I have owned two Aerostars. The first one I sold at 178K miles. I heard the person I sold it to just retired it at over 300,000 miles. My mechanic knows a lady customer who had 250,000 miles on hers. I spoke with another man who also had over 250,000 miles on his. A (home)repair person we used said his was a lemon. Three out of four ain't bad.

My second Aerostar has performed similarly to the first albeit with different problems. but I am satisfied.

The short front end makes it more difficult to access engine and front end components, making it a bit more costly to repair or more frustrating if you do your own, but it does not require a lot of repairs to begin with.

It would be important to get a vehicle with a complete repair history if possible, and have a mechanic look it over before buying. The latest Aerostars are from 1997 for example. So that makes them 7 years old. But I agree that these vans can easily go well over 200,000 miles! If you change the oil religiously on them.

The do have a rust problem as do all Fords if you live in a 4 season climate.

As others have said I would stay away from the Windstars or the Mercury equivalent. Even Consumer Reports gave the entire model's production (1995 - 2002) a bad rap! They extended the Aerostar production for 2-3 years longer than planned, they were a popular vehicle. Aerostars were made from 1986 - 1997.

Ford now makes FreeStars whether they will be better, only time will tell.

My sister had the Mercury version of the windstar and they have put the car up for sale after 38,000 miles. Most recently a fuel ejection problem that had to be fixed TWICE!

I think whatever route you choose, the key to long term care-free operation is to take care of the vehicle to begin with. And to buy one you know has been well taken care of.
CHange the oil and filter every 3000 miles and don't floor the accelerator or ride the brake pedal and you should be cruising pretty good over the long haul.

The problem with Aerostars in my neck of the woods is the gigantic rot holes they ended up with!!

Yeah lol, it's pretty hard to find an Aerostar around here without at least some rust (or any Ford older than 10 years

Great stuff Guys, (Me4get,Kurt,Kodak,Jason,Rodhall,EAP)
Looks like Ford Aerostar or Chevy Astro Van are the top 2. What about Toyota, Honda, & the new Kia Sedona?

I looking to spend $10-$12K for a nice used van. Seems like Toyota & Honda are out of my range. The Kia is reasonable but seems cheapish. What about it?

Are you looking for a new van? Or something newish (2000 and up)?
Aerostars have not been made since 1997, I think the Astro line has also been discontinued. If you are talking about something new, that is fairly different.

Yes, you are on the right track..I'm looking for a used Van.
(Aerostar 1997,low mileage & good maitenance records if I could find one)
But I am weary about a 1997 Areostar priced near $5400 w/ 29K miles. Not a lot of driving in 7 years. Sold by a used car lot dealer, 50+ cars on his lot.

Can't afford the van to break down on GA highways with a wife &4 childen 10 & under. we do a lot of driving

So what about the foreign makes, (Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Kia)?

If the people in Georgia don't stop for cops and emergency vehicles, you're wise to say you don't want to break down on the highway!!
I think Hondas and Toyotas are great used vehicles for the money. I wouldn't put any stock in Kia's just yet. Korean vehicles are new to this country and the jury is still out for longevity and reliability.

That's true people are weary of helping stangers on the highway. But I have been lucky her in GA.. Someone has always stopped to help me.
Think I'll stick with Ford Aerostar or Chevy Astrovan because of maintenance conerns with the others. I'll let you know how it turns out.

If you can think of anthing else, please post it. I can't get enough of "good auto advise.

Re the Aerostar for $5400 with 29K miles...you can always predicate the sale on having "your" mechanic inspect the vehicle. They can tell you the condition of the tires. brakes, hoses, battery, etc. They will also inspect fluids and other components. A good mechanic has a "sixth" sense about a vehicle normally.

It is usually hard to hide those so-called tricks of the trade of the used car salesman from him or her. You might also check the lot out with the BBB, although if they are a member of the BBB it could go BOTH ways...the BBB would not give a BAD report to an average dealer who is a member.

You could also ask them to give references. I know some dealers would probably think what's all the big deal for 5 thousand bucks! Well the big deal is the welfare of your wife and 4 children. And that, my friend, is pretty pretty big stuff!

Try to get them to think in your terms, if possible.

Another point, If the car was garaged in Atlanta (See if the vehicle came from Atlanta as some dealers go to used car auctions and buy vehicles wholesale who knows where they came from, usually locally but not necessarily.) A vehicle that has only 29K miles might've been owned by an elderly person which means that normally it was well cared for. Anyway, if you take care of it, the rust can be kept at bay for probably another 3-5 years.

I do not know what the blue book value is, but I saw one (1997) being sold by someone at our church for $4000. It had 106K miles. It said mostly highway. (Which by the way is a mixed blessing at least for Fords) Mechanically less wear, but the body can rust out faster at least in Ohio which has 4 season climate.

I would perceive that since the Aerostar has been discontinued since 1997, it's likely to have lost some of its sales appeal. Unlike a vehicle that may be older but still in production. That might be a factor in the price.

Just do your homework. Good luck... with whatever you buy, but definitely stay away from the Windstar and Villager (Ford-Mercury) vehicles.

Which would cost me less over the long haul?

Torn between 97 Ford Aerostar, (28K) & 2003 Chevy Astro, (95). That's ninety five miles, not 950 nor 9500 miles
1. Again COST OF MAINTENANCE is one of my main concerns.
2. UPFRONT COST is now a close 2nd factor

97 FORD AEROSTAR
- Asking $5500
- As Is
- 28K miles, (original????)
- 7 years old
- Sold on a lot (w/ 40-50 cars)?
- Problably been sitting for a while

03 Chevy Astro
Asking $17,900
3/36000 Manufacture's warr
95 miles
Sold at New Car Dealership, (Chevy)
Sitting 24 months on Dealer's lot, (last of a fleet of vans)

Any Opinions about maintenace costs vs upfront cost. You guys have been great quides. I will be making a decision in a few days.