2015 3/4 Ton Chevy Express Test

[cortttt]

Rented a Chevy Express (G23405) from Enterprise outside of Phoenix. I can't tell what motor is in it from payload - they're both the same for the 4.8L  and 6.0L.  I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to tell since the G23405's come with both and both have identical FGAWR's and RGAWR's.  

I'm coming from a 2WD 4Runner - keep that in mind. 

Pro's -

 ton's of power - I didn't go on any hills but I have the feeling its the 6.0....I kept slipping above 65 without meaning to. Very smooth engine. Steering seemed responsive - but its greatest asset is space - tons of space back there....It's a whole different ballgame and I can see why many people choose vans over pickups or other vehicles - there's just so much darn space. 

Surprisingly good clearance.  Great views out of the windows. (4Runner has a dinky windshield and weird seating position - nice to be able to see the country....Comfortable riding position as well. 

Con's - 

Oddly enough - feet too close to the pedals. I'm really tall but I don't usually have a problem with this but in this humongous van I did (lol).  Why the heck they don't allow you to bring the seat back a few more inches I don't know. 
Wind noise - lot's of wind noise, very noisy with the windows down. 
Suspension -  Dirt Roads - I'm obviously not in a 4Runner anymore - you feel everything on the road and there's lots of lean in the body - the chassis really feels like it's getting whipped around, like it's really getting a workout. Shifting is definitely clunkier than in the 4Runner, I put it into reverse and it jolted. 
No ability to shift into a bunch of other gears. I wonder if that's only in the 1 ton ?


Overall - I like it... It's not a 4Runner obviously - it lacks its sophistication but it runs well and it's got so much room.....hopefully if I go to the 1-ton some of the body lean will disappear. If I put cruise control on it I don't think the close pedals would be a problem. 

I will find out about MPG tomorrow and take out a Ford Transit 

Enterprise by the way keeps their cars at most a year and then sells them.  I attached a list of their vans for sale. I did not include the Promaster's - they said they had a lot of problems with the Promasters - and these are vans that are less than a year old.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you pop the hood, there will be a sticker there somewhere that will identify which engine it is.

If you can't find such a sticker for some reason, make a note of the VIN #.  you can look it up online and ID the engine from it later.

Regards
John

 

[Goshawk]

Am considering the pro-con of an older 1500 AWD versus a 3/4 Chevy that is newer. Everyone says 90% will never need AWD and it's another failure issue.

Thanks for making my choice more difficult. Lol.

 

[Goshawk]

And I need to consider a high top and putting that on.

 

[cortttt]

Am considering the pro-con of an older 1500 AWD versus a 3/4 Chevy that is newer. Everyone says 90% will never need AWD and it's another failure issue.

Thanks for making my choice more difficult. Lol.

   In my experience exploring the western US for that past two years that's pretty accurate. 90% plus of the roads are fine. I have gotten stuck 3 or 4 times in sand but that happened when I wasn't being careful. I'm not sure when it gets muddy thouigh - its been dry this past two years.

My scariest experience was when driving on a road above a canyon on some mud the car sliding towards the edge; obviously it stopped in time but that was a heart pounder.

 

[TMG51]

The ride and suspension ought to behave much differently with weight in the van.

 

[29chico]

If you pop the hood, there will be a sticker there somewhere that will identify which engine it is.

If you can't find such a sticker for some reason, make a note of the VIN #.  you can look it up online and ID the engine from it later.

Regards
John

Yes, the emissions sticker will id the engine. Also the 8th digit in the vin # will denote that also.

I going to guess that it is the 4.8.  Very good power & it will creep up in speed on the highway untill you get used to it.  Also Enterprise usually buys the base engine.

If you think that standard length van has room, wait till you get in the extended version!  Better ride with the 20" longer wheelbase also.

The one ton will have even better clearance.

I wonder if your take on the Transit is going to be the same as mine.

Have fun out there test driving.

 

[29chico]

Am considering the pro-con of an older 1500 AWD versus a 3/4 Chevy that is newer. Everyone says 90% will never need AWD and it's another failure issue.

Thanks for making my choice more difficult. Lol.

I needed the durability, safety (much bigger & better brakes) & stability of a one ton much more than I needed AWD.

Not that I will be hauling lots of weight, even the 3/4 ton G23405 Savana that I rented for my trip around the southwest had too mushy a ride for my taste.  A 1500 series van would be much worse.  That and since the AWD 1500 is downright rare compared to a RWD version, getting front end parts is going to become difficult much sooner.   I tend to keep my rigs a long time.

