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THE 1995 Ford Windstar is a new, front-wheel-drive, extended-length minivan with standard seven-passenger seating, 3.8-litre V-6 engine, anti-lock brakes, and
four-speed automatic transmission.

Car-like ride, roomy interior in U.S. automaker’s new front-wheel-drive mini-van

SALES OF minivans in
Canada have increased every
year since 1983, the year
Chrysler Magic Wagons first
appeared.

it doesn’t take an aulomotive
analyst (o understand why.

‘In purely practical terms, mini-
vans represent a better value than
similarly sized cars and wagons.

Minivans have more cargo ares,
two or three more seats. and the
flexibility to be converted into a
cargo van by removing the rear
seats. Minivans will usually fit into
a standard-height garage and are
often no Jonger than a standard”

sedan, A typical minivan costs
about the same as a well-equipped
mid-size sedan or station wagon.

Ford already offers two mini-
vans: the rear-wheel-drive Aerostar
and the front-wheel-drive Mercury
Villager.

But until now, Ford lacked 2
front-wheel-drive minivan that
could compete with the extended
wheelbase of the Dodge Grand
Caravan/Plymouth Grand Voyager
and other long minivans.

Enter the Windstar, a seven-pas-
senger, froni-wheel-drive minivan
built on a modified Ford Taurus
platform,

With the lowest step-in height
4{ cm (16 in.), the largest cargo
capacity 4,077 litres (44 cu. ft),
the longest wheelbase 3.066 mm
(122 in.), and the widest track 1.626
mit (64 in.), the Windstar rides and
handles much like a car, though it
feels heavier than, the Taurus.

However, with a front-wheel
drive, the Windstar is not designed
for towing —-a disadvantage for
weekend trailer gypsies and boat
haulers,

The rear-wheel-drive Aerostar
will tow heavier loads, but Ford
plans to phase out the Aerostar at
the end of this year.

Compared to its main competi-
tor, the Dodge Grand Caravan/
Plymouth Grand Voyager, the
Windstar is slightly longer and
about five car (we in.) wider, giv-
ing it nore interior room.

There is no Windstar equivalent

to the regular wheelbase Caravan/
Voyager. The Mercury Villager is
offered as:an alternative for those
wanting 4 standard-size minivan.

Power for the Windstar comes
from Ford's tried-and-true 3.8-Hitre
pushrod V6 engine with 155 horse-
power (ihe same engine used in the
Continental and optional in the
Taurus).

This engine is both quiet and
powerful. witb fots of low-speed
grarit to pull the Windstar’s fairly
hefty 1.701 ke (3,780 Tb.) curb
weight. Ford plans to offer a 3.0-
Sitre V-6 engine tater this year.

The standard. and only, trans-

ission offered is a four-speed
automatic, which provides seamless
performance when mated to the
torquey 3.8-litre engine.

The rear suspension includes
coil springs which provide amuch
more comfortable ride than the
truck-derived leaf springs of some
of its competitors,

The Windstar is exceptionally
quict and smooth-riding on the
highway and offers stable, con-
troffed nandling with a surprising
sesistance fo side winds.

{tis longer than the Ford Taurus
station wagon by about 23 cm (9
in.) which could make finding a
downtown parking space a chal-
lenge.

The sliding right-side door
requires less effort to close than
many doors of this type, but more
than a standard hinged door.

A styled, wraparcund cashboard

with protruding console puts con-

_ trols within easy reach. f includes

two pull-out cupholders and a con-
ceiked storage bin.

The driving position is comfort-
able with unobstructed visibility,
thanks to big windows and an
almost invisible hoodline.

One of the more important fea-
tures for minivan owners is a versa-
tile sealing arrangement.

The Windstar has seven seats as
standard equipment: two front high-
back buckets. 2 two-person centre
bench seal (or optional hwo buck-
ets). and a third-row seat has 18 om
(seven in.) of forward/backward
travel to increase legroom or cargo
area behing the seat.

The seatbacks of both second
and third row seats can be folded
flat and bath rear seat rows vant be

Base price $24,000 (estimated)
Type tiree-doar, seven passe
ger moivan

Layout transverse
engine/front-wheel-drive
Engine 3.8-litre OHV V6, clec-
tronic fuel injection
Horsepower 155 @ 4.400 rpm
Torque 229 fi-[bs @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission four-speed auto-
manic

Tires P205/70R{5 all-season
radiais

froat

removed trom the van with a quick-
release mechanism.

For case of loading, the Moor is
flat, and both rear seats can be
removed from the rear Moor to help
joading. The rear hatch is secured
by two side-mounted latches,

The Windstar is offered in two
trim levels, GL and LX. Standard
equipment on the Windstar GL is
extensive: four wheel anti-lock
brakes, driver and passenger
airbags, seven-passenger seating (2-
2-3}, power steering, AM/FM
sterev with four speakers and rear
controls, two outside mirrors, rear
wiper, tichometer, child-proof door
lock on the outside door, and five
cuphoklers,

The base price is expected to be
about $24,000, when Windstars
became available in Marcel.

Curb Weight 1.692 kg (3.730
Hbs)

Wheelbase 3,066 mm (120.7 in.)
Length 5.110 mm (201.2 in.)
Width {.915 mm (201.2 in.)
Cargo capacity 4.077 Jitres (144
cu. ft.)

Warranty three years/60.000
kms

Inquire about the Ford
Windstar at Dave Buck Ford,
879 Marine Dr... North
Vancouver.

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