I've Owned and Rented Many Different Vans

Many owners of Vans become rigidly loyal to a single manufacturer. I have always liked to experiment because I have had the luxury of buying so many different vans due to my owning 4-5 vehicles at a time. Just like most products, there are trade-offs, benefits, and detriments to each van.

TRADE-OFFS:

#1. The Dodge vans have small windows that seem like portholes while the Ford Cargo vans have so much glass in the windshield, you feel like you are exposed to the world on a stage! So much glass on bright, hot days is uncomfortable.

#2. While the Chevy vans have a thick, rubber mat in the rear cargo area which cushions your knees when you have have kneel or crawl around to reach for something but this mat is so soft, it becomes easily torn, slit, or shreded with even normal, careful use! Some of the benefits of a rubber mat on cargo floor are to inhibit objects from sliding around while you drive and mats solve the problem of unsightly scratched paint on the floor. Conversely, the friction afforded by rubber mat prevents you from easily sliding heavy objects in and out of the rear cargo doors even with the use of a towel or blanket as a sliding aid.

#3. The Chevy cargo vans are criticized by most observers to be unattractive on the outside (especially from the back perspective) as where almost everyone sees the Fords as better-looking. However, the Chevy vans are definitely much better-looking on the inside compared to the ugly "honeycomb" cut-out patterns which Ford persists in doing to their inside metal walls.

#4. The rear view mirrors on the Ford are the better than Chevy's for looking into, but they seem to bump into things more often.

#5. Make certain you study and compare the dashboard layouts, center consoles, and the storage bins/compartments to see which van has the best for your needs. Ford has the worst design but I prefer it to Dodge's or Chevy's.

#6. An engine which is larger in size, is 8-cylinder, or is higher in Horse Power or Torque costs more to buy and costs more in gas mileage but it engenders greater safety in 3 ways; 1)It reduces the relative risk of vans tipping over during fast turns since vans are top-heavy. 2) It enables you to accelerate out of "harms way" when you are in danger on the highway since vans are heavy with inertia. #3) A bigger engine can add much more weight beyond a smaller engine than you would expect and all of the honest and smart Auto Safety experts have to admit that the vehicles with the most mass, weight, width, height and length are still safer. So these trade-offs force you to decide between cost and safety not to mention the tremendous amount of driving pleasure afforded by the more powerful engine!

#7.There are pros and cons to the sliding door versus the side-by-side "barn doors" on the side of the van. The sliding cargo door on the side may look more attractive to some folks. More importantly, if you happen to be parked in a narrow parking spot due to dumb drivers who do not notice how wide vans are, it enables you to load and unload groceries and things (which sometimes slide or roll around). When you open up barn type doors in a narrow parking spot, you get trapped between them ... besides the fact they cannot open all the way. This is when you will wish you had selected the Sliding Door instead. Why do you think we experienced Van owners choose them? They open and close just as easily. But they make more noise and you always feel it might cut off your dog's tail someday.

#8) Too many windows slightly increases risk of break-ins by thieves who see something you thought you hid well under the black blanket in the back at night. But if you do not get the extra window on the right side behind the passenger's window, you will eventually regret it. If you do not believe this, please test drive a van with no windows in the cargo area and try parking and unparking in heavy traffic at a supermarket lot. You will discover you cannot even use convex mirrors to see oncoming cars from the right side. You think you can see everything but remember they are backing out too.

The Bottom Line of the Best Vans:

#1. Ford Econoline is BEST ranked due to its superior crash test results, better rubber mat in back, better mirrors, more fun to drive, better visibility due to more glass, better exterior looks, faster acceleration, best resale prices, sturdier parts and design, and it is roomier.

#2) Chevrolet Express is ranked #2 due to its slightly lower price, door hinges which always allow doors to swing more widely open with having to be fiddled with, and better exterior looks.

#3)Dodge Vans ranks last because they are smaller, small windows make you feel like you are in a tent, worse frequency of repair record, slower, fewer places you can go for repair at dealers, lowest resale prices are less attractive.