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  #1  
Old 11-28-2003, 12:16 AM
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2003 Chrysler Town and Country - Lotta Bang for my Buck or mistake of a lifetime?

Hey All,

I need advice and I don't know of another group of guys I trust more when it comes to cars.

Okay a couple of face saving caveats before I go any further:

1. Yes, I am looking to go buy a new minivan. I realize that this will put me into the eternally uncool half of the populace but I'm married, have 2 kids (for now), a mortgage and a dog. I ain't foolin' anyone anymore (yes, I've already considered the SUV angle. They don't provide the room and flexibility of a minivan. I'm not willing to pay for "off-roadability" for a car that will never see more than a gravel parking lot, a dismal gas mileage and handling of a tool shed) At least I still have an SVX to counter this!

2. I'm sure that many of you are import buyers and you're probably thinking "what the hell has possessed a Subie owner to consider a Chrysler?!" I too have been a import buyer for many years but the Toyota and Honda dealers are holding consumers hostage with their minivans by charging sticker price or sticker plus "premiums". I'm hoping that the "domestics" (Chrysler is really German, now) have brought their quality up to an acceptable level. I really like the way the T&C looks as well, more so than its import counterparts. (not that one buys these things for their "aesthetics")

So now let me continue, So I've come to the conclusion that because I have a friend that is a Chrysler dealer that is willing to help me out and give me the "Friends and Family" employee discount. I'm thinking that this might be a viable alternative (read - much cheaper! $5k or more) to the Sienna or Odyessy. But I realize that I will be taking a risk.

I have never owned a Chrysler product before. I have heard of nightmares from the early and mid 90's about Chrysler products (mainly transmissions) "handgrenading" before the payments were over. As well as unrepairable electrical problems, trim pieces breaking off, etc. However, I have friends that have purchased Minivans, Intrepids and Stratus cars and my parents own a 2000 Cherokee. None of these people have had any of the serious problems that I have heard of in the past.

So the purpose of this extra long posting is to ask all of you to share your stories (personal or acquaintances) regarding Chrysler Town and Countries or Dodge Caravans or any other recent Chrysler products. This will help me in my decision. Am I getting more bang for my buck or making the biggest car buying mistake of my life?

Thanks for your help, any feedback is greatly appreciated.
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Last edited by ykobayashi; 11-28-2003 at 12:24 AM.
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  #2  
Old 11-28-2003, 04:19 AM
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i think chrysler/dodge will bring good things to the table in the near future. the merge with mercedes had to have upped the quality of their vehicles.
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  #3  
Old 11-28-2003, 06:33 AM
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remember this always: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
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  #4  
Old 11-28-2003, 06:37 AM
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MINIVAN? Ugh. I also have two kids and a morgage, and you don't see me in no damn minivan.

Anyway, a Chrysler minivan is far superior to equally priced competition. All my wife's soccer mom buddies love theirs, all are about '98 or newer, and they've had no major problems. And you can get a new one for about half the price of the imports.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the trannies. It was the very early '90's vans that did that. When they released the new style in like '92-'93, they used different trannies, I believe. My boss had a '91 that went through 5 trannie rebuilds in 1yr, yet neither my mom's new '94 or '95 vans ever had a problem. Nothing.
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  #5  
Old 11-28-2003, 06:59 AM
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I think you just need to get rid of some stuff. My brother and I grew up in the back of a TR6 then a VW Beetle (well superbeetle) and I'm sure everyone else here except the late 80's kids had a similar experience at one point or another. It is all about prioritizing needs of stuff. You can get a great Legacy for much less then a minivan. Sure you'll give up 3 seats but you said you have 2 kids not 5! It is far cheaper to have 2 cars then to have 1 car and one mini van, svx etc.

