Buying new van , anyone driving a Chrysler town and country

[momdad4kids]

I knew this is the place to ask advice . We're looking at buying a new Chrysler Town & Country touring , is anyone out there driving the 2010 model or the Dodge Caravan with the 4.0 litre eng. What options are a must? Does anyone have the swivel and go option and what do you think of it.We have 4 kids and thought how awsome it would be to be able to fight with your sister AND look her in the eye while your doing it!

 

[mousebymarriage]

we have a 2010 chrysler town & country touring and we love it! Now, to be honest with you DH works for Chrysler but, that is not the reason we love the car, we also have a 2000 Chrysler Cirrus and I hate that freakin car. Anyway, this is our 4th chrysler minivan and we love them. We have never had any problem with them and they get pretty good gas mileage (our last trip to Disney was in Feb. and it cost us $300-$350 round trip gas and tolls from northern NJ. We live in Bergen County approx. 6miles from the George Washington Bridge. We took 95 all the way down. We also used the car a bit driving around Orlando). I love the stow & go seats because it makes things so much easier when you need the extra room just fold the seat into the floor which only takes a few seconds. The stow & go compartment (the space on the floor where the seat would fold into) is also great for storing things on road trips. The fact that the trunk area is recessed (a deep well area) makes for extra room for luggage or sports equipment. I also love the fact that the kids can control the air/ heat in the back of the van themselves (the controls are located on the ceiling behind the front seats). Power sliding doors and automatic trunk are great especially when your hands are full, all you have to do is hit a button on the key remote(just remember that if it breaks it can be quite expensive to fix).

Having a minivan makes driving down to Disney so much easier because we have plenty of room for all of our stuff plus, the kids have their own seats so I don't hear any "he's touching me" or "he's on my side" etc. I like the fact that the seats directly behind the front seats are not bench style they are captains chairs, so each kid can recline them however they want. Hopefully we will be driving down again next summer!

We don't have the swivel chairs with the table option because the area where the table snaps into (a small circular area on the floor) is slightly raised even when the table is not in it. Having that circular thing permanently sticking up out of the floor about an inch right in the middle of the van floor was a bad design idea. DH doesn't recommend the table option.

Good luck with whatever new vehicle you choose.

P.s. I forgot to mention our engine is V6. DH says that he does not recommend the 4.0 because, (these are his words not mine "the trans s*cks in the 4.0"). hope this helped!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I'll agree with the PP that the stow n go is far better than the swivel but I'll disagree on the 3.8 being better than the 4.0. The 4.0 is far superior technology. It's a 6 speed that has been proven to be excellent in the Mercedes Benz. The 3.8 is the same old one that has had tranny failure in the previous model years. I have/do own both. The 4.0 also get's better mpg's.

 

[MFLetou]

I knew this is the place to ask advice . We're looking at buying a new Chrysler Town & Country touring , is anyone out there driving the 2010 model or the Dodge Caravan with the 4.0 litre eng. What options are a must? Does anyone have the swivel and go option and what do you think of it.We have 4 kids and thought how awsome it would be to be able to fight with your sister AND look her in the eye while your doing it!

Don't do it!

Well, look. There are some people who are going to swear up and down that Consumer Reports is worthless and that they're biased and this and that. I think a fair look at their record would reveal that not to be true, as they have American vehicles ranked at the top in several categories.

Minivan is not one of them. Take a good, long look at the Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Grand Caravan road test, and the reliability rankings. It is not a pretty picture.

There will always be individuals who will own a particular vehicle that is an outlier--somebody who has a car that is not known for reliability who swears that they've never had a problem with it, and vice versa. You really can't go by that.

In addition to CR, I would really encourage you to spend some time in that vehicle and its competition. Feel the plastics on the Chrysler, turn the switches, touch the leather, etc. Then do the same on the 2010 Odyssey, which is on its last legs--being replaced in a few weeks with a new model. But you'll feel the difference in quality and components. Look at the carpeting on the ground--in the Chrysler, its been thinner and less rich. Look at the headlights on the front--on the Chrysler, there's a much larger gap between the light itself and the shell where it fits, on the Honda, it is seamless. I could go on and on. There are a lot of little details. But in total, they add up. It isn't a close call. The same was long true for the Sienna, though I agree with CR's assessment that quality on the new 2011 Sienna has slipped a bit.

