2018 Chevrolet City Express

The Chevrolet City Express is a small cargo van fundamentally badge-engineered from the Nissan NV200. It's a compact commercial vehicle that prioritizes work-time practicality above all else and is aimed at tradespeople and fleet operators that predominantly operate locally, with a payload capacity requirement of under 1,500 lbs. The front wheels of the City Express are powered by outputs of 131 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque, developed via a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and directed by a continuously variable automatic transmission. With an MSRP of $22,885 for the base LS trim and $23,715 for the better-equipped LT trim, the City Express is competitively priced; however, with rivals such as the Ford Transit Connect offering a greater selection of trim configurations, and the Ram ProMaster City offering more power and payload capacity, the City Express' fleeting appeal may be quickly dwindling.

The Chevrolet City Express is one of the more affordable work vans available on the market; the base LS trim is set with a budget-friendly MSRP of $22,885 and the LT trim, not even $1,000 more, with an MSRP of $23,715. That is excluding tax, registration and licensing fees and Chevrolets destination charge of $995. The Ram Promaster City has a lineup starting MSRP of $23,995, yet offers greater capability and a far better selection of standard vehicle features comparatively.

With casual driving styles, the City Express rides sedately and predictably, but because of its high center of gravity and tall ride height, it experiences a considerable amount of body roll through corners. Its boxy shape also renders it highly susceptible to crosswind interference; fortunately, while its steering effort is light at low speeds for easy maneuverability, it tightens up at higher speeds to aid control, making the corrections required easy. It has a pretty quick initial turn-in too, and a turning radius of 36.7 feet is admirable for the class. The brakes provide suitable stopping power in normal daily driving conditions, however, in some panic stop simulations the City Express's stopping distance proved poor - not a favorable outcome considering the van's purpose as a payload hauler which would make the braking performance even weaker. In terms of ride quality, the City Express is adequate for a work van. But with a full payload in the back, that ride quality deteriorates even further. When empty, the cavernous cargo bed can also be quite boomy during driving. Typical road undulations and minor road imperfections are otherwise reasonably well absorbed by the standard suspension.

The City Express is an average vehicle; a lot more is offered by many of its rivals in almost every regard. It does offer better fuel economy estimates than most rivals, but only to a marginal extent. Still, the power to fuel efficiency ratio from those rivals is far more suitable for work vans. There is also plenty of cargo room offered by the City Express with its versatile loading options, but again, many of its rivals offer not only more room but also more model configurations that offer various loading options from 180 degree rear doors to wagon-style liftgates. Those rivals also offer greater practicality having been rated for towing capabilities along with their better payload capacities. The City Express is truly bare-bones as well, featuring the minimum in comfort, conveniences, and safety too. There are many better options available on the market, and - although they may be slightly more expensive - they offer more of everything, and in more sensible trim line packages. It's no wonder that the City Express is a dying breed.

We recommend opting for the LT trim; although not much more feature-filled than the base LS trim, its the trim you'll have to go for if you want to tick the Technology Package box which includes the larger infotainment touchscreen and navigation system, as well as a USB port which could prove handy for charging devices. We also suggest including the Glass Package, which will help mitigate the City Express' severely limited rearward visibility by installing rear windows and a rearview mirror.

Prospective buyers can get their hands on a 2018 Ram Promaster City for only around $280 more than the City Express LT. It comes equipped with a more powerful 2.4-liter inline-four engine with peak outputs of 178 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, moving the Promaster City around much more competently than the 2.0-liter on the City Express. Not only does the Promaster City provide a greater payload capacity of 1,883 lbs in a larger 131.7 cubic foot cargo area, but it also manages a max tow capability of 2,000 lbs, while the City Express isn't rated for towing at all. The higher-level trims of the Promaster City also come standard with some appreciable features such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and upgraded cloth upholstery, all of which are not available to the City Express. The Promaster City is the better all-round work van and better value for money buy.

A base model Transit Connect will cost around $330 more than the base City Express LS. It comes equipped with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine that powers the front wheels with outputs of 169 hp and 171 lb-ft which lug the Transit Connect around a little easier than the City Express' 2.0-liter. It's only marginally less efficient with estimates of 20/27/23 mpg, but with the Transit Connect's larger fuel tank capacity of 15.8-gallons, it actually holds a slightly greater range on a full tank. It has a bit less cargo capacity, however, with only a 103.9 cubic feet available in the back. It's 1,470 lbs max payload capacity is also marginally poorer. The Transit Connect has, however, been rated with a max tow capability of 2,000 lbs and is offered in either cargo or passenger-van configurations with short-wheelbase or long-wheelbase versions and either a liftgate or 60/40 split rear doors. The Ford also comes standard with an appealing selection of features and driver-aids such as wireless phone charging and forward collision warning. The City Express may be more practical for its specific purpose, but the Transit Connect offers greater versatility and better bang for your buck.