I'm just a big proponent of most of CR's "stuff". I understand about their survey, I fill it out every year. I have never, ever gone wrong by buying things they reccomended.(we just bought their top-rated washer on Monday) I don't agree with all the political BS they publish and some of their ratings are kinda worthless (computers) but overall it's one of the best $25 I spend every year. If nothing else it is a very good data point when gathering info.
I thought they had a 5 year sub for $65?
I havent renewed my sub. I dont have time to read it anymore.
They do have excellent info though. Some of the best purchases are made using it.
-PAB
My parents have a 2001 Town&country. It's a very nice van. Has all the shizat you need and even more. We have a 1994 dodge caravan. Bought it from my parents with 75K miles on it. It now is up to 122K with no problems yet. We also just bought a 1994 Plymouth voyager. It's just like our caravan but it has some great features we wanted. Tinted windows,rear air, nice stereo,4 buckets (instead of dual bench seats) w/leather. 3.8L engine, towing package. Power everything. runs great..
Want to buy our Caravan.
3K and it yours..
Want to buy our Caravan.
3K and it yours.. 
Fritzo
Lifer
- Jan 3, 2001
- 41,886
- 2,128
- 126
My wife just bought a new Town & Country....it ROCKS Power seats, a built in cell phone cradle that turns your phone into a speaker phone over the car stereo, in dash CD changer, garage door opener built into the roof console, compass and outside temp, BOTH SIDE DOORS ARE POWERED (this is by far the coolest feature....looks like a space ship opening ). The only option I wish she would have got, but it was too expensive to justify, was the ceiling mounted DVD player. It handles great....it's actually pretty nimble for being a van. They upped the horsepower for the 2002's to 215hp, so it's not a speed demon (I have a WRX for that ), but it's one comfy ride! It was an excellent value for $26K. This is our 3rd Chrysler minivan and we've found them all to be very reliable. Highly recommended!
Power seats, a built in cell phone cradle that turns your phone into a speaker phone over the car stereo, in dash CD changer, garage door opener built into the roof console, compass and outside temp, BOTH SIDE DOORS ARE POWERED (this is by far the coolest feature....looks like a space ship opening ). The only option I wish she would have got, but it was too expensive to justify, was the ceiling mounted DVD player. It handles great....it's actually pretty nimble for being a van. They upped the horsepower for the 2002's to 215hp, so it's not a speed demon (I have a WRX for that ), but it's one comfy ride! It was an excellent value for $26K. This is our 3rd Chrysler minivan and we've found them all to be very reliable. Highly recommended!
Fritzo
Lifer
- Jan 3, 2001
- 41,886
- 2,128
- 126
Originally posted by: gopunk
Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Are you sure you need/want a minivan? Do you do anything but haul two kids? It makes me sad to see guys like my brother driving SUVs because the wife thinks it's needed for "the family" which is two parents and two kids.
If, when/if I'm married, my wife wants ME to drive a minivan/SUV, it's time for a divorce
maybe you shouldn't be having a family in the first place, if you put your own selfish needs to feel manly over your family's needs. real men take care of their families and don't need a car to remind them what gender they are.
This is how all guys think before they have kids. They then find out that the more space you can put between you and your kids while driving, the less likely you are to be kicked in the head/go deaf from screaming/get splattered by ice cream/get smacked by toys/get your hair pulled/etc etc etc. Let's see him get his car seat and diaper bags out of a two door
He'll learn real quick.i've had three
toyota previa (GREAT van) - no longer available in U.S.
ford windstar (total crap)
toyota sienna - probably the best overall mini-van made - will retain lots of resale valve, low maintanance, ultra-safe, very comfortable
my two cents worth
toyota previa (GREAT van) - no longer available in U.S.
ford windstar (total crap)
toyota sienna - probably the best overall mini-van made - will retain lots of resale valve, low maintanance, ultra-safe, very comfortable
my two cents worth
My dad just left here in his 2000 Windstar. Says the only thing he doesn't like about it is the wind noise... how ironic!
