Oh maybe. Dodge ended production in June 2002. From the 2015 model year on, Ford won't do a passenger configuration. I thought the Chevy one was the Astro, which is discontinued.
So yes, the 2019 Chevy Express 15 passenger van is at least theoretically available. The dealer locator can't find such a vehicle within 250 miles of me, which includes almost the entire state of Florida.
It's unsurprising, because that would be a $250,000 liability for the seller if any subsequent buyer were to use the van for transporting school or daycare children. Nobody is crazy enough to sell these vans new in Florida.
The liability can be avoided by leasing the van and then selling it used. Sure enough, used vans are available. They are white (or rarely black) with gasoline engines and cloth seats. They are all the 2017 model (coming off 2-year leases) with about 40,000 miles of usage.
I dislike Chevy/GMC/Dodge/Chrysler vehicle controls, particularly the parking brake and the windshield wiper controls. Ford engines seem to work fine, gasoline included. I consider the Ford transmissions to be consumable parts like brake rotors, although so far mine is doing fine. The Chevy Express diesel engine is weak compared to the better gasoline engine, even for torque.
Well, thank you for the info. So now: I'm thankful that these vehicles haven't gone entirely extinct.
Oh, your comment makes me think that this might be a regional thing. Here in Illinois we have a special vehicle licensing program where non-commercial drivers (i.e. coaches, parents, teachers) may bus students (up to the 15-passenger limit) in these vans if the van is inspected at special safety inspection facilities every 6 months and displays that sticker on the windshield, so they're extremely popular with churches and small schools.
Federal law requires that states take measures to prevent such usage. Florida did what I explained. An alternative might be to make the usage a criminal offense, or to impose a fine on the driver, or to destroy any vehicle used for that purpose.
I don't see how Illinois can do as you say and still have federal highway funding.
This all came into being after lots of roll-over accidents made the news. I'd much rather the legislation mandate a better suspension and a better center of gravity, or simply some performance criterion to be tested.
They're recognized under NHTSA's MFSAB classification, which IDOT allowed (Illinois Public Act 96-410, Illinois Public Act 97-378) for non-mandatory school-related activities that do not include transportation between home/bus stops/school, provided the aforementioned six-monthly safety checks are up to date.
Illinois Public Act 97-896 and Public Act 99-888 extended this to include mandatory school activities but only when driven by a driver with a school bus driving permit.
So yes, the 2019 Chevy Express 15 passenger van is at least theoretically available. The dealer locator can't find such a vehicle within 250 miles of me, which includes almost the entire state of Florida.
It's unsurprising, because that would be a $250,000 liability for the seller if any subsequent buyer were to use the van for transporting school or daycare children. Nobody is crazy enough to sell these vans new in Florida.
The liability can be avoided by leasing the van and then selling it used. Sure enough, used vans are available. They are white (or rarely black) with gasoline engines and cloth seats. They are all the 2017 model (coming off 2-year leases) with about 40,000 miles of usage.
I dislike Chevy/GMC/Dodge/Chrysler vehicle controls, particularly the parking brake and the windshield wiper controls. Ford engines seem to work fine, gasoline included. I consider the Ford transmissions to be consumable parts like brake rotors, although so far mine is doing fine. The Chevy Express diesel engine is weak compared to the better gasoline engine, even for torque.
Well, thank you for the info. So now: I'm thankful that these vehicles haven't gone entirely extinct.