Once parked though, you'll almost need climbing gear to rappel out of the front chairs. Grippy seat fabric, claustrophobic footwells, narrow stepwells, and a high ride height all conspire to make entry and exit from the forward chairs a nightmare of contortion and effort. Again, rear passengers are treated royally, with a wide entry door, though second row passengers have to slide between the center bench and the side wall, and then twist around a three-point seatbelt harness to make their way to the rear quarters. Boxy design is good for carrying cargo. Every available cubic foot can be used and large items slide into place with ease.
Boxy design is bad for fuel economy.
Our Astro drank fuel like Dean Martin did martinis. From a styling standpoint, a recent freshening up front brought the Astro a corporate face with long, thin composite headlights set above turn indicators. There isn't anything exciting about the Astro's exterior shape, but it has aged well, and still looks contemporary. The alloy wheels on our test vehicle dressed things up a bit outside, though we'd note that cleaning brake dust from the tiny wheel ports doesn't look like much fun. Despite block-like styling, wind noise is well damped, along with tire roar, exhaust noise, and suspension thump.