Usually, Cold Start is a place where I reveal absolutely universe-rending thoughts and concepts, the sort of things that, I imagine, many academics take and build entire careers from. I mean, I don’t have any actual evidence that this is true, but I, know, have my suspicions. This time, though, is going to be a bit different, because today’s Cold Start is just going to be delivering one crucial piece of information, a bit of information that is absolutely crucial for that very specific segment of the population that needs it.
Here’s what that bit of information is: there seems to be only one new mass-market car available for sale in America here in the year of someone’s lord, 2024, that has no LCD screens. No center-stack infotainment screens, no touch screens, no controls contained on a touch-screen interface. What is that car?
A GMC Savana. Okay, it’s a van, not strictly a car, but you get the idea.
There’s no LCD screens on that dash. Just look!
Sure, the radio has a monochrome dot-matrix display, it looks like a vacuum-fluorescent one, but that’s hardly what we think of as a modern touch screen, the kind that we now expect on pretty much anything. This Savana dash could be from the late 1990s!
Even the cheapest car you can currently buy in America, the Mitsubishi Mirage, starting at a still-reasonable $16,695, has a center-stack touch screen. Look:
The Savana starts at almost $50 grand, and it doesn’t have LCD screen one on that dash. It’s incredible.
So if you’re really, genuinely sick of the tyranny of touchscreens, if you can’t bear the thought of perversions such as touchscreen-based glove box latches, if you just want nothing to do with this blighted era of human-automobile interaction, and you need a new car, now, then you really just have one choice. A GMC Savana.
It’s one of the oldest platforms still being built and sold, but it’s a reliable workhorse and it’ll get your ass from Point A to Point whatever letter you feel like, along with 11 of your bestest friends! And all without a screen on that dash.
You could also look at the Savana as an embarassingly outdated and overpriced machine, still being sold, cynically, but that’s no fun at all. Besides, if you want to be pissed at GMC for something, you can be pissed that they sell crappy license plate frames for $40 and more:
Who is paying $40 for a plastic GMC license plate? You could probably get a plastic plate with an airbrushed wizard or some kind of warrior princess with an absurdly skimpy armored outfit on it for that price, available at participating state fairs and swap meets.
But still – a dash with no big touchscreen! In 2024! It’s a motherflapping miracle.
As someone who drives a 2020 Savana (previously a 2014, and a 1998) commercially, it’s pretty funny reading all the stories in the comments here about how nice it is that there’s still someplace you can experience The Good Old Days™.
Blower resistors that burn out. Brake light bulbs that last five or six months. Volume knobs where the probability of increasing or decreasing the volume gradually approaches 50% regardless of which direction you turn it. Seats crowded into the doors, trip computer buttons that stop working until you smack the dash. Knobs that fall off that “perfect” 3-knob HVAC, seals that go bad in the vacuum-operated vent controls, vacuum lines under the doghouse that go bad and turn off all the vents. Mediocre seats jammed into the doors, a glove box that never latches, doors that open exactly 45° and then bounce off a stop and smack you in the ass. A 14mpg, 6-liter V8 that’s tuned to bog the crap out of itself whenever it’s over 75 or 80 degrees outside. And so. Much. Noise.
My family has two GM products as personal cars (’18 Camaro, ’24 Trax) and every conceivable aspect of both of them is worlds better than the Express ever was. I also put about 50k on a 2018 Transit 150 and it was just as much of an improvement over the Savana as the Savana was over the Econoline (may those odious machines rust in pieces). To paraphrase someone speaking on another GM product: the GM van twins are not a piece of history, they’re just a piece of shit.
It’s a shame Toyota never entered this space with the HiAce.
The Hiace is weaker in terms of towing than the Express is…and also has worse crash resistance, if you are referring to the generation before 2019….
You forgot the death wobble front end after 50,000 miles because the ball joints and drag link are worn out prematurely even after greasing at 5000 mile intervals.Put new parts in ,align front end ,rinse and repeat.
