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.
This is an awful vehicle. Everything
breaks and need replacing within the
first few years. Every conceivable
notor and drive mechanism wears out
prematurely. It drives like a tank,
does not haus particularly well, and
gets lousy mileage. I would steer
anyone I talk to to away from this
vehicle. In fact, I have never heard
of anyone who actually likes this van
or would replace an old one with a new
one.
Mostly good vehicle but had some
electrical problems that 3 dealers
could not diagnois. Overall it was a
good truck and never got stuck in the
winter snow.
My Astro was very fun to drive. In
winter is very easy to grip on the
slush with AWD system. I use my Astro
everyday. Last week i charge my Astro
over 3000 pounds of training
equipement and i never had problem for
pull it!!
This is our second Astro, but first AWD
and we think it is great. I am a
professional mechanic, and I have been
very impressed by the Astro / Safari
vans. If you are in the market for a
mini van, the AWD is a vrey good
choice.
This is the second Astro we have
owned. We were in two very serious
accidents with our first and the van
held up great. My a/c, the window
switches, and belt broke in both
vans. The fuel pump has gone out in
my new one along with the emergency
brake. The wiper control broke. The
interior does not hold up very well.
The van sounds horrible, but the
service department does not know why.
It stays in the shop. It is difficult
to see out of the backe windows with
the doors. The sliding door is hard
to close. I do feel safe in it and I
love driving it, but I am afraid that
it will leave me stranded one day.
Very reliable, lotsa cargo space. Have
had it for 5 1/2 years & only major
repair has been fuel pump. A couple
interior design flaws noted below. No
rust, even though driven in sald every
winter.
Have had hardly any trouble with this
van. Rides nice, if you like the truck
ride, which I do. Only thing that has
been a hassle is the rear door
hydraulics last about 1 year only. I
was having trouble with the wipers, but
that was fixed through a recall.
I love the height of the vehicle. I
love the amount of room, I always feel
like I have room for everything. I like
the roomyness. It is very comfortable
to ride in. It is easy to drive and
manuver. Mostly the fact that I can see
what is going on. The drivers seat is
extremely comfortable.
So far weve only had the van for
5months. Its not bad. The things I
have noticed: not enought leg room in
the front seats, blind spot if you get
the model with the back doors that
swing out, kinda hard to get into from
the front, side window fasteners made
cheaply. Gas tank doesnt lock from
in/out side. I thought all new cars
did this now adays.
This van has been lousy since the get
go. At 16,000 miles, it died on the
freeway. The catalytic converter,
oxygen sensor and fuel pump needed
replacing. It has broken down numerous
times. The fuel pump has been replaced
twice, rear AC twice and on and on and
on. The cabin had an unlocated water
leak which caused the carpet and
padding to saturate and produce mold.
GM Customer relations had to be brought
in to mediate. After paying for new
padding and having it happen again, we
finally just removed it and put it back
in place when we traded the ridiculous
thing in. It rides like a mattress
suspended on beach balls. First and
LAST GM experience. User Reviews:
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