Experiences with all wheel drive vans

[Gizmo Man]

Need to upgade the van. I am thinking of a Chevy Astro Van AWD. Any of the Ifish folks own one and want to share + and - .

How do they hold up and what type of gas mileage.

Any other suggestions instead of this vehicle. A 4x4 pu truck, doesn't fit the family needs.

Thanks, Giz...

[Bait O' Eggs]

Gizmo
I would recommend one of the custom Hummers. You can see one next month at the sportman show. A little pricey but what a cool looking ride. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif Look like they have the power to pull the boat, and seating for the family. They have some gizmos on board also.

My brother has a Chevy Astro van AWD that his wife runs all over town. I believe they have had absolutely no problems with it (about 2 years old). Except where the dog ate part of the seat http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

He wanted to pull his 26 foot trailer house with it. The car salesman told him he could do it, no problem. He told me he cannot, just not enough pull. But then again a car salesman will tell you about anything to close the deal. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Good luck, nothing makes my skin crawl like thinking about going car shopping. Ordered my last one on the internet and saved a ton of aggravation, dickering, and time. Didnt have to see the dealer until I picked it up. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif priceless to me.

[Jim]

Hey Giz,
My wife drives a 96, what a dandy! Highly recommend them. They are awesome in snow and crud. Gets right at 16mpg, it toes the sled ok, no problem whatsoever with the drift boat.

Jim

[cureless1]

I have a AWD GMC Safari (2 years now) pulls the driftboat no problems, traction on most ramps no problem.

The only thing is with the AWD it has added front tire wear. Solution rotate tires every oil change 3k miles.

Went threw a set of tires the first 2 years until I asked questions and figured this out.

Otherwise no problems

Cureless

[Spooled]

Gizmo, I may be biased as I work for Chevrolet, but I would definately reccomend an AWD Astro or Safari. The 4.3 is a great motor for durability although not the smoothest. They are by far the best G.M. product in the snow and ice. I drive a 2000 Silverado 4WD and the Astro is way better in the snow. If you have a large boat or trailer you may need to go up to a Suburban. The Astro will easily tow a drift boat. You can also sleep in the Astro a lot better than the truck. If you buy new, make sure you get the tow package even if you do not tow. It comes with a lot of equipment such as oil cooler, HD wiring etc for a little $. The biggest advantage the Astro / Safari has over other mini vans other than space is it's towing ability and that package will come in handy a resale time.

[Fishhead]

I see that you want to go with a Chevy. I would consider a Ford Aerostar. The reason I say this is because a friend of mine was looking for a van or suv to pull his drift boat. He told me when he was looking at the Astro van that it had some kind of disclaimer on the inside of the sliding door that said something about in an accident that the chances of a fatality where not preventable. That made him change his mind about getting an Astro van. None of the other vehicles he looked at had this disclaimer! He ended up getting a 98 Ford Explorer. My wife and I have a 94 Ford Aerostar and have'nt had any problems. The AWD is great and goes good in the snow. It also has lots of room and can pull up to 5000lbs. I know all you Chevy guys will find something wrong with the Ford but remember what FORD stands for------ FIRST ON RACE DAY... Good luck- Fishhead Vic

[Spooled]

I am unaware of any disclaimer on the Astro door as described by Fishhead. You can become a fatality iny ANY vehicle I don't care how well they do in simulated crashes. He then states that his friend ended up with a 98 Explorer. We all have heard how unsafe they are lately in the press. All I can say is don't believe all that you read. The Explorer is as safe or safer than any other vehicle operated in a sane manner. Read the latest Car & Driver on this matter.

You will not get 20+ mpg with an AWD Astro except maybe on a flat freeway. I would say 17 mpg is more like it.

I agree that Ford builds a good product, and the Aerostar was fine. You will however get less power from their 4.0 than from Chevy's 4.3 V6. You also get Fords transmission which is totally outclassed by the Chevy's, and finally you will get worse mileage with the Ford. It says something that Chevy is still building their full frame mini van and Ford as mentioned stopped. Look around and see how many of each you see on the road. You will see far more Astros.

As for first First On Race Day, it isn't the Fords NASCAR is trying to slow down with restrictor plates and all the other rules to keep Ford competitive. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Gizmo Man]

To All: thanks for the comments and keep them coming.

Fishhead. I have a 1988 Aerostar and want to replace it with an AWD Aerostar, but they stopped making them in 1997. I have been looking for a low mileage one for the last 2 yrs or so.

I ran into a guy who suggested the Astro. I do not know anything about them.

He told me he has owned several and gets 20 + mpg. I have talked to Aerostar owners who get that, but Astro owners tell me its closer to 15-16.

I want the room of a van for overnight trips, and the AWD for the snow and mud at boat ramps.

I have no problems owning another Ford. I did own a Suburan for a couple of yrs, but at 8 - 10mpg + gas for the boat it cut down on fishing. Now that I'm retired, I want to be able to have a few $$ for bait, instead of pouring it all into the gas tank, (know what I mean)..


As far as towing, I have a driftboat and a 14' sled that weights in fully loaded at 1100# with trailer and gear.

Any more thoughts would help about the van selection.

Thanks...Giz..


[This message has been edited by Gizmo Man (edited 12-16-2000).]