I recall and love the absurdity of the staff "going over" the test vehicles in the background of the shot. Clipboards in hand and all "looking" so busy.
Or the guy with a stopwatch and a clipboard yelling and banging on the roof during an acceleration run as if some world record was about to be broken or something.
I love how the classic Motorweek included a category taking into account that how easy they are to work on. Most modern car reviewers don't know anything about working on a car, nor do they mention anything about how easy or hard a car is to repair.
The first Ford ever built (Quadricycle, in the late 1800s) had this as well. It had a massage option in the fact that the seats shook while the engine was running, and safety features such as a top speed of just 8 miles an hour!
I remember when I was stationed in Japan back in the early 2000's, all the american families were driving those Toyota Ace vans. Surprisingly, a lot of the Japanese had Chevy Astros; they were seen as a status symbol. They even had body kits on their Astros and would keep them really clean haha
I had that Toyota van (an '86) and honestly, it was a trooper. I racked up 300K+ miles on it and sold it still running strong. The turning radius was excellent but it resembled a milk carton turned on its side so not too attractive looking. Still, I have fond memories of it and it was excellent on gas and never needed work- it just ran like a champ!
My godmother used to had a circa 1988-1992 Chevrolet Astro EXT van since I was a little kid. It had a dark blue interior with eight-passenger seating, fold-out windows, sport wheels & seats, dark blue exterior, and more. The best moment that I had in her Chevy Astro when she took me to my preschool graduation in 1999.
Cool! My parents had an 86' when I was growing up, and later got a 94' EXT very similar to what you describe. I adored those vans, especially with the dark blue int/ext, LT (back when that meant something more than a badge), alloy wheels, BFGoodrich Radial T/A's w/raised white lettering, and probably some of the most comfortable cloth van seats I've ever sat in. They were by no means perfect vehicles, but the ones we had were very dependable, capable, and IMO good looking with the right trim/paint scheme. Would still take the Astro's interior any day to the garbage GM started putting in their vehicles in the late 90's to mid 2000's. Although, I don't miss the lack of front-end collision safety in those early models, hence why my parents eventually sold it well before it had any real mechanical/cosmetic problems. In short; Good vans, not so good front end design...
It’s about gearing. Old Dodges with their 236 flathead sixes were pumping out an earth-shattering 100 horsepower yet still powered dump trucks, semis, flatbeds, etc. You weren’t going anywhere fast but the torque of the six and stupid low gears would pull a house down.
Having been behind the wheel of a '95 Aerostar and an '01 Astro, both all-wheel-drive with big V6's, I found this report both interesting and entertaining. The test track and "garagability" footage was a real eye-opener.
*''It's the new group of vehicles that may someday make the family station wagon obsolete''* Holy shit, John Davis is a visionary. Besides, I put the SUVs in the past sentence as well, directly helped the station wagons to be completely obsolete as the years goes by.
My aunt and uncle had 1986 Plymouth Voyager in the exact same color as the one in this comparo. It had a gray cloth interior and different hubcaps, but that is the same color. They special ordered it and it was their family car for 11 years! They were living in Georgia at the time, and these vans were in such high demand that they had to go to Alabama to find a dealer willing to make a good deal. There van was actually quite well-equipped, too. It had A/C, cruise, tilt, and an AM/FM stereo with cassette. The tape deck came in handy for long road trips. My aunt would always play kids sing-along tapes for me and my cousins. I spent a good chunk of my childhood riding in that van, and had some of my fondest memories in it. The van had it's share of problems, including the A/C compressor failing in 1993 or 1994, and the hydraulics in the rear liftgate before that. From 1994 until they sold it and bought a new Voyager in 1997, they carried a fence post in the van to hold up the liftgate. My aunt also managed to stall it out driving through a flash-flooded residential street in 1995 or 1996. Despite it's problems and quirks, that van was ultimately reliable. Doubt it's still in existence anymore, but thanks for posting this video and bringing back fond childhood memories. It's also funny that they mentioned problems with access to the belt. In like 1994 when the A/C compressor in my aunt and uncle's van locked up, the engine was unable to start because the whole serpentine belt was able to spin. My other uncle had to cut off the fan belt and install one meant for a non-A/C van to bypass the compressor. My aunt and uncle did fix the A/C.
My parents had an '86 Astro growing up. Have a lot of fun memories in that van. It had the EFI 4.3L, they finally gave it away in 2008. It had about half a million miles on it. Great van. Uglier than a mud fence though.
The 1990 Astro 4.3 V6 was very powerful. Lots of torque. The company that I worked for purchased one and I got to drive it almost every day. Even now I wish I had one. Especially with all wheel drive.
Pretty much all of these vans were very reliable, you still see a lot of them on the road today, and in the 90's they were EVERYWHERE. You would also always see those back seats and third rows in peoples garages all the time in the 90s. They were like garage couches. You would think they could have made them fold away or something more practical than taking out the entire bench. Good memories of the those things though.
Whitney B true you tend to see some of these from the 80's but when I go to upullit I so many late 1999-2012 mini vans more than the 80' s and early 1990's. maybe that says something about the way these were made. nor much power but reliable. my stepfather had 2 of these Dodge mini vans. funny thing happened with one of them, an engine piece broke and he still had the 5 year 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. went to get it fixed and low and behold the engine piece wasn't covered. he was pissed. so much that 5-50,000 b to b warranty. he got it fixed using the warranty after a month of haggling.
Yep! My dad had a '92 Astro LT that he used as a work van for his business, and he took out the third row and put it in the garage. Made for a nice seat!
Could've gone with a first aid kit or cassette tapes or the user's manual....nope, an orange is what they decided would represent a normal everyday item we find in cars.
@@BenJabituya I'm so glad somebody mentioned the Volkswagen vans in comparison to the Toyotas of the 1980's. Actually the Toyota vans were more similar to the Vanagons (Type 2/T3) than any other van out there.
I loved our '85 Astro---the original. My parent's van was a conversion/luxury van, converted from a cargo Astro, without the OEM seating. So it was good to see how the standard passenger van compared with the others of its time. I sold my dad's Astro in 2007 and it never had any mechanical problems with engine/drivetrain. The 4.3 V6 is a BEAST for reliability. Good review and interesting that some of these vans came with less than 100 hp 4-cylinder engines.
Vulgora Never though of that, it's so much better, old meaningless videos are WAY better entertainment than the comics every were! I love being reminded how vehicles were back then. Reminds me of high school. Seriously, it's awesome to see them as brand new.
cant believe astro goes back that long, my first car was a 92 astro loved that thing drove great and comfy and fit the whole crew for a night of chilling lol had 11 people in it one night
The Mitsubishi Colt Vista, though a smaller minivan, was a great choice as well. I owned a 95 with the 2.4L and the 4 doors (non LRV version). It was fantastic! Reliable and surprisingly powerful for a non turbo 4 banger. I could match acceleration of most 6 cylinders and some 8's when merging on the freeway. Quiet as a mouse too
I had me some of them dang ol Chevy Astro/GMC Safaris. I remember you could take out the middle seat and make a limo van! You could also reverse the rear seat and have the passengers use the rear doors to get in and out. The V-6 was awesome, it had power and would bury the needle. No idea how fast I was going in my 90 Safari when I buried the needle. I do remember it took about two minutes to get back down to where the speedo read 85 though. Back when you actually had enough room on the highway to do such things. Too many assholes in Priuses these days.
One thing about this Comparo is that you still see hundreds of Astro/Safari vans on the road still today. That van was the best "People Mover" of all of them and has stood the test of time.
No ABS in cars that age. plus it has the engine, the driver placed on top of the front axle so it is front heavy because it is built on a frame for hauling things.
My parents had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager, and that was the best carry all people mini van we ever owned. Loved that van! Very reliable, comfy, and got good gas mileage too. Only problem was the exhaust resonator. Was too loud. We had that replaced as soon as they bought the van brand new.