I've spent a lot of time in both cars...my dad owns a 2009 Town and Country Touring with the entertainment package. I own a 2007 Odyssey EX-L. My dad will be the first one to tell you that the Odyssey is the better vehicle, by far. Yes, his does have the old 3.8, which is woefully underpowered. The 4.0 is a better engine, but it is still much noiser and coarser than either the Honda 3.5 or the Toyota 3.5. Of the group, the Toyota's engine is the best, followed by the Honda's, in my view.

The entertainment system on the Chrysler vans is the best (pending what Honda does with the '11). I will give that it that much. That's about all I'll give it. The ride is rougher--more like a truck. The steering wheel itself is too large, and the steering itself is tougher to manage, with a larger turning radius.

I know some people simply want to buy an American car--I get that. However, between the Chrysler and the Honda, one of them is made in America, and it isn't the Chrysler. So these things tend to be a bit complicated.

Anyway, if you do buy the Chrysler, best of luck to you. My father's luck has been so-so--he's had a recurring problem with the sliding door, some plastic pieces have come loose, and his brakes were shot at 25k (and he ain't exactly Mario Andretti either--he more glides to a stop than brakes..but I digress.) My Odyssey hasn't been completely clean, either--we did need to have the transmission software reprogrammed. But that's been it, the OEM brakes and tires are still alive and kicking past 40k, and there have been no other issues.

Personally, I would comparison shop very carefully...lots of people still buy the Chrysler vans, so you won't be alone.

 

[1tufgt]

Don't do it!

Well, look. There are some people who are going to swear up and down that Consumer Reports is worthless and that they're biased and this and that. I think a fair look at their record would reveal that not to be true, as they have American vehicles ranked at the top in several categories.

Minivan is not one of them. Take a good, long look at the Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Grand Caravan road test, and the reliability rankings. It is not a pretty picture.

There will always be individuals who will own a particular vehicle that is an outlier--somebody who has a car that is not known for reliability who swears that they've never had a problem with it, and vice versa. You really can't go by that.

In addition to CR, I would really encourage you to spend some time in that vehicle and its competition. Feel the plastics on the Chrysler, turn the switches, touch the leather, etc. Then do the same on the 2010 Odyssey, which is on its last legs--being replaced in a few weeks with a new model. But you'll feel the difference in quality and components. Look at the carpeting on the ground--in the Chrysler, its been thinner and less rich. Look at the headlights on the front--on the Chrysler, there's a much larger gap between the light itself and the shell where it fits, on the Honda, it is seamless. I could go on and on. There are a lot of little details. But in total, they add up. It isn't a close call. The same was long true for the Sienna, though I agree with CR's assessment that quality on the new 2011 Sienna has slipped a bit.

I've spent a lot of time in both cars...my dad owns a 2009 Town and Country Touring with the entertainment package. I own a 2007 Odyssey EX-L. My dad will be the first one to tell you that the Odyssey is the better vehicle, by far. Yes, his does have the old 3.8, which is woefully underpowered. The 4.0 is a better engine, but it is still much noiser and coarser than either the Honda 3.5 or the Toyota 3.5. Of the group, the Toyota's engine is the best, followed by the Honda's, in my view.

The entertainment system on the Chrysler vans is the best (pending what Honda does with the '11). I will give that it that much. That's about all I'll give it. The ride is rougher--more like a truck. The steering wheel itself is too large, and the steering itself is tougher to manage, with a larger turning radius.

I know some people simply want to buy an American car--I get that. However, between the Chrysler and the Honda, one of them is made in America, and it isn't the Chrysler. So these things tend to be a bit complicated.

Anyway, if you do buy the Chrysler, best of luck to you. My father's luck has been so-so--he's had a recurring problem with the sliding door, some plastic pieces have come loose, and his brakes were shot at 25k (and he ain't exactly Mario Andretti either--he more glides to a stop than brakes..but I digress.) My Odyssey hasn't been completely clean, either--we did need to have the transmission software reprogrammed. But that's been it, the OEM brakes and tires are still alive and kicking past 40k, and there have been no other issues.