I see now the Villager and Quest would be too small, so they're out. My wife will want the four door version of whatever, so no older than 1999. The Honda is just too steep for our budget. I was told by my wife's aunt (shop manager at a Dodge dealership), that I should get the larger six cylinder for reliability in a Chrysler minivan. Speaking of Chrysler, that Town and Country is a little pricey too. Edmunds also says it's cons are: "Less than stellar reliability history." Same as the Caravan, but isn't the Caravan the same as the Voyager? No such disparaging words about the Plymouth.
That Toyota Sienna looks like a good bet, but it's also priced high. Hmmmm, just blew away all my options! Is the Voyager the same as it's Dodge counterparts or not? You guys seemed to have pretty good luck with the Chrysler based vans despite what Edmunds says.
I see now the Villager and Quest would be too small, so they're out. My wife will want the four door version of whatever, so no older than 1999. The Honda is just too steep for our budget. I was told by my wife's aunt (shop manager at a Dodge dealership), that I should get the larger six cylinder for reliability in a Chrysler minivan. Speaking of Chrysler, that Town and Country is a little pricey too. Edmunds also says it's cons are: "Less than stellar reliability history." Same as the Caravan, but isn't the Caravan the same as the Voyager? No such disparaging words about the Plymouth.
That Toyota Sienna looks like a good bet, but it's also priced high. Hmmmm, just blew away all my options! Is the Voyager the same as it's Dodge counterparts or not? You guys seemed to have pretty good luck with the Chrysler based vans despite what Edmunds says.
Originally posted by: SuperCommando
Perhaps. I dunno. I was born in '82. It's new to me
More like Mid-60's. My parents had a '64 Pontiac Bonneville wagon that had that in it.
KK
Lifer
- Jan 2, 2001
- 15,903
- 4
- 81
We have a 2001 Ford Windstar SEL. So far it's been pretty good, no complaints, knock on wood. It has leather, TV/VCR w/remote, 6 cd changer/in dash, 2 auto sliding doors, garage door opener, side impact airbags, self-healing tires, backing up sensors, compass, rear air control, all seating in the back comes out, lot's of cup holders, floor mats, windshield wipers(front and rear windows), change holder, sunglasses holder, seatbelts(7 of them), many, many more options I can't think of right now. Was not aware of the headgasket problem that prior years model had before I bought it, hopefully they would have fixed it by now.
KK
KK
NutBucket
Lifer
- Aug 30, 2000
- 27,034
- 546
- 126
You're not going to like that 95 Odyssey unless you drive around WOT. That 2.2L 4 cylinder is completely out of place in that vehicle, period. The new generation is a hoot, like others have said. My friend is a mechainc and accidentily spun the tires in one at a light when he went to pick up the customer:Q.
The Windstar is total crap. Nissan Quest/Villager is prolly a decent bet. I think that's a Nissan designed/built motor in those. A bit underpowered as well. ~160HP as I recall.
The Chrysler vans are certainly popular. Uhm, the previous generation Previa, w/ the motor under the front seats, is a big target for theft and I think it did fairly poorly in crash testing.
I think if it were me I'd recommend a Chevy Astro/GMC Safari. I would trust the drivetrain in those over the other American vans. Plus those are built on a true truck frame. Friend of mine at work just picked up a '99 Safari for about 12K. He said the ride is excellent.
The Windstar is total crap. Nissan Quest/Villager is prolly a decent bet. I think that's a Nissan designed/built motor in those. A bit underpowered as well. ~160HP as I recall.
The Chrysler vans are certainly popular. Uhm, the previous generation Previa, w/ the motor under the front seats, is a big target for theft and I think it did fairly poorly in crash testing.
I think if it were me I'd recommend a Chevy Astro/GMC Safari. I would trust the drivetrain in those over the other American vans. Plus those are built on a true truck frame. Friend of mine at work just picked up a '99 Safari for about 12K. He said the ride is excellent.
