unstoppable awd astro

[neoretromax]

through 2 ft of snow, freezing rain and thick slush, with the wheel hanging over the edge of a 20 ft drop, through all this bad weather up here in the pacific nw, the astro never let me down. this van is unstoppable at 201k miles its still going strong. never had a truck or car that was as rock solid as this van in inclement weather. it pushes the snow with the front bumper and keeps on truckin. hauled around my wife and 3 kids and never left us stranded. when called upon, this van came through for us big time. I live near the mountains and am used to snow, but this time it was way worse than anything previous. Unplowed roads 2 ft deep, eh no problem for the astro!

[dlbaugh]

I agree. I love my 2002 AWD. Unfortunately, I neglected timely service and now have an oil pan full of coolant, (my wife died from lung cancer and put in financial hardship.) All I can say is read, this forum. Take care of the things like the intake manifold gasket problem, and the transfer case fluid changes. With care these vehicles are the best!

[Blue Bowtie]

With the good weight distribution, AWD, and good tires, traction on these vehicles is just about optimal. Wind can make a drive on ice a little interesting, but altogether the Astro/Safari design is just about ideal for marginal traction on paved surfaces. Ground clearance for off-road use is a little lacking, but not much else is better on pavement from 20 MPH on glare ice to 85 MPH towing a boat through the mountains in July. The Tahoe might be a close second for bad weather traction and handling, but doesn't have the same kind of useable interior space.

It's well worth maintaining your Astro since there isn't much out there able to replace it.