virtually all of the newer front drive minivans have an edge.
But once the seats are extracted, and the linemen have gone home, cargo space totals
139 cu. ft., a number that zooms to 167.7 cu. ft. in the extended model. Although the
new Chrysler minivans now offer similar cargo capacity, that's still a lot of room to
put stuff--lumber, bicycles, wading pools or all the bags of springtime topsoil your
garden will ever need.
As for the Aerostar's cockpit comforts, instrumentation is basic and no-nonsense, with
clearly displayed gauges and handily positioned controls, such as the headlight
switch, rear defroster and the climate controls. One thing we didn't care for was the
hard-to-find horn buttons, which could be tough to hit in a split-second situation.
Another troublesome exception--push-button audio controls. These exercises in fingertip
dexterity may be fine for a sobriety test, but we found them unnecessarily challenging
to use when the van was moving.
We also noted the absence of a front passenger airbag. Ford's resistance to this
passive safety installation, which would entail a significant interior redesign and
retooling investment, indicates that the Aerostar is still on the endangered species
list. Next Page