I love the "testers" mulling about aimlessly in this video. 0:40 "Why the hell is this door sliding all around like this?". Checking the front license plate frame at 1:03. LOL.
Love these old reviews. I remember when minivans came into the mainstream, I was a child, but dad sold cars so I was close to the car lot. People weren't using them to haul plywood though, .lol no matter how much motorweek thought so.
Dominique Hebert The " plywood test" is an old standard for vans and trucks. Even some full sized station wagons advertised it. It isn't really practical, but it was a fairly standardized way to measure space.
My grandfather was. He was a woodworker so he didn’t need to get plywood often but when he got the minivan he was excited that he could now take full sheets home himself rather than having to ask someone with a truck.
Looking at this now. so many years later, you can see the GM Culture in their design. Only one with enough power and seemed the most stable, also the most like a big van. The Astro actually sold well in Japan of all places for some reason or another.
These old videos are fun to watch and a bit shocking at how slow to 60 and coming to stops with no ABS. The slalom parts show how much nearly out of control they seem! We always seem to want to take all of the rear and middle seats out and there is the standard 4 x 8 sheet of plywood test for all of them. Thank goodness it's not 1985.
My father had three different Astros his last one was a 4wd one, he loved them for doing his job of freelance cameraman he could haul tons of gear in it
i really like the little chrysler van. years ago i had an 86 dodge van with 2.2 & 5 speed. fun & economical little van! it was red, brand new condition and really comfortable.
I have a '94 Chrysler Voyager (European Dodge Caravan) and it's one of the most comfortable things I've been into. If it had the Toyota's refrigerator it would be perfect.
My first car was a 1998 Plymouth Voyager SE, learned to drive in it and everything. It had the 2.5L throttle body FI with a whopping 97 hp. 0-60 took a year. Surprisingly the 3-speed transmission was the most reliable aspect of that car.
2019 and I'm watching this again. It's what sold me on Astro Vans before the Internet was even around! Bought my first one in '89 and currently have a RUST FREE '86 cargo version with only 102,000 original miles after purchasing it with 88k miles in '08. LOVE THOSE VANS!
@@omartinoco9930 Why not? The vast majority of Astros were sold as passenger vehicles and I’m pretty sure all of them were available in cargo variants for work.
Cool video. I remember these replaced wagons and were good for family and business uses. Had a 1996 Astro that could do lots of hauling with ease. The vortec engine had 190 h.p. and great torque. Shitty in the snow. Glad they made them longer so 4 by 8 boards fit easily. Sadly rust killed it after 21 years.
The Astro was the most powerful of the bunch for towing. Back then I had an 86 Dodge Mini Ram Van. Yes, that is what the cargo edition was called in 1986. It had the 5 spd trans and I got with a single bench seat in the back and one side window. Glad they kept that sliding drawer under the passenger seat up till its end in 2020
The older GM vans are honestly some of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. Both the G20 and Astro have the wheel hump on the floor, it is super comfortable to cruise around with your foot on it and your knee elevated.
I like that the aerostar is rear wheel drive, great for towing. The engine bay is pretty tight, but headers and a M90 supercharger fit the 4.0L without cutting anything.
Not really staged, more like performed by professionals who are paid to do it properly instead of everyday folks in their busy life. Remember it's 3 different brands competing w/each other
The Voyager's front wheel drive makes it a treat in snow. Yep, I second that. A road covered in snow, my Chrysler Town and Country has no problem driving through it.
+Robert Baratheon Yeah, and the generous ground clearance meant I never even had to shovel out my driveway! I'd just park it with the drive wheels furthest from the road and in the morning just power it out into the street. Never any problem, those things were "vantastic."
+Robert Baratheon a few years later, Chevy put an optional AWD system in the Astros....those things are a BEAST in the snow...same system that the AMC Eagle had in them!
Robert Baratheon not true. The AMC Eagle used 3 transfer cases in its 9 year production run. These cases were manufactured by New Process and were designated models 119, 129 and 128. The 119 was 4 wheel drive all the time, whereas the 128 and 129 were switchable to 2 wheel drive. The early Astro AWD models used a transfer case with no option of shifting to 2 wheel drive, made by a competitor of New Process, Borg-Warner. After 1996, Astro AWD models use an electronically actuated transfer, but still no option of 2 wheel drive.
My dad had the Toyota van back in the day but the cargo version with no windows. We went everywhere in it. It was so embarrassing but it took our family everywhere from church to camping. It was great!
My parents have always been Chrysler Minivan owners all the way back to 1984 when the first debuted. My mom had a 1984 Plymouth Voyager LE fully loaded and it was gold with the woodgrain siding and tinted windows, it had the 2.6 liter Mitsubishi 4 cylinder, it was a great van but it had no power when you were hauling 7 passengers. My dad had a red 1985 Dodge Caravan SE, it was red with tinted windows and it had the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, that van didnt do to well climbing hills and you had to remember to shut the A/C off or it would stall on hills. after 1987 when they introduced the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6, it was a huge improvement in power. I love my 1987 Plymouth Voyager LE with the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6, its beige with the woodgrain siding, tinted windows and every single option in the book. It has been a very reliable minivan and right now my dad and uncle are rebuilding the engine at 375,000 miles. Its just starting to burn oil, thats a very common problem on the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6 as they get high miles on them, the valve seals go bad.
You are right about that, we bought the second generation minivans. A 1996 Grand Voyager and a 1999 Dodge Caravan and both of them were horrible, between transmission problems, rust everywhere, power steering leaks and failed pumps, oil leaks, we could not keep tires on them. Also we had to keep getting front end alignments. We were glad to get rid of them both and now me and my parents drive Chevrolet Trailblazers and Impalas.
Pasquale solano chrysler was trash back then no performance cars just shitty fwd vans and those pos k cars. they should have had a car that could compete with the fox body and camaro but they just had a bunch of slow cars.
***** the Chrysler K body was reliable and it sold very well Until the late 90s when the K body wasnt produced. Since then Chrysler is coasting on their sales until 2008 when it all crashed. So now Chrysler is in deep shit because of all of the wrong decisions they did since the late 90s.
Pasquale solano at least hey have cars that can perform now. Hellcat challenger and etc. in the 80s they lost the flavor they had in the 60s and 70s. Then there was that abomination shelby charger and other shelby branded fwd cars. When they got the charger and the challenger things started to improve. Chrysler without muscle is nothing.
The voyager was ahead of the curve in employing a fwd format. I own a '2000 dodge grand caravan and it is a beautifully engineered vehicle... an excellent evolution of the vans in this comparro...modern minivans are kindof a different discussion entirely.
FWD is a step back in all ways, only reason it's used is because it's cheaper to manufacture and makes packaging a little easier, dynamically it's way worse
My late grandfather owned a '84 Toyota Van in the 1990s. I drove him around in it quite often. His had the 4-speed automatic. It was one of the slowest vehicles I have ever driven. They report that the 5-speed was rated 18.5 seconds from 0-60, I imagine the automatic was more like 25 seconds to 60. I know we had two grades to pull out onto from a stop, it would barely hit 55 mph even after a mile up the road. lol. It was bulletproof however.
You guys called it, (minivans) "May someday make the family station-wagon obsolete" I see an awful lot of Caravans but not as many Country Squires. Great job guys!
