Hi All, I'm in the market for a new TV this spring and it seems to me the perfect vechicle for the job is either an Astro or Safari. I know that 2005 is the last year for this vehicle. Can any of you owners give me some pros/cons...rwd vs awd...MPG...likes/dislikes...what you'd replace it with....etc. Also, what is GM replacing the Astro with? Is there any other van out there (other than full size) that can do what an Astro can do? Please give me your suggestions. Also, if I posted this in the wrong place, please forgive me.
Quote from: Camper RonHi All, I'm in the market for a new TV this spring and it seems to me the perfect vechicle for the job is either an Astro or Safari. I know that 2005 is the last year for this vehicle. Can any of you owners give me some pros/cons...rwd vs awd...MPG...likes/dislikes...what you'd replace it with....etc. Also, what is GM replacing the Astro with? Is there any other van out there (other than full size) that can do what an Astro can do? Please give me your suggestions. Also, if I posted this in the wrong place, please forgive me.
Nothing wrong with posting this here.
If you live in an area with a lot of snow or ice, think hard about AWD. The RWD version has a hard time in slippery conditions.
Getting the AWD significantly reduces the tow rating.
Have a transmission cooler added. The existing cooler is heavy duty, but should have a little help when towing.
We typically get 21 MPG highway when not towing. With the Bayside connected, that varies from 18 all the way down to 14 depending on terrain.
We had to have the engine replaced at 1500 miles. The block had a minor defect in the casting and it was burning excess oil. Since then, it has towed our Bayside more than 25,000 miles and a total of about 190,000 miles with no more than what I would call "expected" problems.
Don't run out of gas with it. It uses the last gallon or two of gas to keep the fuel pump cool. We've replaced ours twice, both times within two weeks of running out of gas.
The Vortec engines can produce a little more hosrepower with premium gas. (Not all engines can do this.) It's not worth doing all the time, but if you know you are going to tow in the mountains, get the highest octane you can put in it.
As far as replacements are concerned, I think the best choice available in the minivan category is the Honda Oddesy. I don't really like foreign cars (even those made in the US), but no other minivan has the same capacity.
Austin
Quote from: AustinBostonAs far as replacements are concerned, I think the best choice available in the minivan category is the Honda Oddesy. I don't really like foreign cars (even those made in the US), but no other minivan has the same capacity.
Austin
I beg to differ, AB. The Astro (Safari) is NOT a minivan. It is a mid-size van. Makes a huge difference if you're trying to avoid being a minivan driver. :D
It's a love/hate thing. You either love the box on wheels or you hate it. I love mine. Would not trade it for anything right now ~ that may change as my kids' legs get longer!
What AB said on the RWD/AWD thing. I love having the AWD. I was pleasantly surprised by the way it handles in the winter. I'm not sure what tires they are putting on the new models, but the older ones had Tiger Paws on them. Soft sidewalls make for the famous Astro/Safari hula. I replaced the Tiger Paws with Goodyear Wrangler RT/S tires earlier this year and it made a world of difference in handling and towing. (And it towed great before!)
My trailer is nowhere near as heavy as Austin's ~ fully loaded it weighs about 2200 pounds and the Astro handles it just fine. She won't win any speed records in the mountains, but I haven't had any problems with the hills in the bluff country around here. My mileage is also about the same ~ a little lower as I do a lot more city driving than highway. (I only have about 60,000 miles on mine, but I am planning on driving it into the ground ~ maybe I'll catch up to AB!)
Pros
~ It has lots of cargo space. I can actually pack for a 12-day road trip and still not block the back window. Keep in mind I travel with 4 kids ~ they bring a lot of stuff!
~ It sits up up higher. It's on a truck platform, so you have a height advantage over minivans.
~It's tall. I can actually get from the driver's seat to the cargo area without going outside! I can also help number 4 kid get her seatbelt on easily.
~It has better-than-average towing capacity. I could probably tow my trailer just fine with a minivan, but I really like having the cushion.
Cons
~It ain't the purdiest thing on the road! Looks like a box on wheels.
~Leg room is a little tight in the last row. The kids are small now, but the darn things grow!
~Sag. They tend to sag in the rear. My does okay with just the trailer, but if I want to take bikes in the future I'm going to have to beef up the rear suspension some.
