2023 GMC Savana Passenger Van

The new 2023 GMC Savana Passenger Van is, in fact, as old as the hills and comes into its 27th model year essentially unchanged. It's survived five US administrations and, along with its Chevy Express stablemate, has become the face of American vans, so ubiquitous is it on the streets and in movies since the 90s. But GMC Savana Passenger Van competitors such as the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and Ram Promaster passenger vans are all a lot more modern and safer while being available in more body configurations. After the latest round of price increases, the GM twins' value proposition has also been watered down significantly. Will buyers finally forsake this die-hard body-on-frame van, or will its reputation for toughness and dependability keep sales strong in its twilight years? Whatever the outcome may be, there's no doubt that this old timer is well beyond its sell-by date and that no significant improvements are planned before it's put out to pasture.

They're how much more expensive? Yes, the headline news is that the increase in the 2023 GMC Savana Passenger Van's price is between $5,000 and $6,000 for all trim levels in the range. Prices are now starting at $42,300 for the cheapest 2500 Regular Wheelbase LS trim, as opposed to $37,200 last year. The 2500 Regular Wheelbase will cost you $44,400 in LT trim. The 3500 models start with the 3500 Regular Wheelbase LS at $43,500 and its LT derivative at $45,200. The 3500 Extended Wheelbase LS has a price of $44,300 and its LT derivative has a price of $46,000. These are the MSRPs for the GMC Savana Passenger Van and they exclude the destination fee of $1,795.

Compared to modern rivals, the GMC Savana is unrefined, crude, and noisy. It's the only van in its class still riding on a truck-derived ladder-frame chassis and it's rough and ready, with a harsh unladen ride and plenty of noise and vibration entering the cabin at speed. The steering is light and it's easy to drive in town and on the delivery run, but it wanders at highway speeds, requiring constant steering corrections. It's susceptible to the effects of crosswinds too, which will set it waltzing instead of tracking straight, exacerbated by the vague steering feel. It becomes more compliant with a load on board, but in terms of ride and handling, you could never compare it to a car, or to any of its more composed and refined rivals. It's made to work and it does that extremely well though, with strong payload and towing credentials.

The GMC Savana Passenger Van can only be described as a good van if you consider it within the ambit of its abilities and strengths, which is to say you'll have to take a very narrow view of it. Want a tough-as-nails van with body-on-frame construction that will soldier on, year in and year out, while hauling and towing without breaking a sweat? Then the GMC Savana is just the van for you. It's uncompromisingly utilitarian and makes no pretensions of civility, efficiency, or refinement. Work is first, and comfort is last - and the fact that it endures after all these years shows that there are still plenty of Americans out there who appreciate it for sticking to its original design brief, and for its honest-to-goodness toughness. There's also something to be said for the sense of familiarity that seeing so many of them on the roads provides. If you want comfort, safety, luxury, and features, opt for one of its modern rivals. The outdated van used to have value on their side, but in view of 2023's steep price increases, it's now becoming increasingly difficult to recommend.

There isn't a right or wrong trim to buy, as the passenger capacity and factors such as the towing capacity will depend on what you want to use it for. You'll already know how many people it needs to transport, so let's just add that if you want to tow heavy rigs with it, you should skip the V6 and go straight for the V8. Given the dearth of safety features on the LS, we'd either add the Safety package, which already includes the V8 engine, but also adds OnStar, blind-spot monitoring, and rear parking sensors - or opt for the LT instead.