As the title asks, what's the closest vehicle to a Chevy Astro in ability and concept? I'm currently at 250K on my second one . I've had Astros continuously for the last 22 years and they worked well for my needs. They were just big enough to tow my race trailer, haul the family on vacations, haul kids to university dorms, etc. So what's the best match in currently available vehicles? A larger SUV probably covers most of the bases, but what else?
Probably closest is the Mercedes Metris but that is probably not the answer you want.
https://www.mbvans.com/sprinter/commercial-vans/metris-passenger-van
About 2,000 lb cargo and/or 5,000 lb towing
The Transit Connect (small Ford) and similar have taken over the light enclosed hauling business that the Astro covered but thr Transit Connect can not do the towing.
The nicest minivan that GM now sells is the Chevy Traverse and twins. Though to make sure it doesn't seem like a minivan they have disguised it as a truck.
The best answer may be Chrysler Minivan with Stow and Go
I know lots of people who haul with Honda Ridgeline trucks, so I would have to presume a Honda Odyssey minivan or the big SUV thing with basically the same powertrain could do the job. There are many internet tales of horrible V6 Honda trans failures, but I think that's a bit overblown in the newer ones.
Nice thing about Astros is the parts are cheap , and mechanics are simple ,
Could you look for one with less miles ?
You need to talk to the commercial sales guys. They're the ones that sell vans with full frames, torquey engines, and serious capabilities.
GM still makes the Express. It's probably as close to an Astro as possible, even in looks. Capable of towing up to 10k. Up to 15 passengers. I think it's just commercial versions now, so no fancy features or luxury interiors unless you can find a conversion van sitting on a lot somewhere.
Ford makes the full sized Transit in a civilian "wagon" form or the more common commercial units. Various heights and lengths are available. Not as capable as the burliest Express models, but payloads up to 3k and towing up to 5k are ok numbers for a passenger van.
Nissan makes the NV line of vans that are pretty capable too.
In reply to STM317 :
The Transit Connect (small Ford van) is more like 1,200# cargo and/or 2000# towing. All models are just a 2.5 L 4 cyl.
https://www.ford.com/trucks/transit-connect-passenger-van-wagon/models/transit-connect-xlt-passenger-wagon/
californiamilleghia said:Nice thing about Astros is the parts are cheap , and mechanics are simple ,
Could you look for one with less miles ?
I could, but I'd still be buying what is essentially a design from 1985. Around here (Michigan) finding a rust free one isn't going to happen. My current one was purchased from a forum member in North Carolina. Last ones made are now 13 years old.
In reply to DeadSkunk :
Hope she's served you well! 
I still remember how you laughed at what I thought was a rusty spot under the battery tray.
Nissan NV2500HD, perhaps? RWD, big tow rating, has a boxy front end and a boxy rear end. Obviously it's bigger than an Astro/Safari XL but seems like it woudl do all the same stuff, except more capably...
Sprinter, NV and the FWD ram promaster are the closest things. Everything else is smaller, unibody and won't go above 3500lb tow rating.
My Transit 350 feels a lot like my old Astros to drive, but with the 12' flatbed it's certainly bigger. I think if you got in one of the 150 or 250 short wheelbase vans you would feel right at home before you finish the test drive.
If what you want is an Astro, Phoenix craigslist seems to have an overabundance. $4k would get you a nice one with half the miles of yours. It'll still be 20 years old, but the desert climate is very good to vehicles. Direct flights from Detroit to Phoenix are cheap.
This one has 105k miles for $4,500 asking.
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/cto/d/2003-astro-van/6669519860.html
Our 05 Astro AWD is getting long in the tooth. Just did front to rear brake line replacement due to rust. The thing is a beast, but things are starting to add up. We're currently shopping Promasters.
First-gen Lambda crossovers are plentiful, cheap, roomy, and can tow about 5500.
vwcorvette said:Our 05 Astro AWD is getting long in the tooth. Just did front to rear brake line replacement due to rust. The thing is a beast, but things are starting to add up.