Similar issue exists with the E series- these vans have IFS, so I doubt they get DW UNLESS THEY ARE WORN OUT….
Edit- I believe the issue is with certain model years AND ALSO, converted 4×4 vans as well….
People were really reluctant to spend $3k on non-ruined spindles plus install on a van that could be purchased for $5K
Then tell me WHY they are used as ambulances?
For awhile the only real choices were an Econoline or an Express. Today I see more truck based ambulances around my area than van based.
BTW, I own a 2011 Express 4500 Ambulance. Doing any work under the hood is a major pain and tracking vacuum lines is a nightmare. (I’ve had plenty of experience with that in my 2004 Astro – both Evap and A/C related rubber lines that turn to powder over time)
That should be the same with the Econoline. The OHC engine is also not easy to work on….
In Qatar, Econolines are not as common or used as much as the Express…
It is the same. My family drove a series of E150’s from the early 80’s to the early 00’s. I learned to drive in one and learned to wrench on one.
But again, today ambulance fleets – at least in the USA – are steadily moving to truck chassis instead of vans. They are also switching to gasoline from diesel.
As an added bonus you get HVAC vents that are adjustable by hand.
Glorious.
a thing of beauty.
No LCD screen. Sign me up.
Mmm the Chevy Express/GMC Savana, perfect from the start and no need to change them. It’s a very Russian approach to building cars.
And yet, it still has OnStar – who the hell uses OnStar in the Gregorian 2024th year of the Common Era?
People who like rolling thier Cadillac to the very bottom of the ditch.
When I sold cars customers loved those free, plastic license plate frames with the dealer name on them. They would actually call me weeks after buying a car asking for more of them. I gave away tons of them with the dealerships blessings. I never understood why they would want to advertise for us, but I guess free stuff is free stuff.
A family friend always insisted on a free hat anytime he purchased a car. It was like a deal breaker for him.
That, I do not understand. Whenever I buy a vehicle, I can’t wait to throw away the license plate frames, the badge, the decal from CarMax—anything that would constitute advertising. I even look askance at the name of the brand and model, but ultimately those are too hard to remove.
If you want me to advertise your dealership, you gotta pay me to do it.
Same here. When I bought my first new vehicle I very clearly told the salesman that they needed to remove the decal on the back with the dealerships name. He said “Why?”. I said “If you want to give me a discount or pay a monthly fee I’ll be happy advertise for you. Otherwise remove the dealership name from my truck” He said OK, and they took it off. Then as we were doing the final paperwork they took it around back again and put another sticker on it. They brought it back out, I did a walk around, saw the decal and said if that sticker isn’t off in 10 minutes I”m walking. The sticker came off.
When I worked in parts, we’d always swap our frame for the cross-town competitor’s frame on their delivery van.
Knew exactly what this was as soon as I saw the topshot. The HVAC controls are above the radio instead of below, but both are a dead ringer for those in my 2007 Silverado.
Late to the party, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer again to pay the Autopian for a crappy license plate frame.
Man, same radio (albeit a different color) as my ’07 Saturn Ion.
I thought that back-up cameras have been mandated for close to the last decade. Is it elsewhere – in the mirror, maybe – or does the Savana get away with not having one as a commercial vehicle?
That’s my question too.
I know some manufacturers put them in the rear view mirrors as a stop gap until the dashboards were redesigned. However, since it looks like the Savana has a standard double-DIN headunit that could easily be swapped with a cheap LCD unit if GMC desired, I’m going to guess commercial vehicles are exempt from the back up camera restriction, and the fact that the Savana is offered as a cut-away vehicle may also have something to do with it.
You can get beeping reverse assist radar though.
It is indeed in the mirror.
Back-up cameras are mandated on vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less. That still includes the 2500 and 3500 Express vans but the cutaways are over the limit and don’t have to have them.
