Lots of cargo room for the family vacation. Drives well in inclement weather. Seat height allows you to see much farther ahead than other vans.

EGR, EGR, EGR, EGR

Overall, I have not been pleased with the 4.3L V-6. Poor gas mileage from the start(15-18 Highway). The a/c system has been recharged for the past three years. The top of the dutch door is constantly getting stuck in the closed position, and the top also leaks. By far the biggest problem I've had is with the EGR valve! First long trip(3 hours+), and the SES light comes on and the van won't idle! Under Warranty, dealer paid for the valve. Second long trip (8 hours+), I had to pay for the valve. Third long trip (12 hours+), I had to pay for the cleaning of the valve. Fourth long trip, I'll let you know??????

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Power, toughness, height(sits alot higher than other minivans) duability, rust resistance.

Front Legroom, ride is a bit hard,thats all that pops in my head.

This is a real mans minivan. My wife thinks it's to big, and it is, alot wider and taller than hers. I have had this van outside ,1000 feet from the ocean for 5 years, the body has absolutly no rust on it. I would highly recomend this van to any family, the wife will get used to it, the kids will choose to ride in mine anytime over the caravan.

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1994 caravans, my wifes

Good power and strong towing ability. Owned a 21 foot trailer and the van could tow very well up hills and down swurving roads. Ok handling and plenty of room inside. Good experiance with dealership and good price.

Now the bad part. This van was bought on a lease and I swear chevy builds them to start falling apart at the ened of a 5 year lease. I have replaced the rear differential 4 frickn' times! I STRONGLY SUGGEST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!! The warranty has probably saved me thousands. Brakes have had to be replaced twice within the last 2 years. With 114,000k, the interior vinal is faded and worn. I am very picky about keeping my cars clean yet the interior fails to hold up. The back seats are too heavy for one person to get them out. There is barely any leg room in the passenger and the driver seat area. Radio is very very bad and the speakers, well they almost don't work. After owning this vehicle for 5 years, I have chosen I will never buy a GM product agian. Never! There are many more complaints I have but I am tired of writing. I do not recomend this car.

Like I said, it has a good engine and plenty of towing ability but the overal rating is very bad. It is not a good investment.

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Anything but the Astro Van

I like the way it looks and all the power that it has. It rides well and handles pretty damn good. I LOVE this van!!!!!!!!

The only thing that went wrong was that the service engine soon light kept coming on and it made the van idle and run very rough, but it was repaired by the dealer and it turned out that during manufacturing the throttle position sensor was not put together right and it broke, causing the van to ride rough. The service was excellent and it runs extremely well....and besides this one LITTLE incident, there has been no problems at all...and I like to run this van hard cuz i love its power.

I paid about $20,000 for my van. It came nicely equipped...power windows, locks, and mirrors...premium stereo, theft deterent system...rear air, dutch doors, rear heat, custom cloth buckets.....I would HIGHLY recommend the Astro to anyone....drive all the minivans and u will see that FWD CANNOT COMPARE to RWD!!!!!!! And i found the ride and handling to be a lot better than those wussy little FWDers. Plus, it is built like a rock...not a squeak or rattle in mine at all, and the transmission is excellent. Ride is perfect and handling matches the impressive power. This thing has a V6 that thinks it's a V8!!!!!!! And, it has lots of cargo room and is very comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out with every seat filled!!!!!!! I am VERY satisfied w/ my van...plus it looks excellent in aftermarket accessories.

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1988 Ford Mustang....and my van kicked its ass. My sister drove the Mustang (buttstang) and i drove the van and my ASTRO kicked her MUSTANG's ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cargo/passenger capacity, towing ability, good ride, good gas mileage, reliability, unstoppable in Winter weather, great value considering its abilities.

Noisy engine that really needs to be replaced with the new GM 4200 straight six, limited footspace for driver, weak headlights.

The Astro AWD takes the best of 4x4 SUVs and FWD minivans and molds them into a unique package for a very reasonable price. You can't get this van stuck in the snow unless it is extremely deep. I have blasted through 24" piles of plowed snow with no problems. I pull a car trailer in the Summer that weighs 5000 lbs - try that in any other van of this size. On a trip last Summer pulling a trailer from MI to CT I remember only a few occasions through the mountains in PA that I had to drop it down to 2nd gear to keep it over 50 mph. On flat terrain at 70 mph with the trailer I get 13/14 mpg. Without the trailer it's up over 20 mpg. No SUV of similar size and trailer pulling capacity can even get close to that. And that doesn't even take into account the interior space advantage that the Astro has over all but the largest SUVs. In 35000 miles it has only needed service three times other than oil changes. Once to replace a headlight assembly that has developed a lot of condensation in it, another time to fix the liftgage that had gotten jammed shut, and front brake pads were replaced at 25000 miles. I replace the stock tires at 18000 miles (while showing little wear) with a set of BFG Radial TAs of a larger size (235/70) that really changed the personality of the van. The handling is vastly improved, with little decrease in ride quality.

If you live anywhere there is snow, and need cargo and/or people hauling capacity, there are a lot of choices in 4x4 SUVs or FWD minivans (with appropriate tires) that will work. If you have to do any serious towing, but don't want the permanent gas mileage penalty of the larger SUVs, then the Astro AWD is the only logical choice. I have read rumors that GM will be putting the new 270HP 4200 straight six in the Astro next year. If they do, I will be one of the first in line for it. Even if they don't, if GM ends production of this great multi-purpose vehicle, I will buy one of the last ones and drive the tires off it.

