GRM Review: Nissan NV2500 work van

We just got an '03 Sprinter at the company where I work. It's the medium (140") wheelbase, but high roof. We've been seeing around 20mpg from it.

The rear doors on our Sprinter do the same thing as the NV.

One thing that I can't understand about the NV is why make it like the Chevy and Ford vans in standard height? The first Sprinter we looked at was a short wheel base, standard roof. I could almost stand straight up in it. I had to tilt my head slightly in the cargo box. In the high roof model we bought, I can stand up with ease and I'm 6'. Considering Ford is dropping the Transit next year, I'm not sure why Nissan aimed for what's out there now, as opposed to what's coming soon.

Nissan too big.....Transit Connect too small....... Hmmmmm, Zomby needs an Astro.

I just can't get over that stupid long hood. What a waste.

As the owner of a 2002 E-150 that is our family vehicle and the only one my wheelchair bound son can ride in, I like to keep up to date on vans. I like that there is a new one out there, but this thing is so ugly I don't think it matters to me if the rear doors have a cool magnetic latch. Hopefully, the Transit will be more in line with what I am looking for. Unlike the recent 911 review, I actually read this one.

We were at the Toronto auto show last February and climbed all over a Nissan van. It looked like serious thought had gone into making it an efficient work space for people who work their vans hard. (And, really, that matters more to me than what it looks like on the outside, within reason.) Then a friendly man from Nissan Fleet Sales walked over and gave me his card. If I was a "fleet customer" (which turned out to mean having at least two vehicles in my business), he would be happy to START negotiations with me by taking $4000 off the price. That sounded to me like someone who really wanted to move some product.

DeadSkunk wrote: Nissan too big.....Transit Connect too small....... Hmmmmm, Zomby needs an Astro.

With the 4 cylinder 5 spd that's in my Colorado.

alfadriver wrote:

Joe Gearin wrote: A friend of mine works for Johnson Controls and has a Ford Transit as his company car. He absolutely hates it, says it is horribly gutless, almost dangerously so. I kind of like them, so I was plumbing him for info.....I couldn't get him to say one positive thing about it.

OTOH, Hal, a poster here has one, and he seems to love it. vehicle likeage is very dependant on how it's used.

I have ~20K on mine now and it and it has been exactly what we wanted. Since I own a 2001 Focus I didn't expect it to be some speed demon. I wanted a small van to run around town in and something my wife could drive also. The wife loves it since she no longer needs me to take her to get plants, mulch, etc. And she really likes the higher seating position.

It isn't the greatest at high speed on the highway but then it was designed as a city delivery truck. And I can't complain about the 24 mpg average I get.

possibly the ugliest utility vehicle ever made. It has some cool features, it's a shame that Nissan didn't bother actually hiring any design people for the exterior. Looks like something my 4-year-old would have drawn if I said "draw a van"....

Nissan can choose to call this a "van" all it wants.

If you're really old like me, you know it isn't a van at all, but rather, a Panel Delivery.

Here is a Chevy Panel Delivery for comparison:

Mock the long snout all you want, but if you've ever tried to work on the engine on a Ford/Chevy/Dodge van, you learn to appreciate engine bay access.

Ugly? Maybe you've just gotten used to American vans from seeing them everywhere, but I gotta tell you, they're not attractive machines either. See below.

For those of you comparing it to a Sprinter, remember that the Nissan starts at $25,000ish. A base model sprinter is $36,000. You can buy a lot of gas for that much extra money.

I'll break the mold here and say that I'm far more interested in a 911 review than a van review. However, I do like and appreciate the fact that GRM reviews different kinds of vehicles.

Honestly, I don't dislike the looks of the NV. I like that it looks different, it looks like a big Transit Connect. I also love the E-Series and Chevy/GMC vans. Man, all this van talk is making me want to buy a van even more now. Unfortunately, it will probably be a retired painters van.

yamaha wrote:

Otto Maddox wrote: To me, anything like that without a diesel engine is kind of pointless.

When diesel here holds strong at 3.80-4.00/gal.....it never makes up the difference. I drive a Chevy Express 2500 6.0L 2wd for work everyday. Tooling around town, I get about 15-17mpg. I rarely get on the highway anymore, but before it was getting 19-22 there. I highly doubt the proper full size van diesels get better(duramax 6.6, 6.4/6.7 powerstroke) The sprinter and newer ones might do better, but not by that much

I was thinking more like a 2 to 3 liter 4 cylinder diesel.

can someone tell me that it's easier to access the engine with a hood than tearing apart a doghouse?

