Driving Impressions

Though the Trans Sport looks sporty, it's no Bonneville in the handling department. The combination of minivan height, a relatively narrow track and suspension tuning aimed at good ride quality produces lots of body roll if the vehicle is hurried through turns. In this respect, the Trans Sport, Lumina and Silhouette are a little less car-like than their prime competitors from Chrysler and Ford. On the other hand, there are no nasty surprises lurking in the Trans Sport's behavior. Although it refuses to be hurried on tight, winding roads, it's fully predictable. On the plus side, we think most drivers and passengers will find the Trans Sport's ride quality more than acceptable. Although early members of this minivan clan weren't as smooth as some, GM has retuned the suspension over the years, giving all three vans a more supple feel that does a good job of isolating occupants from minor road shocks. As we noted earlier, the driving position takes some getting used to, and it's something to be aware of if you take one of these vans out for a test drive. The distance between the driver's seat and the base of the windshield produces an odd sensation at first--you may feel that you're piloting from the middle of the van, rather than the driver's seat. But this feeling will disappear with experience. Although the new 3.4-liter V6 doesn't have quite as much low-rpm punch as the 3.8-liter, it's far stronger than the previous base engine, a 3.1-liter V6, and it's got enough snort to keep pace with all but a few of its competitors, as well as the cut-and-thrust of commute traffic. Braking performance, augmented by standard ABS, is good compared to the rest of the minivan universe, though not exceptional.

Final Word

While the Pontiac Trans Sport and its stablemates aren't the best minivans in the business, they do have their strengths and the Flash Gordon styling still stands out from the crowd. At suggested retail prices, which pretty much parallel the competition, it's hard to view these vans as bargains. Our well-equipped tester, for example, stickered out at $22,406. But with the new minivans just over the horizon, suggested retail and actual retail are likely to be two different things. A little bargaining should save a bunch, and the appeal of the van will increase in direct proportion.