That's about where I am. Fix one thing , drive a month or two and something else fails. It's just aging out, a few hundred dollars at a time.
" tow my race trailer, haul the family on vacations, haul kids to university dorms"
They don't serve that with a minivan anymore because they realized that they make so much more money if you buy a Suburban or Silverado.
Practicality is dead; long live crew cab pickups!
John Welsh said:In reply to STM317 :
The Transit Connect (small Ford van) is more like 1,200# cargo and/or 2000# towing. All models are just a 2.5 L 4 cyl.
https://www.ford.com/trucks/transit-connect-passenger-van-wagon/models/transit-connect-xlt-passenger-wagon/
Yeah, I wasn't talking about the Transit Connect. I said "full sized Transit" : Available with Ecoboost V6, or 5 cyl diesel
It's basically Ford's answer to the Sprinter vans from Daimler.
Really stupid question: can a civilian buy through the commercial side, or do you have to "know a guy"?
Seems like the only way to get a basic truck or cargo van anymore.
Dusterbd13 said:Really stupid question: can a civilian buy through the commercial side, or do you have to "know a guy"?
Seems like the only way to get a basic truck or cargo van anymore.
You just have to go to the right dealer that understands the only options you need are powertrain related and not fluffy bullE36 M3 like suede pinky warmers or 42” lcd touchscreen radios
When the Astro first came out it was decently bigger than the FWD minivans of the time, but that gap shrunk to nothing in the mid 90s. In my opinion pretty much any minivan besides the tiny ones (mvp, some quests, etc) could do what an Astro does. Trans cooler and air shocks may be good ideas in certain cases.
I know some people will say that the main difference between an Astro and a fwd minivan is towing capacity, but i drive around a longer, lower, stiffer, lighter Astro nearly every day (Zq8 ext cab s10) and even with all those points i still don't think it'd be much better for towing than a minivan. I think it's mostly a mental barrier regarding trans durability. Not like the 4l60 was ever a paragon of reliability in the real world anyway..
TLDR: pretty much any minivan.
In reply to DeadSkunk :
https://sandusky.craigslist.org/cto/d/awd-gmc-safari-chevy-astro/6681655678.html
AWD gmc safari chevy astro 4x4 w/98k miles - $3300 (toledo)
You didn’t say how much towing capacity you need but I would imagine some of the SUV’s like the Explorer, Jeep Cherokee and others with larger engines would fit the bill. Interior space larger then pickups, good availability in the used market. Unfortunately vans now days have gone from utility vehicles to luxury people movers for taking the kids to school and sports events and the favorite tool of soccer moms everywhere.
Tom_Spangler said:First-gen Lambda crossovers are plentiful, cheap, roomy, and can tow about 5500.
Lots and lots of mechanical issues though. The early 3.6Ls were notorious for timing chain issues, which if caught is a fairly expensive proposition, and if not caught, means a new engine. They also had some oil consumption issues. And the typical GDI carbon issues with sticky valves. And the transmissions reliably explode around 100k when the springs in the 3-5 wave plate wear through the plate. They also had lots of electrical issues, due to leaky sunroof drains that deposit directly into the fuse block. They blow the front struts out about every 40k miles. Power steering systems are very leak prone and pumps and racks are 6-8 hour jobs by themselves.
NickD said:Tom_Spangler said:First-gen Lambda crossovers are plentiful, cheap, roomy, and can tow about 5500.
Lots and lots of mechanical issues though. The early 3.6Ls were notorious for timing chain issues, which if caught is a fairly expensive proposition, and if not caught, means a new engine. They also had some oil consumption issues. And the typical GDI carbon issues with sticky valves. And the transmissions reliably explode around 100k when the springs in the 3-5 wave plate wear through the plate. They also had lots of electrical issues, due to leaky sunroof drains that deposit directly into the fuse block. They blow the front struts out about every 40k miles. Power steering systems are very leak prone and pumps and racks are 6-8 hour jobs by themselves.
Ah, well, never mind, then!
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