If I had to replace it today I would opt for a larger van. Probably a Savana or an Express. But I sure would miss the Astro! ;) As far as I know GM is not replacing it with anything. The market for it has gotten smaller and smaller as they haven't made many changes to them since they were first produced! IMHO, GM is missing out. There are no minivans out there (that I know of) that can tow more than 3500 lbs. (My tow rating is 4700 lbs)
There is a website devoted to all things Astro/Safari. I learn a lot every time I lurk there!
Good luck!
QuoteHi All, I'm in the market for a new TV this spring and it seems to me the perfect vechicle for the job is either an Astro or Safari. I know that 2005 is the last year for this vehicle. Can any of you owners give me some pros/cons...rwd vs awd...MPG...likes/dislikes...what you'd replace it with....etc. Also, what is GM replacing the Astro with? Is there any other van out there (other than full size) that can do what an Astro can do? Please give me your suggestions. Also, if I posted this in the wrong place, please forgive me.
I'll chime in on this as well since we are big Astro fans as well. We specifically bought our Astro because it was the only van with decent tow capacity. We don't get the mileage that Austin gets, but not much less. What is nice for us is we only lose about 1-1.5 mpg while towing. GM is not replacing it with anything. If you contact them they will try to sell you an Uplander which is just a cool minivan with normal minivan capacity. If we were in the market now, I would get a gently used '05 Astro with the LS and tow package. The main difference I understand on the tow package is the rear end has one extra leaf in the springs, and something is done to the front shocks as well. We live in the Salt Lake area and have the rear RWD model and have had no problems in the winter. Of course I still have 200lbs of tube sand from when I had a pickup that I put in the back. Hit the astrosafari site Kelly said, there is a mass of info there, and some people doing absolutely crazy things with their rigs. I also agree saying the Astro is a minivan is like saying a Dodge Dakota is a compact pick up. The 8 passenger Astro is basically the same size (length/heighth) as a Tahoe. It is based on their 1/4 ton truck platform IIRC. You will find a LOT of Astro fans towing PU's. I think is the best PU TV available. Those that think you need a V15 4,000,000 horsepower dualie pick up with a 50 ton capacity :eyecrazy: to tow will argue that extra power will not hurt, which is true, but as we say in my line of work, just 'cause you CAN shoot someone, doesn't mean you SHOULD. ;)
Quote from: Kelly in handling and towing. (And it towed great before!)
If I had to replace it today I would opt for a larger van.
Good luck!
Ummm Kelly...... I thought you diddn't want no stinkin' van :p
Quote from: ForestCreatureUmmm Kelly...... I thought you diddn't want no stinkin' van :p
I don't. I said IF I had to replace it. :D
More than likely I'll drive this one a while, then get a used '05. By the time I'm done with that one the kids will be gone and I can get a Wrangler. So there! :p
Quote from: KellyBy the time I'm done with that one the kids will be gone and I can get a Wrangler. So there! :p
Who you kidding, by the time the kids are gone you'll be traveling around the country in a converted bus. :yikes: :D
Quote from: ForestCreatureWho you kidding, by the time the kids are gone you'll be traveling around the country in a converted bus. :yikes: :D
D*#$ thing will need a toad ... :D
I love my van ~ I'd buy another in a heartbeat. (Gotta make some attempt to keep this thread on track! lol)[/color]
Thanks Ausin, Kelly and Jake for taking the time to write. And thanks for the link to the Astro/Safari website. I think I'll spend some time over there asking a few questions but I'm pretty convinced this is the right vehicle for the job. Thanks again. Ron
Hi Ron.
We also bought a 2002 Safari to tow our 2001 Coleman Niagara. Most other minivans have a tow rating of around 3,500 lbs, but the 5,400 lb tow rating was what we needed to tow our 3,500 lb trailer and cary a family of 6. We did look at SUV's, but most of them with room for a family of 6 had a very small third row seat, and very little storage room behind the third seat. We paid $25K for a loaded Safari SLT with leather seats, and could not find a SUV for anything less than $30K that could seat 6, tow 5,000lbs and could also fit a double stroller behing the back seat.
Three years later, we still love ours, but disagree with Kelly on the space in the third row. It has more room than any SUV third row seat. I've ridden in ours for long trips, and had plenty of legroom for my 5'10" body. Being able to move the seats probably helped, as well as having the recliling seats.
