping one guy on a diet of soft drinks so the other three could partake of the local brews.

By Dvid Finkelstein

Some are suggesting that the GMC Canyon mid-size pickup truck is simply a glorified higher trim rendition of the same vehicle sold and badged as a Chevrolet Colorado. Well, the fact of the matter is that Canyon appears to be more refined on many fronts including the truck's drive and handling characteristics coupled with its totally quiet interior cabin.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Johnny Cash would have probably liked the Elevation Edition of the 2015 GMC Sierra 1500; after all Cash was the "man in black" and for a guy who favored black attire we figure he might like the "truck in black." This special edition Sierra, sporting a monochromatic Onyx Black exterior with 20-inch black painted alloy wheels and black bumpers, door handles and grille would fit the late singer's image.

By David Finkelstein

Prior to General Motors officially launching the 2015 GMC Yukon full size SUV, there were lots of rumors from my Detroit-based colleagues that the vehicle would be a totally new product once introduced. Well, I'm happy to report that in fact the newest version certainly appears to have been redone from bumper-to-bumper.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The GMC Yukon is the slightly upscale version of the Chevrolet Tahoe in General Motors' full-sized sport utility ranks, both providing nearly identical equipment and engine configurations. The big differentiation comes with the decidedly upscale Denali, which turns the Yukon — and its larger stablemate, the Yukon XL — into a luxury land yacht rivaling such nameplates as BMW, Mercedes and Land Rover.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

We were immediately taken with the plush leather and wood surroundings, a plethora of electronic goodies that we would rather not live without if given a choice, and a luxury-sedan quiet interior. But most of all we were delighted with the performance of the 2014 GMC Sierra Denali, General Motors' ultimate entry into the growing full-sized luxury pickup segment.