The revamped
1999 Ford Windstar minivan finally becomes fully competitive with dual sliding doors--thanks to the addition of a driver-side ``slider.''
The new Windstar has been restyled for a sleeker look. It still comes in only one long body style and seats up to seven. Safety features include combination head and chest side-impact air bags--the first such air bags for a minivan.
The $20,220-to-$30,415 Windstar continues to drive like a big, user-friendly sedan, although no car or minivan has this Ford's long 120.7-inch wheelbase (distance between front and rear axles).
The Windstar is fairly well-equipped; even the base model has a four-speed automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes, AM/FM radio, rear wiper/washer and power door locks and windows.
Top-line SE and SEL models add items such as lavish leather upholstery and automatic climate control. But superior rear disc brakes have been replaced by drum brakes on all models.
It's easy to climb in and out of the fairly low Windstar, which provides seating for up to seven. However, a safety belt hinders entry when getting into the third-row seat from the right side. And the sliding and removable third-row seat must be shoved all the way back to provide decent leg space for tall occupants in the third row.
The second-row bench seat in four-door models may be positioned on the right or left side of the Windstar, placing the aisle to the third row on either side--depending on owner preference.
Sliding doors are a really big deal on minivans. The Windstar's new driver-side sliding door is standard on SE and SEL models and costs from $350 to $500 for base and LX models. The LX and SE offer power operation for the passenger-side sliding door.
The SEL has standard power operation for both sliding doors via a key fob control--a feature that is $800 extra for the SE. You open the doors with the fob and close them by tapping a button on the overhead console.
However, easily gripped inside door handles make it easy to operate the manual sliding doors.
Among new features is an innovative, $245 Reverse Sensing System. It warns the driver of objects within 5.9 feet of the vehicle's path when backing up by emitting a series of beeps in the interior.
The base Windstar engine still is a rather small, noisy 3-liter V-6. It delivers 150 horsepower and works hard to deliver just-average acceleration because the Windstar weighs approximately 4,000 pounds.
The best choice is the smoother, quieter 3.8-liter V-6, which provides 200 horsepower and strong acceleration. That V-6 makes the Windstar the second most powerful minivan--behind Honda's new 210-horsepower Odyssey.
Both V-6s deliver an estimated 17 m.p.g. in the city, and the highway rating is 23 m.p.g. Odyssey ratings are 18 city, 26 highway.
While acceptable, the power steering is rather vague near the on-center wheel position. Handling is good, and the long wheelbase and supple suspension provide a soft, comfortable ride--although it gets floaty over uneven surfaces. The brakes can be easily modulated by the rather soft pedal when a driver gets used to it.
Gauges can be read at a glance in the quiet interior and an available panoramic convex mirror allows front-seat occupants a wide-angle view of kids in the second and third rows. Radio controls are too small for easy, safe use by a driver. But climate controls are large, and hefty dual cupholders pop out from the dashboard.
A Personal Audio System allows front-seat occupants to listen to one medium such as radio or cassette, while rear-seat passengers can listen to a separate medium, such as a CD, through headphones.
A huge rear hatch doesn't have a separate opening rear glass, but still allows easy cargo loading.
The Windstar is solidly built and nicely painted. The minivan field has become far more competitive in the last few years, but the 1999 Windstar is among the leaders with its new features.