One other thing. It has been said here twice that it is built on a truck frame, but that is wrong. It is built on a unibody frame, just like most cars and minivans. I have crawled under mine, and there is no truck frame to be seen.
Quote from: 6QuigsThree years later, we still love ours, but disagree with Kelly on the space in the third row. It has more room than any SUV third row seat. I've ridden in ours for long trips, and had plenty of legroom for my 5'10" body. Being able to move the seats probably helped, as well as having the recliling seats.
You're giving me hope here, Kevin! Maybe I can drive an Astro til the last kid moves out! Thanks :D
(Funny thing is ~ I forget that the seats can recline until I have to vacuum the thing! I'm not sure I want the kids to know how to do that! ~ recline seats, not vaccum! :p )Quote from: 6quigsOne other thing. It has been said here twice that it is built on a truck frame, but that is wrong. It is built on a unibody frame, just like most cars and minivans. I have crawled under mine, and there is no truck frame to be seen.
I stand corrected. One of those rumors that just won't die, eh?
We had a 1998 Astro. I loved the van until it hit 100,000 miles. This vehicle had plenty of power to pull our 3,500 lb Westlake and haul 3 kids, a dog and all the camping stuff associated with it. I had an accident with the van and it was out of commission for 9 weeks. I rented every other van out there and couldn't wait to get my van back.
My only complaint was the amount of money we had to keep putting into the vehicle to keep it running. It started at about 50,000 miles. I guess if you can, a 100,000 mile warranty would be a great purchase. By the time it hit 100,000 miles we had put more money into it than it was worth. Now I have to say the engine never failed us. In fact that part was still going strong when we traded it in. It was all the other stuff that could break that did.
Jacqui
We own a '97 Safari RWD and we're in the Adirondacks. A good set of snows on the rears is all we need to run it in the winter.
As with the other posters, we could not find anything else out there that would tow the Utah and fit all of us in relative comfort.
Our van has been very reliable, with the exception of some steering components that made the steering feel a bit loose. Once the components were replaced with Moog brand, the problem was gone.
At 121,000 miles it is still running wonderfully.
Good luck with your choice!
Quote from: 6QuigsOne other thing. It has been said here twice that it is built on a truck frame, but that is wrong. It is built on a unibody frame, just like most cars and minivans. I have crawled under mine, and there is no truck frame to be seen.
That's funny. I had no problem finding said frame under mine. What may be confusing you is that it is techinically a unibody because the body is welded to the frame (making it one piece i.e. uni), not bolted on. There is a section of frame in the front that is bolted on where the engine and front suspension are.
Austin
Just wanted to give you one more opinion........
I owned 2 a '95 Astro AWD and '99 Safari Rwd
Drove the '95 til 138K and the '99 til 112k. We loved what they could haul, and room inside etc. But didn't find them very reliable. Really used our extended warranties on them. The best mileage was 19 and only got it once. Usually 15-17mpg range.
RWD could be done in snow, but it was no fun. DW would never drive the RWD in winter. It drives in snow just like a RWD Pickup.
I am a guy that will tow almost anything with an Astro. It gets from 9.5 mpg towing a @ 5000 lb Keystone to 21 mpg highway not towing. If you get the correct rear end you can tow up to 6100 lbs with RWD, AWD is less. I have done fine when I go visit winter. We took it skiing last year. I was too lazy and cheap to put on the chains. With 7 people in the van, the Subaru in front of me kept getting in the way. I have 150,000 miles now, and have had some problems, mostly the electrical doo dads. ABS computer and fuel gauge sending unit are currently non-responsive, have been for over 18 months. They are expensive items to fix. I think I am in the process of losing my torque converter, but since I have over 50,000 miles towing I am not complaining. The Astro has far outperformed in reliability compared to our Caravan with 80K miles.
Construction - Behind the rear wheels is unibody construction. Forward has an S-10/Blazer/Astro frame running under the truck. Notice the old Astros (still running around, ugly things never die) that end at the rear wheels? That is where the frame ends. The extension is unibody.
The only thing I would trade for that can haul people and trailers would be a Diesel Excursion.
BTW - With the lower rear end and the heavy conversion package on the van, I would expect the average Astro to getter better MPG than mine and have a higher top speed.
