Overview & Reviews
While today's minivans offer levels of comfort and performance on par with sedans, the Chevrolet Astro was a minivan from a different era. Born in the mid-1980s when full-size Chevy vans were still in style, the Astro modeled the looks of its bigger brothers. It also shared their tough body-on-frame construction and rear-wheel-drive layout. Compared to front-wheel-drive, car-based minivans, the Chevy Astro was a true workhorse with considerable towing and hauling capabilities.
However, it was nowhere close to more modern minivans when it came to day-to-day convenience and driving ease. Its old-school, box-on-wheels design located the engine within close proximity of the passenger compartment, resulting in cramped quarters for the driver and front passenger, and high cabin noise levels. Getting kids in and out wasn't easy either, thanks to the van's high step-in height and single sliding rear door.
Ride and handling characteristics weren't bad considering the Astro's rudimentary suspension components, though driving it was certainly more akin to a truck than a car. Fuel economy was similarly trucklike, given the engine's origins in GM's light truck line and the Astro's hefty curb weight. Chevrolet did offer the Astro van with an all-wheel-drive system, which made it one of the handful of vans, mini or otherwise, capable of tracking confidently through snow and ice.
To be sure, the Chevrolet Astro fulfilled the basic requirements for a minivan, given its accommodations for up to eight passengers, removable rear seats and considerable 170 cubic feet of cargo room. But given that car-based competitors like the Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna have long been far nicer to drive and easier to use, we don't recommend the anachronistic Astro as a used vehicle choice unless you're in need of a small tow vehicle or family/cargo hauler at a rock-bottom price.
Most Recent Chevrolet Astro Introduced for 1985, the Chevrolet Astro, and its twin, the GMC Safari, lived on through the 2005 model year without a major redesign. Along with Ford's Aerostar (which debuted the following year), the Astro was a stopgap response to the wildly popular Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager twins. Truck-based underpinnings put these late entries at a significant disadvantage alongside the front-drive Chrysler minis, and both GM and Ford eventually undertook clean-sheet minivan designs. However, a niche market emerged for the Astro, and Chevrolet sold it profitably to ordinary consumers and fleet customers alike for the next two decades. A 4.3-liter V6 was standard on all Chevrolet Astro passenger vans. (Early cargo versions came with a four-cylinder engine.) This engine went through several iterations, producing anywhere from 150 to 200 horsepower, depending on the year and model. It held steady at 190 hp and 250 pound-feet of torque from 1997-2005. Initially, GM offered a standard five-speed manual transmission, but almost all Astros were sold with a four-speed automatic that soon became the sole transmission offering. Early vans were exclusively rear-wheel drive; Chevrolet added the option of all-wheel drive in 1990. Towing capacity was right around 6,000 pounds with either drivetrain. Chevy Astros of the 1980s seated only five passengers in two rows. In 1990, Chevrolet created an Extended version that was 10 inches longer (190 inches overall) and could be equipped with a third-row bench, increasing capacity to eight. Notably, it rode atop the same 111-inch wheelbase as the standard van. From 1995 onward, Chevrolet sold only the extended-length Astro. Standard equipment varied over the years, but most Astros you encounter on the used market will have 15-inch wheels (16s starting in 2003), power steering, air-conditioning, cloth seating, an AM/FM stereo, power accessories and cruise control. Options included rear air-conditioning, leather upholstery, second-row bucket seats (reducing seating capacity to seven), upgraded stereos, towing preparation and a locking rear differential. The Chevrolet Astro changed remarkably little over the years, though there were some noteworthy developments. Four-wheel antilock brakes were made standard on Astro passenger vans in 1990. The brake system was upgraded again in 2003, when the van's rear drum brakes were swapped out for discs. A driver-side front airbag first became available in 1993, and Chevy made it standard the next year. Dual front airbags were fitted to all vans starting in '96. The addition of airbags improved the Astro's crashworthiness in government frontal-impact tests, but prospective buyers should note that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the van "Poor" (the lowest possible score) in its higher-speed, frontal-offset crash test -- hardly a surprise given the vehicle's aged structural design. A 1995 face-lift gave the Astro a fresher exterior look. The face-lift spread to the interior in 1996, bringing an all-new dashboard with easy-to-use controls. Speed-sensitive power steering was added to ease parking in 1997, and in 1999, Chevrolet adopted a new all-wheel-drive system that sent power to the front wheels only when the rear wheels began to slip -- thus improving fuel economy.