Personally, I would comparison shop very carefully...lots of people still buy the Chrysler vans, so you won't be alone.

I agree MFLetou that Honda's quality in material is much better than that of the Chrysler / Dodge but it also helps that Honda's seem to hold their value better than the counter part.

On the other hand I think Honda really messed up with the redesign of the new 11 Odyssey but give the Honda a look.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I agree MFLetou that Honda's quality in material is much better than that of the Chrysler / Dodge but it also helps that Honda's seem to hold their value better than the counter part.

On the other hand I think Honda really messed up with the redesign of the new 11 Odyssey but give the Honda a look.

Honda has just as much crappy plastic in thiers & the transmissions are just as bad. Do the research & you'll find that Honda has had a Class Action suit against them for tranny failure Chrysler hasn't. Honda's still have tranny failure. Research all the ill fitting airbag covers on Honda if they screw up such an obvious part do you think they really care about the rest of the car. Like Toyota they will fall. There are just as many issues with Honda as Chrysler people just seem to be more willing to "forgive" the Japanese cars and slaughter the AMericans.

 

[MFLetou]

Honda has just as much crappy plastic in thiers & the transmissions are just as bad. Do the research & you'll find that Honda has had a Class Action suit against them for tranny failure Chrysler hasn't. Honda's still have tranny failure. Research all the ill fitting airbag covers on Honda if they screw up such an obvious part do you think they really care about the rest of the car. Like Toyota they will fall. There are just as many issues with Honda as Chrysler people just seem to be more willing to "forgive" the Japanese cars and slaughter the AMericans.

Every vehicle on earth uses plastics. Whether or not they are "crappy plastics" is another story. It isn't worth too much of an argument, since anyone who is shopping can simply feel the plastics for themselves and it becomes blatantly obvious which one is better quality.

There are not "just as many issues. " Every vehicle has problems and issues. I am not willing to forgive anything because a car is Japanese, that's absurd. But the statistics speak for themselves, reliability ratings, resale value, etc. They all lean in one direction in this particular segment. Not to mention the fact that the Odyssey has won every comparison test against this generation of Chrysler vans that it has been in--go read Edmunds, Car and Driver, etc.

As far transmission, you are talking about a problem on the previous generation (pre-2005) Odyssey. That was two transmissions ago, now the Odyssey shares a transmission with the Ridgeline and it hasn't been much of an issue. The new 6 speed on the Chrysler van's has had a bunch of problems too.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

My in-laws just got rid of their just over 2 year old Chrysler T&C, it was too much of a headache for them. They drive a quite a bit, but not excessive (vehicle had about 40,000 miles on it) and it had many issues from having new brakes put on about every 12,000 miles (poor quality OEM rotors) and air conditioner fixed twice. Once under warranty for a new condensor and once out of warranty for a new compressor. There were other things that failed including the passenger side power window motor, power hatch (still could use it manually but it would not do it automatically) and the in dash CD changer failed with a CD stuck in it.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Every vehicle on earth uses plastics. Whether or not they are "crappy plastics" is another story. It isn't worth too much of an argument, since anyone who is shopping can simply feel the plastics for themselves and it becomes blatantly obvious which one is better quality.

There are not "just as many issues. " Every vehicle has problems and issues. I am not willing to forgive anything because a car is Japanese, that's absurd. But the statistics speak for themselves, reliability ratings, resale value, etc. They all lean in one direction in this particular segment. Not to mention the fact that the Odyssey has won every comparison test against this generation of Chrysler vans that it has been in--go read Edmunds, Car and Driver, etc.

As far transmission, you are talking about a problem on the previous generation (pre-2005) Odyssey. That was two transmissions ago, now the Odyssey shares a transmission with the Ridgeline and it hasn't been much of an issue. The new 6 speed on the Chrysler van's has had a bunch of problems too.

Have you personally owned all of these vans? I have & speak from experience. I have owned a few gens of the Chrysler/ Dodge & a few of the Honda as well as the GM triplets. Neither is perfect however the Chrysler porduct gives you much mmore bang for the buck & the Honda quality in my experience was actually much worse. YMMV. I've owned 16 vans in 20 years.