I’ve owned one Safari and driven a number of them. They all want to tuck tighter into turns, and have poor directional stability. The steering feels like the van wants to head for the ditch rather than follow the road. It is the opposite of a relaxing pleasant driving experience, requiring constant vigilance. The engine takes up most of the front foot room, leaving almost nothing for the passenger, and minimal for the driver. The 4.3 and 700R4 transmission would have been the best, but the trans was trouble prone. The later 4l60E should have been an improvement but for an easily fixed fatal flaw. I would never again own one of these! The Voyager is a nice family van. Solid, reliable town and highway car with decent handling. The V6 versions made access a pain. The Aerostar handles like a dream. Like the Astro, it’s a “truck” in terms of running gear. They drive like they are on rails. Lots of leg room, excellent visibility, good suspension. The A4LD transmission is the weak point, and head problems on the larger 4.0 used in the AWD versions (cracking) could be a problem. Engine access is not the problem it seems. I know nothing about the Toyota. My vote is for the Aerostar.... (awd) for my use. Relaxed effortless driving, lots of power (4.0)....mpg in the 20’s, good clearance, go anywhere you point it with no argument. I owned one once.... It saved my butt more than once...I’m planning to own another! You couldn’t give me an astro!
My parents had an "84 Voyager and traded it for an "87 Astro V6. I was 8 and I'll never forget it. I was with them when they test drove the Aerostar and I liked the rear audio controls. When we were taking delivery of the Astro I told dad, "I wanted the Aerostar." He said, "Good, go buy it then."
I just realized I've owned 3 out of the 4 vans reviewed here. I currently drive a 2001 GMC Safari AWD and love it. Never owned an Aerostar and have zero desire to ever do so.
I grew up in the back seat of a Toyota van. It was miserable on road trips because the AC just couldn't cool the car down and with all the weight up front the back end would fish tail when you passed a semi on the freeway. I did like to lift up the battery cover and watch the road fly by underneath though. It was a pretty unique car
Yep...the modern minivan and crossover runs the 1/4 faster than most "muscle cars" from back then. People hate the computerization of cars but look at what its done for us. These things would have been considered as having really high mileage and needing a bunch of maintenence to keep going past 100k miles. That's now just getting started. Power, efficiency and all around performance standards today would have been insane back then.
I have to confess that I have always had an "It's Complicated" relationship with the Astro/Safari. I LOVED how roomy & comfortable they were, how smoothly they rode, & how quiet they were.........& that 4.3-liter V6 is a TORQUE MONSTER, but fit & finish left A LOT to be desired. I will NEVER forget that it was an Astro which brought me to see Home Alone for the first time, however. I will NEVER forget cruising to Showcase Cinema in Woburn, MA in a blue 1986 Chevy Astro full of kids, BLASTING C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)".........ON THE CASSETTE PLAYER (Man, I'm old!!!!!)!!!!!!!
toyota vans are badass. I had a 5 speed dual sunroof LE model. What an awesome van. The visibility and turning circle are insane. It was dangerously slow and overpasses and semis made you stay in touch with Jesus but I would love to own another one.
oh god those Chrysler vans with the Mitsubishi parts were the worst; my parents had one and I remember staying out late on the summer nights holding the flashlight for my dad while he tried to fix that heap. Transmission replaced new balancing shafts, rebuilt engine and it still constantly broke down. Our family friend had one too and on a road trip the transmission decided to shift into first on the highway and tore it self apart. These things were nightmares.
We had a used 86 Voyager with the Mitsi 2.6. Except for needing a new timing chain and running rich when cold the powertrain never gave us trouble,But itt was always a slug off the line and eventually was so slow it was dangerous.
89 was the worst year, iococoa released the ultra drive 4 speed transmission before it was ready and the Mitsu 3.0 was trouble. But the 90 year with the Dodge build 3.3 was a beast even if the A604 was still hit and miss
We had a new '94 GMC Safari EXT (extended length) for a few years. It had the 4.3 V6 and was nicely optioned with all of the power goodies, cruise, tilt, the nice interior with four captains chairs and a bench in back, roof rack, privacy glass, and the handy "Dutch doors" in back. We did so many road trips in it including several outdoorsy camping weekends. It was very versatile and comfortable on trips and around town. It had only routine maintenance and never any mechanical issues. Great vehicle and a member of the family for several years (our now 28 year old son came home from the hospital in it as a newborn). Thirty years later I'd gladly take it back.
I will never doubt the toughness of the 4.3 My 95 astro I had in high school was an absolute beast of a machine. I paid $600 for that thing when it had 250,XXX miles, and drove it for 2 years, making money by hauling scrap metal all summer long. I beat the crap out of that van, there was no mercy to be had. I don't even think I changed the oil in it once. When I finally retired it, it was still running on at least 4 cyclinders. I remeber the last time I started it to move it to it's final resting place before i was going to cut it up for scrap (title issues, not worth reselling) and those 4 remaining cylinders were crying to be put out of there misery after a rough 300xxx mile life time. Many of its parts went on to extend the lives of other Astros and Safaris. Rip to Assie the Astro, 1995-2018 😆
It's nice to see Chrysler has made a transmission last about 100,000 miles these days. We've had just about every model through the years and it was a rough go with transmissions. Our brand new '90 Voyager's transmission took a dump a week after taking delivery. Three more after that (over a few years) and it was "fine." If it wasn't for an excellent overall package, we would have picked something different. I did buy a Ford Windstar in '01 and that van was pretty much perfect, but they quit building them when I needed a new one. Now I'm driving an '06 Caravan SXT. So far, so good. Our '03 Town and country made it 135,000 before needing a transmission, but the rest of it was solid before selling it at ~200,000 miles.
The Toyota vans were awesome. I had a pretty basic 85 model with only options being rear AC and automatic. The van was fun to drive, I thought easy to work on and looked the coolest of any car on the road. It looked like a shuttle craft from some space movie. lol
It's amazing to think that you still see those Astro Vans running around where the other ones are non-existent anymore. I know what they're talking about with the front legroom, my parents had two of them a 90 and a 98. The 98 was a GMC Safari with every option but leather. So an SLT model with four captains chairs and one bench. the four captains chairs and the bench were different than what you could get in a SLE LS you know whatever you want to call it. all the seats for wider much more comfortable and because of that the legroom didn't really bother you. my dad regrets to this day ever getting rid of that van because that model Chevy or GMC with that high of a trim package or not easy to find. but you said it was 29 or $31,000 as a lot of money in 98
Matthew Olmstead hi-five, Toyota Van buddy; had my ‘85 in 1998-‘99. Total basket case because it was in terrible shape when I got it, but it’s still legendary to me.
Have to give credit to Chrysler. They set the standard for a new product and the competition really never quite caught up, until Honda and Toyota took over.
The thing with the Astro was a good drivetrain, and very good room. Plus you could really tow with them! When they went to EFI the 4.3 V6 and od auto trans was fantastic. They weren't the easiest thing to service though, but better than an Aerostar by lightyears. However, they drove like a van/truck. Chryslers didn't. Those were lower, nicer inside, and were really easy to service. But the early 1s sure needed to be serviced a lot! Carb problems, and blown head gaskets were plentiful. But they eventually got them right, EFI and even turbos came along, as well as V6s and a 4 speed auto.. yeah, that 1 took time to get right as well... Ford had a reliable though hopelessly underpowered V6 and good transmission, but the Aerostar was a PITA to work on, and suffered from premature rust. The Toyota? Good drivetrain, but again underpowered, and back in the day, no on wanted to work on them, just a nightmare!
The familiarity with the Chrysler minivans was a big selling point. I think Iacocca insisted on that quality during development. Getting used to a truck like feeling is easy, but no one is going to do it during a 15 minute test drive. He wanted something that wouldn't spook suburban moms.
Out of all of those choices you may still see more Astros running than the rest of the competition. I don't think the Toyotas ever caught on and the Chryslers and Aerostars usually broke all of the time years later. Granted I do know that there were some crappy Astros; the 4.3 was either a great engine or it may have problems and the 2.5 was just too underpowered for the van (which is why it was later dropped). The later models introduced a longer body which would allow both the Astro and Aerostar to hold a sheet of plywood. We have a '95 Astro with a 190 hp 4.3. It has hauled around 10,000 pounds (combined van and trailer) nearly 700 miles over mountains, it is quick, and there has hardly been anything major to break on it (except it's been in two accidents). The rust is starting to get to the usual spots and the van is starting to look its age.
to be fair, you see more astro/safari vans because they were made, virtually unchanged, all the way into the mid 2000s when you see an astro, you are likely not seeing an 80s mini van that has "survived", you are seeing (likely) a 2005, maybe 2003 with a handfull of exceptions... still newer than the vehicle I drive everyday.
