Good but not Great
Steven 10/10/10 on 10/15/2010
Performance : 5
Comfort : 4
Fuel Economy : 3
Fun To Drive : 4
Interior Design : 3
Exterior Design : 4
Build Quality : 3
Reliability : 3
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 3
Reliability Rating: 3
Towed a pop-up camper across country several times, and camping every summer, w 5-6 people. But u gotta tow in 3rd gear because of trans calibration. Full size trailer several trips. All the electrical problems others mentioned, ww and window motors (one side twice), alt, fuel pump, blower mtr, radiator, a/c compressor $1200, water pump, 4 idler arms, tire life not good, rear dutch door handle completely rusted off, needs injectors cleaned, otherwise engine and trans run good
Great Van
GreatVan on 07/01/2009
Performance : 5
Comfort : 5
Fuel Economy : 3
Fun To Drive : 4
Interior Design : 5
Exterior Design : 5
Build Quality : 5
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
This van has been great I have 0ver 250000 miles and other than upkeep maintenance Ive had no issues. Yes Ive had to replace tires, breaks, hoses, belts, and so on but never any thing major. The electric windows work fine. I would highly recommend this van to anyone with kids it is a great traveling van.
piece o' crap
jldude on 02/03/2009
Performance : 3
Comfort : 3
Fuel Economy : 2
Fun To Drive : 3
Interior Design : 3
Exterior Design : 3
Build Quality : 3
Reliability : 2
Comfort Rating: 3
Performance Rating: 3
Interior Rating: 3
Reliability Rating: 2
i paid 3000 dollars for mine in 2006, since then ive put almost 3000 into keeping it running. 1 cooling fan, 2 alternators, 1 fuel pump, 1 fuel filter, 1 fuel line, 4 new tires, brakes(all of them), two window motors, 1 windshield wiper motor, 2 starters, and 1 right front ball axle joint. the cigarette lighter is broken, a/c has major leak(doesnt work), locks freeze easy in the winter(ohio), rear defrost and heat dont work, rear door handle broke and doesnt latch shut. no way would i ever tell anyone to consider buying this van, in fact if you see one on the road look away, chances are something might go wrong on Your car!
1996 Safari Van
Carlos on 01/22/2008
Performance : 4
Comfort : 4
Fuel Economy : 2
Fun To Drive : 4
Interior Design : 4
Exterior Design : 4
Build Quality : 3
Reliability : 4
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 4
These vans have several problems. Power window motors fail often, switches in Safaris also have several failures. Besides the little annoying items, that most people avoid repairing because of such a high cost. The vehicle has been reliable.
safari
GWD on 03/19/2004
Performance : 4
Comfort : 4
Fuel Economy : 4
Fun To Drive : 5
Interior Design : 4
Exterior Design : 5
Build Quality : 4
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
low upkeep costs. parts are cheep, alot
of cargo room, good head and body room.
Can fit two adults and car seat in same
row and still have moving around room,
no other mid-sized van has that. 8
passenger spaces with luggage for 8
people inside the van. Can fit 8' 2x4 on
floor and 10'
on top of dash with all doors closed.
4'x8' plywood fits inside with doors closed.
safari
sstmfadwn on 01/19/2004
Performance : 5
Comfort : 5
Fuel Economy : 5
Fun To Drive : 5
Interior Design : 5
Exterior Design : 5
Build Quality : 5
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating: 5
it is the coolest van
2nd one I've owned
msterk on 12/10/2003
Performance : 4
Comfort : 4
Fuel Economy : 4
Fun To Drive : 4
Interior Design : 4
Exterior Design : 4
Build Quality : 5
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 4
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
This is my 2nd Safari. My husband is
driving the other one now. It's a 1996
and I liked it so much I bought another
one.
It's all wheel drive and available
cargo space gives it more bang for the
buck compared to other mini vans or
suv's when price does matter.
Excellent for the long haul
Jackjrp on 11/01/2003
Performance : 5
Comfort : 5
Fuel Economy : 4
Fun To Drive : 3
Interior Design : 4
Exterior Design : 4
Build Quality : 5
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
No it's not sexy or sporty but this is
a great vehicle for anyone that plans
to put a lot of miles on it. The ride
on rough roads is a little truck-like -
not punishing, mind you, but not as
good as car based minivans. Highway
ride is very good though. My wife
shows dogs and a standard mini-van was
too small and she didn't want a full
size van. She has found the Safari to
be just right. Have over 150,000
miles on our first one with virtually
no problems - most reliable vehicle
we've ever had (yes, we had a Toyota
and a Nissan...not bad vehicles but
not Nirvana either). One additional
note, the Safari gets surprisingly
good mileage.
Not Worth the Money
Michael Deveroux on 09/27/2003
Performance : 2
Comfort : 3
Fuel Economy : 2
Fun To Drive : 2
Interior Design : 2
Exterior Design : 1
Build Quality : 3
Reliability : 3
Comfort Rating: 3
Performance Rating: 2
Interior Rating: 2
Reliability Rating: 3
The GMC Safari is no bargain for your
money. Its "old - school" exterior
design has people guessing whether your
driving a brand new van. In fact they
have made very little exterior changes
to the Safari/Astro van since 1996. Its
clunky and boxy style adds to
increased "top heavyness" when driving
in windy conditions. The interior of
the Safari is almost as bland as the
exterior. With the bare minimum
avaliable in features, again, makes you
feel like your driving a 1996 Safari
van rather than a 2003-04. One of the
only high points that I have found this
van to have is above average interior-
space.
I'll be sad to see it go
Devo on 01/09/2010
Performance : 5
Comfort : 4
Fuel Economy : 4
Fun To Drive : 3
Interior Design : 4
Exterior Design : 4
Build Quality : 4
Reliability : 5
Comfort Rating: 4
Performance Rating: 5
Interior Rating: 4
Reliability Rating: 5
And here I promised myself I wouldn't get attached to this vehicle! We bought it less than 4 years ago when we were expecting our 5th child, knowing we would likely outgrow it in a few years. But I LOVE this van. The battery & alternator have been replaced since we bought it. Otherwise, nothing but regular maintenance. After our 1998 F-150, some of the peripherals like door handles, locks, seatbelt guides feel a bit "cheap" (lighter weight plastic, a few rattles), but it's still holding up fine at 150k. We are now expecting our 7th child so will be moving on to a 15 passenger.
