ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?? there ain't NO COMPARISON!!! i bought my 92 aero/bauer awd four years ago. i was third owner had complete service records. it had 129K miles on it. it now has 179K miles half highway half over winding ROUGH GRAVEL mountain roads in the boonies. it is so rugged that the only tires that hold up for me is 8 plys at 50psi. like the humvees. so bad that even though i drive very slow over the worst roads i broke a swaybar mount and it drove the mount into the AC condenser. i fixed it myself. but i digress. anytime my aerostar rolls it has NO LESS THAN 1000 lbs cargo. thats HALF A TON! since i maintain my vehicles with a PREVENTATIVE MAINTAINENCE schedule i can say that as i write this my AEROSTAR is in perfect condition.it needs nothing. a WINDSTAR is a soccor mom vehicle. an AEROSTAR is a TRUCK! P.S. i also log every maintainence operation like i do for my aeroplane. my aerostar is getting 16.7 mpg. but i have never actually figgered a cost per mile on it yet.

That's wonderful. Now settle down before you make a mess on something. :) Rad

17 mpg must be the local mileage - I get 22 to 24 on mine loaded with repair equipment rolling the rural hiways and interstates out here and also hilly for the most part. I know about the ruggedness - my parent's property was 1.25 miles off pavement and my F250 4WD hiboy pickup ate tires a lot - from the gravel more than speed as it took 12 mins average to do that 1.25 miles without tearing the truck apart.   I'd go for an Econoline where you live (my own personal outlook is all).    

is yours AWD? i don't just have a buncha stuff in mine. i have 1/2 TON in it. and we are 6.75 miles off pavement. your right about econolines but they are SOOOO hard to find in 4x4.

no only 2wd, I haven't had a 4wd/AWD since my 77 F-250 and I rarely used 4WD,  usually 2. The weight helps a lot with traction on rear and all wheel drive