Currently driving a 91 Astro with 195K. It is a passenger van and my daily. It is still running strrong and requires regular visits to the shop to keep it that way. If I wasn't proactive about maintenance it would've been scrapped maybe two years ago, and now it's technically a classic so we're going to push forward with more intensive upstate NY rust repairs to keep it nice.
@@exxusdrugstore300 true. My dad had 3 of them (a '92, '94, and restyled '95) for his business. They'd put you back in the seat a little bit with their torque, but I always wondered if they were gonna blow up with how they sounded under full throttle.
The 4.3 was designed off the unkillable Chevrolet small block V8, it is probably one of the best V6 engines ever made by any manufacture. That is why here in the states you will still see a Chevrolet mini van rollimg the streets pretty regularly (well at least in the south west where rust isn't an issue). I can't tell you the last time I saw a daily Toyota van or. Even the huge seller CDP minivans and the areostars are gone too... One look at Craigslist will tell you what is still on the road and Chevrolet astro was a good van and I say that not liking GMs or minivans and remember these ulgy things being everywhere.
I was 22 back 1985,these Van's were last on my list. Grew a family,four door Chevy sedans for years in the 1990s,then grew into Explorers and still are with an Edge as well for us grandparents. 😊
In most if not all new vans can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood unlike in 1985 but nothing beats stow n go in Chrysler/Dodge vans. I love being able to load up plywood in my wifes 2011 Town and Country without having to remove the seats first and with stow n go I feel you will not find a more versatile vehicle.
Why would anyone want to put plywood into such a beautiful (modern) interior? Get a truck or SUV with plastic everywhere... would never mistreat my leather!
Andrew My 2006 Suburban is like that, fold the third row down, then for the bucket seats in the second row pull the bottoms up against the front seats, then fold the back rest down to the floor.
My family rented a 1984 Toyota Van, at least twice. We had road trips around New York State and New England, in summer 1985. While that van had its woes on access, handling, and ride, at least the Toyota Van was reliable. Also, many of my family's friends had Chrysler minivans. I even rode in several. Such minivans were very easy to spot back in the day.
The Astro vans were death traps with the old moderate front overlap test. Dateline featured a crash test of one by the IIHS and it pitched the driver into the steering wheel. My dad had several for his business and I'm glad he got rid of them. The only one that was worse was the later 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport/Montana (which we also had), which drove the steering wheel into the dummy and would have caused potentially fatal neck injuries to a real human.
I bought a 99 Astro cargo van with 150K on the clock back in 2010. I've run delivery routes, towed cars, hauled furniture, and use it for home improvement work these days at 375K on the original engine and transmission. The most incredible work vehicle ever made, imo. I always laugh whenever reviewers complain about the front legroom. It's a VAN! No one bought it for comfort. They bought it to haul stuff, and it hauls stuff better than any "minivan" ever did.
I recall and love the absurdity of the staff "going over" the test vehicles in the background of the shot. Clipboards in hand and all "looking" so busy.
Or the guy with a stopwatch and a clipboard yelling and banging on the roof during an acceleration run as if some world record was about to be broken or something.
Reminds me of the beauty infomercials where everyone is wearing a lab coat and has a clipboard.
The “super heavy” luggage 😂😂
6 people to put a sheet of plywood in lol
And the way they would get in the vehicles and start working all the controls like they were high on meth.
I love how the classic Motorweek included a category taking into account that how easy they are to work on. Most modern car reviewers don't know anything about working on a car, nor do they mention anything about how easy or hard a car is to repair.
thank you Shrek, very cool!
@@snackler6102 ummmmm. people still have balls dude.
@@Andyface79 not anymore - modern society is now comprised of pussies
Not the people who were protesting
Cars needed more maintenance back in those days. You could get some of these with carburetors. There was more work to do.
i guess toyota had the first heated seats lol. since the engine is under the seat
They had heated seats before that right? Idk
I used to roast in the one I drove. It didn't matter if it was summer or winter. Even with the AC on my ass was still on fire.
fuck the vinyl seats ours had, got hot - no aC
Those Toyota vans were extremely uncomfortable and terrible in the snow. I had a friend that had one.
The first Ford ever built (Quadricycle, in the late 1800s) had this as well. It had a massage option in the fact that the seats shook while the engine was running, and safety features such as a top speed of just 8 miles an hour!
My parents had the 85 Toyota van with the double sun roof. Good trips and fun memories
The Toyota van 85 is turning Diameter 34 ft
I remember when I was stationed in Japan back in the early 2000's, all the american families were driving those Toyota Ace vans. Surprisingly, a lot of the Japanese had Chevy Astros; they were seen as a status symbol. They even had body kits on their Astros and would keep them really clean haha
The 2 best of the bunch!
Upside-down
Yes, Astro/Safari vans were hugely popular YANASE imports and still are. Especially the Starcraft high-top conversion vans.
They were useful vans but they were so unsafe lol
The Japanese race Astros too!
I had that Toyota van (an '86) and honestly, it was a trooper. I racked up 300K+ miles on it and sold it still running strong. The turning radius was excellent but it resembled a milk carton turned on its side so not too attractive looking. Still, I have fond memories of it and it was excellent on gas and never needed work- it just ran like a champ!
My godmother used to had a circa 1988-1992 Chevrolet Astro EXT van since I was a little kid. It had a dark blue interior with eight-passenger seating, fold-out windows, sport wheels & seats, dark blue exterior, and more. The best moment that I had in her Chevy Astro when she took me to my preschool graduation in 1999.
Cool! My parents had an 86' when I was growing up, and later got a 94' EXT very similar to what you describe. I adored those vans, especially with the dark blue int/ext, LT (back when that meant something more than a badge), alloy wheels, BFGoodrich Radial T/A's w/raised white lettering, and probably some of the most comfortable cloth van seats I've ever sat in. They were by no means perfect vehicles, but the ones we had were very dependable, capable, and IMO good looking with the right trim/paint scheme. Would still take the Astro's interior any day to the garbage GM started putting in their vehicles in the late 90's to mid 2000's.
Although, I don't miss the lack of front-end collision safety in those early models, hence why my parents eventually sold it well before it had any real mechanical/cosmetic problems. In short; Good vans, not so good front end design...
I’ll take the Toyota
Imagine towing 5,000lbs with 115hp
That's like pulling an RV with a Toyota yaris
It's all about torque, not hp
My '17 200 has way more than that. Wow. The 1980s HP!
It’s about gearing. Old Dodges with their 236 flathead sixes were pumping out an earth-shattering 100 horsepower yet still powered dump trucks, semis, flatbeds, etc. You weren’t going anywhere fast but the torque of the six and stupid low gears would pull a house down.
"Its gonna take a while Kyle"
i ABSOLUTELY LOVE that you post these old reviews. Thank you!
Having been behind the wheel of a '95 Aerostar and an '01 Astro, both all-wheel-drive with big V6's, I found this report both interesting and entertaining. The test track and "garagability" footage was a real eye-opener.
*''It's the new group of vehicles that may someday make the family station wagon obsolete''* Holy shit, John Davis is a visionary. Besides, I put the SUVs in the past sentence as well, directly helped the station wagons to be completely obsolete as the years goes by.