Love the handling & ride of my G33705 extended one ton Savana van with with the tire, shock & rear suspension upgrades.

 

[cortttt]

Yes, the emissions sticker will id the engine. Also the 8th digit in the vin # will denote that also.

I going to guess that it is the 4.8.  Very good power & it will creep up in speed on the highway untill you get used to it.  Also Enterprise usually buys the base engine.

If you think that standard length van has room, wait till you get in the extended version!  Better ride with the 20" longer wheelbase also.

The one ton will have even better clearance.

I wonder if your take on the Transit is going to be the same as mine.

Have fun out there test driving.

Thanks!  It was fun.

MPG - just about 100 miles - not a great test but I had to add $30 in gas to fill it up and didn't want to spend any more - they give you 100 free miles; terrain - mostly highway with about 15 minutes stuck in a jam - 16 mpg, maybe 85/15  highway/city.

It was a 2016; they thought this is last year for the Express - they said Chevy will introduce a radically different design in 2017.

At the end

Pro's

• Nice driving machine! Van's have come a long way since my B250 Dodge of 20 years ago. Really easy to drive.
• Responsive steering - ((I hate mushy steering....)
• Simply but nice layout on the dash
• Good vision - big upgrade there from the 4Runner
• Good clearance
• Power outlet plugin
• Lot's of room!

Con's

• The only really big con for me was the seating position. The dealer said they couldn't do anything with that. I mentioned that to the Enterprise and he agreed - he's pretty tall - he said it was painful to drive extended periods but he thought it was so bad that must be cure for it. I would get cruise control which would help but I'm going to search around to see what can be done...It's definitely a problem; my knees ached that night after an 1 hour drive.  I'm 6' 6" with long legs, by the way.  This fits into the last problem I would ever expect from a big van category
• Ride and suspension - Ride was fine for me on the highway; it moved around alot on the dirt but was not really a problem - I got used to the rough riding pretty quickly; it's not a 4Runner and it wasn't -as several people have pointed out - loaded at all...Ended up not really being a problem. 

I wrote the VIN number down somewhere and will check out the engine.

 

[cortttt]

The ride and suspension ought to behave much differently with weight in the van.

Agreed - thanks for mentioning that.

 

[29chico]

As far as the seat issue goes you might look into an "air ride seat".  They are used in Semi trucks.  Air suspended, tons of choices in features.  Prices run roughly $500-1000.   Since the seat height will vary a bit as you drive, due to the air sprung effect, I'm guessing that your knees would be lots happier.

Some of the air ride seats that I just looked at do a 180 degree swivel, very nice for van dwelling.  Hell, I was thinking of getting a swivel seat setup, I guess that I might as well get a swiveling air ride seat myself.

 

[cortttt]

As far as the seat issue goes you might look into an "air ride seat".  They are used in Semi trucks.  Air suspended, tons of choices in features.  Prices run roughly $500-1000.   Since the seat height will vary a bit as you drive, due to the air sprung effect, I'm guessing that your knees would be lots happier.

Some of the air ride seats that I just looked at do a 180 degree swivel, very nice for van dwelling.  Hell, I was thinking of getting a swivel seat setup, I guess that I might as well get a swiveling air ride seat myself.

Thanks - I will look into that.  It may not be the distance as much as the way the seat sits...

 

[cortttt]

Yes, the emissions sticker will id the engine. Also the 8th digit in the vin # will denote that also.

I going to guess that it is the 4.8.  Very good power & it will creep up in speed on the highway untill you get used to it.  Also Enterprise usually buys the base engine.

If you think that standard length van has room, wait till you get in the extended version!  Better ride with the 20" longer wheelbase also.

The one ton will have even better clearance.

I wonder if your take on the Transit is going to be the same as mine.

Have fun out there test driving.

It was the 4.8L.

 

[cortttt]

Man, this Express is not working out - all because of a frigging seat.  I found a late model Van Conversion and sat in the nice retractable captain's chair. It still seemed tight.

This is the weirdest problem.... ....I may go for a Toyota Tundra with a shell on it.

 

[Great White]

Man, this Express is not working out - all because of a frigging seat.  I found a late model Van Conversion and sat in the nice retractable captain's chair. It still seemed tight.

