1988 Chevrolet Astro CL review from North America
"Good transportation"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The original automatic transmission was a lemon. I had to have it rebuilt at 70k miles. It went out again about 14 months later. Both time reverse quit working. The engine crank shaft came apart at 85k miles. I replaced the original transmission with one from a 93 Chevy car, and I replaced the engine with a 4.3 from a 92 Chevy S10 truck. Both have performed flawlessly for over 100k miles. Can't keep the Air Conditioner going - eats compressors regularly.
General comments?
Lots of power - good springs and shocks - toes and pulls heavy loads easily. The van gets reasonably good gas mileage, 20 to 24 depending on how it's driven. Since replacing the original engine and transmission, it has been a very dependable vehicle. It's very roomy. I can remove the two back bench seats and haul 4 x 8 sheets of plywood easily. I'll probably keep this vehicle indefinitely.
Recommended reviews
  | Part of our family! |
| In general, Astros are the vans of the gods |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1995 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.3 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 67000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 226000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 23rd June, 2002 |