My aunt and uncle had 1986 Plymouth Voyager in the exact same color as the one in this comparo. It had a gray cloth interior and different hubcaps, but that is the same color. They special ordered it and it was their family car for 11 years! They were living in Georgia at the time, and these vans were in such high demand that they had to go to Alabama to find a dealer willing to make a good deal. There van was actually quite well-equipped, too. It had A/C, cruise, tilt, and an AM/FM stereo with cassette. The tape deck came in handy for long road trips. My aunt would always play kids sing-along tapes for me and my cousins. I spent a good chunk of my childhood riding in that van, and had some of my fondest memories in it. The van had it's share of problems, including the A/C compressor failing in 1993 or 1994, and the hydraulics in the rear liftgate before that. From 1994 until they sold it and bought a new Voyager in 1997, they carried a fence post in the van to hold up the liftgate. My aunt also managed to stall it out driving through a flash-flooded residential street in 1995 or 1996. Despite it's problems and quirks, that van was ultimately reliable. Doubt it's still in existence anymore, but thanks for posting this video and bringing back fond childhood memories.
It's also funny that they mentioned problems with access to the belt. In like 1994 when the A/C compressor in my aunt and uncle's van locked up, the engine was unable to start because the whole serpentine belt was able to spin. My other uncle had to cut off the fan belt and install one meant for a non-A/C van to bypass the compressor. My aunt and uncle did fix the A/C.
I had the Gmc safari it was very comfortable loved it.
My parents had an '86 Astro growing up. Have a lot of fun memories in that van. It had the EFI 4.3L, they finally gave it away in 2008. It had about half a million miles on it. Great van. Uglier than a mud fence though.
its not ugly. the mk2 is
The 1990 Astro 4.3 V6 was very powerful. Lots of torque. The company that I worked for purchased one and I got to drive it almost every day. Even now I wish I had one. Especially with all wheel drive.
Pretty much all of these vans were very reliable, you still see a lot of them on the road today, and in the 90's they were EVERYWHERE. You would also always see those back seats and third rows in peoples garages all the time in the 90s. They were like garage couches. You would think they could have made them fold away or something more practical than taking out the entire bench. Good memories of the those things though.
+Whitney B I remember lot of complaints from the Mitsu engine.
You can't have a fold-flat bench seat in a van that has rear wheel drive transmission without making it as tall as a truck which these are not.
Whitney B
true you tend to see some of these from the 80's but when I go to upullit I so many late 1999-2012 mini vans more than the 80' s and early 1990's. maybe that says something about the way these were made. nor much power but reliable. my stepfather had 2 of these Dodge mini vans. funny thing happened with one of them, an engine piece broke and he still had the 5 year 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. went to get it fixed and low and behold the engine piece wasn't covered. he was pissed. so much that 5-50,000 b to b warranty. he got it fixed using the warranty after a month of haggling.
Yep! My dad had a '92 Astro LT that he used as a work van for his business, and he took out the third row and put it in the garage. Made for a nice seat!
Hardly see any out there now. I suppose most were crushed by the cash for clunkers scam that taxpayer's are still paying for.
>opens side storage
>puts in one orange
"That'll do"
Lol.
Could've gone with a first aid kit or cassette tapes or the user's manual....nope, an orange is what they decided would represent a normal everyday item we find in cars.
I'd like this comment but it's at 69 right now. Soooo...
It is a minivan
Had a toyota van, that thing was so odd shaped everyone had to take a double take look, but it was one of the best van!
They were retro in design,if compared to a sixties Ford Econoline van.
timothy okane If you also count the Volkswagen vans, too!
@@BenJabituya I'm so glad somebody mentioned the Volkswagen vans in comparison to the Toyotas of the 1980's. Actually the Toyota vans were more similar to the Vanagons (Type 2/T3) than any other van out there.
I loved my ‘85, as much of a basket case as it was. I still miss it twenty years after it had to be scrapped.
That's just cause American's don't know about foreign cars. Vans like this are all over Australia and Asia.
Ah, the Voyager has a lockable drawer... Suitable for keeping your oranges safe I see!
mmmfloorpie I never buy a car without taking in to consideration the security of my oranges...
Lol!
Lol.
@@joshualaw375 lol after seeing this I won't as well.
Thank you for making my day! 😂🤣
I loved our '85 Astro---the original. My parent's van was a conversion/luxury van, converted from a cargo Astro, without the OEM seating. So it was good to see how the standard passenger van compared with the others of its time. I sold my dad's Astro in 2007 and it never had any mechanical problems with engine/drivetrain. The 4.3 V6 is a BEAST for reliability. Good review and interesting that some of these vans came with less than 100 hp 4-cylinder engines.
I love Chevy Astro 85, is my favorite.
this is my monday morning cartoon with a bowl of cereal
Vulgora Never though of that, it's so much better, old meaningless videos are WAY better entertainment than the comics every were! I love being reminded how vehicles were back then. Reminds me of high school. Seriously, it's awesome to see them as brand new.
Vulg
😆 yep me watching the Snorkels!
At 2 years old that's easy to do
cant believe astro goes back that long, my first car was a 92 astro loved that thing drove great and comfy and fit the whole crew for a night of chilling lol had 11 people in it one night
The Mitsubishi Colt Vista, though a smaller minivan, was a great choice as well. I owned a 95 with the 2.4L and the 4 doors (non LRV version). It was fantastic! Reliable and surprisingly powerful for a non turbo 4 banger. I could match acceleration of most 6 cylinders and some 8's when merging on the freeway. Quiet as a mouse too
Matt H my modern qualification of the Mazda 5 minivan because it was smaller than the other minivans
I had me some of them dang ol Chevy Astro/GMC Safaris. I remember you could take out the middle seat and make a limo van! You could also reverse the rear seat and have the passengers use the rear doors to get in and out. The V-6 was awesome, it had power and would bury the needle. No idea how fast I was going in my 90 Safari when I buried the needle. I do remember it took about two minutes to get back down to where the speedo read 85 though. Back when you actually had enough room on the highway to do such things. Too many assholes in Priuses these days.
I could watch these all day
One thing about this Comparo is that you still see hundreds of Astro/Safari vans on the road still today. That van was the best "People Mover" of all of them and has stood the test of time.
Some schools still use them. I'm buying it when available. 2000 Astro with vortec 4300 rocks.
The design is also nice as most cars from the 80s and 90s...today's cars have no personality whatsoever
It's also the only van built like a truck with body on frame
That toyota van bouncing when it tried to stop had me laughing out loud!!
No ABS in cars that age. plus it has the engine, the driver placed on top of the front axle so it is front heavy because it is built on a frame for hauling things.
My parents had a 1989 Plymouth Voyager, and that was the best carry all people mini van we ever owned. Loved that van! Very reliable, comfy, and got good gas mileage too. Only problem was the exhaust resonator. Was too loud. We had that replaced as soon as they bought the van brand new.
I love the "testers" mulling about aimlessly in this video. 0:40 "Why the hell is this door sliding all around like this?". Checking the front license plate frame at 1:03. LOL.
Ya, at 1:00 look at how many times did they lifted the wiper arms up on the Toyota expecting to find Waldo or something.
LOL
Doug Demuro learned his style from those very people.
@@777jones Mr Regular would be acting like he never rode in a car built before 2005. Edit. So would Doug.
You're weird...
Love these old reviews. I remember when minivans came into the mainstream, I was a child, but dad sold cars so I was close to the car lot. People weren't using them to haul plywood though, .lol no matter how much motorweek thought so.
Yeah I always laughed at the idea that people would be going to pick up sheets of plywood to haul in their brat pack minivan.... lol
Dominique Hebert The " plywood test" is an old standard for vans and trucks. Even some full sized station wagons advertised it. It isn't really practical, but it was a fairly standardized way to measure space.
Great cars to have sex in
My grandfather was. He was a woodworker so he didn’t need to get plywood often but when he got the minivan he was excited that he could now take full sheets home himself rather than having to ask someone with a truck.
How far we have come! My 2016 Grand Caravan has 283 HP. Still, I always have had a soft spot for the Toyota Van.
