Question

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 07/23/2014 at 09:26 • Filed to: None

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When the hell was the last time the GM full-size vans got an update?

195 horsepower 4.3L V6 attached to a 4-speed auto. Sounds like the same drive train that's in my Safari.

Is this potentially the most out-dated vehicle on sale right now?

I mean, I know they're work trucks, but damn, at least drop the EcoTec3 engines in it.

RazoE > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:29

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honestly, do they really need an update?

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:30

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Ecotec turbo engine in them please. Low end torque, good power, good gas mileage, and I mean cmon, boost!

crowmolly > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:31

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This was the last vehicle to use a Gen I small block in 2003. It was a 305. Call it a Vortec 5000 if you want but it's still a 305.

I honestly think they use these chassis to dry up remaining stock of outdated stuff. That and since these are basically only used as work trucks they need to be as cheap as possible to maintain to keep fleet costs down.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:33

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Hmmm.... let me check *opens history textbook*
Ah! Here it is! it says "Although hard to say exactly, both the Ford Econoline and the GM full-size van were last updated sometime between the Napoleonic wars and the start of the British opium trade in China."

So that puts the age of the design somewhere between 250 and 150 years... sounds about right,since I do remember Karl Benz's motorwagen being blamed for taking design cues from Ford's Econoline!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > RazoE 07/23/2014 at 09:33

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Visually, no. But I'd say under the skin they do, especially with all the much more modern choices that are out there.

dinobot666 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:34

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You can spec one with a 5.3 V8. A lot of fleets like the 4.3 V6 due to its low operating costs and decent fuel economy.

You'd be better off getting a RAM Promaster with the 3.6 Pentastar engine though, it's better in every way, nice to drive too.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:38

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The 4.3 V6 is one of the most underrated engines of all time. Is it sophisticated? No. Fuel efficient? No. Particularly powerful? No. Fantastically reliable and bulletproof? Yes. Incredibly cheap to maintain? Yes. Exactly what you need out of a work vehicle.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 07/23/2014 at 09:42

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I can vouch for non efficient. Mine used an 8th of a 27 gallon tank to go like 15 miles yesterday.

The do run forever though. But I bet the new 285ish horsepower 4.3 is just as reliable and infinitely more efficient.

michael bleggi > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:44

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It's still the first gen which went on sale in 1996, although it received a minor facelift in 2003. This means everything is 18 years old, and for that age still works pretty well imo

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:46

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But do business owners want to pay extra for it? And do they really want to give their employees another 90hp?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > michael bleggi 07/23/2014 at 09:47

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They work well, and still look good for their age honestly. They just need the new truck engines.

Nibbles > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 09:58

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EXPRESS VAN CAN'T STAND AGAINST RAM PROMASTER VAN, MAN

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 10:11

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Yeah, come to think of it, Ford, Nissan, and Dodge all have a full range of high-tech, modern, and uniquely styled vans of all sizes. GM is still just kind of derp.

Also, apparently they have model names. They're the Chevy Express and the GMC Savanna, and they've been around since 1996, with only a minor facelift in 2003.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK 07/23/2014 at 10:12

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Which is why there were outcries when the Ford 300 was finally dropped from the F-150 in 1997.

Because like the 4.3 GM V6, it ticked all those boxes.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 10:34

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hmmm just spec'd out a 3500 (Passenger) with the 6.0 for $35,000. Woudn't make a bad daily driver. way cheaper than getting a tahoe.

MachineReplica > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 10:42

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Our work vans aren't quite that bad. They have Aux in, modern headlights, sometimes a back up camera, and a shiftable six speed. I'm not sure which V8 ours have, but it is one of them.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 07/23/2014 at 12:04

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Take a gander at Ford's website. They no longer offer the Econoline in this form anymore. Looks like GM is the last of the breed when it comes to traditional truck based box vans.