Well my family is outgrowing my minivan, number 6 kid is on the way. The last one I swear!

Anyway my mini and all minis carry 7 people. I know the new sienna and honda carry 8 but the prices are crazy on them.

I found an 04 Astro (leftover) at a local dealer. The sticker on it is $27k
rear wheel drive with dual air and dual heat and a few other options. The standard, pw,pw,cd, etc....

I really like the idea of AWD but it is more parts to break. Rear wheel drive is more simple, but in the snow I sure it is not great.

I live in NJ and we do get snow, not alot and not that often.

I talked to the dealer on the phone about the van and he went down to 21.5k so far, it is a year old. Still brand new but it is a year old.

What are you thoughts, or should I shop around for a used AWD. I found a few for sale, but they were 16-17k used. With intresed rates they way they are I would pay more for a used then new.

How are they overall?

Seating 8 people is not easy, there are not alot of choices out there.

I know the Surburban can seat 8, I found a new one on the lot and the price is 45k. I could buy a school bus for that much!

Thanks
John

BJjr, we are on our third Astro, all rear wheel drive versions. Friends have had significant trouble with AWD, I would avoid it. Our RWD models have worked great in the snow as long as tires are good and you have a good feel for winter driving. These vehicles are not really "mini-vans" but come from the Chevy truck division and are built to last as trucks. You can expect long life in the drive train, plenty of power, and you can haul a small army in them. For your tribe, I would recommend one, it's probably the best value out there. Plus, Astro's tend to fit into a garage, while a Suburban needs it's own garage.

I had an '87 Astro RWD... they're enough of a truck to handle at least 800 Lbs. of sand tubes under and behind the rear seat. I never had any problems with mine... handled great (and i think it was roll-proof) with all the weight in the back. One thing tho, if you get an EXT (more overhang over rear wheels), you may not want to put much weight near the back, as it will lift weight off the front and cause handling problems.

Also, mine held 8 people (including the driver). You could probably find a bench seat for the middle row at a junkyard. Are you counting the driver when you say they hold 7?

Well my family is outgrowing my minivan, number 6 kid is on the way. The last one I swear!

Anyway my mini and all minis carry 7 people. I know the new sienna and honda carry 8 but the prices are crazy on them.

I found an 04 Astro (leftover) at a local dealer. The sticker on it is $27k
rear wheel drive with dual air and dual heat and a few other options. The standard, pw,pw,cd, etc....

I really like the idea of AWD but it is more parts to break. Rear wheel drive is more simple, but in the snow I sure it is not great.

I live in NJ and we do get snow, not alot and not that often.

I talked to the dealer on the phone about the van and he went down to 21.5k so far, it is a year old. Still brand new but it is a year old.

What are you thoughts, or should I shop around for a used AWD. I found a few for sale, but they were 16-17k used. With intresed rates they way they are I would pay more for a used then new.

How are they overall?

Seating 8 people is not easy, there are not alot of choices out there.

I know the Surburban can seat 8, I found a new one on the lot and the price is 45k. I could buy a school bus for that much!

Thanks
John
I'm on my third astro . I like the siz and I can sleep in the rear seat while we switch drivers on the way to FL. All wheel used front brakes quicker but I need all wheel in upper NY.