For the vans Chevy puts the screen in the rear view mirror.
At least you know it’ll still work in 10 years, unlike any modern interior. And if it does fail, you throw in a double DIN and you’re set.
I’d love one of these for a 4WD conversion. For some reason most people do Ford vans (I’m wondering if the chassis is more adaptable to the conversion), but IMO these have much better engines. I recently met a guy with a badass 4WD converted E250 adventure van, but was let down when I found out it had a 5.4L.
I had the exact same thought when I was reading this. HUGE untapped market! All parts bin nothing engineering too. I won’t touch a Ford, but I’ve owned a few Chevies.
Both Quigley – https://www.quigley4x4.com/products/gm/ – and Advanced – https://advanced4x4vans.com/4×4-van/gm-4×4-van-conversion/ – have been doing them for years. Some GM dealers even keep a few new ones in stock – https://www.weberchevrolet.com/4×4-work-vans.html
More things are shared between the E-Series and F-Series in the front end so it’s an easier conversion. Which is unfortunate because the GM vans have a much more preferable powertrain. Doesn’t mean the 4WD conversion isn’t possible (companies do it) but it gets real pricey real quick.
E-series only ever got the 2v 5.4l. You know, the least-bad one! (But seriously…)
My family had one new from 1999 up til the mid teens or so. Made it to 240,000 without engine problems
Ford sold the transit in rwd and fwd for a long time. Dunno how the US transit has changed from the Europe one.
On the website right now you can order it in RWD or AWD.
You can have the custom in Europe and the US one in AWD.
The only reason is because the 5.4L engine in theory is not as simple as the engines the Chevrolet Express uses…..but due to the layout, working on BOTH IS going to be a chore for a beginner- unless you are a van mechanic…
It’s beautiful. No backup cameras required on these?
The backup camera is in the rear-view mirror.
Fancy!
Well, that’s technically a screen, isn’t it?
Not in the dashboard . . .
It’s definitely not an LCD touch screen.
Cargo vans more than any other vehicle would benefit from a backup camera.
I recently picked up a used ’23 Transit 250 high roof extended wheelbase extra body length with the window delete for work. It has a rear camera but seems to be a fisheye lens. I get why, the vehicle is massive and it gives you a wider viewpoint, but it’s so trippy and I hate it.
Actually, I just went to the configurator. Rear-view mirror showing backup camera is a $675 option.
By default, they don’t come with them. Pretty sure it’s because they’re commercial.
Separately, I am relieved to see that Bluetooth is an optional add-on and also a keyless entry module.
I’m surprised but, on reflection, maybe not. They’re required on all new cars sold here, so if they’re not standard on a van it’s because the GVWR is above 6000. I buy Transits for work and we require them.
That’s the best, least distracting interior I’ve seen on a new vehicle in years. I love it…minimalism is functionality on the blue-collar end of the spectrum, rather than the fussy, piano black “minimalism” luxury cars fantasize about.
I love that the Express and Savana are basically just printing money for GM. I’m not a GM fanboy (except for GMT400s) but the Express is clearly a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
And to GM’s credit, they haven’t. It’s still the #3 best-selling van in the US, which doesn’t sound great, but for an almost 30-year-old new vehicle that’s pretty stellar. Last I heard the Express was no longer getting cancelled in ‘26, which means it thankfully make it past year 30 of the platform. I think it would be in the Autopian’s wheelhouse to host a 30th birthday party for the Express when that momentous occasion rolls around.
I’m actually kind of curious if any auto news places reach out and (like me) would be so excited and eager for some kind of 30th celebration while GM’s marketing guys might be like “oh dear god, no, don’t draw attention to it“
I haven’t driven one of these in 15 years. Looking at the pictures I know I could get in a brand new one and have the muscle memory to never have to look away from the road to change the radio station, turn on wipers, adjust the hvac, or set the cruise control.
