2003 Express Van Really Improved

Our local Chevrolet dealer invited us to take a new 2003 all wheel drive Express Van for the weekend. We currently have a 2000 all wheel drive Astro Van that we use as both a floral delivery vehicle and personnel vehicle for vacations, etc. We where thinking about moving up to a full size van. Our current Astro Van has LS trim, 8 passenger, rear AC, and in general is pretty well loaded with other options. We wanted the new Express Van to be equipped about the same, which for the most part this one was.

We never got to drive the Express long enough to get used to the bigger and much longer size but I don’t think it would take very long. I think I could get used to a much roomier van. There was plenty of legroom in the front, especially on the passenger side and even the back seats had plenty of legroom for our teen-age kids. Just as our Astro, the Express was an 8 passenger but the big difference was there was much more room behind the back seat (I assume if you move up to a ¾ ton you get another seat). The seats look like they would be very easy to remove if you need to.

It drives like a dream. There is plenty of power and the four-wheel disk brakes stop very smooth and straight. It handled really good on our local two lanes, snake like roads. And on the open highway there was plenty of power to spare. I like the way the new Express is designed similar to the Silvered pickups. I also really liked the left side rear door, a real convenience. And the rear panel doors will swing open 180 degrees, which would make it really easy to load large items such as furniture. On the Astro you have to unlatch the doors to do this.

Now for the con’s. As I said, we wanted the Express to be equipped similar to the Astro and here is where it falls short. There are no storage compartments over the rear wheel wells and the rear seat backs don’t fold down. We have gotten used to these features on the Astro. We fold down the rear seats and sometimes stack stuff on top of them. And the rear storage compartments are always used to store small items that we don’t want rolling all over the van. There is no assist handle on the passenger side of the Express and this makes it really hard to get in, as the Express is somewhat taller than the Astro. I also noticed that the front doors do not open wide enough. With the LS trim you get some rather large, hard plastic, pockets on the door and I was constantly getting my leg stuck against them when I exited the van. There is also no twilight sentinel on the headlights, which almost every other GM vehicle has. The van is also not trimmed out as nice as the Astro. I would expect the LS package to add more carpeting on the front and side door panels but they are left all plastic.

All in all GM has done a very good job redesigning the Express but they need to put more Astro like features on it if they expect to attract current Astro owners. Because of these missing features I think we will wait a couple of years before we move up. Maybe GM will get their act together by then.

Aug. 8, 2003
I was reading a press release and Chevrolet has added assist handles on the passanger side for 2004,