Automakers usually like to fill the media test fleet with their best finery, but occasionally an automaker will dare deliver a unit equipped as consumers purchase them, which means affordably. Such was the case with the 1995 Ford Windstar GL.
No power door-locks, no power windows, no leather seats, no . . . you get the picture. The GL is the value leader, a bare-bones version with few frills,but a window sticker that won’t take your breath away either, though it may make your heart skip to an unfamiliar beat for a few seconds.
The GL is not stripped. It comes with dual air bags and anti-lock brakes asstandard, two of the vital systems everyone wants regardless of whether they can afford to write out one check that day or one check each month for the next four or five years.
Our test vehicle also came with the 3.8-liter, 155-h.p., V-6 engine teamed with 4-speed automatic. Hardly a crude combo. Ample power and quiet operation.The drawback is that the fuel economy rating is only 17 m.p.g. city/24 m.p.g. highway and that seemed generous based on our real-world extended trip. However, we filled with enthanol, the 10 percent alcohol-based stuff that may clean the air but also does a rather thorough job of cleaning out your wallet at the pump.
Ford, in the next few days, will have an alternative engine available, a 3-liter, 147-h.p., V-6 rated at 18 city/25 highway for those who want to put alittle more time and miles between fills. It will become the standard engine; the 3.8, V-6 optional.
Ride and handling were rather pleasant, though it’s best to ease off the accelerator when approaching one of those wide-swing entrance/exit ramps on the interstate to reduce body sway and lean. The long 120.7-inch wheelbase helps smooth out road harshness in the cabin.
The GL test vehicle offered no compact disc player but there was an AM/FM stereo with digital clock; no leather, but comfortable cloth that keeps coolerin the summer; no automatic self-dimming rearview mirror, but two large outside mirrors for good side and rear visibility. The interior may have been spartan, but it was roomy and comfortable and able to seat the entire family, their luggage and the dog. And there were dual cupholders.
The GL starts at $19,590, considerably less than the $23,760 base price forthe next-lowest-priced Windstar, the LX.
The options added were the preferred equipment group at $915, which included air conditioning, a seven-inch track for the rear seat to travel on so it could be pushed forward to store more luggage without removing the seat and floor mats.
Standard equipment includes tinted glass, underbody spare tire carrier, rear window wiper/washer, stowage compartment in the rear side panel, body-colored bumpers, seven-passenger seating, gas-pressurized shocks, power steering and 15-inch tires.
