Flexibility of interior seating, exterior plastic body panels

Cheap construction, inferior parts

I needed the flexibility offered by the individually removable seats, otherwise I would have bought a Toyota Previa for the same price, and I'm sure that I would have been much more happy with the Toyota quality. The interior trim on the TransSport is cheap and breaks easily. The engine needed replacing after 40,000 miles. The original brakes and tires only lasted 30,000 miles. The front wheel bearings went after 50,000 miles. The window leaked. The emergency brake handle broke off, then the cable broke. The inside door handle is very weak and broke early on. The rest of the door trim is held in place with clips which don't hold any more. Basically, GM cut too many corners in construction, and produced an inferior product.

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PT Cruiser - no comparison.

Drives like a car- front wheel drive- It does not drive like a minivan. It has a nice looking console and dash area. I like the spaciousness of the seating in the back. You can set it up so you can walk thru the middle to the back set of seats. Good snow driving.

Small trunk, and not enough room for groceries.
Also, mine now has 110,000 miles on it, and I feel like something is breaking on it every week. I had an overheating problem from a broken hose, and fixed that. I think I blew a gasket- and paid $2400 in repairs for that. The sliding door latch is broken from the inside. The dash is coming Unglued - literally and rising up as the glue is melting- so I am almost too short to drive it now ! The back seats are built for kids, adults feel like they are sitting on the floor ! I bought in 1998, at about 80,000 miles, for $5000. I have since paid about $3300 in repairs- not worth it.

Oops, covered most of it above. I do like the car as far as the driving experience. It is very smooth and does not feel like a huge vehicle. I would recommend it if anyone is worried about feeling like driving a huge van ! But, I only question the reliability around 100,000 miles- be prepared to trade by then! Little interior things break off- like the sliding door handle; the seat belt clicker things are keeled over sideways, and the glue in the dash is completely loosening, and the already high dash is rising. I think I put too much in repairs for this automobile ! I replaced some hoses, a head gasket, and some other items. The brakes were never a problem. Oh yeah, a little squeaking in the back on bumps. Feels like an old porch swing or a trampoline- very bouncy - fun for the kids.

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I also own a 1999 Ford Aerostar- which drives worse- feels like I am driving a semi- compared to the pontiac- but the back seats are more comfortable, and I have had to pay far less in repairs. The ford has 142,000 miles on it, and I have only paid about $500 in repairs!

Everything

None

Compared to anyother van at the time, my Trans Sport was a great car! I loved everything about it. I was very dependable and powerful. Last year, I traded it in for a 1999 Pontiac Montana which I now love! Read my review of the Montana!

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1996 Ford Aerostar

Engine much better than 3.1 liter from 1990 Lumina / Trans Sport / Silhouette, Pontiac trim is always an eye-catcher, LOTS of storage space in the cabin, periodic maintenance items easily accessible and not expensive. Passenger cabin intake air filters are excellent! Front end alignment stays put (not like old-model van).

Driver power seat controls too close to the door, I HATE the emergency/parking brake!! Why not a manual release like our old '90 APV?
Interior height no longer accomodates my Yamaha RX-50, no locking gas cap available - gas filler door not lockable.

So far, engineering has improved in this line of GM minivans. I don't like the lighter construction, but the gas mileage and performance are real standouts. The interior is quieter than most vehicles in this class. Many power goodies available as standard equipment. An all-around good value for people with businesses and families who don't trade in their vehicles every 2 - 5 years.

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Misubishi van - easier to service but gutless and scary in cross-winds; Nissan Axxess - cute if you're under 4 ft. tall, exc. gas mileage; Lumina APV - Great for carrying large loads, engine weak for such a large vehicle, sold it with 174,000 miles & was still going strong

plastic body panels. Easy seat removal. 3.8L engine has great power. Reliability.

Front outer door latches plague me.I have had to repair each one about 3 times. Also the seat belts.

It's a very nice looking van. It has been very reliable in all situations. Decent fuel mileage. Good handling. Low maintainance. The only thing I had to replace (other than tires and brakes)was an egr valve which only took 5 minutes to replace. Not bad for the 4 years that I have owned it and the 90,000 miles it has on it.

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Ford Aerostar gave me nothing but problems. Repairs needed monthly.

needs no body work, interior keeps nice, very comfortable to drive

front blinker lights, are hanging below van and if it hits snow or anything they break..the newer ones are now placed in the bumper.
the seat belts are very hard to put on in the back..I absolutely hate the brake system, they are anti-lock and have to be replace pretty well every
year, and not just the pads.
have replaced the alternator twice, the starter twice..
radiator problems and it has a sway that we can not fix..changed the sway bar, went to a junk yard where they had a few and all of those sway bars were broke under the rubber.

absolutely adored it from the first, like the way the seats
come out if you need more room, like the look of it, always looks
new with it's fiber glass body..

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Still adore it and I have had a dodge van, that I hated, and yes I would buy another one, hopefully with some of these problems fixed first..