That’s actually my favorite part of this particular setup…not the lack of a screen, but that it has HVAC, not “climate”, controls (as you subtly point out).
The 3 dial setup is such an amazing example of functional beauty – nobody needs to have their tiny motorized room set to a particular temperature, they just need it at their comfort level in any given situation.
And to be able to get there on the go without much more than a quick glance at things speaks to its near perfection for its intended job.
The beauty of a well designed system is that you can still have the simple 3-dial setup *and* climate control. Mazda used to do this – the three dials had a button in each circle. One was for A/C, one for demister, and one for ‘Auto’, which would override the fan speed and direction dials. So simple, so clever.
Having said that – in my overly touch screeny Polestar – climate control works pretty damn well. And thankfully it has buttons for the two most important things – demister front and rear. But I’d still rather a dial for temp and button for the heated seat…
Gonna be really sad when they stop making these things for the 2026 model year or whatever they said (or was that just a rumor?)
I’ve been waiting for the right weekend to ask local dealerships if they have one with the 6.6l L8T for me to give it a test drive…
I imagine that plus 8 gears feels just a teeny bit different than a 4.6l Triton with 4 gears.
Both should feel much the same from my experience. 4.6 starts with torque and both engines end with f all for hp. The 4.6 w 6spd isn’t faster than the lower hp 4.6 w 5spd. So my personal experience is big blocks dont care if they find an extra ton. But won’t be fast.
The GMC Savana/Chevrolet Express is the reason why I can still get the BCM, Ambient light sensor (for my automatic headlights) and Ultrasonic Parking Sensors for my 18 year old Buick Lucerne brand new from GM. (Of course nearly all of the bespoke parts to the Lucerne/DTS are discontinued)
Can we talk about how bright the interiors are of cars now? At least this WAY too expensive van won’t blind you while driving. I miss the night mode on my Saab 9-5 wagon. Now it looks like every car is lit up inside and someone’s dad is going to yell about putting on the interior light.
And the license plates cover thingies? Hilarious.
Totally. My cars are all old enough to not have screens, but even then, I have the backlighting turned way down, almost to the minimum. I’m amazed at the sheer people who ride around with them jacked up as high as they go.
I mean, I regularly dim the interior of my Prius, and once I’m on a reasonably uncrowded highway at night with cruise on, the bottom of the dimmer shuts off the vast majority of the lights and indicators.
It really is silly, and is another one of the reasons why my “new” car will be 21 in January.
I wouldn’t mind so much if they hadn’t gone and hidden the setting to adjust the interior lighting 7 levels deep in a touchscreen!
2012 and 2017 Prii have night mode!
In night mode only a few “lights” stay dimly lit like the mph #s
And on the 2017 you can turn off the big iPad in the dash entirely too*!
100% the 1st time I used “night mode” on the 2017 it made me think of Saab
I went to the Phoenix Car Show over the weekend, and saw a Ford Transit work van, white, empty, tall 15 passenger size. Nothing but a powertrain and a box on top. The plastic shelf above the driver’s head was so flimsy I could pull it up and down over an inch. $61K!!! OVER SIXTY THOUSAND WTF PEOPLE
They aren’t cheap but the one you saw must have a had a few options. High Roof Transits (T-150) start at ~$51k but you could easily get to $61k with a few options that might not be readily apparent like upgrading to T-250, 3.5L ecoboost, AWD, dual alternators and tow package.
For what it’s worth, they’ve proven to be relatively durable and well built machines.
The N/A engines are more durable than the Ecoboosts on these…
I’ve driven both and haven’t seen any issues with the Ecoboosts. Early Ecoboosts had some growing pains but these days they’re pretty durable. I’d go NA too on a budget but the power on the Ecoboost is pretty excellent!
The Government hospital here in Qatar uses Ford Transits as well. All of them replaced the Sprinters they were using before…
Easier to give big discounts if you can make a profit at 50%.