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You`ll either love it or hate it-no in between.

Either you`ll be stopped by people who can`t wait to get in it, or you`ll be passed by others who can`t wait to get away from it.

The Chevy Lumina APV mini-van brings out strong reactions-from those who see it, from those who drive it and from those who simply get in and go for a ride.

Styling immediately separates the lovers from the haters. The van looks like it`s all nose. While the rear-wheel-drive Chevy Astro mini-van is snubnosed, the front-wheel-drive Lumina is all honker.

The front end slants sharply upward from the tip of the bumper, across the massive windshield, and to the roof. Surprisingly, you don`t see any of the hood from the driver`s seat. What you see is a field of dash between you and the farthest point of the windshield. From the driver`s seat you`re perhaps a 9-iron away from the glass. And that`s only a slight exaggeration.

There`s a feeling of security because you`re sitting so far away from any point of contact, but there`s still a sense of mystery as to just how much hood stands between you and the rear bumper of the person ahead or the post or pillar in the parking lot. You almost feel as if you`re driving from the back seat.

When the dash finally ends at the windshield, you`re in for a surprise from the 3-foot-long windshield wiper blades resting there with arms folded. Turn the wipers on, and when those appendages come to life, it`s as if you`ve just turned onto Elm Street and Freddie Krueger is climbing up the glass to get you.

Several questions immediately arise. What will it cost to replace one of those yard-long wiper blades? What will it set you back to replace a windshield nearly big enough to dome Soldier`s Field? And how does a person clean the inside of the glass once it gets dirty?

Actually, when it comes to cleaning we have a suggestion. Purchase two long-handled mops. Spray the head of one with Windex to clean the glass, use the dry one to remove any leftover moisture.

Though the size and curvature of the windshield takes getting used to, you`ll appreciate one benefit from the aerodynamics of the design. Open the driver`s side window all the way and there`s no blast of air beating at your face and no wind noise to make talking to your passenger an impossibility. In fact, you can light a cigarette and there`s no wind disturbance to blow the ashes all over you.

The Lumina APV (All Purpose Vehicle, though oddly the owner`s manual refers to it as the MPV) comes in base and dressed up CL versions. We drove the base model.

Inside, there were seven bucket seats, arranged in a 2-3-2 pattern that still left room behind the third set for some groceries or luggage. Side windows pop open for ventilation.

Each of the five rear seats is removable. Taking them out didn`t take long. Getting the seat back in the track was the trick. Seats in the C hrysler mini-vans are much easier to remove and replace by simply popping a lever, though heavier to handle when removed.

The three buckets immediately behind driver and passenger butt up against each side of the van. To allow entry to the third pair of seats in back you press a button and the seat nearest to the side sliding door folds over and moves forward to give you the needed entry way.

The APV holds lots of people in comfortable bucket seats, but there isn`t room under any of the seats to store luggage for those long trips. The hardware needed to pop each seat out prevents stowage.

For added cargo-carrying capacity, you can either remove the five rear seats or fold the backs of each down flat and carry material on top of them. Those folded seat backs also serve as plastic table tops for rear-seat passengers. Each top has two built-in cup holders as well.

In fact, when it comes to cup holders, Lumina holds the all-time record: two ine ach seat back, one built into a tray above left and right wheel wells, two in a slide-out tray from the dash that also houses the ashtray, and two more in the bottom of the glovebox cover-16 in all.

The Lumina is built on a 109.8-inch wheelbase and is 194.2 inches long. That compares with a 112-inch wheelbase and 175.9 length on a regular Caravan or Voyager or 119-inch wheelbase and 190.5 inch length on an extended-length Caravan or Voyager. Lumina looks long and narrow, Caravan/Voyager short and wide.

The APV is powered by a 3.1-liter, 120 horsepower V-6 engine teamed with 3-speed automatic transmission, a combination that offers decent pep and is fairly quiet despite a little transmission moan moving from the light. Once up to cruising speed, there`s an almost eerie quiet, and if you don`t pay attention you find yourself at 70 m.p.h. on the interstate with no telltale noise giving you advance warning.

Some will want a larger, more powerful engine with more off-the-line oomph, especially because Chrysler will offer a 3.3-liter V-6 in its mini-vans this fall. Some will settle for the 3.1 V-6 but want a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive to improve fuel economy. The EPA mileage rating is 18 miles per gallon city/23 m.p.g. highway.

We`d be more interested in an extra 2 m.p.g. in both city/highway driving than in a larger engine.

When it comes to service, the hood lifts high to expose the hardware underneath. Our hopes were raised for easy serviceability when we spotted the oil filter immediately. Typically, GM likes to hide the filter. Though visible, you`ll still have to maneuver around a hose and metal cross member or two to get it out, but at least you can find it without a map.

Far more difficult to locate were three of the six spark plugs. The brake fluid container also requires dexterity to get at and fill.

We drove the Lumina APV from Detroit to Chicago and then for several days afterward. The strong points were room and comfort, the weak point was staring out over that massive dash and into Freddie`s arms on the windshield.

Ride and handling were smooth and very carlike, though at times we felt some unwanted lateral movement on the open roadway. It was odd that the van held up to passing semitrailers without being tossed about, but would wander a bit side to side with no other traffic nearby.

The multipurpose aspect of folding and removable seats will come in handy for the small family whose car also has to serve as station wagon and truck, depending on whether the day`s load is kids, bikes, groceries, luggage or that antique chair spotted over the weekend.

The big selling point will be the never-rust plastic body. An added attraction is that Chevy has treated all interior fabric with Scotchgard to protect against spills and stains. That means the salesman trying to sell you optional rustproofing for the plastic body or fabric treatment for the Scotchgarded seats considers you a moron.

APV standard equipment includes power brakes and steering, fully independent front suspension, all-season radial ply tires, tinted glass, 20- gallon fuel tank, remote left-hand mirror, rear-window wiper/washer, and AM/FM stereo with digital clock. The CL version adds air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, deluxe wheel covers, dome and reading lamps, and two-tone paint. If you go with the base model, the amount of glass dictates you purchase optional air conditioning at $805.

Base price for the Lumina APV is $13,995; the CL starts at $15,745.

The Lumina certainly is a novel vehicle, but one not without annoyances over several days` driving, such as: The slide-open side door was temperamental in wanting to open the first try and needed a tug rather than fingertip touch to work; the driver`s side door on a few occasions didn`t want to close tight when slammed; after a few days an audible squeal developed from the left front wheel each time the brakes were applied.

We expected the new APV to be a bit more innovative than it is. Kudos for the plastic body, Scotchgard seats and enough cupholders to give consideration to making a Porta-Potty standard equipment. But if Chevy expected to wrest the mini-van lead away from Chrysler by bringing out a highly styled, high- technology rival, it fell short with the Lumina APV.

>> 1990 Chevy Lumina APV Wheelbase: 109.8 inches Length: 194.2 inches Engine: 3.1 liter, 120 h.p., V-6 Transmission: 3-speed automatic Fuel economy: 18/23 m.p.g. Base price: $13,995 Strong point: Plastic body never rustsy Weak point: Football field length dash, Alfred Hitchcock design wipers >>