cid i ‘ FOR most automobile purchasers, crash-safety is not a significant fac- tor in the vehicle pur- chasing decision. A 1997 survey by the Canadian Automobile Association of over 25,000 members found that safety ranked 11th and crashy thiness 13th on the priority list (Price, Reliabiticy, Handling/Performance were the top three). For minivan buyers how- ever, safety is a much higher priority. A high percentage of minivan owners are married couples with young children, and often, Mom is the pri- mary user of the van for tak- ing kids to and from school, hockey practice, music lessons and se forth. Ford recognized this fact earlier than other automobile companies and when the Windstar received a five-star rating in the U.S. NHTSA’s (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) 55 kmh frontal crash test in 1995, they aggressively mar- keted this fact in their adver- tising. The Five-Star rating means that both driver and passenger have a 10% or less chance of sustaining serious injury in 2 55 km-h frontal collision into 2 setid concrete wali (equivalent to two iden- tical vehicles having a head- on collision). Windstar sales climbed dramatically every year since the van was introduced in 1994, and last year, the Windstar was the best-seiting extended length minivan in eX Canada —- despite the f that it was not available with a driver's side sliding rear duor — something that Chrysler and GM did offer. For 1999, Ford has gone all-out to make the Windstar the safest minivan on the Base price: (5.0L) $24,295 Price as tested: (SEL) $35,995 Type: three- or four-door minivan Layout: transverse front engine/front- wheel-drive Engine: 3.8-litre V6 Transmission: four-speed automatic Horsepower: 200 @ 4900 r.p Torque: 240 Ib. ft. @ 3600 r, road — as well as adding that important fourth dour. The restyled 1999 Windstar now has optional tront side airbags, a revised interior which meets new 5 head impact standards, head tested by the NHTSA for its restraints on all three rows of nerth shore news #: AUTO ely W seats, and a new rear sonar device that alerts the driver to unseen objects behind the van when backing up. Though the 1999 Windstar has not yet been Five-Star crash rating, Ford Technical data Curb weight: 1815 kg (4001 !b.) Wheelbase: 3066 mm (120.7 in) Length: 5102 mm (200.9 in.) Width: 1946 mm (76.6 in.) Height: 1679 mm (66.1 in.) Fuel consumption: City — 13.6 !/100 km (21 m.p.g.); Hwy — 9.4 1/100 km (30 m.p.g.) Warranty: three years/60,000 kms Friday, September 18, 1998 —- North Shore News — 33 Pras ith Windstar executives are confident the new van will meet ctose stan- dards. (They've already done their own crash tests). New interior safety fea- tures are numerous. The Winidstar’s new side airbags, located in the front seats, protect both the head and chest areas of the driver and passenger in rhe event of a side impact. There are also impact beams in the front doors to impede intrusion. Interior surfaces have been redesigned to mect future U.S. safety standards designed to protect passen- gers heads if they impact the ceiling, dash or doors. Tether anchors for child - 1 az, Bae at) FOR 1999, the Windstar minivan has freshened styling, a new driver's side rear sliding door —- both re2¢ doors can now be power-oper- ated — side airbags, available all-speed traction control, and a new Reverse Sensing System that detects hidden objects behind the van. seats are now standard for aii rear seating positions. And all outboard seating positions in the Windstar now have height-adjustabte head restraints, a safety feature which helps to prevent whiplash in a rear-end colli- sion. The optional new Reverse Sensing Device uses four sonar sensors in the rear bumper to detect objects behind and to the rear-quar- ter of the van when backing up. Inside the cabin, an audi- ble beeping rone begins when the van is 1.8 metres (5.9 feet} away from the object. The tone becomes See Windstar page 38 294-1831 “Includes PDI, add $800 transportation