It is always interesting to get the opinions on different shocks and the ride quality and handling.
I this case, we have Bilsteins and find they give good ride quality and superb handling in our 4200# front and 5200# rear on our 07 C190P. Would the rear in particular be too harsh in an empty van? Probably.
Comparisons just between brands is difficult as many brands supply different shock styles within their product line for the same vehicle. The high damping ones would be harsher and firmer, the less damping would be less harsh and smoother. I have messed with cars, hotrods, muscle cars, classics, etc for 60 years and found the above to be true for all of them, and among the vehicles that have only one style available for any particular vehicle and user you get a variation of likes and dislikes. The high end brands like Koni and Bistein, have been around for a long time and I have used them and most other brands numerous times for different uses. Now for heavy stuff and offroad, Fox is also in on it and they do have a possible advantage in that they build the shocks to order for the weight and vehicle type (tall, consistent weight, whatever) for the application. On my 96 Buick Roadmaster wagon that weighs 5K#, Bilstein makes two versions, one is a very compromise of ride and handling and the other stiff and suited to performance driving. I use the softer ones and they are good even towing 3K with it. They are also true dual valving that they can tune to the use individually, as I understand it. They should be able to get the best of both worlds to fit an individuals taste. They also are very expensive to buy.
On the forum, Bilsteins are the most common and highly rated, I think, by quite a bit, but is it momentum, cost, lucky matching to vans, or something else, I have no idea.
The intangible in the Chevies is the ride height any given van is at has a major influence on the ride quality and how it reacts to a shock change.
In the front, a class b with often be very close to sitting on or hitting the bump stop all the time or on small and medium bumps. This will give a very different spring rate right in the middle of a bump and cause a lurch back up. In the rear, especially 210s are often sitting on the overload leafs of the rear springs so can be very stiff regardless of shocks used. 190s sit a bit off and you can often hear and feel the overload contacting the main spring very hard on medium to big bumps. This is, I think, why many say their lift makes the van ride and handle better as it puts the suspension in a place where it should be.
Bottom line for me is that handling and ride quality are so personal of a taste that recommendations will be all over the map, I think. Fast, responsive steering response that requires very small steering inputs (what I have tuned our suspension for) would be called twitchy be some people, but so would a BMW sport car compared to big old passenger car. It is all in what you prefer and none is right or wrong.
