Roomy (especially with middle seat out, as we use it.) Sliding door is very convenient, again especially with the middle seat out. The process of getting children in and out (not to mention getting diapers changed) is greatly facilitated by this combination. Adequate acceleration with 3.8, although back in 1995 it was certainly not a 200 hp engine. The engine does always sound like it is straining, but it gets you there.

Apparently, the 95 Windstar is well known as a lemon. Our 95 was bought in September '95. The repairs so far (all under warranty, with one exception) include a busted head gasket. After most of the engine was replaced for that repair, a week later we threw a rod, resulting in a new short block at 40,000 miles. Other repairs include: passenger side power window, speedometer, speedometer again, multifunction switch (windshield wiper fluid), and finally the temperature gauge. This is the one that bothers me most of all: The Ford dealer wants $360 to replace a temperature gauge, not covered under warranty. The transmission is starting to not feel right.

We paid $21000 for the vehicle. We were initially very pleased with the utility and convenience of the van, but the recent rash of minor and major breakdowns has eroded our trust and our favorable impression.

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none

safety

Brakes groan too much. Automatic door are misaligned. Way to many plastic parts. Even the radiator is made out of plastic! Power is not enough for this heavy duty minivan. Sluggish response from the engine. Dashboard design is out of date. Some afterthoughts very obvious like the side vents protruding from the dash.

Not a minivan I would recommend to anyone unless you work for Ford or lots of time and money to waste.

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Ford Aerostar

Good size for seven passengers, reasonably comforatable on trips. Like the rear temperature controls. Drives well

Large turnng radius, needs improved brake system for weight of vehicle. "Electric" Door locks have failed multiple times. I particularly wanted to note poor design of heating system. In our case the heater damper broke after three seasons (keep in mind the heater damper is used winters only and intermittantly). The damper is only a "$10" dollar piece of plastic, but the repair is over a $1000 !!!! Try getting a hold of someone at Ford, you can only deal with their 800 number. In two dealings with them, very rude operators. I'm currently dealing with a transmission that failed at 69,000 miles. I expect more from a transmission than this!

I was pleased with the Windstar when new. We've taken exceptionally good care (maintenance wise) and hoped this would last well into the 100,000 mile range. However the repairs are becoming too expensive and too soon in the life of the vehicle. I'm finding Ford doesn't want to hear about safety, or quality issues with this vehicle.

Plenty of room. Good acoustics for aftermarket sound system,(the stock setup is hurting). Passenger side mirror gives a trustable view.

The biggest complaint, is the climate control. Whoever designed it, must live in a land where there aren't any other cars. The only way to "not" bring in outside air, is to have it on max a/c, so if you need defrost, or want to warm your toes, you have to suck in fumes. Even if you just want heat, the air is from outside and it uses the air conditioning system. The only one that doesn't use the a/c, is the vent, and then you are stuck with carbon monoxide posioning, (even on the highway with trucks and buses!)

With the sluggish engine, and the less than nimble handling, I would not recommend the '98 version. Maybe they improved the climate control in '99.

safe, runs & handles well, comfortable on long trips, easy to maintain

more parts to break down--rear view mirror broke off & cracked windshield, door locks, power steering, and radio don't work.

safe & runs well but too many parts breakdown.

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ford expedition

Roomy - That's about it.

Repairs! Repairs! Repairs

Avoid at all costs. Air Cond problems at 30K. Multiple engine issues. Head gasket blew at 80K. Fron cover gasket blew at the same time. Done with American cars. Back to Honda for me.

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None

Space, Comfortable ride, Good handling, Good torque, power. Best illumination, abundance of lighting source/control. 5 star safety rating. Electronic control/ ignition key lockout proof. Dual source stereo/cd/tape casette player. Good transparent, uncolored sound. Overall it's very user friendly.

Fuel economy. Needs 1-2 minutes warming up, then run smoothly. Transmission not as smooth as expected.

I chose this car because of all the strengths above plus .99% interest financing. Sienna interior is too small plus the driver's seat is not high enough to have a good command of field view. The body also leans too much at sharp turn. Chevy doesn't have enough power plus space still a bit too narrow. Dodge is comparable in space except too expensive plus driver's seat too cramped, forward, turning arrow blocked by steering wheel. Steering and rear seats are a tad better than Windstar. A little bit underpowered even if you paid thousands more for the maximum power package. Odyssey steering and handling is awesome, space is mediocre only better than Sienna. You can only seat 2 person in third row, the upper body is shrinked sideway too much more like a 2 to 2.5 passenger car instead of a 3 passenger wide minivan like Windstar or Caravan. Odyssey's ride quality is aweful, the worst of all these, you can feel every little bump from the pebble on the surface of the road. Definitely not comfortable for long distance driving.

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Chevy Venture, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Grand Caravan.

Automatic sliding doors. Smooth ride.

Numerous minor but irritating electrical glitches. Also, the sliding doors become misaligned occasionally, the trip computer/compass and rear wiper quit. Occasionally it doesn't start and the dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

It's a nice vehicle when everything works properly. Unfortunately, that's not often enough. I haven't experienced any major problems with it, but I have had quite a few less serious problems that are aggrevating nonetheless. It's just not worth the purchase price.

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None

Very Roomy, kids love the Video System, leather seats nice, power sliding doors great convenience when weather is poor, fair gas mileage for van this size, great appearance both inside and out. Large gas tank makes fillups less frequent

Power doors occasionally pop back open, tailgate a bit on the heavy side, 3rd row bench seat doesn't have enough leg room for adults, power accessory plug could be closer to driver, engine/outside noise could be quieter. Wish sideview mirrors folded both ways---forward and backward

Great family van with grade school age kids and value for the money. We bought it after friends of ours purchased the SE model. They love it and we have had a great experience with ours since we bought it in Oct. 2000. Video system runs well and offers good view for most passengers in 2nd & 3rd row. Sound system nice and flexible options for listening along with Video system great with kids. Seating is comfortable although front seats could be a bit wider and cushier. Our dealer has been excellent with minor warranty work we have had done i.e. small dot on video screen before we bought it and first free oil change. Nice ride for a vehicle this size...not as smooth as our car but what can you expect?

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None---our first van

Great power with 3.8L engine, long driving range (500 miles), excellent handling, nice interior with leather, clean dash layout.

Not many, rear hatch is heavy, AC compressor kind of loud, stock Goodyear tires were horrible, turning radius too big.

THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT VAN. Others may whine about the early '95s, but my '96 has been virtually flawless. The van is very easy to drive, especially on long trips. The interior is clean and ergonomical. The power is the best of any van, cruise control set a 80 going up a huge mountain, no problem. Handles like a car, decent brakes, smoother transmission than Dodge products. Windstar was $5,000 less than a similarly equipped Chrysler T & C.

Sounds like some people have had troubles, not me and probably 95% of the 500,000 people that own Windstars.

Similar Products Used:

Honda Odyssey (newer, similar in many ways, not as much low end power as Windstar), Dodge Caravan (bad tranny, messy interior, better looking exterior), Sienna (it was too small, not enough power).