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Compared to the other vans I have owned, '97 Olds Silhouette, '95 Caravan, '88 & '92 Aerostars, the Astro is by far my favorite. It has the cargo capability, incredible winter traction, and can pull my 5000 lb trailer with ease. Slightly worse gas mileage than the other vans (about 20 hwy), and a harsher ride, but well worth it for the extra abilities that the Astro possesses. My criteria for a new vehicle was: seating for at least 6, enough cargo space for the standard 4x8 sheet of plywood, competence in snow and ice, towing ability of at least 5000 lbs, and as good of gas mileage as possible. I looked at all the minivans (no towing capability) and most of the Explorer/Grand Cherokee and larger sized SUVs (either not enough interior space, lousy gas mileage, or both).

LT version has very nice interior and is very roomy. Four buckets plus comfortable rear bench with center arm rest and cup holders is nice touch. 4.3 V6 has nice power for towing my boat. All wheel drive is magnificent in winter and on boat ramps (especially unimproved ones). Overall length is the same as the family car so it fits nicely in the garage.

Higher road noise than the car-based mini's but then this is a truck. Could use more foot room in front.

Vehicle has been used for everything from a people mover to towing snowmobiles, boats, and other cars. Gets 17 - 18 MPG at any speed whether towing or not. Currently has 145,000 miles. Only Major repairs have been the central port fuel injector (replaced myself) and a recently broken torsioin bar (also replaced myself). Contrary to others complaining of tire wear, I put new BF Goodrich tires on at 90,000 and they are still in excellent condition. This van has "never" had a front end alignment. We frequently see 30 below zero temperatures and this van starts like it is summer time. I will most definitely buy another.

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Mopar mini's. Astro has better power, room, is built on a stronger chassis, and can tow more.

This mini van is larger than most. It has plenty of room for hauling what ever you need. The Dutch doors are great. I removed the center seat and kept the rear one for my three year to ride in. Rear wheel drive.

The front-end definitly has a problem...right side front tire worn out at 19000 miles...numerous rattles and pops in the interior...from the dash to the side moldings. Exhaust rattles while in park or stoppped at an idle.

At first I loved the van...after 1 year and 15000 miles it began to fall apart...The front-end has become so bad that I will not drive it...instead I drive a 1988 Blazer with 170000 miles on it because I don't feel safe in the van...the dash board vibrates and rattles like a car that is 10 years old and has been in several accidents. After 9 attempts of repair at the dealer, I declared the lemon law and am in arbitration now. The service manager at the dealership stated it was time for a new vehicle. If anyone is thinking about getting a 1999 Astro...Please don't...You will regret it.

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Chevy Venture...Rental...A great deal smaller but not rattles or pops from the front end.

Power, AWD, roominess, handling ability, sturdiness of a truck body

Reliability of transmission and differential, daytime lights without a way to turn them off, noise level, cup holders in front

I love this van but have had many problems that I shouldn't have to have in a new vehicle. I was religious about oil changes in the first 50,000 miles and everytime I took it in for an oil change, I had to have other work done. The rear heat went out, the rear air conditioner fan in one section went out, some panel came loose under the driver side wheel and had to be replaced, the valve box for the transmission already had to be replaced, the transfer case for the AWD had to be rebuilt, the windshield wipers are not working at the moment, and there is a shudder when you turn corners that could be the transfer case again, or I have heard that it might be the differential. Other than all this, the AWD is wonderful, the room is fabulous for my two kids, the cargo area is large enough for luggage and gear for vacations, the dutch doors with windshield wiper is a necessity. the CD player works well, even over bumps, the heater and air conditioner work great, and the passenger stereo controls and headphones are a great babysitter. Because of the other problems we are thinking of trading this one in for another hoping that this wasn't something that happens all the time.

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Still love it 100% better than my old Dodge Caravan!

Dependable, Powerful, Comfortable, Attractive,Very Durable, Economical

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I have nearly 170,000 miles on the present one (1997). It has had minor repairs and normal wear and tear maintenance. It is usually always loaded
with at least 1000 lb. The ride is exceptionally smooth and comfortable, loaded or empty. The 1994 Astro went 99,053 miles with the same set of tires that it came with. If you are thinking about one of those overpriced foriegn wannabes, forget it. You can`t beat the Chevrolet Astro Van

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I have only had Astros. Three in all.

CARGO SPACE

Limited foot space for driver and passenger, electrical problems, transmission problems, fit and finish, weak headlights, fuel system, brakes, fuel economy

This vehicle absolutely stinks(literaly too!) I have had to replace a throttle body assembly on the transmission, had the rear end rebuilt twice within 4 months, and had a sliding door that would come upon after hitting bumps in the road. And it just gets worse from there. The fuel system has failed, requiring a new pump(almost $700). The electrical system is now failing as fuses are blowing almost daily. It also is leaking at the rear doors and at the side sliding door. It handles terrible and I believe the shocks are worn out again. I have drove this vehicle for a year and a half and have put 60,000 mile on it for a total of 136,000 on the vehicle. During this time approximately $4,500 has been spent to keep this vehicle on the road. STAY AWAY FROM THE ASTRO!!!

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