i agree they end up being so close in price the only reason id go 2.9L 5 spd canyon is i love the feeling of shifting gears, if i can't get manual i'm just gonna upgrade to 1500,cuz if i need to go auto and bigger motor might as well get the truck to go with it.
i might go 2WD as i'm stubborn as hell and have always been able to survive with 2wd. i even offroad many trails in my 72 gmc c25, gotta love faces of my friends after i pull them out after they get stuck w/4wd
that being said i understand 2WD has limits... so guess it depends what i decide when i finally go buy.
17mpg is pretty good to especially all around town! thanks