2025 Chevrolet Express 2500 Cargo

While this van and its corporate cousin, the GMC Savana, are the last of an old-school breed, the 2025 Chevrolet Express is a well-respected, get-it-done truck-based full-size van. While full-size commercial vans like the Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are more modern, the Chevy Express is tougher. It also boasts class-leading towing capacity, as well as the lowest price in its segment. The Chevy’s rivals offer more in the way of tech and creature comforts, but when it comes to finding a simple, affordable hard-working van, the value of the Express is hard to ignore.

Updates for the Express are usually somewhat rare. After all, the platform itself has been around for nearly 30 years. This year, the biggest change is a simplification of what’s available. The option for an upgraded audio system has been deleted, as has the option for Wi-Fi. Now, the interior feels even closer to its 1996 roots – audio choices are AM/FM or the use of an aux jack, with sound running through two speakers. Steering wheel controls and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are also gone. Rumors continue to swirl about the future of the Express. It is either due for a significant revamp or discontinued and replaced.

Not only is the heavy-duty Express available as a Cargo or Passenger van, but it is also rated as 2500 or 3500. The primary difference is that the 3500 can haul a heavier payload (total weight of people and cargo) than the 2500. Moreover, the Passenger van comes in two trims (LS and LT). Chevy also offers a Cutaway version of the Express, which is almost exclusively for commercial purposes.

The Chevrolet Express is a more affordable alternative to bigger commercial vans like the Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It’s priced similarly to the mechanically identical GMC Savana.

Before buying an Express, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Express models’ resale value is about average for the segment. Recouping more of the original cost of a vehicle when you sell it means more to put down on the next one.

The entry-level engine is a 276-horsepower V6. It sends power to the rear wheels via an 8-speed transmission. This horsepower figure is the most from an entry-level engine in the segment. If you need more oomph, you can step up to the 401-hp (by far the best in the segment) V8, which uses a different 8-speed transmission to hustle torque to the rear wheels. Chevy doesn’t offer 4-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) as an Express option. Rivals, such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and the Ford Transit, offer all-wheel drive.

The Chevrolet Express van is truck-based, and it feels more like driving a pickup or the old Ford Econoline E-Series than some of the newer vans on the market. Nor is the Express the most agile van on city streets. Generally, the Express is somewhat cumbersome compared to more modern rivals. However, it is a comfortable cruiser if you’re doing a lot of long-distance highway driving. Both engines deliver confident power and impressive capability. Most fleet owners and drivers will be satisfied with the standard V6. It’s a trusty engine with a good balance of power, efficiency, and capability. The 6.6-liter V8 has gobs of power, can tow up to 10,000 pounds, and is the only V8 mill in this class. You can’t go wrong with either engine.

Fuel Economy

The government doesn’t require fuel economy figures for this class of vehicle but don’t expect the mileage for city-and-highway driving to soar out of the teens.

Chevy hasn’t given the Express a sweeping refresh since 2003, and it’s noticeable on the inside. Over the years, there have been some incremental tweaks, but it still feels like an older van. We suspect the lack of frills won’t bother you if the Express is a work van. However, most rivals, like the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, have significantly more modern interiors.

You get two standard front seats in the cargo van, with an available 5-seat configuration as an option. In the passenger van, seating for 12 is standard, which you can increase to 15 in the long-wheelbase model. Seating in the back of the passenger van is reasonably roomy and comfortable by work-van standards.

Don’t expect anything fancy in this interior. There are no heated or ventilated seats, no leather seating option, and no modern infotainment tech. We especially miss the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone interface. The LT trim of the passenger van adds some creature comforts, such as standard cloth upholstery and carpeted flooring rather than vinyl, but that’s about as luxurious as it gets.

The 2025 Chevrolet Express has three basic variants: a cargo van, a passenger van, and a cutaway. There are two wheelbases available, but only one roof height. The styling of the Chevy Express is subtle, but you can add some flair by picking a chrome appearance package, which is standard on the LT trim of the passenger van. The cargo van and passenger van are self-explanatory. The cargo van comes standard with two front seats, no back seats, and no rear side windows. There’s a 5-seat crew configuration available that adds second-row windows. The passenger van has two lengths, with the shorter getting standard seating for up to 12. The extended length offers optional 15-passenger seating. The cutaway variant has a ladder frame and a wide opening in the back of the cab, but there’s no chassis cab option with a fully enclosed cab. If you’re looking for a chassis cab, consider the Chevy Silverado HD chassis cab.

6.6-liter V8
Like its mechanical twin, the GMC Savana, the Chevy Express has the only optional V8 in this class.

Truck-like capability
The Chevy Express uses old-school body-on-frame construction and a choice of a V6 or V8 engine. It boasts a class-leading towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds and can carry up to 4,280 pounds of payload.

Value pricing
The Chevrolet Express’s starting price is lower than that of its more modern rivals, adding to its value proposition as a practical workhorse.

Safety Package
An available Safety Package adds some nice features to this van, like cruise control, a tilt steering column, blind-spot monitoring, and rear parking sensors. We recommend checking that box.

LT trim
The LT trim of the passenger van makes the Express more modern and stylish. It adds chrome bumpers and exterior trim, cloth seats, carpeted flooring, a deluxe console, and some extra safety tech like forward collision alert and lane departure warning.

Room for 15 people
The Express passenger van seats up to 12 with the standard wheelbase and up to 15 with the extended wheelbase. It is a suitable alternative if no minivan has enough seats.

You have the choice of two well-seasoned engines: a V6 or a V8. If horsepower, torque, and class-leading towing are on your van checklist, the Express is the answer. It can tug up to 10,000 pounds, far more than any other van in the segment. The Express’ newest, most modern aspect is its two 8-speed automatic transmissions, which were new for the Express last year.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Chevy protects the Express with the typical bumper-to-bumper limited warranty for mainstream carmakers: three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Likewise, the powertrain warranty is the segment average of five years or 60,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

No third party has crash or safety tested the Chevy Express.