I'm relatively certain that's built on the Titan chassis. I read up on them when they came out - the long nose is a holdover from the pickup and is designed to ease maintenance issues and decrease heat around the engine - how much easier is an F150 to work on than an E150? But I will say it is one ugly animal. With the Titan drive train it should be a strong tower and pretty reliable, but not great on gas.

I would really love to have a nicely outfitted one as a tow vehicle - V8 and standard roof with lots of creature comforts up front. I could load all my bikes in the back and tow the popup with ease, or load in the toolboxes and tow the car to the track. But for now the pricing of used work vans is so lo that it's hard to justify one of these for the little towing I do. I'll keep them on my shortlist and hope the funky look drives down used prioces

It's much easier to access the engine. You also get a truck like interior seat/console/dash wise which to me has always felt infinitely nicer.

If you gave me the cabin of the 05 F150 Fx4 I had with a roof height van bed I would think it was pretty awesome functionally even if it looked weird

belteshazzar wrote: can someone tell me that it's easier to access the engine with a hood than tearing apart a doghouse?

last time I had the hood open on an E350... I could not find the engine

Otto Maddox wrote:

yamaha wrote:

Otto Maddox wrote: To me, anything like that without a diesel engine is kind of pointless.

When diesel here holds strong at 3.80-4.00/gal.....it never makes up the difference. I drive a Chevy Express 2500 6.0L 2wd for work everyday. Tooling around town, I get about 15-17mpg. I rarely get on the highway anymore, but before it was getting 19-22 there. I highly doubt the proper full size van diesels get better(duramax 6.6, 6.4/6.7 powerstroke) The sprinter and newer ones might do better, but not by that much

I was thinking more like a 2 to 3 liter 4 cylinder diesel.

Gotcha.....last time I delivered abrasives to a contract here locally, they had a bunch of navistar contract v6 diesel blocks....good signs for the future, or cab overs only? IDK...

belteshazzar wrote: can someone tell me that it's easier to access the engine with a hood than tearing apart a doghouse?

On a Ford, not really. Most of the engine ends up under the fire wall. You access some through the dog house, some through the hood, some through the fenders... The trade-off is a bit more leg room up front and easier pass-through. Plus, my std length E-150 had 12' clear from the dog house to the closed rear doors which I used often for hauling lumber. I'm not sure a comparable Dodge or GM would have the same cargo length.

Alan Cesar wrote: . Would you consider one of these when you look for your next work van?

NFW

i'm not showing up to a customer's house in anything that does not have an american nameplate on it. i'd probably get turned away by half of the old guys who are retired UAW, steelworkers, etc... around here.

patgizz wrote:

Alan Cesar wrote: . Would you consider one of these when you look for your next work van?

NFW i'm not showing up to a customer's house in anything that does not have an american nameplate on it. i'd probably get turned away by half of the old guys who are retired UAW, steelworkers, etc... around here.

Nissan NV2000 - built in Canton, MS

Dodge Ram Van - Built in Windsor, ON

Dodge Sprinter - Built in Dusseldorf, Germany

Ford Transit Connect - Built in Kocaceli, Turkey and Craiova, Romania

Josh wrote:

patgizz wrote:

Alan Cesar wrote: . Would you consider one of these when you look for your next work van?

NFW i'm not showing up to a customer's house in anything that does not have an american nameplate on it. i'd probably get turned away by half of the old guys who are retired UAW, steelworkers, etc... around here.

Nissan NV2000 - built in Canton, MS Dodge Ram Van - Built in Windsor, ON Dodge Sprinter - Built in Dusseldorf, Germany Ford Transit Connect - Built in Kocaceli, Turkey and Craiova, Romania

But name plates are all that matters not who is actually being employed.

Jaynen wrote: It's much easier to access the engine. You also get a truck like interior seat/console/dash wise which to me has always felt infinitely nicer. If you gave me the cabin of the 05 F150 Fx4 I had with a roof height van bed I would think it was pretty awesome functionally even if it looked weird

This work for you? Friend just bought a double cab version.

I really liked that thing. It comes in "muffin top" extra-tall too (just over six feet). The optional built-in cabinetry is pretty slick. We drove them all over Florida, picking up skids of stuff from Lowe's and dropping it off at Habitat for Humanity (Nissan is a sponsor). Fugly, yah, but thoughtfully practical. Being small, I found the inability to raise or lower the seat in the base model a bit inconvenient, likewise having to roll down the window to poke at the mirror to adjust it.

I don't normally like to contents on vehicles' looks because it's such a subjective matter, but when something comes along that makes a mole rat turn away in disgust, I have to take pause.

The extended hood surely makes service easier, but it's a failure of packaging. In general I like vans because they're so honestly utilitarian and efficient. This one? not even cute-ugly