With its big V6, the Windstar is one of the quickest minivans available. It delivers strong acceleration, and has plenty of power for safe passing even with a full load of passengers. For the most part, the Windstar's powertrain performs smoothly. The V6 sounds raucous at high rpm, however, and the transmission shifts abruptly at times.Windstar's steering is about right, with some feedback to let the driver know what the front tires are doing. It feels stable at speed. And the ride is smooth, thanks to the longest wheelbase of any minivan. Windstar rides more comfortably than sport-utility vehicles. The suspension is soft, however. It allows the Windstar to wallow in corners and lets the nose dive when you use the Windstar's brakes. Also, the brakes seemed unimpressive.
LX Deluxe, SE, SEL and Limited come with fatter tires (225/60R16) and bigger wheels (16-inch), which help improve handling and stability. Yet this package adds little noise or ride harshness.
We recommend getting the optional AdvanceTrac, an electronic vehicle stability system that uses both engine management and the anti-lock brakes to help the driver maintain control on slippery roads or other extreme conditions. Cycling 200 times per second, the AdvanceTrac computer checks the Windstar's road behavior against the driver's steering input to be certain that the van is going where the driver wants it to go. If it is sliding or skidding, then AdvanceTrac reduces engine power and/or applies the brakes individually to help guide the Windstar back to the path that the driver intended.