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Truck Trend's 2012 Best In Class: Passenger Van
From the June, 2012 issue of Truck Trend
By The Editors of Truck Trend
Full-size: Nissan NV
Minivan: Ford Transit Connect This was a tough decision to make. The full-size van voting came down to two top contenders, the NV and the Sprinter. The NV is the better value, but doesn't have a diesel and its V-8 gets poor fuel economy. The Sprinter is expensive and has fewer passenger van options, but has a diesel. The NV wins it for value and choices -- you can get a V-6 or V-8, 1500, 2500, or 3500, and you can tow up to 9500 pounds with it. The "minivan" winner is the Ford Transit Connect, which is more miniature van than minivan. It's built for work and has a payload capacity of 1600 pounds. Things will get interesting when the Nissan NV200 and Ford Transit go on sale.
| PASSENGER van |
| Vehicle | Chevrolet Express/ GMC Savana | Chrysler Town & Country | Dodge Grand Caravan | Ford E-Series |
| Base price | $29,935/$29,935 | $30,930 | $21,430 | $29,165 |
| Wheelbase | 135.0-155.0 in | 121.2 in | 121.2 in | 138.0 in |
| Engine | 5.3L OHV V-8 | 3.6L DOHC V-6 | 3.6L DOHC V-6 | 4.6L SOHC V-8 |
| Opt engines | 6.0L V-8 $1890; 6.6L TD V-8 $17,585 | None | None | 5.4L V-8 $3475; 6.8L V-10 $3895 |
| Power, SAE | 280 hp (310, 323, 260) | 283 hp | 283 hp | 225 hp (255,305) |
| Torque, SAE | 296 lb-ft (334, 373, 525) | 260 lb-ft | 260 lb-ft | 286 lb-ft (350,420) |
| Airbags | Front | Fr, side, f/r curt | Fr, side, f/r curt | Front |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 245/70R17 | 235/60R16 | 235/60R16 | 225/75R16 |
| Fuel cap | 31.0 gal | 20.0 gal | 20.0 gal | 35.0 gal |
| Fuel econ, city/hwy | 13/17 mpg (11/16,N/A) | 17/25 mpg | 17/25 mpg | N/A |
| Seating cap | 15 | 7 | 7 | 15 |
| Curb weight | 5226 lb | 4652 lb | 4510 lb | 5750 lb |
| Payload | 3461 lb | 1400 lb | 1540 lb | 2825 lb |
| Cargo cap | 216.2-252.9 cu ft | 143.8 cu ft | 143.8 cu ft | 256.5 cu ft |
| Vehicle | Ford Transit Connect | Honda Odyssey | Kia Sedona | Mercedes-Benz R-Class |
| Base price | $23,855 | $28,580 | $25,390 | $51,115 |
| Wheelbase | 114.6 in | 118.1 in | 118.9 in | 126.6 in |
| Engine | 2.0L DOHC I-4 | 3.5L SOHC V-6 | 3.5L DOHC V-6 | 3.5L DOHC V-6 |
| Opt engines | None | None | None | 3.0L TD V-6 $1500 |
| Power, SAE | 136 hp | 248 hp | 271 hp | 302 hp (210) |
| Torque, SAE | 128 lb-ft | 250 lb-ft | 248 lb-ft | 273 lb-ft (400) |
| Airbags | Front | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/drum, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 205/65R15 | 235/65R17 | 225/70R16 | 255/50R19 |
| Fuel cap | 15.4 gal | 21.0 gal | 21.1 gal | 21.1 gal |
| Fuel econ, city/hwy | 22/27 mpg | 18-19/27-28 mpg | 18/25 mpg | 15/19 mpg (18/24) |
| Seating cap | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Curb weight | 3400 lb | 4337 lb | 4374 lb | 4960 lb |
| Payload | 1600 lb | 1500 lb | 1532 lb | 1635 lb |
| Cargo cap | 129.6 cu ft | 148.5 cu ft | 141.5 cu ft | 87.3 cu ft |
| Vehicle | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | Nissan NV | Nissan Quest | Toyota Sienna |
| Base price | $40,800 | $25,930 | $28,560 | $25,370 |
| Wheelbase | 144.3, 170.3 in | 146.1 in | 118.1 in | 119.3 in |
| Engine | 3.0L DOHC TD V-6 | 4.0L DOHC V-6 | 3.5L DOHC V-6 | 2.7L DOHC I-4 |
| Opt engines | None | 5.6L V-8 $1900 | None | 3.5L V-6 $1240 |
| Power, SAE | 188 hp | 261 hp (317) | 260 hp | 187 hp (265) |
| Torque, SAE | 325 lb-ft | 281 lb-ft (385) | 240 lb-ft | 186 lb-ft (245) |
| Airbags | Front | Front | Fr, side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 245/75R16 | 245/70R17 | 225/65R16 | 235/60R17 |
| Fuel cap | 26.4 gal | 28.0 gal | 20.0 gal | 20.0 gal |
| Fuel econ, city/hwy | N/A | N/A | 19/24 mpg | 19/24 mpg (17-18/23-25) |
| Seating cap | 12 | 12 | 7 | 8 |
| Curb weight | 5700 lb | 3049 lb | 4371 lb | 4275 lb |
| Payload | 2840 lb | 3925 lb | 1451 lb | 1660 lb |
| Cargo cap | 141.3-187.2 cu ft | 323.1 cu ft | 108.4 cu ft | 117.8 cu ft |
| Vehicle | Volkswagen Routan |
| Base price | $27,750 |
| Wheelbase | 121.2 in |
| Engine | 3.6L DOHC V-6 |
| Opt engines | None |
| Power, SAE | 283 hp |
| Torque, SAE | 260 lb-ft |
| Airbags | Fr,side,curt,knee |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 225/65R16 |
| Fuel cap | 20.0 gal |
| Fuel econ, city/hwy | 17/25 mpg |
| Seating cap | 7 |
| Curb weight | 4494 lb |
| Payload | 1200 lb |
| Cargo cap | 144.4 cu ft |
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