2004 Chevrolet Astro SL1

Antilock brakes Optional AWD traction Passenger and cargo room Trailer-towing capability Introduced for 1985, Chevrolet's rear-drive minivan and its GMC Safari counterpart are taller, tougher, and more trucklike than Dodge/Plymouth rivals (which are front drive). A properly equipped Astro could haul up to 6000 pounds. Five-passenger seating was standard, but Astros could be equipped to hold up to eight occupants. Starting in 1990, antilock brakes acted on all four wheels (front-disc/rear-drum). Full-time 4-wheel drive also arrived as an option for 1990. An extended-length body was added during the model year, with ten inches tacked onto the rear for nearly 19 extra cubic feet of cargo capacity.