Best Used GMC Minivan - Safari

When minivans rose to prominence in the mid-1980’s, the reaction from automobile manufacturers was swift. Companies as diverse as Ford and Toyota did their best to put a vehicle into showrooms that could be tagged with the minivan moniker and take advantage of the rising sales figures that were sweeping the United States. In some cases, automakers were able to hit the nail squarely on the head, as Ford did with their Aerostar, and capture the same spirit as the vans from Plymouth and Dodge which had started the craze. Other efforts seemed to trigger more questions than they answered, such as the strange Toyota Van which appeared to be aimed at consumers interested in an off-road people mover that featured an optional ice machine.

Not all companies were agile enough to come up with a competitor in an entirely new class of vehicle overnight. General Motors had long employed their GMC brand as primarily a purveyor of trucks, but they saw in the minivan market an opportunity for the company to expand its consumer base. By combining chassis and suspension components from Chevrolet’s full-size station wagons and GMC’s own pickups, in 1985 the company was able to create a van that resembled a combination of a full-size cargo vehicle and a mid-size passenger carrier. Named the GMC Safari, it would bear the GMC flag onto the minivan battlefield for the next two decades, and for several years team up with the Chevrolet Astro to serve as the only minivans for sale by GM.

At first, the GMC Safari was rear-wheel drive only, but it gradually grew to offer all-wheel drive in an era where vans were almost all exclusively front-pullers. This was merely one of the many features which served to set the Safari apart from the standard minivan. The vehicle’s upright styling did not change even as vans became more aerodynamic throughout the 1990’s, and the decision to mount the engine between the front two seats instead of horizontally across the front of the vehicle’s snub nose was also unusual. The Safari was capable of towing over 5,000 lbs thanks to its strong truck-derived chassis, which served to place it at the top of the list when it came to minivan hauling, making it a popular choice amongst those who regularly went camping or needed to tow ATV’s. This article briefly describes the best used minivan available from GMC in order to help buyer’s decide if it presents the qualities they are looking for in a passenger van.

1998 – 2005 GMC Safari

The GMC Safari is a vehicle which has undergone few drastic changes over its almost twenty year life span. Even when GM introduced a much broader array of true minivans, this plus-sized vehicle remained in the lineup where it had carved out a niche not only amongst families who could appreciate its considerable utility but also with companies who were happy to use panel versions of the van for deliveries and the transportation of supplies.

In its second generation, the 1998 – 2005 GMC Safari makes use of only one engine, GMC’s ubiquitous 4.3-liter V-6. In the minivan it produces 190 horsepower and 205 lb-ft of torque and uses a 4-speed automatic transmission to send power to either the rear or all four wheels. The all-wheel drive system only engages in the event of traction loss at the rear axle, making it best suited for snow and ice rather than serious four-wheeling. The Safari has a reputation as providing somewhat of a unique ride, due to the engine being set back so far from the front of the vehicle, but a late update to the vehicle’s suspension in 2003 helped to improve the comfort and handling of the van.

Inside, the Safari is quite spacious, and both cargo and minivan offer 170 cubic feet in total space, an enormous amount of room in a van that can also accommodate up to 8 passengers. The 1998 – 2005 GMC Safari is not exactly a luxurious minivan, especially compared to the Japanese competition, but it does offer a reasonable number of creature comforts. The van’s generous interior dimensions also make it a popular choice for camping conversions.

The 1998 – 2005 GMC Safari is a good compromise as a used minivan for anyone who requires full-size van hauling capacity combined with reasonable passenger versatility and rugged construction.