 

[MFLetou]

Have you personally owned all of these vans? I have & speak from experience. I have owned a few gens of the Chrysler/ Dodge & a few of the Honda as well as the GM triplets. Neither is perfect however the Chrysler porduct gives you much mmore bang for the buck & the Honda quality in my experience was actually much worse. YMMV. I've owned 16 vans in 20 years.

No I have not owned 16 vans in 20 years. As I said, I drive my parent's Chrysler all the time, I have the Honda and we have several friends with the Sienna. In addition, I read all the auto magazines as a hobby and we subscribe to Consumer Reports.

It is certainly a free country, and people can spend their money on whatever they want. If you had a bad experience with Honda and a good one with Chrysler than that's fantastic, but there exists hard data that shows that your experience is less likely than the opposite. The Consumer Reports survey consistently shows a spotty reliability record for the Chrysler vans and a good one for Toyota and Honda. If you think all those people are lying, that's fine, but the problem areas on the Chrysler vans correspond to TSB's that have been issued and what both I have personally witnessed and what I've read about. For instance, the brake life--an auto magazine did a long term test and reported the same thing as the poster today did--that the rotors were shot very early. My father's van, same thing. CR survey, same thing. That's all not a coincidence.

My point initially was that the OP should carefully comparision shop, especially before buying that van which is rated lower than its competitors and has a history of poor reliability. Regardless of any one individual's positive or negative experience.

 

[BigTigger]

The Caravan/T&C have some great features, but the engine is old tech. I'm not sure if it's in 2011 or an early release 2012 just after the first of the year, but the Chrysler vans will get the new V-6 engine - a 280-horsepower, 3.6-liter with gas direct-injection. This mated with the updated six speed automatic will make the Chrysler powertrains equal or ahead of the new Honda and Toyota vans. The only highly reported issue in the car magazines long-term test with the current gen Chrysler vans is the need for front brakes on a regular basis (every 20-30K miles depending on driving style).

And if the American styling is not to your taste, the VW Routan is built for VW by Chrysler and has a slightly more upscale interior.

The new 2011 Odyssey design with the back window near the third row being lower is actually one of those features you'll love when you see it live. Like the two tier CIvic dash - it looks awkward in photos but just plain works great when you see it live and get to use it (no claustrophobic third row windows and D pillar).

And if cheaper in price with a good level of creature comforts is your ultimate goal, the Kia minivan is a good value for the money (as are the 2010 Odyssey and Sienna vans that are highly marked down on dealer lots right now).

 

[4myboyz]

Driving our Town and Country to Disney for the 2nd time this Friday!!! Very pleased with it, and I was totally AGAINST getting it.

 

[momdad4kids]

I just wanted to say I didnt intend to start an argument over what brand to purchase ,I was only inquiring about the Chrysler T&C. Having said that Ive done my homework and to be honest the Honda although basically a good vehicle wasnt even a choice since the base model was quoted at almost $5,000 higher than the T&C and their finance rate compared to 0% took them out of my budget. As far as reliability is concerned I work in Fleet for a comapany with over 250 vehicles including both Hondas and Chryslers and Im also a liscensed diesel/heavy truck tech.Both brands have their issues,the biggest one i see being about $10,000 for comparable vehicles, which if it was there on the resale end would be awsome but after 5 years and 150,000 on the odometer its not going to be. The 06 caravan we traded proved to be very reliable basic transportation, we did one brake overhaul and I think parts were less than $150 including rotors(which if your doing a proper brake refit should be replaced or at the very least resurfaced).In our fleet we have a couple of CRVs and a Civic as well as several Dodge and Chrysler cars,light trucks and 1 van. Yes we see the Hondas less often but when we do its also more exspensive,I dont have the numbers in front of me but i would guess the avg cost of repairs and maint to be roughly equal. Surprisingly enough the best performer we have is an 04 Hyundai Elantra with over 250k on it ,its been driven by everyone, used hard for everything from crew transportation to a pick up truck and has never had one issue.

 

[molfrog]

We have a 1999 dodge version with 138,000 miles on it. I trust it better than our 2007 chevy trailblazer. It will last you a long time.