2008 Chevrolet Uplander Bottom Line Review

TheCarConnection.com's editors read the latest reviews on the new 2008 Chevrolet Uplander to write this comprehensive review. Our car experts also drove the 2008 Chevrolet Uplander to be able to deliver our definitive opinion on the car, to compare it with other cars in the class, and to help steer you toward the perfect car.

Likes:
- E85 option
- Five-star crash ratings with side airbags

Dislikes:
- Dull styling
- Dull drivetrain
- Important safety gear is optional
- Already discontinued
- Rear seats don't fold into floor

The 2008 Chevrolet Uplander is the last of the old-style minivans still standing. While the world has adopted seats that fold into the floor, like those in the Honda Odyssey and Dodge Grand Caravan, the Chevrolet Uplander heads into its last year on the market with removable seats, a dated powertrain and style, and an uncompetitive package of safety gear.

The Uplander owes its SUV-like appearance to a slightly higher ride height and unique styling cues, though it retains sliding rear-side doors and offers three rows of seating for as many as seven passengers. Compared to the well-detailed Honda Odyssey, it's forgettable and outdated.

The 2008 Chevrolet Uplander comes with a 3.9-liter, 240-horsepower V-6 that also offers E85/flex-fuel capability. It's teamed with a standard four-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Performance and fuel economy, at 16/23 mpg, is uninspiring, and there's no all-wheel-drive option.

The Uplander features include a 50/50-split rear seat that folds into the floor; the second-row seats are also foldable and removable as needed to maximize cargo-carrying abilities, but they don't stow in the floor like the state-of-the-art seats in Chrysler's minivans. There's also a load-leveling suspension available.

Anti-lock brakes are standard, but curtain and side airbags are options, a near-fatal omission in this segment. With the optional side airbags, the Chevy Uplander receives mostly five-star ratings from the feds for front- and side-impact crash tests. The IIHS rates it as "good" in a frontal crash; in a side impact, it says the Uplander is "acceptable" when fitted with side airbags and "marginal" without them.

An optional roof-mounted DVD entertainment system incorporates a 20GB hard drive for media storage. Tire pressure monitors and OnStar are standard for 2008, as is XM Satellite Radio.

The Bottom Line:
The 2008 Chevrolet Uplander has been put out of its misery, but if you can find one cheap, it's not a bad cargo carrier.

Other Choices:
If you like the 2008 Chevrolet Uplander, also consider:

- Chrysler Town & Country
- Dodge Grand Caravan
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Sienna
- Kia Sedona/Hyundai Entourage

Reason why
The minivan market is shrinking, and only the best competitors are still standing. The perennial favorites in the class are the Chrysler and Honda vans. The Chrysler minivans for 2008 have much more angular styling, and they're laden with features such as in-car satellite television. The Honda Odyssey still feels the slickest of all, while the Toyota Sienna is a reliable second choice. The Kia Sedona and Hyundai Entourage are fraternal twins and good performers, though not the great bargains they used to be.

Buying Tip:
Steer toward the most advanced minivans from Honda and Chrysler, but if you must buy something cheaply, choose a 2008 Chevrolet Uplander with side airbags. Be prepared to run it as long as possible, since resale value will be minimal.

All of our reviews come from experts at TheCarConnection.com.