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.
Reliable, roomy, comfortable for
kids.Drivers seat a bit small
especially left leg room. The main
driver, my wife loves it mostly for the
great view of the road and the carrying
capacity. Dutch doors in the rear nice,
however the weatherstripping has to be
replaced once every three years.
Handling fine for a truck chassis
vehicle.
Very poorly made. Falling apart with
less than 51000 miles and maintained by
the book
I have had this van for little over a
year with 28,000 miles. So far, Ive
had no repair problems. Cargo space is
what sold me on this van, and it has
been impressive. It has almost as
much room as my previous full-size
van. This van is by no means fast but
has tremendous pulling power. The
steering is light and quick, but it is
also loose and numb. Although Chevy
has continually updated this vehicle
over the years, you cant escape the
fact that this is a vehicle from the
eighties. While functional, interior
design is very stark and dull with
plenty of monochrome plastics. All in
all however, Astro is a very capable
and reliable vehicle.
This van has more passenger, cargo, and
towing capacity than any other minivan
on the market. The truck frame and
suspension make it much sturdier than
the the car-based minivans of today yet
the ride quality and handling reflect
the beefier suspension. The interior
quality of the LS looks and feels cheap
but I like the rubber floor mats that
it came with. Compared to the 2002
Pontiac Montana that I owned
previously, this van is much more
capable of of hauling 8 adult
passengers and their luggage. If
youre looking for a van that can truly
carry eight people and still cruise
effortlessly down the freeway this is
the van for you.
I bought this used with 85000 and i dont
drive it alot but it has flawless. The
vehicle that has never let me down
unlike the voyager SE. Still has the
original gm battery. Milage could be
better but not in a big van. Avg about
22 on trips only about 3 less that the
voyager. LOts O Room
I use it to haul music equipment. Dont
play on every doing any repairs myself
as the engene is very unaccessble as the
dog house would have to me removed
Its perfect for a larger family. We
have three small kids in carseats, its
the only van we could find that was
able to fit all three perfectly, and
its still affordable. We havent had
any big problems with the van, just the
normal wear and tear that all vehicles
experience.
This van has a lot of power, we drive
up and down a steep grade daily, and it
has no hesitation whatsoever. Definetly
would buy another one in the future.
I have driven my Astro since I bought
it new in 1990. Drove it on a trip the
next day for 1500 miles and have loved
this van ever since. I now have 193,000
miles on it and have only done routine
mechanical for it. AWD has saved my
bacon a few times. It now gets about 22
to 24 miles to the gallon on the hwy so
I just cant let go of it.
Replaced power window motor three
time,windshield wiper motor,intake
gasket,rear air conditioning hose,fuel
gauge sender,cruise control cable and
its had a steady miss in overdrive that
they never could fix.
Great van, beside the VW Eurovan the
only one of its size. Quality
disappointing.
This is my second Astro. Once you
accept the fact it is a truck it is a
very nice truck. It is huge inside!
Makes a suburbam look small yet is
over two feet shorter. The V6 is
powerful towing by 4000 pound boat
nicely. User Reviews:
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