This is the weirdest problem.... ....I may go for a Toyota Tundra with a shell on it.

Try a Nissan NV with the V6. Power and MPG is ok. I am over 6 foot and have big feet. I like the Chevy and have always had them but couldn't stand the seat and foot space. The Nissan is a full truck front and has a huge amount of room. Long trips are no problem. They come in a low top and high top cargo versions. Price is good as well. Just thought you might want to try it if you really want a usable van.

 

[BradKW]

I've been driving an '06 2500 Express for past 3 years...mileage around 150. Its been a very solid and reliable vehicle, I feel much better about it at this age than I ever did about my previous Ford E150. Unfortunately, that body sway you notice doesn't go away with more weight...if anything it can be worse. Its not so much the crosswind issue as it is entering parking lots over "curbs" at a diagonal...even at 5 mph I can launch things off shelves and hit the opposite side of van.

I'm not a good one to comment on van noise...I've been driving construction vehicles so long that if something isn't crashing or slamming around back there, I consider it pretty quiet

And agreed on the legroom thing...its not only stupid, it gets worse. We have a couple F450 dumps and they couldn't have made'em more uncomfortable to drive if they tried.

 

[cortttt]

Try a Nissan NV with the V6. Power and MPG is ok. I am over 6 foot and have big feet. I like the Chevy and have always had them but couldn't stand the seat and foot space. The Nissan is a full truck front and has a huge amount of room. Long trips are no problem. They come in a low top and high top cargo versions. Price is good as well. Just thought you might want to try it if you really want a usable van.

Ha - the Nissan...I loved my Nissan Frontier. Thanks for mentioning it.  I'm a bit worried about reliability given that reliability has not been good in the Titan - but you're right that Nissan has the truck frame and body. 

How has reliability been for you and how long have you had it? What's your average MPG?

I will check it out further. Maybe I'm not out of the van game yet.

 

[cortttt]

I've been driving an '06 2500 Express for past 3 years...mileage around 150. Its been a very solid and reliable vehicle, I feel much better about it at this age than I ever did about my previous Ford E150. Unfortunately, that body sway you notice doesn't go away with more weight...if anything it can be worse. Its not so much the crosswind issue as it is entering parking lots over "curbs" at a diagonal...even at 5 mph I can launch things off shelves and hit the opposite side of van.

I'm not a good one to comment on van noise...I've been driving construction vehicles so long that if something isn't crashing or slamming around back there, I consider it pretty quiet  

And agreed on the legroom thing...its not only stupid, it gets worse. We have a couple F450 dumps and they couldn't have made'em more uncomfortable to drive if they tried.

Man, that legroom thing is so weird. How hard would it have been to change that? You either provide a big slider or move the holes back a bit. 

Glad to hear that it's been a good van with a few small issues . The wind noise isn't a big problem for me  - just something I noticed.

 

[cortttt]

Check this review out

I did not at all that MPG on the highway - do you get anything near that?

http://www.autoblog.com/buy/2013-Nissan-NV+Cargo+NV2500+HD/expert-review/

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Nissan NV uses the Titan powertrain, but not the chassis. A new ladder frame was built for the NV, signaling how serious Nissan is about bringing a challenger for not only the Sprinter, but Ford and Chevy, which dominate the straight cargo van market. [/font]


[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The basic Nissan NV S is a steel box with water-repellent seats, hardboard trim, a fat useful center console, good audio system, wide-opening (243 degree) rear cargo doors, 57 integrated reinforced cargo mounting points, six floor-mounted D-rings, and 10 exterior roof rack mounting brackets. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The high roof grows straight up by nearly two feet, increasing the height from 84 to 106 inches, and expanding cargo space by 38 percent, from 234 cubic feet to 324. If you need to stand up inside, this is it. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]For a few days we used our NV as a tow truck/race shop/parts bin/changing room. We didn't sleep in it, but it would be easy to do so. We can't think of anything it won't do, storage or comfort-wise. Other racers commented on the versatility and utility of the design. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The 5.6-liter V8 makes 317 horsepower and 385 foot-pounds of torque at 3400 rpm. The 5-speed automatic transmission shifts sharply and in all the right places. Its 3.54 final drive ratio balances good torque on freeway hills with good fuel mileage (the V6 has a 3.36 ratio). We got 11.9 mpg running hard on the freeway, towing our load. Without the trailer it was about 16 mpg. [/font]


