Pedals are power adjustable, a genuinely useful feature Moving the pedals closer to the seat at the touch of a button is beneficial for drivers with short legs. This allows them to sit farther from the steering wheel, for better driving position and to avoid potential injury from the airbag.
Center-row seats are buckets in SE, SEL and Limited. We found them heavy and awkward to remove. LX buyers can choose a center-row bench, or buckets ($745). The bench seat can be positioned left or right, for your choice of either curbside or street-side access to the third-row seat. (However, once the seat is shifted to one side, third-seat access from that side becomes awkward.) The bench seat reclines and rolls forward and back, for more versatile cargo loading and easier removal.
The third-row seat is a bench on all models, and has seat belts for all three people. Like the second-row bench it rides on small rollers that make it slightly easier to remove. It weighs about 100 pounds, which makes removal a two-person job. Once back in the van, it moves seven inches fore and aft on its track, allowing more rear luggage space, or more rear-seat legroom, depending on need. However, moving it all the way forward exposes the seat tracks, which are greasy for cargo and not friendly to dogs.
The rear bench can also be moved to the second-row seat's attachment points, to provide seating for five and cavernous luggage space. That feature adds to the versatility of Windstars equipped with second-row buckets.
The third-row seatback folds down to provide a flat table and more cup holders. Rear climate controls come standard (except in the base model), a great feature especially on hot days for children and pets. SE, SEL, and Limited come standard with rear audio controls as well, allowing kids to play cassettes in the rear while adults listen to the radio up front.
A handy feature for entertaining restless rug rats is the Auto Vision Entertainment System ($995), consisting of a VHS tape player and a 6.4-inch LCD video screen that folds down from the overhead console. There are even ports for video games. It's a real boon for long trips: You may never hear "Are we there yet?" again. The system includes a pair of headphones, so people up front do not have to listen to "Land Before Time 32," or whatever else is screening in the rear cabin.
For busy adults, SEL and Limited models feature an electronic Message Center, which is a small voice recorder attached to the driver's sun visor. It can be used to record notes and other ideas that might come to mind while driving.
The tire pressure monitoring system that comes standard is a good idea: The warning light came on while we were driving our Windstar and, sure enough, the right rear tire was about 5 pounds low. Unfortunately, the system can't tell you which tire is low, so you'll have to check all four of them when the signal light glows, a good idea anyway.
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