Background: Earlier this decade, General Motors introduced a trio of minivans designed to do battle against Chrysler Corp's market-share leading stable of minivans. In the mid 1980s, Chrysler virtually invented the front-wheel drive, people-hauling minivan segment with the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. But GM's first foray flopped. The buying public turned away GM's long snooted, plastic fenders offerings during the heyday of minivan sales while embracing many of its competitor's products. In 1997, GM learned its lesson by introducing a more conservatively styled minivan trio consisting of the Pontiac Trans Sport, Chevrolet Venture and Oldsmobile Silhouette; each appealing to a slightly different market segment. The Pontiac Trans Sport, our test-drive vehicle this week, is the most stylish and sporty looking of the three although mechanically, the three are virtually identical. GM's minivan trio comes in regular (112-inch wheelbase) and extended length (120-inch wheelbase) versions. Chrysler also offers two wheelbase options. Ford Motor Co.'s Windstar minivan is marketed in one extended wheelbase length only. General Motors assembles its trio of front-wheel drive minivans at its Doraville, Ga. assembly plant.
New for 1998: Since Trans Sport received a major work over last year, only minor revisions are included this time around. Dual sliding doors are now available on regular-wheelbase editions. A power sliding rear side door is also available in the shorter edition.
Exterior: Three different exterior designs are offered: extended wheelbase with two sliding doors standard, regular wheel base with one sliding door and regular wheelbase with two sliding doors. Power sliding rear doors are optional in both lengths. The exterior is now all steel, rather than plastic body panels. Fog lights come standard and the radio antenna is mounted inside the front windshield The left-side gas tank fuel door does not lock, but includes a tethered cap. Luggage racks are optional. Trans Sports 40-square-inch outside mirrors are the largest in its class. The back hatch, hinged at the top, opens up as one unit. A temporary spare tire stows under the vehicle.
Trim levels: Trans Sport is available in the upscale Montana sports package including a two-tone paint scheme, self-sealing touring tires, aluminum wheels, luggage rack, traction control and firmer suspension. Both regular and extended Trans Sport offer the Montana option.
Safety features: Seat-mounted, side impact airbags and reduced-force front and passenger air bags are new this model year. Daytime running lights, child safety rear door locks and four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard too. Traction control is optional. Trans Sport also features a 'limp home' function enabling it to continue operation for a limited distance following the unlikely event of a total coolant loss. Self-sealing tires, with special sealants inside designed to plug a small tire puncture, are optional. General Motor's minivan trio is also the first to offer two integrated child safety seats. A keyless remote entry system is optional.
Engine: The lone powertrain in all three GM minivans is a six-cylinder, 3.4-liter engine delivering 180 horsepower. In contrast, Chrysler offers one four-cylinder engine and two six-cylinder engines in Voyager and Caravan.
Price: Our white, extended wheelbase Trans Sport test-drive vehicle had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $22,380. With options including the Montana package, power windows, rear defogger, overhead console and eight-passenger seating, the bottom line added up to $27,455, including a $570 destination charge. The lowest priced Trans Sport, a regular-wheelbase, three-door edition, starts at $20,840. A four-door regular wheelbase model starts at $22,380.
Standard equipment: Automatic transmission, front air conditioning, intermittent wipers, tilt steering wheel, rear windshield wipers, rack-and-pinion steering, rear-window defogger all come standard.
Optional equipment: Rear window defoggers, power windows, power door locks, six-way power driver's seat and secondary steering wheel audio controls fall into the option category. Most options are available in grouped packages.
Interior: Our test-drive Trans Sport had an aisle between the front bucket seats and a floor council storage bin and compact disc player under the dashboard. A dashboard dial left of the steering wheel controlled headlights. The transmission gear shifter is mounted on the steering wheel and windshield wipers and cruise control functions operate from the turn signal stalk. Three large, easy-to-grab dials control temperature, fan speed and direction. Ventilation dials are placed below the stereo system with large, preset buttons. Our van featured secondary volume and radio frequency buttons on the steering wheel. The digital clock display is part of the radio frequency. Also included in our extended-length Trans Sport was a ceiling caddie capable of housing sunglasses and garage door openers. Dual front cupholders fold down from the side of the passenger's bucket seat. Several other beverage holders are interspersed throughout the van. At night, the dashboard illuminates with bright red backlighting, like most Pontiac vehicles. Second-row riders can plug their own headphones into a ceiling jack and listen to their own brand of music.
Seating comfort: Seven-passenger seating comes standard and eight-passenger seating is optional. Eight-passenger seating includes two bucket seats in front, three bucket seats in the second row and a 50/50 split modular bench in back. Trans Sport offers a total of five different seating configurations. Our test-drive model, with an eight-seat capacity, included a second row of three bucket seats. Cloth seats are standard fare and six-way adjustable power seats come optional. Maneuvering into the third row necessitates folding the second-row seat back down, and manually moving this seat forward. The GM minivan trio have a very low step-in design, which makes getting in and out a breeze. It's a step down motion rather than a step up design.
Dimensions: (extended version) Wheelbase: 120 inches Height: 68.1 inches Length: 201.3 inches Width: 72.7 inches Front headroom: 39.9 inches Curb weight: 3,942 pounds
Fuel economy: Since one powertrain comes standard in both regular and extended-length Trans Sports, fuel estimates are also identical. Trans Sport averages 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 m.p.g. highway, about average for a six-cylinder minivan. Extended wheelbase models holds 25 gallons of unleaded regular fuel while regular-length editions hold 20 gallons.
Target audience: Ninety percent of Trans sport shoppers are married with an average household income of $65,0000 according to Pontiac. With a median age of 42, 50 percent are professionals and 50 percent college graduates. Pontiac estimates a 50/50 split of male and female purchasers.
Final thoughts: Sales of GM's three minivan offerings have increased substantially since the 1997 model year redesign, but continue trailing Chrysler, the industry leader. Minivan sales, in general, have slowed a bit, but the selection is greater than ever. Increased competition has stabilized prices and increased incentive programs. Still, automakers continue making profits from minivans. Good road-hugging suspension keeps body sway at a minimum when maneuvering sharp corners. |