I once had the chance to drive a prototype minivan from a competitor that had a more powerful engine, lowered and firmed-up suspension, aggressive performance tires and a combination of steering feel and cornering capabilities that would make a sports sedan driver feel right at home. Alas, they never offered the model to the public and the current Ford Windstar SE Sport has not attempted to plug that hole in the minivan marketplace, either. The SE Sport model simply substitutes bucket seats for the standard second row bench seat and adds a separate rear climate control system, an overhead console, keypad entry, privacy glass and a roof rack, among other features. Nothing has been done to alter the Windstar s driving dynamics. The only transmission is a four-speed automatic.
Performance is quite good and acceleration seems relatively unaffected by a partial load.
During that run and others that involved heavy throttle applications, the vehicle suffered from a very minor case of torque steer. That is the phenomenon in which the steering wheel pulls to the left or right, depending on the design of the vehicle and the road surface. Also, the engine certainly let the vehicle s occupants know it was working during full-throttle acceleration, but it quiets down nicely on the highway. There, the Windstar proves to be quite comfortable. Ride is soft and billowy with a touch of float over the bigger bumps.