If you truely must. I'd definately stay away from Chrysler just b/c you're an import buyer yourself. Try a Honda/Nissan/Toy or wait til 2006 and get a Subie.
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  #6  
Old 11-28-2003, 07:16 AM
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My wifes' niece (plus husband , 2 kids, & mother) have an old Caravan (wood trim sides) that they beat the crap out of and it still runs. Last year they tried to buy a Windstar but the Ford dealer tried to shaft them, so they got a Chrysler Voyager instead. They are real happy with the Voyager. They are beating the crap out of it too.

Good Luck with whatever you do.
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Last edited by LarryIII; 11-30-2003 at 04:26 PM.
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  #7  
Old 11-28-2003, 03:00 PM
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Here's the web site I think of when I see Chrysler minivan:

http://www.lemonaidcars.com/chrysler.htm
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  #8  
Old 11-28-2003, 03:36 PM
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I think you just need to get rid of some stuff. My brother and I grew up in the back of a TR6 then a VW Beetle (well superbeetle) and I'm sure everyone else here except the late 80's kids had a similar experience at one point or another. It is all about prioritizing needs of stuff. You can get a great Legacy for much less then a minivan. Sure you'll give up 3 seats but you said you have 2 kids not 5! It is far cheaper to have 2 cars then to have 1 car and one mini van, svx etc.

If you truely must. I'd definately stay away from Chrysler just b/c you're an import buyer yourself. Try a Honda/Nissan/Toy or wait til 2006 and get a Subie.

********

Ha!Ha!Ha!

Being on a Subie message board, I should known that someone would have suggested the Legacy angle. I should have mentioned the fact that I am moving from a '99 Legacy GT Wagon(I'll probably keep the Legacy for myself since my SVX sleeps in the wintertime in storage. )

I definitely checked out the Subie angle before anything else!!! The wagon is fine for 2 kids but where do you put the third? (all need carseats) When I was growing up we also had smaller cars but kids didn't "need" carseats back then, hell, 99% of the general public didn't even use seatbelts! Now that we are older and wiser we all buckle up and by law are required to have children under 12 in some kind of supplemental restraint - read: carseat (at least that is the law here)

So hence the necessity of moving to the uneviable position of a minivan. (I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be making this purchase!) I've spoken with my local Subie dealer but the prospect of having a seven passenger Subie is 2006 and/or beyond and we'll run out of room way before then. Also my son is big enough to kick the back of the seat, I'll tell him to stop and then a few minutes later it starts up again. Fine for a cross town trip but any longer and it gets old, quick.

Thanks for your comments and recommendations!

Best Regards,

Yoshi
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Mods: K&N Drop In Filter, Sony aftermarket CD/MP3 Stereo and Speakers, Sumitomo HTR+ Tires


2004 Mazda 6S 5-door - Steel Grey - 5 speed manual transmission - Daily Driver

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  #9  
Old 11-28-2003, 04:16 PM
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You couldn't sell me a new Caravan for $50, I just would not take it. They may have (Finally) beafed up their trannies but they are still prone to electrical gremlins, they suck to tune up, they seem to forget to tighen the tranny lines on alot of the newer ones, and I'm sure alot of there new plastic engine parts are going to start breaking. I'd really stay away from the Windstars, thoes are even bigger peices of crap than Caravans.

I like the Odditys for having like 260h.p. but they have no AWD, I think the new Toys and Nissans both have available AWD but I'm not sure. I would still buy a Legacy wagon instead, I think the a nice VDC wagon would be a great buy and I belive they have at least 2 built in child seats.

