1997 Chevrolet ASTRO

Astro Snow Mobile

Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

bought the astro w 130,000 mi. 3yrs ago. 160know. Replaced a jeep cherokee with it and so happy with our choice. More cargo and smoother ride. Mine is not a soccer mom mobil. It's the Toy Box. And I have a long playlist. Take one seat out. still seat 5 comfortably. and put 5 bikes in the back. Or skis or snowboards... climbing gear... windsurf/kitesurf rigs... or a mixture of them all. In the winter move the seat to the back row and you have a nice space to put ski boots on or have lunch between snowkite sessions or sleep in it..rear heat works great. No need for a rocket box. but it has factory racks so easy to do if needed. Hook up a trailer and pull 4 dirt bikes or two snowmobiles no worries. Right now its winter and this van loves it. So stable on ice and snow. Good tires of course do help a lot. We ski little cottonwood cny and chase wind for snowkiting so often driving in blizzards. Its weight is well proportioned to its size and make it a smooth reliable snow mobile. The gears work awesome. Just put it in 1st or 2nd on steep snowy downhills and you barley need to use the brakes. I work on the great salt lake, if it's not stormy, and have to commute across a 15 mile dirt road which gets icy, horribly washboarded, and rutted this time of year. Set the cruz control at 45 and let the S-10 chassy do the work. although i have had to replace fuel pump and catalytic converter, normal stuff for its age, affordable parts and minimal labor made it no big deal. I recommend this van to all fun hogs... especially snow lovers.

Satisfied

Performance : 4 Comfort : 4 Fuel Economy : 4 Fun To Drive : 4 Interior Design : 5 Exterior Design : 5 Build Quality : 4 Reliability : 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Purchased vehicle as a rental return. I need AWD because I sell property in the mountains and occasionally go off road. Clients are always comfortable. Currently has 180K miles, mostly reliable, minimal repairs have been needed. Gas mileage in the mountains averages 13-14 MPG. 18-20 MPG on the road.

Sad to see them go

Performance : 4 Comfort : 4 Fuel Economy : 4 Fun To Drive : 3 Interior Design : 4 Exterior Design : 5 Build Quality : 5 Reliability : 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

Our 4th Astro, obviously we like them. A-B'b the Caravan, Aerostar & Astro when we were in the market for a small van in 1985. Thought the Astro was the best choice then, still do now. Sorry they're no longer made

This is one great van! Bring it back!

Performance : 5 Comfort : 4 Fuel Economy : 4 Fun To Drive : 5 Interior Design : 4 Exterior Design : 5 Build Quality : 4 Reliability : 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

I have owned four of the Astro series and one Safari van since '96. I've had only good experiences with them. Maybe I apprciate its comfort level, driveability and road feel because I don't expect this truck to drive like a luxury sedan. My Astros gave me better mileage than any pickups I've driven from time to time (including the big new Toyotas), yet with much bigger enclosed hauling space for my tools, lumber, etc., with the seats out. Then, when you need it, unlike a pickup, it's a great people mover too. And, as far as the styling goes, a nicely detailed 2002 Astro looks better than anything else out there. I'm keeping this one!

Chevy, make another!

Performance : 4 Comfort : 5 Fuel Economy : 4 Fun To Drive : 3 Interior Design : 4 Exterior Design : 4 Build Quality : 4 Reliability : 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

We purchased our '02 because we owned a '91 & my wife loved being up higher than a typical minivan. It was barely used when we bought it & it had everything we wanted. The biggest improvement over the older one was the rear dutch doors. It's a system that makes complete sense. The adjustability of the bench seats is tremendous, allowing ample leg room for an adult in the back if neccessary. Try having an adult in the back of a Caravan; they may decide to walk! The only thing I needed to change was the factory rims & tires; looked really soft for such a tough truck (and it is a truck!). We love our Astro van and plan on keeping it for years to come

It was time to stop making this model

Performance : 4 Comfort : 3 Fuel Economy : 4 Fun To Drive : 3 Interior Design : 3 Exterior Design : 3 Build Quality : 4 Reliability : 3 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3

This van was a good fit for my needs at the time, It can tow medium size loads, and is OK in comfort. The engine box should be pushed forward some. Cargo space is great, if you remove the third row seat, which is a chore for one person.

Don't Buy It!

Performance : 3 Comfort : 2 Fuel Economy : 2 Fun To Drive : 1 Interior Design : 2 Exterior Design : 3 Build Quality : 1 Reliability : 2 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 2

Unless you have a large family and you intend to tow more than the typical mini-van will allow, don't buy one. With just 35,000 mi. I'm already having mechanical problems. We've replaced the ignition, "U" joint and the water pump. There is something else that is making noise under the hood that I haven't tracked down yet and the front end will need work in the very near future. It gets poor fuel economy when compared to other mini-vans and really is not a comfortable vehicle to drive.

2002 Astrovan

Performance : 3 Comfort : 3 Fuel Economy : 2 Fun To Drive : 3 Interior Design : 2 Exterior Design : 3 Build Quality : 1 Reliability : 4 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 4

I purchased an Astrovan due to its vast cargo capacity and some advice from a mechanic I know. While the engine and drive train has been good it seem likes everything else has a problem. Small things break on a regular basis and are a pain to repair. Door handles, door locks, rear seats, windshield, lights front and rear, etc.

2002 Astro Conversion

Performance : 4 Comfort : 5 Fuel Economy : 3 Fun To Drive : 4 Interior Design : 5 Exterior Design : 5 Build Quality : 5 Reliability : 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

The only things I don't really like about this van are the turning radius, which isn't as tight as the Voyager we used to have, and how difficult it is to back up at night, because we have dark tinted windows, and the seats are quite high, making it difficult to see. It's a great traveling van, the back seat folds down to a bed, and it has nice blinds on the windows. It gets better mileage that we thought it would, averaging 20 mpg. I've gotten 24 mpg with it on the interstate. We'll keep this until it falls apart on us; we're quite happy with it.

Astro is a strong minivan

Performance : 5 Comfort : 5 Fuel Economy : 5 Fun To Drive : 4 Interior Design : 4 Exterior Design : 5 Build Quality : 5 Reliability : 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

This is our second Astro. The first one was destroyed in a side-impact collision by a drunk driver. The impact was so hard it flipped the van over onto it's roof and spun it around the intersection. No serious injuries to my wife and children, just small cuts from broken glass. Astro vans are built on a truck frame, and are durable, strong, and can almost drive like a pickup. It's been on many a campout with my son's scout troop. If you're thinking about buying a minivan, and need durability, strength, and space, get an Astrovan.