[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We set the cruise control at 62 mph on the level, and got 20 mpg. Impressive, for a big V8 with the aerodynamic exposure of the tall roof. [/font]



[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The 4.0-liter V6 makes 261 horsepower and 317 foot-pounds of torque. We didn't drive one, but that sounds good for the half-ton 1500 and three-quarter-ton 2500 models. But the V6 torque peaks up at 5200 rpm, so we wonder about towing. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The NV handles well. The steering is slow, unsurprisingly, but it's light for parking-lot turning. The good response on the road likely comes from the new boxed-in frame, and the rigidity it brings to the 146.1 inch wheelbase, which is 2 inches more than the Sprinter (which offers an extended model with a 170-inch wheelbase). [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The brakes are excellent, with four-wheel discs having rotors just over 14 inches. Our van wasn't equipped with a trailer brake unit, so a lot was asked of the discs, with four tons back there wanting to push the NV over a cliff. We paid attention to our driving, always thinking ahead. There was never a moment where the brakes didn't do their overtime job. [/font]

 

[cortttt]

Autoblog liked this van! 

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The basic Nissan NV S comes with water-repellent seats with wear patches, a sturdy material that looks good in charcoal like ours. There's an AM/FM/CD audio system, intermittent speed-sensitive wipers, wide opening (243 degree) rear cargo doors, no less than 57 integrated reinforced cargo mounting points, six floor-mounted D-rings, and 10 exterior roof rack mounting brackets. The front passenger seat folds flat, with a tray in the seatback. The walls of the cargo van are trimmed with hardboard. [/font]


[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The high roof lifts the ceiling by 22 inches and expands the cargo space by 38 percent, from 234 cubic feet to 324. There's 10 feet of cargo length behind the front seats. But it's more about whether or not you need to stand up inside, for what you plan to do with it. A six-footer can stand up in the back of the high roof NV, with 1.3 inches to spare, room for shoes. Being able to stand up is a great feature to have in the paddock. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We took our NV3500 SV high roof to the track, to an endurance race in the rain, towing our Dan Gurney for President ChumpCar Mustang. It was cold as well as wet, and our space was so comfy that half the pits tried to cram and snuggle inside the tall Nissan. A campfire on the floor would have been nice. Holding a seven-lap lead, the Mustang blew its motor with one hour to go, and the truck was a good place to lick wounds. Great four-speaker sound system, blasting to forget. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We took it to the track a second time, and it gave us more reasons to smile, serving as tow truck/race shop/parts bin/changing room. We didn't sleep in it, but it could be done easy. We can't think of anything it won't do, storage or comfort-wise. We used the giant center console like a small closet, and the giant grab handles at the rear doors every time. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Our NV3500 was a winner at the Portland Rose Cup, towing the legendary Bandit, the historic '82 NASCAR Oldsmobile made famous in the book, 'Fast Guys, Rich Guys and Idiots' by Sam Moses. In the Wemme Trophy vintage race, biggest in the Northwest, the NV's car finished second in a field of 47, outrun only by an expertly driven Formula Atlantic car. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Based on the admiration and compliments of other racers as to the versatility and utility of the design, we give the Most Admired Tow Rig award to our dark blue NV3500 with the chrome grille that blinds you in the sun, a dozen times a day at least, at a race. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Our NV had $1235 in options, for rear door windows with privacy glass, floor mats, and mostly the $950 nav/audio system. We used the navigation frequently with satisfaction, a tidy 5-inch touch-screen. There's also satellite radio, am/fm/cd/mp3, USB port, Bluetooth and last but for sure not least, the rearview monitor that shows the tow-hitch ball, aiming perfectly for its spot under the cap on the trailer tongue, nail it every time. It's a godsend when you're used to doing it yourself, getting in and out of the truck three or four times. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Add another $390 for side and roof-mounted airbags, and $460 for the tow package, including extendable outside chrome heated towing mirrors, two front tow hooks, tow mode transmission, Class IV hitch, 7-pin connector, brake controller, and heavy-duty battery. [/font]

[font='Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]When you move up from the 1500 S to the NV 2500 S, you get standard lockable center console with 12-volt outlet, storage tray under driver's seat, two more cupholders, power mirrors, rear door storage pocket, and two more cargo lights. When you upgrade to the SV, you get hardboard interior cargo panels, 8-way power driver's seat, power door locks, and sonar system. Our rig had all these features and we appreciated them. [/font]