Rebember kids will grow out of car seats but a Caravan becomes a bigger piece of crap as it ages.
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  #10  
Old 11-28-2003, 04:24 PM
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Mini-vans

Hi Yoshi, The one thing that would steer me to a Chrysler Mini-Van is the fact that you can get All Wheel Drive. I don't think you can get AWD on the big three from Japan. I think you can get AWD on the Mazda MPV. Any Mini-Van from Chrysler, GM, and Ford is not check rated in "CONSUMER REPORTS" So for me I guess I would go for the Mazda. Since Mazda is in the second teir of Japanese companies and mostly owned by Ford I would think you could make a pretty good deal. You pays your money and you gets your thrills. Take care and have nice holidays, BOBB
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Old 11-28-2003, 04:44 PM
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Dude - turbo Forester! get the kids to soccer practice FAST (and have fun doing it! )
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1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD!
1997 SVX LSi (Ebony) SOLD!
2005 Legacy GT (Silver) [Cobb Stg 2+] SOLD!
1987 928 S4 (Black) SOLD!
2005 Forester XT Premium (Crystal Gray Metallic) SOLD!
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  #12  
Old 11-28-2003, 10:11 PM
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I've got a '91 Dodge Caravan and I heard all the tranny horror stories (sound familiar?). I've never had a lick of trouble with that old bird (it has an aux tranny cooler) and it is a daily driver that gets good care but still has to start up cold every day. The interior still looks almost new which amazes me after 127,000 miles. I bought a new washer and dryer last month and just took out the seats and hauled them home. Yeah the Subie is a lot cooler to drive but it sucks for hauling washers or 4 of your closest friends. I get a lot of value out of the old van and besides, I'm too damn old to care how I look in it. Tell that to my daughter who had to drive it at college for a month while I fixed her SVX. She almost died! The SHAME! (that's partly why it took me a month to fix her Subie) Ha!
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  #13  
Old 11-28-2003, 10:28 PM
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Over the last decade or so I've bought for my wife two Dodge Grand Caravan's a Plymouth Grand Voyager, a Ford Windstar and a Mercury Villager. I hated all of them, but then I hate all vans, pickups and SUVs cause I can't see around them. She drives a 2002 4Runner now, I can't get her to give up that height thing - I think it's some kind of weird "female macho" thing.

Her impression is that the Toyota is miles ahead of the others, but in picking second she took the Villager (but I think it was smallest inside if that's critical). All were traded at the 3 year point or less, but none had major problems. I think the soccor mom's of the world drive the manufactuers to better products than do the more sprited drivers.

Have you tried the Internet? For buying her 4Runner I contacted via e-mail every Toyota dealer within 200 miles, sending them the same message, and told them which vehicle and options I wanted. I asked them to quote me a price to include prep, tax, title and tags. I warned that if I would arrive with a bank check, and if their price was a penny higher I'd walk out. It saved me a few thousand over what had been my best price walking cold into the dealer from off the street. I'll never buy another new car any other way - no games, saves time, no hassles, saves money.

edit: some edits for clarity.

Last edited by lee; 11-28-2003 at 10:32 PM.
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  #14  
Old 11-29-2003, 05:33 AM
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what about those new nissan quests? I've never had a problem with my parents one, except for the ABS going bad, but oh well. Its a 1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.8l. Its had no tranny probs or anything, and plus it accelerates nicely.
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  #15  
Old 11-29-2003, 03:22 PM
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1. The lower initial price is unfortunately offset by a lower resale value. It depends on how long long you will own it, selling it in 2-3 years from now may erase the initial price advantage.

2. There were significant number of transmission problems in Chrysler products the 1990s - most of them caused by the need of a different ATF. They were designed to work on Chrysler-only special ATF. You could not simply put a Dexron/Mercon ATF
in transmission - it would self destruct pretty soon. It was not well known for a while and lots of mechanics topped up or replaced ATF with what they had on hand.
God knows why Chrysler went with a different ATF, but the point is the most transmission failures were not due to poor design or manufacturing - they were due to improper maintenance.

If you buy a new or a not abused Town&Chrysler, you will probably see a bunch of small annoying problems developing overtime, that are not too hard or expensive to fix. Like a rattle in the headlight switch. Or a leaking brake cylinder. Or overly optimistic fuel gauge. Not a reason enough to avoid a car, just
something to be prepared for.
Engine and transmission will probably be OK (they also have a long drivetrain warranty now).
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