comfort, room in back,

transmission we needed 2, brakes, something wrong with the wiring in the dash board , the ford dealers are the worst they can't even fix there own cars. The car is a lemon

I wouldn't recommend this car to anyone. We know so many people who had a lot of problems swith the windstar. They say the 95 was a lemon. But the other people who are having problems have later models.

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with the caravan

Well designed interior, especially good for grade school kids (reading lights, stereo control). Solid feel. Fairly decent acceleration. Good visibility. Tons of room.

I have had the van for over one year now and have about 21,000 miles. I noticed rattles in the rear and in the doors of the car. The cup holders in the mid seat do not detach so you can clean them (the little one spilled a soda). The driver seat wears poorly. Air conditioning output has decreased.

I would recommend the van for its ease of use. It doesn't take abuse well in comparision to other vehicles we have owned. Good for families. We haven't had any real problems with the engine or transmission.

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None

Safety, good price value, Roomy, lots of power, good ride, decent accessories for price paid in comparison to competition. Van chosen for: Safety was the main reason, Price, Roominess, availability and then reliability. Saftey eliminated everything except Odyssey, Sienna and Windstar. Reliability issues, not worried, got the extended warrenty and still paid less than the competition. I reconmend anyone purchasing a Windstar to use the earlier problems as a bargaining tool to bring the price down on the overall purchase.

Engine Noisy when starting off quickly. Minor Trim imperfections that were fixed on first trip to dealerhsip for regular maintenance. Handles okay, not as good as my Eagle Talon but hey... it's a van.

Paid 31600 Cdn (Out the door) for 4-door LX model with utility and convience group, along with the paint/interior/exterior protection and 6 year/120Km extended warrenty and a full tank of gas.

Yes, it's been a great vehicle so far, read alot before buying. Sources say that earlier gasket and transmission problems have been addressed and corrected. We'll soon find out.

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Caravan, Sienna, Odyssey

Solid feel, roomy

Reliability - This is our second Windstar that has had the same problem. My wife uses the car for around town use (low mileage) and we have had continuous problems with the battery draining. Ford says car must be started every few weeks and that is our problem (the longest it sits is three days), yet they have replaced the battery twice nad the alternator once. My wife was recently stuck at the park with two of our children when the car again would not start (I guess they think she was at the park for two weeks and that's why it would not start). We have always been a Ford family, but this has dramatically changed our mind.

We paid 23,800 before consideration of trade and factory money for our 1998 model and would not recommend this car to anyone, particularly if it is to be used for around town use or by a mom with kids.

This vehicle handles quite well. Very pleased with the overall ride. 3.8l engine is a rocket probably the best performing engine we have had. Quad seating is roomy with plenty of storage space in the rear cargo area. Sound system is of Ford Quality complete with 10 stack CD player.

Engine sub frame bolts keep walking loose over time causing a clunking noise on acceleration. Passenger electric door lock has given ongoing problems being very noisy on locking. Not overly happy with fuel economy.

Overall recommended.

Has los of room with middle seat removed. Has 5 star safety rating.

EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE!! At 30K the head gasket blew. At 45K the transmission had to be replaced. At 35K most of the electrical switches in dash failed. Poor gas mileage. Ford customer service is the worst.

Paid $20,999 for GL model with many options. After the experience with this lemon and the response from Ford, I could NOT recommend a Ford product to anyone.

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Dodge Caravan. This van was not as comfortable as the Windstar, but it was much more reliable.

Great Power (3.8), Lot's of room, Starts at -30, 5 Star saftey rating.

Engine a little to loud. Hard on fuel.
Rear seat way to heavy to remove.

When becoming a Dad forced me to buy a Van, This was the only choice for me. Super powerful, Safe, Safe, Safe and so far no major problems. Ford dealerships have come a long way in customer service. I had a Chrysler car and let me tell you, the service was TERRRIBLE at 3 diffrent Dealerships. I highly recommend this van.

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96 Windstar
96 Caravan

Great size, great pickup/power, great styling, nice interior (better than my old Villager) And who can forget the 5 star rating on crash!!!

