Vehicle Review: Ford Windstar

Getting around to doing another vehicle breakdown. This time is the 1998 Ford Windstar.

Automatic
Front-wheel drive
18 MPG
Top speed – 169km/h (105mph)
0-60 – 11s
Tank 94.6 liters (25 gallons)


Pros:
Decent speed
Lots of fuel
Lots of space
Quite

Now one thing that should be considered is this is a minivan and as such it is very similar to most other minivans. Not a lot changes between vans. The basics, lots of space for passengers and gear; always good. Also large gas tanks, able to hold roughly twice as much gas as a sedan, of course the van does use slightly more gas then a sedan so that doesn't mean you can go quite twice as far on one tank. The things unquice to the Windstar are its speed and sound, relatively fast compared to other minivans. The Windstar is also known for making less noise than most vehicles, esspecially when highway driving. This is an important thing to consider when trying to avoid drawing undead or living attention.

Cons:
Reliablity
Power
Low mileage
Standard

The Windstar unfortunately has some known problems, it is quite common for this sort of vehicle to have transmission issues which can make the van more or less useless to any but the most specifically equiped groups. Compared to other vans the Windstar is also about as lacking in power as it is ahead in speed which is to say not noticable unless directly compared to another minivan. In my mind anything under 20 mpg is bad mileage when fuel is going to become more and more scarce as time goes on after the fall. The Windstar unlike most Ford's is not very costumizable, very little besides the accessories of the car can be modded for speed or performance.

Over all this van is not one you want to rely on during the final days, because it will make them your final days. As part of a convoy or to quickly move for supply runs or the like this van makes the perfect tool but it should not be your primary vehicle or even if possible or secondary vehicle. If this van is used it should be for specific circumstances mentioned above, perfect for supply runs as it is quite and can carry a large amount of gear or people. Otherwise the best use of this vehicle is a place to take shelter for a night, storage space or syphoning gas.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.