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Comments
damn government!
Yes I agree for ideal DRY ROAD CONDITIONS.
For ICE AND SNOW, FWD is better than RWD for traction.
With the added engine weight over the front tires and the PULL action vs PUSH, FWD is better for traction in ICE AND SNOW anyday. Try pushing(with RWD) on ice and snow and your BACKSIDE would slide in all different directions.
Many years ago, I have had so much fun with my little FWD Civic running circles around Mustang GT, Camaros IROC Z, BMWs, etc in ice and snow that I look forward to blizzards to repeat that exercise. Just love watching the drivers' faces then.
It drives just like the cars of 40+yrs ago from which it is based.
What a POS!! Compared to even the DGC - I can say that for the DGC now.
damn government!
I think it was a smart move on Chrysler's part making them optional. For those who feel side airbags are important, they can buy one with them on it. For those that don't, Chrysler gets a price advantage on Honda.
The trick is to make a reliable van and do all you can to get it into as many hands as possible. Especially with a whole new model coming out in a couple of years. If people are happy with the one they have, they'll buy the new model. It's building customer loyality. Plus the others that will buy because it is a new model, having features that other vans might not have.
Make fun of Chrysler for doing it, but I think it's a very smart move.
One salesman quoted 32,931 for an XLE with leather, sun roof (package #4) arctic frost pearl paint, rear spoiler, extra mile A and night vision mirror, I can't remember what else it has but the MSRP was 36, 950. What do you think about this price? Do you think they will come down lower than this as the 06's come in?
I didn't check upper end Sienna prices when we bought our MPV, but just off the top of my head, $4K under MSRP on a Sienna seems like a pretty good deal.
On a related note: Just found out that some friends from college just bought a Sienna. We beat them to the minivan stage by 1 month. Seems like just yesterday that Jim and I were skipping Engineering Classes together. (one reason I didn't become an Engineer. :P Didn't stop him though.) Shoot, our wives have been friends since high school. Now, we both have 2 kids, a dog, and a house in the suburbs of large NW cities. And the vehicle we traded in for our minivans, were SUVs (Exploder and Cherokee)
Guess we're just getting old.
No you are getting very practical, informed and sensible.
HECK with 2 kids, manhood issues are no longer in question! Your now sure of yourself!
Enjoy your MV like I do.
Shoot, with a 5 and 3 year old I don't have time think about manhood issues, I'm just trying to keep up with them!
BTW, I do enjoy driving the MPV (surprisingly). However, with my wife out of town this week, and the kids with my MIL, I've been driving my wife's Passat. Let's just say I enjoy driving that a whole lot more. I know that's shocking.
Your now on the prowl at 2.15AM with the wife out of town and kids at MIL!!
Be careful of being caught doing suspicious actitivities in the streets by TV COPS on camera!
Does anyone know what's new in 2006 T&C touring or GC SXT? I heard they're adding stability control in 2006?
Thanks,
I don't know how old you are but I'm trading in my 2002 Envoy SLT for a Sienna and I'm only 29, crazy huh? Anyway, I just found an XLE package #4, leather, extra miles package A, arctic frost pearl paint, oak interior, 2004 model, 16,732 miles like new condition listed for 26,732 I said no way, offered 24,200 and they will take it. Should I go for this price? I'm tired of messing around with trying to find the greatest deal, I've been at this for two months now. It sounded reasonable to me but just want some other opinions.
The end of any month is a good time to do it. The salesman is trying to meet his quota and I hear will give a better deal at the end of the month.
The 2005 Siennas are going better than invoice with rebate. So, I would buy new and stop "messing around"
I really enjoy driving this van, although the tight cargo space behind the 3rd seat continues to be a challenge. We still can easily fit everything for a weekend trip, or even a weeklong one, but it requires more creative packing on my part. Our next van definitely will need to be bigger and/or more flexible in terms of cargo carrying (i.e. foldaway seats, larger cargo area, etc.).
At 54k miles, our 2002 EX still feels tight, smooth, and solid. It is a very pleasant highway cruiser.
We paid $22,930 for our Sedona about 3.5 years ago. It had every option except rear spoiler. To think you can a loaded EX today for $21-22k, or even less if you qualify for the $1,000 competitor minivan rebate from Kia (or the $1,000 Kia loyalty that they implement every now and then, but not currently)-- this is a nice van for people who are not concerned with badges and who do not need the very latest doo-dads. It's a little slower than a lot of other minivans and it doesn't hold quite as much stuff, but it does the job quite nicely and is a much better minivan than most people realize.
Harbor Freight salvage, or Northern Tools sells a platform that fits in a class 3 hitch. When we are traveling a long distance, it takes me about 3 min to put the platform on and within 10 min load and strap the box onto it that I put the luggage in. The new ones even have a hinge that swings the platform up (mine doesn't). The van doesn't even know the weight is back there, and it doesn't hurt mileage.
Concur with your comments. We usually leave one of the pax seats out since the 6 pax capacity is all we need most of the time. My 2 teen also like the extra room to spread out and put lots of "stuff" everywhere.
Janie
If yes, probably one big reason DaimlerChrysler sells the most minivans. There are Grand Caravans on the lot when a person wants the new vehicle while with Odyssey or Sienna people usually must get on a waiting list by placing a sizeable deposit.
Thanks for your help!
Another possibility is the Suzuki XL-7. It seats 7, has the split bench 3rd row, and is just a hair over 70" wide. Again, I don't know how much space you'll have with all the seats up.
Good luck!
:confuse: :confuse:
I wouldn't really care about what they own or have bought in the past.
"SHOW ME THE MONEY" is the car dealers motto. Whoever shows it first and shows the most, gets the prize.
