Hey, Chevy.

"not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada)
05/12/2016 at 10:25 • Filed to: None

When are you going to get rid of the goddamn Express?

It still has sealed beam headlights for god sakes.

Be like Ford and Chrysler, introduce a European-style van to replace the old van. But keep the current style, with maybe some updates, for chassis usage (Ambulances, box vans, et cetera).

Might I suggest the Movano?

Let’s face it, the traditional body on frame V8 commercial van is a dying breed in North America. With the Transit, ProMaster, Sprinter, and smaller vans like the Transit Connect, NV, and Chevy’s own City Express (Which is actually an NV in a hat), people who buy vans now have actual desirable options.

DISCUSSION (49)

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:29

Is this the last light duty production car with sealed beams? I can’t think of anything else.

Justin Hughes > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:30

I agree. I’ve driven Sprinters and recently tried a new Transit. They are soooo much better than the Econolines and Expresses I racked up many miles on as a courier.

Mercedes Streeter > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:30

They can kill it 100%. All of those other vans do come in chassis cab configurations so there wouldn’t be any use for the primitive Express anymore.

Kinja'd!!!

E90M3 > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:31

Kinja'd!!!

The company I used to work for bought them as crew vans, they're not that bad actually to blast down a lease road at days off speed aka way too fast

not for canada - australian in disguise > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
05/12/2016 at 10:32

I think it probably is.

fhrblig > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:32

You shut up. It’s reliable as hell and cheap. You know what they will replace it with? A rebadged Nissan NV, probably, and I HATE them. I have 9 of them and I’d love to set fire to them all and replace them with Chevy Expresses and GMC Savanas.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:36

They already did. Can’t tow though.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Justin Hughes
05/12/2016 at 10:36

Can you tow with them though?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:36

Kinja'd!!!

I don’t get why GM doesn’t offer them in NA.

not for canada - australian in disguise > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 10:38

Me neither, especially with vans like the Transit on sale, and selling well.

yamahog > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 10:38

Because they have the shitty- I mean, *City* Express here.

Takuro Spirit > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:38

NEVAR. Takuro needs a LS motor and he doesn’t know when he’ll get the chance to buy a whole smashed van at auction for its running gear.

yamahog > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:39

When my dad stops buying them for race bike haulers.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > yamahog
05/12/2016 at 10:41

You mean the Nissan NV? That’s, ehhrm.. at least something, I guess..

Justin Hughes > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
05/12/2016 at 10:42

Oh yeah. I don’t know the Sprinter’s specs, but when I looked up stats for my Transit review the numbers were up there, especially for the larger models.

yamahog > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 10:42

Yea.... Gonna pass on that CVT. I guess some people might be enticed by the improved gas mileage though.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:44

Do you also get these smaller Transits?

Kinja'd!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:44

As long as people keep buying them (which given the truckloads and truckloads of them I see leaving STL, people always will) Chevy will keep the ancient thing around. All they need to do really is put some new generation motors in them and they’re good for at least another 10 years.

not for canada - australian in disguise > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 10:45

We don’t get the Custom, only the Connect and the fullsize.

Stapleface > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:45

Probably never. It’s cheap to make, and it’s the last of it’s breed. Kind of like how the Crown Vic took all of the police sales away when Chevy killed the B-body. I'm sure there are still plenty of small business owners out there that just don't "trust" those fancy new modern looking vans. They've had an Express for years, no need to buy anything else. Besides, there's about eleventy billion of these on the roads. Parts are cheap and plentiful.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:46

Why? sealed beams are cheap and practical, but if you don’t want them you can pay for something else—the way you do when you pay the premium for a “modern” van.

They actually drive quite well.

They look good.

They’re as rugged as f*ck.

With other vans going unibody, all of a sudden the Express has a lot less competition in the cube van market.

And from an enthusiast POV, NONONODON’TTAKEAWAYOURLSSWAPDONORPLZ

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 10:48

Too bad. The Custom is about everywhere at least in my town.

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 10:48

Because they are rebadged Renaults, not real GM vehicles? I doubt Renault and thus Nissan would like it if GM starts offering their vans in the US.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > yamahog
05/12/2016 at 10:51

The only ones who get enticed are the fleet managers who don’t have drive those damn things.

fhrblig > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
05/12/2016 at 11:02

Some Ford Super Duty F-Series trucks have them, at least until the redesigned one comes out.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang
05/12/2016 at 11:02

That is true but how stupid could Renault/Nissan be for not wanting a piece of the US van market? It is a risk and costly but Ford had success as well as Mercedes with the Sprinter and now the Vito.

fhrblig > yamahog
05/12/2016 at 11:03

The CVT has been the least of my problems with them.

RazoE > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 11:07

I thought that was a big wing for a second

Chinny Raccoon > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/12/2016 at 11:08

Kinja'd!!!

The Transit/Sprinter/Movano all come as a chassis cab variant to stick your own body on. Most are RWD, with some FWD models still sold. You can also get the Movano and the Ducato (and variants) as platform cabs, so you get an extremely low floor. The Loloader body style is increasingly popular.

Kinja'd!!!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > RazoE
05/12/2016 at 11:11

Can’t unsee that now.

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 11:11

While Renault has no presence in the US market, Nissan certainly does. If they want to sell them in the US, and I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to, Nissan would be the most obvious brand to sell them. Renault/Nissan apparently chose not to offer these vans in the US. I don’t understand why, but it’s their choice. It would be odd if GM rebadges these vans in the US while Nissan doesn’t even offer them in that market.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang
05/12/2016 at 11:16

They offer this in the US, so they think the European vans would cannibalize this thing. The Trafic and Master would fit perfectly in the Nissan van lineup between the NV and whatever that large thing is called.

Kinja'd!!!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chinny Raccoon
05/12/2016 at 11:21

Good. It really hit me as weird when I checked the Ford commercial site and there was no mention of chassis cabs where there was for the E-series, just a thing bragging about unibody construction.

Strike off argument #5.

yamahog > fhrblig
05/12/2016 at 11:25

Ohhhhh boy, lol. What could be worse?

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
05/12/2016 at 11:26

I don’t think that thing is any larger than a Renault Master. It’s just a lot more American, with a big grille, a big engine, ineffecient proportions and old school mechanicals.

vicali > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 11:35

We were at Costco the other night and a family parked beside us and came pouring out of one of these;

Kinja'd!!!

I thought we were being invaded for a minute..

shop-teacher > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 11:38

Now that they’re the last traditional van standing, I predict they will make them for 15 more years, because there are plenty of people/business who want a cheap traditional van. See: Crown Victoria.

Urambo Tauro > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 11:38

It’s going to take a stronger argument than that to justify getting rid of the Express. Despite its faults, the thing’s like a modern-day Panther in many ways. If tomorrow’s Morning Shift broke the news that the platform had been discontinued, I would has a sad.

Jayhawk Jake > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 11:40

Y tho?

If it’s still making money, why bother?

96Formula6spd > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 12:35

Yes and no. Around here the express is still very popular. Mainly after to talking to some people the v8 is nice when your moving loads of equipment. One guy said some of the new vans just don’t have the umph a good old v8 does. Sure it’s old and dying but it will be missed when its gone. Plus nothing wrong with sealed beam headlights. At least they don’t fog up.

J_P_Cars10s > not for canada - australian in disguise
05/12/2016 at 13:32

When Uhaul stops buying a shitload of them every couple years.

fhrblig > yamahog
05/12/2016 at 14:46

Let’s see, only one tire available for it in the correct load rating (and it lasts maybe 25k miles), all parts and repairs tend to cost 2 to 3 times what it would on another vehicle, parts are almost never in stock...