There aren't many new vehicles that are almost 25 years old. The GMC Savana van is, in fact, the only one.

If, of course, you don't count its Chevy-badged cousin, the Express.

Both of these full-size vans haven't changed much since 1996 — because why would they? No one else makes vans like them anymore: body-on-frame construction, 12-15 passenger capacity and a big V-8 engine instead of a turbocharged four-cylinder — or a turbodiesel four-cylinder — or a V-6 engine without a turbo.

Either one offers your pick of all three.

And none of the others do.

What It Is

The Savana van is GMC's version of the Chevy Express van. Both are far from being minivans, and they are unlike any other vans currently on the market.

Their heavy-duty layout enables them to carry more passengers and pull more cargo than rivals like the Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster — while being much less pricey than the rugged but expensive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.

Prices start at $32,000 for the base version of the GMC van, topping out at $35,900.

What's New

Though the van itself is largely the same as it was back in '96 — in terms of how it's built and how it looks — it offers things that weren't available back in '96, including the now-available Corvette-derived 6.0-liter V-8 engine and the almost-as-powerful (but much less thirsty) 2.8-liter turbodiesel engine.

And the 2020 comes standard with things inconceivable back in '96, such as in-vehicle Wi-Fi and — optionally — lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

What's Good

It has rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction.

Nothing else can carry as many — and pull as much — for as little.

It's almost endlessly configurable.

What's Not so Good

It has no high-roof option (Sprinter and ProMaster offer this).

A tilt wheel costs extra.

A turbodiesel engine costs a lot extra ($3,995).

Under the Hood

The Savana comes standard with a 4.3-liter V-6 engine that makes 276 horsepower — almost as much power as a V-8 and much more power than comes standard in other large vans like the Mercedes Sprinter, which comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 188 horsepower.

You can upgrade any Savana trim to either a 6.0-liter V-8 that makes 341 horsepower and 373 foot-pounds of torque or a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine that makes nearly the same torque as the V-8 (369 foot-pounds) but at much lower engine revolutions per minute and with less appetite.

This van can pull as much as 7,400 pounds — substantially more than all the other large vans except for the Mercedes Sprinter — which can pull 7,500 pounds — but only when equipped with its optional (and also a lot extra) 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 engine.

On the Road

All the vans in this class are long. The Savana (and its Chevy-badged cousin) are the only ones that are quick.

Equipped with the optionally available 6.0-liter V-8 engine, the Savana gets a dozen people to 60 mph more quickly than anything else that can carry that many people.

Even with the standard V-6, the Savana isn't slow — as its sort-of rivals, equipped with their standard engines, are.

There is also much to be said about the insulating effect of a body that is bolted to a frame — with a dozen rubber biscuits sandwiched in between. This layout used to be the signature layout of luxury sedans. Nowadays, almost everything else is a welded-together body-and-frame, or unibody, construction, which makes for a more rigid end product and a less forgiving ride.

The driver sits pretty far forward relative to the hood, which makes this 244-inch-long vehicle seem not as long as it actually is. But it's still almost 4 feet longer overall than a current full-sized minivan, such as a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey.

So, look twice — and one more time — before you back up.

At the Curb

Size matters — especially if you want to carry all your friends at once, without needing another van — or another trip.

Those 244 inches of length translate into 252.2 cubic feet of interior space — almost twice the space of a current full-sized Sienna or Odyssey. Even with seats in place, the Savana's available cargo space is almost as much as the Sienna's or Odyssey's without their seats in place (127.2 cubic feet).

The Savana's more direct rivals — like the Benz Sprinter and the Ram ProMaster — are comparably roomy and offer "high-roof" options that make it possible to stand upright in them, which is something the Savana doesn't offer.

But the trade-off there is capability — and expense. The Ram can't match the Savana's towing capabilities — or rugged build layout.

The Benz can't match the price — for comparable capabilities.

The Rest

A curious thing is that the Chevy-badged version of this van costs more than the GMC iteration — $34,900 to start. It's curious because GMC is the more prestigious brand within the General Motors hierarchy, and GMC models are usually a little nicer and offer additional amenities you can't get in the Chevy-badged version of the same thing.

The Savana is an exception to that rule.

View the GMC Savana this week.

Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.