Wait until you try the late model Pacifica and voyager
A moment of silence for the start of the slow death of wagons in the US market.
I remember station wagons and even though there’s a bit of nostalgia for me there, minivans were definitely a step in the right direction.
And now, a momemt of silence for the start of the slow death of minivans in the US market.
Looking at this now. so many years later, you can see the GM Culture in their design. Only one with enough power and seemed the most stable, also the most like a big van.
The Astro actually sold well in Japan of all places for some reason or another.
These old videos are fun to watch and a bit shocking at how slow to 60 and coming to stops with no ABS. The slalom parts show how much nearly out of control they seem! We always seem to want to take all of the rear and middle seats out and there is the standard 4 x 8 sheet of plywood test for all of them.
Thank goodness it's not 1985.
My father had three different Astros his last one was a 4wd one, he loved them for doing his job of freelance cameraman he could haul tons of gear in it
i really like the little chrysler van. years ago i had an 86 dodge van with 2.2 & 5 speed. fun & economical little van! it was red, brand new condition and really comfortable.
I have a '94 Chrysler Voyager (European Dodge Caravan) and it's one of the most comfortable things I've been into. If it had the Toyota's refrigerator it would be perfect.
My first car was a 1998 Plymouth Voyager SE, learned to drive in it and everything. It had the 2.5L throttle body FI with a whopping 97 hp. 0-60 took a year. Surprisingly the 3-speed transmission was the most reliable aspect of that car.
*1988. My bad
well the 3spd. torqflite is old-school and can take some abuse!
2019 and I'm watching this again. It's what sold me on Astro Vans before the Internet was even around! Bought my first one in '89 and currently have a RUST FREE '86 cargo version with only 102,000 original miles after purchasing it with 88k miles in '08. LOVE THOSE VANS!
i have a 92 astro and its great for work...it rides like a truck and is super reliable.
yeah me too!!
That's why it doesn't belong in this category. That's a cargo van.
@@omartinoco9930 Why not? The vast majority of Astros were sold as passenger vehicles and I’m pretty sure all of them were available in cargo variants for work.
For those of you not around in the 80s, we moved a *lot* of plywood in that decade.
And I've not touched the stuff since April of '90.
Cool video. I remember these replaced wagons and were good for family and business uses. Had a 1996 Astro that could do lots of hauling with ease. The vortec engine had 190 h.p. and great torque. Shitty in the snow. Glad they made them longer so 4 by 8 boards fit easily. Sadly rust killed it after 21 years.
when you realize an 80's van has a refrigerator...
6:52
A refrigerator and freezer in a van?? Why haven't any modern manufacturers done this again? Lmao
"Igloo cooler on wheels" Genius! Actually I think Chrysler picked the idea up and used it in the Calibur as an option?
Millermacs Alot of manufacturers offer that as an option, it's just expensive and not normally brought up in advertising. Its just a novelty.
The Caliber had it on the base package. It cooled the glove box through the A/C so it wasn't very cold.
I think Honda has a cool box in their van.
Levi Jones mine freezes Pepsi 20 bottles
The Astro was the most powerful of the bunch for towing. Back then I had an 86 Dodge Mini Ram Van. Yes, that is what the cargo edition was called in 1986. It had the 5 spd trans and I got with a single bench seat in the back and one side window. Glad they kept that sliding drawer under the passenger seat up till its end in 2020
Ugh imagine getting up to highway speeds with 8 full grown adults in any of these, esp the low hp ones! Can we say struggle!
The older GM vans are honestly some of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. Both the G20 and Astro have the wheel hump on the floor, it is super comfortable to cruise around with your foot on it and your knee elevated.
I like that the aerostar is rear wheel drive, great for towing. The engine bay is pretty tight, but headers and a M90 supercharger fit the 4.0L without cutting anything.
Love how "over the top" the reviewers actions are. Staged action like a freakin infomercial.
Not really staged, more like performed by professionals who are paid to do it properly instead of everyday folks in their busy life. Remember it's 3 different brands competing w/each other
The Voyager's front wheel drive makes it a treat in snow. Yep, I second that. A road covered in snow, my Chrysler Town and Country has no problem driving through it.
+Robert Baratheon Yeah, and the generous ground clearance meant I never even had to shovel out my driveway! I'd just park it with the drive wheels furthest from the road and in the morning just power it out into the street. Never any problem, those things were "vantastic."
+Robert Baratheon a few years later, Chevy put an optional AWD system in the Astros....those things are a BEAST in the snow...same system that the AMC Eagle had in them!
Robert Baratheon not true. The AMC Eagle used 3 transfer cases in its 9 year production run. These cases were manufactured by New Process and were designated models 119, 129 and 128. The 119 was 4 wheel drive all the time, whereas the 128 and 129 were switchable to 2 wheel drive. The early Astro AWD models used a transfer case with no option of shifting to 2 wheel drive, made by a competitor of New Process, Borg-Warner. After 1996, Astro AWD models use an electronically actuated transfer, but still no option of 2 wheel drive.
FWD is worse in snow than RWD.
I'd love to see this same comparison in '95 and' 05 to see how things changed over time.
I love at 0:44 the lady has no idea what just happened.
+Laweeze Morton It looks like she is saying Why the hell did I just slam the door?
Haha...she closed the door intentionally and then was shocked that it was so easy to close???
I think she's reacting to the baboon in the front seat who seems to have never seen a car before that moment.
My dad had the Toyota van back in the day but the cargo version with no windows. We went everywhere in it. It was so embarrassing but it took our family everywhere from church to camping. It was great!
I had the cargo van version as well. Really scary to drive in the snow or with strong crosswinds!!
My parents have always been Chrysler Minivan owners all the way back to 1984 when the first debuted. My mom had a 1984 Plymouth Voyager LE fully loaded and it was gold with the woodgrain siding and tinted windows, it had the 2.6 liter Mitsubishi 4 cylinder, it was a great van but it had no power when you were hauling 7 passengers. My dad had a red 1985 Dodge Caravan SE, it was red with tinted windows and it had the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, that van didnt do to well climbing hills and you had to remember to shut the A/C off or it would stall on hills. after 1987 when they introduced the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6, it was a huge improvement in power. I love my 1987 Plymouth Voyager LE with the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6, its beige with the woodgrain siding, tinted windows and every single option in the book. It has been a very reliable minivan and right now my dad and uncle are rebuilding the engine at 375,000 miles. Its just starting to burn oil, thats a very common problem on the Mitsubishi 3.0 liter V6 as they get high miles on them, the valve seals go bad.
The time when lee Iacocca was controlling Chrysler. That's was the best time, now it's trash
You are right about that, we bought the second generation minivans. A 1996 Grand Voyager and a 1999 Dodge Caravan and both of them were horrible, between transmission problems, rust everywhere, power steering leaks and failed pumps, oil leaks, we could not keep tires on them. Also we had to keep getting front end alignments. We were glad to get rid of them both and now me and my parents drive Chevrolet Trailblazers and Impalas.
Pasquale solano chrysler was trash back then no performance cars just shitty fwd vans and those pos k cars. they should have had a car that could compete with the fox body and camaro but they just had a bunch of slow cars.
***** the Chrysler K body was reliable and it sold very well Until the late 90s when the K body wasnt produced. Since then Chrysler is coasting on their sales until 2008 when it all crashed. So now Chrysler is in deep shit because of all of the wrong decisions they did since the late 90s.
Pasquale solano at least hey have cars that can perform now. Hellcat challenger and etc. in the 80s they lost the flavor they had in the 60s and 70s. Then there was that abomination shelby charger and other shelby branded fwd cars. When they got the charger and the challenger things started to improve. Chrysler without muscle is nothing.
I love these retro reviews! Keep them coming! They are wonderful memories.
