1999 Chevrolet All-Wheel Drive Astro Van is a Versatile Vehicle
By Vince Bodiford
Automotive Editor
Okay, maybe the minivan craze is
being overtaken by sport utilities like the Chevy Blazer, Ford
Explorer and Dodge Durango.One strong survivor of the 1980's minivan trend is the surprisingly
versatile Chevy Astro van. It blends together into one package
all the features of a sport utility vehicle, plus the added luxury
of greater interior space and headroom. Chevy Astro has lasted
this long for one important reason - it gets the job done.
Its lines are not as current as the new Dodge Caravan or Mercury
Villager, but the Astro van is biggest and most powerful of the
minivans in its class. But, with the introduction of the new Chevy
Venture minivan (the famous "let's go" van), the Astro
became Chevrolet's true mid-size van, right between the new Venture
and the much bigger, full-size Chevy Express van. Now, the Dodge
Caravan and Mercury Villager are more closely matched to the Venture,
placing the Astro van virtually in a class all by itself.
Seating up to eight passengers, the Astro will hold just one person
less than the full-sized nine passenger Chevy Suburban. That's
one big yardstick by which most mid-size vans other than Astro
could never be measured against.
Power comes from the standard Vortec(r) 4300 V6 engine, which
makes 190 horsepower at 4,440 rpm and 250lbs. ft. of torque at
2800 rpm. This makes for plenty of power and some to spare.
Equipped with available all-wheel drive, the Astro is a performer
in all road conditions, but especially in the wet or snow. We
drove our all-wheel drive Astro from Sidney to Cheyenne, Wyo.
during one of our recent snowstorms. With outside temperatures
well below zero and the road surface patched with ice, Astro's
active all-wheel drive performed as promised and delivered better
grip and power to the wheels that need it.
Safety features include the Next Generation(r) driver and front
passenger air bags, daytime running lights, four-wheel antilock
brakes and child door locks. Optional is the remote keyless entry
system, but all models use the Passlock(r) ignition key theft
deterrent system. Passlock uses a microchip embedded in the key
that identifies the key. Only the right microchip will start the
car. It's now standard on almost all Chevrolet vehicles.
Driver and passenger comfort, versatility, and power are among
Astro's advantages. Inside, the Astro van is totally redesigned
for 1999. The seats are larger, with deeper cushioning and wider
lumbar support. More cupholders and storage cubbies have been
added this year. New shock dampening and better suspension bushings
have improved the Astro's ride considerably, which is now more
car-like without sacrificing load carrying capacity.
The driver controls are well placed and easy to operate. Full
analog instruments are clustered in a large center grouping. The
instruments are backlit at night, with bright white letters against
a black background.
Base price for the 1999 Chevy all-wheel drive Astro van in LT
trim is $23,252 which includes a long list of standard features.
Our test model was equipped with a preferred equipment group,
Dutch doors, compact-disc player, rear heat and air conditioning,
and other options that brought the total retail price as tested
to $30,442
