We bought another one!

In 1998 we purchased a Ford Windstar and loved it for our growing family. With 4 children we needed the room. We were so impressed that we decided to purchase a Ford Windstar 2003 this year.

We purchased the Ford Windstar 2003 this March for $28,000 with a trade in value of $13000 on our 1998 model of the same van. We purchased the SE model without the TV although I would to have liked to get the model with the tv for the kids but it was just a little to much out of our price range and we can always install one later when we have the money.

We bought the version that comes with 4 captain chairs and a bench. WE loved this option on our last Windstar and insisted on it again. There is enough room with the captains chair for 4 adults to sit comfortably in the van. The bench is a squeeze for 3 people unless they are 3 small children. All the seats in the van are very comfortable and I love the Lumbar support in the drivers seat. We take this van on long drives and having the extra inflatable cushion for the middle of my back is just what I need. I also love that all captains chairs have double arm rests.

I love the 3.8L V6 engine because it has a lots of kick on starting. The van handles well with quick response and a quick braking system. Our van also came with a built in CD player with has very good sound for a factory CD player and I love that the children have plug in for ear phones in the back if the want to listen to music and we don't. They can also change the radio and volume from the back. Everyone has their own cup holder except for the person sitting in the middle on the bench (which we barely use). All the cup holders come in handy when we stop for something to eat on our long trips. I also like the dual climate control where we can send extra warm or cold air to the kids in the back if they need it without freezing or cooking oursleves.

The dual sliding doors which seem to be standard on minivans are so convenient. Our last model didn't have them so we were constantly walking to the other side of the van to let the kids in before getting in the driver side door.

The only thing I dislike about the van is that our rear defrost deos a pretty poor job and then it turns off automatically before our window is even properly defrosted so I am constantly turning it back on on cold days. I also find that if I don't shut the trunk door very hard then it triggers the open door light in the van and the doors don't automatically lock after that. The trunk light has even come on when I am driving if something bumps against it. We took the van back to the dealer to complain and they gave us a cargo net that was missing from our van and this has eliminated some of our troubles but it still can be picky if not slammed shut.