Engine a bit noisy

What a great van. I have the Windstar SE model which gives the chrome strip accents and the color bumpers in a 1999 model. The van is great for kids -- we have the dual power sliding doors that work from a key fob -- no more fumbling around for the keys with groceries in your hand. How many times have you all piled into the car and the last person didn't get the door -- no longer -- a simple hit of the button on the overhead closes it.

The van has "dual-media" for the radio whcih means the kids can listen to one thing (on headsets) while you listen to something else up front. The kids can listen to a cassette while you are listening to a CD!

Gas mileage about 20 mpg combined city and hwy. We got about the same on our previous '93 Villager -- but that one had a 3.0L.

We now have 13,000 miles on it after about 7 months of use and ZERO repairs or reasons to take it back to the dealership. Only oil changes and that is it so far (touch wood.)

Highly recommended for anyone considering a minivan. Get the SE for the chrome ('cause it looks great and comes with the captains chairs) and add the power doors ('cause they're fun...)

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'93 Villager, 1985 Volkswagon Vanagon

decent room,soft ride,HVAC controls,easy to read guages

brakes,suspension,poor performance with the 3.0 litre base engine,unwilling to shift repsonsively trans,poor control layout on radio,to much NVH

This Windstar is the base model,white with just the basics,AC,power windows/locks,cassette AM/FM. Intended as a starter van for fleets and families alike. While not quite a full size van,it is not a minivan either,so a mid-van will do for its size. This is the original design,not the newer up to date design. No left sliding door either. Lets start with utility. 2 rear removable seats...though bulky and not easy to remove,leave the cargo area spacious and capacious,all rear seats have their requesite belt assignments for safety along with headrests by the way. On matters of seating, the backseats are comfy though you wouldn't want to sit in the 4/5 size back back seat. I didn't care for it. The fronts are decent for short to moderate trips,though posterior revolt may occur due to its only fair support. Lumber support is fair. This the velour seating combo,leather is available with the other trim levels and packages. The dash while tidy and well organized has the poorest design cassette AM/FM unit built. This is an old unit that dates back too far. Poor small and similar sized controls. Knobs are always better. Bass/treble and fader and balance controls are combined in a function control in conjunction with the volume control. Takes too long to set up while on the fly. The cassette sound is fair and its wow and flutter is acceptable. Dolby B noise reduction is standard. AM/FM is adequate. 4 speaker sound to fill the cabin is standard. Ride is good and smooth,almost supple. Moderate to heavy understeer here,with decent on center feel,only so so emergency handling,rather clumsy handling,like most minis' are. Allot of noise and vibration harshness here. The suspension seems to be very taxed on this vehicle. Tie rods replaced at just 30,000. Mileage averages 19mpg. Not bad for this class of van. Power is only adequate,opt for the bigger 3.8,because with the 3.0 litre fully loaded,the Windstar is a slowpoke. The 4 speed automatic while smooth shifting has a tendency to be in the wrong gear for the conditions,and kickdowns are indecisive and slow when needed. Quality in the long term is a concern too. Suspension,and drive train problems are likely,and annoyingly poor window regulator design means your front windows get the vertical streaks due to wear on the system. While this van is a good seller,the Honda,Toyota and Mazda,and Chrysler vans and GM vans are logical alternatives. The Honda when spec'd out right is cheaper than a comparable Windstar. More refinement and better quality than the Windstar. It is easy to see how Honda gets their premium. The Windstar has been redesigned,and seems better too for it. Be careful on the option packages. The Windstar will get expensive real quick. While overall a viable choice,the Windstar wouldn't be mine. With so many others to choose from,Ford has its' work cut out for it. With the 3.8 litre,the Windstar would be at least a decent choice for your family/fleet hauling needs.

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Chevy Astro,Chryler minis

Smooth and quiet. Tons of power with the 3.8.

Wide turning radius.

This van has been excellent. The traction control is a nice feature. Other than that ours has the normal stuff and does what it is supposed to very well. Ford's low interest rate finance program was the best. My sister has a 1998 Windstar and has had zero problems.