Hey Kelly!
Quote from: Popups4RentHey Kelly!
Hey Scott! :W
Glad to see you're still around and camping! ;) Don't tell anybody, but you're one of the big (:D) reasons I bought the Astro .... thanks!
We had our '95 Astro in our "pre-pop up days" .....but I wish I had it now! :mad:
We had good luck with it, only minor mechanical repairs. I loved the 4.3L Vortec engine power. I would usually get around 20-22 MPG highway/city mixed, not towing. As mentioned it is bigger than the other mini-vans and that is one thing that drew us to it. It's big enough without being "HUGE". We loved the cargo space...boy do I miss that! Take out all the rear seats and you basically have a pickup truck bed with a cover! With all the rear seats in, the cargo space in the rear was still more than enough for everyday life as well as family trips. The front captain chairs were the most comfortable seats I have every had in a vehicle??!!
The things we didn't like was that it didn't have a rear sliding door on the driver's side, we had the 2 swing out back doors and the middle "bar" between the 2 back windows created an obstuction when looking out the rear-view mirror, the leg room in the front seats was uncomfortable due to the front wheel wells which was probably my biggest complaint because I am tall.
It was time for a new vehicle and I wanted the Astro again :U but the DW wanted a "change" and being that it would be the vehicle she was going to drive, I wanted her to have what she wanted. We do miss the Astro now! It would be great to have for towing the PU!
Good luck with your choice. Hope my 2 cents help!
We traded our Astro in for the Express conversion van. The ride is much smoother and the gas mileage is not much different. There is a lot more room inside the vehicle (which only leads to BRINGING MORE STUFF).
At times we miss the Astro when Not camping because the Conversion Van is a much larger vehicle when running around town and parking in "tight" lots.
When pulling the PU with Four bikes on top of it as well, it is a lot less stressful than the Astro pulling the PU.
Good Luck,
Mike
I was swayed over to pick'em-up trucks so long ago I'm afraid I'd have to re-learn how to drive a van! So I'm hovering around zero for van advice, but let me echo some remarks about that 4.3 V-6. Every now and again G.M. does something right, and that's exactly what they done with that 4.3 - that was what I had in my previous pick-up and I ran that truck down some serious road with out any engine or tranny difficulty at all. That engine runs quiet and smooth and gets it's torque at a low rpm. I loved pulling the popup through the mountains in western North Carolina on the secondary roads ... it would just walk right up the hill! Now with my present truck I went to the 4.8 V-8, thinking I was planning to pull the camper west through the Rockies (a trip I've yet to make, by the way), and Mr. GoodWrench says for every 1,000 feet of elevation it will subtract about 4% of the engine's performance. Since I'm at sea level, when I get to Denver's Mile High Stadium, it will reduce the engine 20%. I hear tell there are some places out there that I want to go to and they are even higher!
Driving around here locally (not towing or carrying any heavy loads), the V-6 would get anywhere from 2 to 4 more miles per gallon. Surprisingly, the V-8 gets better mileage towing the camper by a mile or two per gallon, and that's got to be the horse power delivering the goods. But pulling the camper up the same roads, you can hear the V-8 coming because it is a-roaring. Both trucks had/have the same rear end ratio (3.42), but the 4.3 torque is at 260@2800, while the 4.8 V-8 torque is at 285@4000.
If I had my overs, for what I do, I would have went with the 4.3 again. I really liked that engine.
F;ly
Just a note or two on Astros I have owned 2 a 93 AWD and currently a 99 (supposedly AWD). The older AWDs pre 95 were Viscous coupled full time 35f-65r AWD very durable system. The New style are an on demand electro coupled AWD system which tends to blow the electric motor that activiates the front drive. The gang on Astrosafari.com HOT setup is to put in the 236 2 speed case out of a s-10 blazer with the 3 button dash control. As for towing most astros have 3.42 ratio rearends, but a few have a 3.73 set up little less mileage but v8 spunk.
I also have a 2002 full size ford (more power better gas mileage than 99 Astro and close to 7000 lb tow capacity) New full size Chevys are junk IMHO 327 engine less performance than 4.3 in astro, terrible handling but great gas mileage wouldn't pull popup in mountains without constantly shifting even using tow/haul tranny