OK, here's what my current search will zero in on for the 1999 model year:I'll contact her aunt in West Virginia and see what she can come up with. It would be worth the trip if she can save us a couple thousand. She could also put it on the computer and check it over good. Make repairs to it at cost, etc.
NFS4
No Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 72,647
- 26
- 91
DUDE, what about the Mazda MPV??? It's rather nice looking, is a bit bigger than the Villager/Quest (I think), and has a rear seat that folds down into the floor. You can get a new one for $22,000 so you shouldn't have a problem finding a cheap older model:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/spin/48674/article.html
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/spin/48674/article.html
Good question. I didn't see it listed on Consumer Guide® (well, only up to 1998) or Edmunds. I'll see what I can find out about it...
Edit: I found out about it:
Edit: I found out about it:
- Value for the Money
"While recent improvements are welcome, the MPV still lags well behind such class leaders in the field, like the new Chrysler minivans and the Ford Windstar in overall roominess, performance, and value."
My Family has a 2000 GMC Safari, 4.3L 210hp 250 ft/lbs of torque Vortec V6, Front/ Rear Heat and air, Bose Stereo, 6 reclining seats with room for 8 adults, and a 6500 lb. towing capacity. Sweet Van, i dunno if its completely mini tho
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Can it be? Ornery finally realizing that there is more to the automotive world than gas-guzzling V8's that sway like a boat around corners?!
RWD V8 sedans often get close to the same mileage as some of the "high tech" mid-size imports... and since they usually use lower grade gas than many of the mid-size imports they get better fuel economy
Hell yeah, when I put that 60 octane gas in my car, I get 100 miles to the gallon.
I don't know where you're buying your gas, but "standard" gas is the lowest grade we've got around here, and that's what most mid-size imports run on. So unless you pee into your gas tank, I think you'll have a hard time running on lower grade gas. And the octane rating of gas has very little if anything to do with fuel economy.My uncle has a Quest. It's a nice ride for a minivan and is pretty roomy inside. Interior quality is also pretty good. I think aside from oddysey, it's the most carlike SUV. Keep in mind it's built by ford with Nissan drivetrain.
He means the RWD, V8 engines use regular fuel and get virtually the same MPG as high tech imports, which use higher grade fuel, thus actually costing less to run the V8s!
Edit: I hear ya on the Quest. That's why I was looking at it in the first place. Matter of fact, I'm scheduled to drive a Villager this Saturday. I'll be canceling that because they're too small. I didn't know that before!
Edit: I hear ya on the Quest. That's why I was looking at it in the first place. Matter of fact, I'm scheduled to drive a Villager this Saturday. I'll be canceling that because they're too small. I didn't know that before!
my parents have had/do have the follwing minvans:
89 grand caravan- 4 cyl, slow as hell, TERRIBLE engine trouble(it had a mitsubishi engine..nuff said)
93 grand caravan-v6, 160HP, not that slow, good engine, on its 3rd tranny, it is trying to be sold right now
98 pontiac montana- v6 170 HP, slower than the 93, loaded, every option in the book, but its handling is TERRIBLE and the seats are so low that your legs fall asleep while siitting there...no homo
99 grand dodge caravan Sport LE Limited v6 225HP. This thing OWNS, it has a special engine and suspension, with 25 HP more than the normal sports, a tight sport suspension with 17" rims and michilan low pro's stock. I have taken this thing into a 90-degree turn at 50 MPH, NO PROBLEM! Its fast as balls, I can nearly burn my friends 300zx NA...
The tranny is solid, and interior refinement is Top Notch, the infinity system is kick ass, with 8 speakers. Get a 97 or newer grand caravan, they are the best.
EDIT: You CANNOT get this 225 horse engine in any caravan, it was a special one that was sent in the dealer show vehicle, we bought it off the floor...
