Every year, it seems, automobile companies strive to make their minivans roomier and more powerful. But in a way, why bother? A minivan is for those who just want that: a small van. If you want a bigger, more powerful van, get a full size model, like GMC Savana. If cargo room is what you are after, the regular wheelbase 1500, 2500 and 3500 Series models offer 267.cu.ft of it aft of the front seats, and extended wheelbase like 316.8.cu.ft. That’s bigger than some downtown apartments. You want power? Okay, how about an available 8.1 liter V8 with 340 bhp and 455 lb.ft of torque? Or, let’s say you want to pull a trailer. The 3500 Series can tow up to 10,000 lb. nearly twice what the highest capacity minivan can pull. And when it comes to load carrying capacity, there’s simply no comparison. Even the 1500 Series passenger van has a gross vehicle rating of 7100 lb. while the big boy 3500 Series has a GVWR of 9500 lb. And did we mention the 3500 Series can carry up to 15 passengers?
That ought to make you popular with your car pooling pals. If hauling your family in comfort is your main concern, more than likely you will be interested in the Savana SLT package. The SLT is a regular wheelbase (135.0.in) 7 passenger van that comes standard with a 5.7 liter V8 producing 255 bhp and 330 lb.ft of torque, linked to the pavement by a 4 speed automatic transmission. Driver and front passenger seats are 6 way adjustable, and are accompanied by uplevel cloth second row captain’s chairs that are removable and interchangeable with the third bench seat.