If I wanted a loaded LE AWD, XLE with expensive options, or XLE Limited there would be a good choice.
With DaimlerChrysler dealers, there is usually a good selection in many price ranges until now and the Employee Discount has cleared the lots of almost all NEW 2005 Caravan, Grand Caravan, and Town & Country minivans.
It is not worth the hassle for me to haggle over the $ 500 Non-refundable deposit at Honda dealerships when neither Sienna nor Grand Caravan dealers require one.
In addition, the 2004 Sienna had a more responsive transmission and better acceleration than did the 2005 Odyssey test driven the same morning. I do NOT care what C&D, CR, and other experts say...in my test drive, the Sienna was the best minivan...even though the Ody has much better acceleration than my 2002 T&C LX with 3.3L.
again, I don't know where you are, but I have never heard of a nonrefundable deposit
Am glad to see you finally wised up jeorg. But, again...you believe the dealer when they tell you that you are first on the list??? Not a smart thing to do. Unless you are standing there when the van comes off the delivery truck you may not get what you want. Good luck though
I ordered an Odyssey EX-L RES in either Ocean Mist or Midnight blue color. After agreeing on the price and signing the buyer’s agreement I gave a check for a deposit of $500. The van was expected to leave Alabama on 7/15 and come to the dealer on 7/17. If the van was not available for purchase by 7/25 the check will be given back to me. It was to be cashed by the dealer only if I did not want to purchase the minivan within the time period.
I felt that it was a reasonable proposition since there was always a possibility that the minivan might not find a buyer right away if I did not purchase it, and the dealer will have to foot the interest payments on the van till it was sold. The van came in on the 17th and I was given a call on the 18th. I signed the papers and delivered a check the next day and drove away with the minivan. The uncashed deposit check was returned to me on the 19th when I gave the check for the full price of the minivan.
Some Honda dealers might be not kosher but the dealer I bought the van from, Breakaway Honda, appeared reasonable to me.
A $500 deposit is certainly common for dealers to request/require when ordering a vehicle for a customer. I've bought more new cars than I can count, and have never had a dealership not refund a deposit if they couldn't provide the vehicle I wanted.
I gave my Honda dealer a check for $50 as a good-will gesture for them to search for the vehicle I was looking for (EX-L R&N silver). They were willing to sell for invoice so what's $50? They said they would refund it if for some reason they couldn't locate a vehicle for me. But considering how Honda builds their vehicles, it's generally easy to locate a what you want. I had mine the next day.
Better than any luck I've had "ordering" a Toyota or Lexus product. In fact, of the six new Toyotas I can remember buying, I don't believe a single one was delivered the way I actually wanted it. Toyota likes to pretend vehicles are available with certain option combinations, but they never actually build any that way. We waited six months on a GX470 only to be told Lexus wasn't planning to build the vehicle the way we wanted (as was available according to their ordering). My daughters Celica GTS doesn't have side airbags even though they were "available" when we ordered. We used to pretty much only buy Toyotas. Now we've got the Ody (our first Honda) and the youngest son just got his college graduation gift, RSX-S a few weeks ago.
Minivan Data
Since 1991 Quality has improved for every manufacturer, 2005 products have 50% fewer problems than 2002 products. Deomestics ( GM , FORD and Chrysler ) have improved an average of 60% in the past three year (20% every year ).
Imports have improved as well, by about 50% in the past three year. Most 2005 Products Domestic or Imports should have similar Quality.
Per JDPowers Longterm Dependability Consumer study, for cars 3 years or older, this is what they found. ( Actual Consumer Survey )
Brand - Problems Per 100 Vehicles
Honda - 201
Toyota -194
Chrysler - 235
Average Mechanical Problems
Expected Per Vehicle per Year for a given brand.
Honda-2.0
Toyota-1.9
Chrysler-2.4
2005 Odyssey scores below average for the brand, should have more than 2 problems in a given year per vehicle.
2005 Toyota Sienna scores above average for the brand , should have less than 1.9 problems per vehicle per year.
2005 Chrysler T&C also scores above average for the brand, should have less than 2.4 problems per year per vehicle.
Scratch and dirt resistant door panels and upholstery and flooring (like the Honda Element).
Platform for dog crates with tiedowns for bungee cords.
Built-in ramp for older or large dogs to enter without jumping.
An air conditioner that runs without running the engine, to keep the interior cool in hot weather.
I’m sure there are lots of other possibilities
Please make a K-9 model – there are LOTS of dog owners who would buy it.
They're always scratching, howling, and pooping all over the place. That crate with bungee cord tiedowns would come in handy.
Hmmmm, perhaps a special K-9 edition should include muzzles?
rorr, the aftermarket muzzle market has really gone to the dogs. No profit there. I'm thinking more in the line of a Thorazine drip option on the K-9 minivan models.
No need for the kids to have that expensive DVD system now.
But, seriously. I doubt any manufacturer would ever go the route of K-9 minivan production. Though I'm sure there are many custom shops out there that could do the work.
Charlotte, whose German Shepherd is currently riding unhappily in the backseat of her MX-6
Can get them with only a driver and front passenger seat and MUCH MORE interior space than any minivan.
Most people buy the minivan to be able to take 5 or more people + all necessary luggage on any length trip...and that is who DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, and Honda target for selling their very nice, comfortable minivans.
I also know a fair number of cyclists who've bought minivans. Vans aren't just for families anymore--I think they are really starting to appeal to people who might have bought SUVs in the recent past.
Congratulations!! You have made by far and away the BEST choice in the large family car market.
(If you like leather seats of course, or that would be Honda Odyssey EX in Ocean Mist)