The Astro was a perfectly competent all-wheel-drive minivan. It had good power, a smooth drive system, adequate handling and ABS brakes. but the basic concept, nevertheless, had flaws.
For starters, the Astro’s old fashioned short-nose design cramped driver and passenger footspace around the engine box. It also put most of the weight on the front wheels, which didn’t do much for handling. The unloaded rear axle banged and jumped over even minor bumps, thanks to stiff spring rates, and the available barn doors limited rear vision.
Chevy’s 4.3-liter V6 had plenty of torque, but it was rougher and noisier than competitor V6’s, and it ran out of breath at relatively low RPM.
On the bright side, GM’s drive system is flowless, and the engine performs well in normal everyday driving. The Astro’s interior was nicely finished, but in 7-passenger trim, there was no luggage room behind the rearmost seats, and limited legroom elsewhere. The 5-passenger model may have been more useful.
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