The voyager was ahead of the curve in employing a fwd format. I own a '2000 dodge grand caravan and it is a beautifully engineered vehicle... an excellent evolution of the vans in this comparro...modern minivans are kindof a different discussion entirely.
FWD is a step back in all ways, only reason it's used is because it's cheaper to manufacture and makes packaging a little easier, dynamically it's way worse
My late grandfather owned a '84 Toyota Van in the 1990s. I drove him around in it quite often. His had the 4-speed automatic. It was one of the slowest vehicles I have ever driven. They report that the 5-speed was rated 18.5 seconds from 0-60, I imagine the automatic was more like 25 seconds to 60. I know we had two grades to pull out onto from a stop, it would barely hit 55 mph even after a mile up the road. lol. It was bulletproof however.
You guys called it, (minivans) "May someday make the family station-wagon obsolete" I see an awful lot of Caravans but not as many Country Squires. Great job guys!
Ross McMullin Mind-blowing reference. I'll one-up you and make reference to a Safari station wagon... Or 2-up you and say Nomad!
I’ve owned one Safari and driven a number of them. They all want to tuck tighter into turns, and have poor directional stability. The steering feels like the van wants to head for the ditch rather than follow the road. It is the opposite of a relaxing pleasant driving experience, requiring constant vigilance. The engine takes up most of the front foot room, leaving almost nothing for the passenger, and minimal for the driver. The 4.3 and 700R4 transmission would have been the best, but the trans was trouble prone. The later 4l60E should have been an improvement but for an easily fixed fatal flaw. I would never again own one of these! The Voyager is a nice family van. Solid, reliable town and highway car with decent handling. The V6 versions made access a pain. The Aerostar handles like a dream. Like the Astro, it’s a “truck” in terms of running gear. They drive like they are on rails. Lots of leg room, excellent visibility, good suspension. The A4LD transmission is the weak point, and head problems on the larger 4.0 used in the AWD versions (cracking) could be a problem. Engine access is not the problem it seems. I know nothing about the Toyota.
My vote is for the Aerostar.... (awd) for my use. Relaxed effortless driving, lots of power (4.0)....mpg in the 20’s, good clearance, go anywhere you point it with no argument. I owned one once.... It saved my butt more than once...I’m planning to own another! You couldn’t give me an astro!
This is amazing! Thank you so much for posting these. I love the vintage Road Tests. I own many older vehicles, I would love more videos like this!
My parents had an "84 Voyager and traded it for an "87 Astro V6. I was 8 and I'll never forget it. I was with them when they test drove the Aerostar and I liked the rear audio controls. When we were taking delivery of the Astro I told dad, "I wanted the Aerostar." He said, "Good, go buy it then."
I just realized I've owned 3 out of the 4 vans reviewed here. I currently drive a 2001 GMC Safari AWD and love it. Never owned an Aerostar and have zero desire to ever do so.
Zerostar
I grew up in the back seat of a Toyota van. It was miserable on road trips because the AC just couldn't cool the car down and with all the weight up front the back end would fish tail when you passed a semi on the freeway. I did like to lift up the battery cover and watch the road fly by underneath though. It was a pretty unique car
From 0 to 60... eventually...
Oz-suka in the last 20 years that came up. Expectations were different in the era.
0-60...... yes
Imagine towing and having a full load of passengers...0-60 in 55 seconds
Yep...the modern minivan and crossover runs the 1/4 faster than most "muscle cars" from back then. People hate the computerization of cars but look at what its done for us. These things would have been considered as having really high mileage and needing a bunch of maintenence to keep going past 100k miles. That's now just getting started. Power, efficiency and all around performance standards today would have been insane back then.
I have to confess that I have always had an "It's Complicated" relationship with the Astro/Safari. I LOVED how roomy & comfortable they were, how smoothly they rode, & how quiet they were.........& that 4.3-liter V6 is a TORQUE MONSTER, but fit & finish left A LOT to be desired. I will NEVER forget that it was an Astro which brought me to see Home Alone for the first time, however. I will NEVER forget cruising to Showcase Cinema in Woburn, MA in a blue 1986 Chevy Astro full of kids, BLASTING C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)".........ON THE CASSETTE PLAYER (Man, I'm old!!!!!)!!!!!!!
Astro smooth????
toyota vans are badass. I had a 5 speed dual sunroof LE model. What an awesome van. The visibility and turning circle are insane. It was dangerously slow and overpasses and semis made you stay in touch with Jesus but I would love to own another one.
My dad owned one.5ssp manual too. Was an awesome little van as I remember it
Lol my dad Had an 86 manual and what you said is true, they were really slow and Jesus was always on the passenger side on the highway.
Yep, terrifying to drive sometimes but still so much fun
Whoever was driving that Toyota at the track has enormous balls.
Must be why it kept swinging back and forth.
oh god those Chrysler vans with the Mitsubishi parts were the worst; my parents had one and I remember staying out late on the summer nights holding the flashlight for my dad while he tried to fix that heap. Transmission replaced new balancing shafts, rebuilt engine and it still constantly broke down. Our family friend had one too and on a road trip the transmission decided to shift into first on the highway and tore it self apart. These things were nightmares.
We had a used 86 Voyager with the Mitsi 2.6. Except for needing a new timing chain and running rich when cold the powertrain never gave us trouble,But itt was always a slug off the line and eventually was so slow it was dangerous.
89 was the worst year, iococoa released the ultra drive 4 speed transmission before it was ready and the Mitsu 3.0 was trouble. But the 90 year with the Dodge build 3.3 was a beast even if the A604 was still hit and miss
We had a new '94 GMC Safari EXT (extended length) for a few years. It had the 4.3 V6 and was nicely optioned with all of the power goodies, cruise, tilt, the nice interior with four captains chairs and a bench in back, roof rack, privacy glass, and the handy "Dutch doors" in back. We did so many road trips in it including several outdoorsy camping weekends. It was very versatile and comfortable on trips and around town. It had only routine maintenance and never any mechanical issues. Great vehicle and a member of the family for several years (our now 28 year old son came home from the hospital in it as a newborn). Thirty years later I'd gladly take it back.
1985: minivan fever 2019: shitty CUVs
I will never doubt the toughness of the 4.3 My 95 astro I had in high school was an absolute beast of a machine. I paid $600 for that thing when it had 250,XXX miles, and drove it for 2 years, making money by hauling scrap metal all summer long. I beat the crap out of that van, there was no mercy to be had. I don't even think I changed the oil in it once. When I finally retired it, it was still running on at least 4 cyclinders. I remeber the last time I started it to move it to it's final resting place before i was going to cut it up for scrap (title issues, not worth reselling) and those 4 remaining cylinders were crying to be put out of there misery after a rough 300xxx mile life time. Many of its parts went on to extend the lives of other Astros and Safaris. Rip to Assie the Astro, 1995-2018 😆
Thanks for posting that!
I want a van with a micro fridge!
It's nice to see Chrysler has made a transmission last about 100,000 miles these days. We've had just about every model through the years and it was a rough go with transmissions. Our brand new '90 Voyager's transmission took a dump a week after taking delivery. Three more after that (over a few years) and it was "fine." If it wasn't for an excellent overall package, we would have picked something different. I did buy a Ford Windstar in '01 and that van was pretty much perfect, but they quit building them when I needed a new one. Now I'm driving an '06 Caravan SXT. So far, so good. Our '03 Town and country made it 135,000 before needing a transmission, but the rest of it was solid before selling it at ~200,000 miles.
Wow this show has been around longer than top gear, and that's a more popular show. This show is awesome!