89 grand caravan- 4 cyl, slow as hell, TERRIBLE engine trouble(it had a mitsubishi engine..nuff said)
93 grand caravan-v6, 160HP, not that slow, good engine, on its 3rd tranny, it is trying to be sold right now
98 pontiac montana- v6 170 HP, slower than the 93, loaded, every option in the book, but its handling is TERRIBLE and the seats are so low that your legs fall asleep while siitting there...no homo
99 grand dodge caravan Sport LE Limited v6 225HP. This thing OWNS, it has a special engine and suspension, with 25 HP more than the normal sports, a tight sport suspension with 17" rims and michilan low pro's stock. I have taken this thing into a 90-degree turn at 50 MPH, NO PROBLEM! Its fast as balls, I can nearly burn my friends 300zx NA...
The tranny is solid, and interior refinement is Top Notch, the infinity system is kick ass, with 8 speakers. Get a 97 or newer grand caravan, they are the best.
EDIT: You CANNOT get this 225 horse engine in any caravan, it was a special one that was sent in the dealer show vehicle, we bought it off the floor...
I think you aren't gonna get a V8 RWD minivan. If that's what you crave, your car is:
1996 Buick Roadmaster
"Aren't all of those virtually the same?
We just found a 1999 G. Caravan Sport in the paper by a private owner for about $10,000, but I bet it's sold by now. Maybe we will be able to get one.
Edit: I was looking for the Roadmaster as well as the G. Marquis and Town Car. I did finally find one and got to test drive it. No big deal from what I found. Maybe the compression was gone, but I couldn't even bust the rear tires loose. My wife thought the dash looked dated, so there's no way she would buy that, let alone a wagon!
- Yep
We just found a 1999 G. Caravan Sport in the paper by a private owner for about $10,000, but I bet it's sold by now. Maybe we will be able to get one.
Edit: I was looking for the Roadmaster as well as the G. Marquis and Town Car. I did finally find one and got to test drive it. No big deal from what I found. Maybe the compression was gone, but I couldn't even bust the rear tires loose. My wife thought the dash looked dated, so there's no way she would buy that, let alone a wagon!
Pliablemoose
Lifer
- Oct 11, 1999
- 25,195
- 0
- 56
We've had 2 Dodge Caravans. The first is an 87 Caravan that lasted for a good while (I believe ~2000) till we traded it for a 92 one. Never had any problems with the newer one, but I don?t know how good Chryslers new tranny's are compared to the older once.
For my business need I have had 4 Chryslers. The first 3 were 4 bangers with a manual 5 speed. With the manual tranny they weren't too bad on pickup and I put a lot of milege on each one. Over 300000 ks minimum. OF course at that milege they were totally gutless but still started and ran flawlessly.
Then my last one I got a high-zoot, fully decked out LE model with the 3.3l six and all the bells and whistles. The tranny was automatic and I immediatey had problems with the tranny . It was rebuilt not once but twice within 6 month. The warranty covered the repairs but I later found out the Chryslers are plagued by tranny problems. Once that was sorted out, I never had any other trans problems and I can honestly say that all my Chryslers ran flawlessly for all the years I had them.I have 325000k on that last one and aside from the AC not working it's in great shape. It's a '93.
I would get another Chrysler anytime. Get a 2-3 yr old one still on warranty and get an all dressed. They're a dime a dozen. If the tranny doesn't give you any trouble , you'll have a great van on your hands that you'll enjoy for years.
Then my last one I got a high-zoot, fully decked out LE model with the 3.3l six and all the bells and whistles. The tranny was automatic and I immediatey had problems with the tranny . It was rebuilt not once but twice within 6 month. The warranty covered the repairs but I later found out the Chryslers are plagued by tranny problems. Once that was sorted out, I never had any other trans problems and I can honestly say that all my Chryslers ran flawlessly for all the years I had them.I have 325000k on that last one and aside from the AC not working it's in great shape. It's a '93.
I would get another Chrysler anytime. Get a 2-3 yr old one still on warranty and get an all dressed. They're a dime a dozen. If the tranny doesn't give you any trouble , you'll have a great van on your hands that you'll enjoy for years.
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