Chevrolet Astro reviews

1996 Chevrolet Astro Walkaround

The Chevy Astro CS is a utility vehicle dressed up to serve as a passenger van. Still, it's a look that works. Although the blunt front and even flatter rear put this rig in the boxy category, add the slab sides and you have, outwardly, a traditional rear-wheel drive van.

Chevy added some fancy touches up front, such as chrome inserts and moldings on the vinyl front bumper and running lights embedded in the plastic air dam just beneath the bumper. Above, we found an undistinguished plastic grille with the Chevy bow-tie logo sitting prominently in the middle, flanked by single two-way headlights and wraparound amber cornering lights. Not unpleasant, but not striking either.

More bothersome were a few minor imbalances. On one side, the hood drifted a half-inch or so beneath the fender line. Also, an irregular gap between hood and grille enabled us to reach in and yank the grille a good half-inch. If our test vehicle was typical of the entire model run, we'd place the Astro's fit and workmanship in the average category. Much more impressive was the Teal Blue Metallic paint job, which was blemish-free.

A wide side protective molding with chrome insert, slightly flared wheel wells and a two-color identification piece dressed up the sides of our Astro CS. We were also impressed with the expansive side glass and comparatively high (about 18 inches) road clearance, as well as with the oversized side mirrors that folded back upon impact. On the negative end, the vertical door-handle recesses were easy catchalls for dirt and road debris.

Out back, our Astro CS looked even more like a work van because it didn't have one of those nifty hydraulic liftgates or contoured bumpers found on most minivans. The traditional double doors swung out and away from the van's sides, making loading in a narrow driveway unwieldy. Also, the center pillars of the rear doors couldn't offer the unbroken visibility of a liftgate. You can change all of that by getting optional Dutch doors-rear half-doors below a one-piece lift-glass, which includes a rear wiper/washer.

On the plus side, a broad rear bumper protrusion-vinyl-covered and complemented by a vinyl protective molding - just above both doors - provided a handy step or initial loading point. The square taillight assemblies were large and well placed.