I have loved this van. However, at
about 100,000 miles I began to have
electrical problems i.e. turn signal
may or may not work, stalled for no
reason and would not restart and the
fan goes on and off - not fun in hot
weather. It only has 125,000 on it
and I am going to sell it. I thought
I would get about 150,000 to 175,000
out of it.
Over all this is by far the BEST
vehicle I have ever owned ....
I traded in a ExtCab 3Dr Silverado and
bought my Astro when my 2nd child was
born. I love having 2 full benches in
the back and still having a LARGE area
behind the 3rd row for hauling and
storage.
All of my friends and family have
children also so traveling together is
easy and roomy with this van.
Not to mention when a huge snow and ice
storm hit WV I was able to get to and
from work everyday safely when others
even some Trucks were left sitting :)
The best vehicle in its class. The
problem is that its the only one in
its class. Because of no competition,
GM has treated the Astro like an ugly
step child. The last revision was
nearly ten years ago.
I upgraded to a 2000 model from the 91
I had. The only noticeable difference
beside appearance was the reliability
of a newer vehicle. After just a few
years my new van rattled just like my
old one. Ive had many service calls
that were fortunately under warranty.
Delco batteries only last two years in
Florida.I love my van but Im sorry
that when Im ready for a new one, GM
will have done little to give me a
reason to buy.
If you keep them clean, get them
serviced on time, and like to haul
lots of people and cargo, Astro is a
great vehicle. Plenty of power, get-up-
n-go and gets great mileage over long
trips. Best MPG at 70 to 80 Mph.
Averaged 22 MPG from MPLS to ORLANDO
running 80% over 70MPH.
The LT option interior design is
great. This is a very dependable
vehicle, no repairs necessary in the
first 80,000 miles. Great for hauling
people and/or cargo. Vastly improved
ride from earlier models. Astros are
truly "Like a Rock", my 1986 model
Astro that I bought new, has 335,000
miles on it with orginal engine and
transmission, no rebuilds on either one.
The astro has been very good to us.We
live in Canada and our winters can be
harsh and it still works great .Its on
its 2nd motor but what can you expect
with over 450 000 kms on it .It feels
solid when you drive it not like the
other mini vans and the rear wheel
drive uses time proven technology .We
love it and would buy another .
A very reliable people/thing hauler.
Great power from the 4.3.
The old solid rear leaf spring made the
older van a better ride than the
current set-up.
This van has a lot more rattles than my
previous astro.
My major concern is that the value loss
is so high. You can buy one cheap but,
plan to keep it.
We haved loved our AWD Astro. It has
pulled the camper over the Rockies,
forded Jeep trails in the mountains,
hauled the dogs, kids, and everything
else you can think of. Very
versatile. Tight foot room in front,
but all vans do that. With AWD and ABS
it is the best snow and ice vehicle we
have ever had. It still gets 14-19 mpg
and the 4.3 is underpowered, but very
reliable. Still doesnt burn more than
a quart between oil changes at 125K
miles. Too bad they plan to
discontinue. We keep driving this
one because we cant get another set up
the same way.
I put the miles on per year and this
van keeps up with them have had no
major problems .....power window on
drivers side.yes but have found that
to be a weakness with chevys.....mine
has 142,000 miles and runs like a
clock..if I didnt need more room for
my business , would definately get
another..will be sad to retire this one.
mr. Edmunds-- as anyone who has owned
an Astro Van can tell you, it is in a
class of its own--true mid-size--I
just bought my 4th one in 18 yrs. All
have had over 200k mi.on them. I still
own my 96 (in add. to my 03) with 260k
with no major repairs. I have had a
chance to see 1st hand , the Astro
outperform, in almost ALL respects, the
so called competition. GOD save the
Astro !! User Reviews:
Showing 131 through 140 of 299.00
By Alissa
- May 24 - 2:00 am
By WV MomOnTheGo
- May 15 - 2:00 am
By Astro Fan
- May 9 - 2:00 am
By JimHomyak
- April 21 - 2:00 am
By OKIE
- April 17 - 2:00 am
By Dan. h
- April 10 - 2:00 am
By r2
- April 6 - 2:00 am
By J J B
- March 23 - 2:00 am
By Carolyn
- March 18 - 2:00 am
By mandoman
- March 10 - 2:00 am