The Toyota vans were awesome. I had a pretty basic 85 model with only options being rear AC and automatic. The van was fun to drive, I thought easy to work on and looked the coolest of any car on the road. It looked like a shuttle craft from some space movie. lol
Say what you want about the Chevy Astro but I still see way more of them on the road than any other made during that time frame
It's amazing to think that you still see those Astro Vans running around where the other ones are non-existent anymore. I know what they're talking about with the front legroom, my parents had two of them a 90 and a 98. The 98 was a GMC Safari with every option but leather. So an SLT model with four captains chairs and one bench. the four captains chairs and the bench were different than what you could get in a SLE LS you know whatever you want to call it. all the seats for wider much more comfortable and because of that the legroom didn't really bother you. my dad regrets to this day ever getting rid of that van because that model Chevy or GMC with that high of a trim package or not easy to find. but you said it was 29 or $31,000 as a lot of money in 98
Every mom had one of these vans when I was in the fourth and fifth grade...
My first car was a 1984 Toyota van that I bought from my parents in 1989. I loved that thing.
Matthew Olmstead hi-five, Toyota Van buddy; had my ‘85 in 1998-‘99. Total basket case because it was in terrible shape when I got it, but it’s still legendary to me.
Davis was so right. My favorite model of station wagons are gone...
Have to give credit to Chrysler. They set the standard for a new product and the competition really never quite caught up, until Honda and Toyota took over.
I think id rather have the astro mainly because it's most like a regular van
Talk about a walk down memory lane! My childhood just flashed in front of my eyes with all the family trips and little league
I like the Chrysler minivan.
I've been waiting here at this video since 1984 waiting on the rest of y'all to catch up...
The thing with the Astro was a good drivetrain, and very good room. Plus you could really tow with them! When they went to EFI the 4.3 V6 and od auto trans was fantastic. They weren't the easiest thing to service though, but better than an Aerostar by lightyears. However, they drove like a van/truck. Chryslers didn't. Those were lower, nicer inside, and were really easy to service. But the early 1s sure needed to be serviced a lot! Carb problems, and blown head gaskets were plentiful. But they eventually got them right, EFI and even turbos came along, as well as V6s and a 4 speed auto.. yeah, that 1 took time to get right as well... Ford had a reliable though hopelessly underpowered V6 and good transmission, but the Aerostar was a PITA to work on, and suffered from premature rust. The Toyota? Good drivetrain, but again underpowered, and back in the day, no on wanted to work on them, just a nightmare!
The familiarity with the Chrysler minivans was a big selling point. I think Iacocca insisted on that quality during development. Getting used to a truck like feeling is easy, but no one is going to do it during a 15 minute test drive. He wanted something that wouldn't spook suburban moms.
0:13 He was right!! Station wagons were gone when the minivans arrive. and even in 2020 we still have them.
Out of all of those choices you may still see more Astros running than the rest of the competition. I don't think the Toyotas ever caught on and the Chryslers and Aerostars usually broke all of the time years later. Granted I do know that there were some crappy Astros; the 4.3 was either a great engine or it may have problems and the 2.5 was just too underpowered for the van (which is why it was later dropped). The later models introduced a longer body which would allow both the Astro and Aerostar to hold a sheet of plywood. We have a '95 Astro with a 190 hp 4.3. It has hauled around 10,000 pounds (combined van and trailer) nearly 700 miles over mountains, it is quick, and there has hardly been anything major to break on it (except it's been in two accidents). The rust is starting to get to the usual spots and the van is starting to look its age.
hitek9wittafulclip you mean "they're"
their = belongs to them
they're = they are
there = not here, over there
Platinum Pepe spare parts*?
to be fair, you see more astro/safari vans because they were made, virtually unchanged, all the way into the mid 2000s
when you see an astro, you are likely not seeing an 80s mini van that has "survived", you are seeing (likely) a 2005, maybe 2003 with a handfull of exceptions... still newer than the vehicle I drive everyday.
That's because they still made the Astros in 2000
Currently driving a 91 Astro with 195K. It is a passenger van and my daily. It is still running strrong and requires regular visits to the shop to keep it that way. If I wasn't proactive about maintenance it would've been scrapped maybe two years ago, and now it's technically a classic so we're going to push forward with more intensive upstate NY rust repairs to keep it nice.
Should I get the 101 hp base engine or upgrade to the 104 hp engine?
The Astro was tire chirping fast, 0-60 in only 11.8 seconds. :)
Gotta love the '80's! Granted, that was pretty quick for any vehicle back then, especially a minivan.
The Astro is test mileage 21 MPG, Noise Lever 68 DB
And for that furious acceleration, you had to deal with an engine that sounded and felt like it was fueled with gravel
@@exxusdrugstore300 true. My dad had 3 of them (a '92, '94, and restyled '95) for his business. They'd put you back in the seat a little bit with their torque, but I always wondered if they were gonna blow up with how they sounded under full throttle.
The 4.3 was designed off the unkillable Chevrolet small block V8, it is probably one of the best V6 engines ever made by any manufacture. That is why here in the states you will still see a Chevrolet mini van rollimg the streets pretty regularly (well at least in the south west where rust isn't an issue). I can't tell you the last time I saw a daily Toyota van or. Even the huge seller CDP minivans and the areostars are gone too... One look at Craigslist will tell you what is still on the road and Chevrolet astro was a good van and I say that not liking GMs or minivans and remember these ulgy things being everywhere.
This week... serial killer vans. Some even have fridges to keep heads in perfect condition.
I miss my 1987 Chevy ASTRO with the 4.3 V6 and rear wheel drive
had the same with the short wheel base paid 200 for it and drove it for 5 years last of the back yard mechanic vehicles , great
The Toyota Vans are tanks. Still see them every once and a while here in Southern California.
88 horsepower 4 cyl??? Haha these vans were so practical, I love it!!
I was 22 back 1985,these Van's were last on my list. Grew a family,four door Chevy sedans for years in the 1990s,then grew into Explorers and still are with an Edge as well for us grandparents. 😊
I find the 4x8 sheet test to be important. Too bad they don't still do that.
In most if not all new vans can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood unlike in 1985 but nothing beats stow n go in Chrysler/Dodge vans. I love being able to load up plywood in my wifes 2011 Town and Country without having to remove the seats first and with stow n go I feel you will not find a more versatile vehicle.
Why would anyone want to put plywood into such a beautiful (modern) interior? Get a truck or SUV with plastic everywhere... would never mistreat my leather!
Cory Herd Because some people don't need a truck or suv.
Andrew My 2006 Suburban is like that, fold the third row down, then for the bucket seats in the second row pull the bottoms up against the front seats, then fold the back rest down to the floor.
Wtf is with the obsession with the plywood holy hell
My family rented a 1984 Toyota Van, at least twice. We had road trips around New York State and New England, in summer 1985. While that van had its woes on access, handling, and ride, at least the Toyota Van was reliable. Also, many of my family's friends had Chrysler minivans. I even rode in several. Such minivans were very easy to spot back in the day.
Would love to see how bad of a death trap all these vans are with modern front small overlap tests. Scary to even think of it.
oldtwins
Yeah!
They should come with coffins .
@@Dr.Westside That's what the plywood is for.
The Astro vans were death traps with the old moderate front overlap test. Dateline featured a crash test of one by the IIHS and it pitched the driver into the steering wheel. My dad had several for his business and I'm glad he got rid of them. The only one that was worse was the later 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport/Montana (which we also had), which drove the steering wheel into the dummy and would have caused potentially fatal neck injuries to a real human.
Comparing old with new technology? Your way cool man. Lol
The best thing about these videos is seeing these cars brandnew. Haters turn themselves toxic.
time has proven out that junk dealers find the astro van the best hauler in general
And time has also proven the astro is the only one left.
I bought a 99 Astro cargo van with 150K on the clock back in 2010. I've run delivery routes, towed cars, hauled furniture, and use it for home improvement work these days at 375K on the original engine and transmission. The most incredible work vehicle ever made, imo.
I always laugh whenever reviewers complain about the front legroom. It's a VAN! No one bought it for comfort. They bought it to haul stuff, and it hauls stuff better than any "minivan" ever did.