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P.S. There's a special "anniversary" model Caravan and T&C available now with DVD, leather, and lots of other goodies at a really good price. I've seen the Grand Caravan model priced at just over $24k. I don't know though if there is a short wheelbase version. If you want a small, loaded van, clpurnell is right, check out the MPV ES--there's great deals on the '03s right now if you can find one, and they aren't that much different than the '04s.
My question ? Where has my van been for the last 10 months ,seems to me that this is a long time between construction and sale. should I be concerned ? An interesting point I purchased this vehicle within 1-2 miles of the Windsor On. assembly plant.
We wanted something loaded, so, we chose the SWB caravan sport model with the 25H package (I think). The only things it didn't have (remember, this is April 2002, the sxt and alloy wheels weren't package options yet) is the few options that were added by the ultra-rare touring package and AWD. Our only regret is that we don't have the split folding rear seat and instead have the monsterous 1 peice seat.
We shopped it against the only other SWB vans out there (MPV, villager, and old quest). The villager and the old quest were tossed out early as being too much for too little. The MPV was very nice, and the LX wasn't much different in price than the Caravan sport-H (before a tall stack of rebates). But, after you added all the rebates, we were able to get the Caravan for thousands less than the MPV, and my wife didn't like that the MPV rode exceptionally rough compared to the caravan. I explained that it had a more "sporting" suspension setup, but, she said that we wouldn't be racing the van, so comfort was more important .
As for the voyager, we looked over the options, and, aside from the rear seat and one or two other very minor differences, it was basically the same van we got with Chrysler emblems instead of dodge ones. It wasn't worth the $1000 price difference to get different emblems.
Power – Both vans are of the GC/LWB variety, and both have the 3.8 liter mill, the ES outweighs the Sport by a little less than 300 pounds but the ES has the newer incarnation of the 3.8 which sports 215 HP and 245 lb-ft of torque (albeit at higher RPM thresholds) vs. the 180 HP and 240 lb-ft of the older model. On paper at least, the ES looks like it should be noticeably faster than the Sport, and maybe it is by a tick or two at speeds over 65, however, off the line the ES is no match for the Sport which can flat suck the doors off of the ES! Winner: 1998 Sport
Climate control – The old van has the standard manual Left/Right controls for temperature control, the new van has the Three Zone Climate control, which according to my kids is "WAY better" because they don't have to freeze in back just because I like to be cool in front. Winner: 2003 ES
Seating Position – The old van has the power adjustable drivers' seat while the new van has that as well as the adjustable pedals. Even though I am only 5'8", I have always felt that my legs were just a little too long to allow me to get completely comfortable in the old van and I was really looking forward to the adjustable pedals in the new one. The good news is that the adjustable pedals are great! The bad news is that DC has decided to raise the minimum seating position on the new van and consequently, I feel just as awkward as I do in the old van, just for different reasons. Winner: Draw
A/V System – The Sport is limited to just the "A" with its nicely done Infiniti system while the ES has the DVD Video system added to the mix. Trust me, your kids are far more tractable on long trips with the likes of Lilo and Stitch playing back there than with just Stevie Ray Vaughan on the CD player. Winner: 2003 ES
Steering Wheel Controls – The Sport is limited to just the Cruise Control, the ES has that as well as media and volume controls, which I actually like even better than the ones on the steering wheel of my 530i. Winner: 2003 ES
Rear Bench Seat – The old van has the full width bench that folds and slides forward as a unit and is removed as a unit as well. The new van has a split seat that is FAR easier to manage. Winner: 2003 ES
Gas Mileage: - Recently, we needed to drive each van to NYC and back, a trip that is roughly 500 miles. The 1998 Sport managed 23.7 while the 2003 ES was only able to post 21.9 as it pulled back into the garage, this in spite of the fact that the 2003 has a higher EPA rating. Winner: 1998 Sport
Doors – I never thought I’d say this, but I actually like the power doors and lift gate. Nuff said. Winner: 2003 ES
Door lock buttons – On the 1998, Chrysler chose a button type that, when unlocked, is flush with the top curve of the window sill. On the 2003, DC used a "PopUp" kind that, when fully depressed, still rise about 3/8" above the sill. I have a tendency to rest my left arm on that sill when I'm driving and unfortunately, the damn lock button drills into my arm whenever I'm driving the new van. Winner: 1998 Sport
Cruise Control – In hilly regions the 1998 seems to be unable to keep the van at a constant speed. Case in point, I-84 north of Hartford, CT has lots of long rolling hills, and left to its own devices, the Sport will lose eight to ten miles per hour on the way up. The ES seems to be able to hold the speed to within one mile per hour from where I set it. Winner: 2003 ES
Headlights – The headlights on the 1998 were never its strong point and DC thankfully improved them on this go around. Winner: 2003 ES
All in all, I like the 2003 ES better, however, for heavy traffic situations like driving in and around NYC, I prefer the 1998 Sport with its dramatically better low end torque.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
There are several aftermarket kits available. Hard to find concrete comparisons on features and performance. One thing I'm interested to know is side-to-side viewing angle; I have read that some monitors have very narrow viewing angles.
If anyone has experience with installing (or having installed) such a system, please let us know what you found out.
I have used paper factory service manuals for over 30 years, but never had experience with CD versions. How do they compare? I would expect the CD version to simply be images of what is in the paper version. But technology may have gone beyond that.
Does anyone know of better pricing? I have tried eBay and some other suppliers without success so far. I am not looking for Chilton or other non-factory manuals.
The whole setup cost $900 (including 3 sets of headphones). And no, there were no existing wires hidden in the headliner. When I stopped by to check on the install the headliner was hanging down, the driver-side light above the slider was hanging, the front console was mostly removed to get access to the radio, the front passenger seat was unbolted from the floor and tilted back and the carpet was pulled up. Not a pretty sight, but it all went back together tight and squeak-free.
We tested the system out on a ski trip to canada and learned that it was money well spent and the whole thing worked great. I had wanted an 8" screen but those were discontinued, but the 7" was completely adequate.
IMO, this is not a DIY job.
(source: Edmunds Vans Newsletter)
Steve, Host
Anyone heard of this in a brand new van? It has been very cold here,but I do warm it up for 10-15 min before I drive it. Just curious.
It wasn't as consistently cold as parts of Alberta can be, but I drove a Voyager for ten years in Anchorage and never intentionally warmed it up (sometimes it got to idle a few minutes while I was scraping the windshield).
If it were really cold (0°F/-18°C or colder), I'd turn on the block heater for an hour. Otherwise I'd just put it in gear and creep out of the neighborhood and drive gently for a mile or so.
Cars don't seem to mind idling like they did in the old days (and they idle a lot cleaner these days), but my old school mentality still thinks it's better just to get in and go.
Either way, a bad hose is a bad hose and hopefully yours is not a taste of problems to come.
Steve, Host
We think the person who owned the 02 before us abused it. This one is new so we will know what is done to it and when. You have to admit, they are the nicest looking mini van made !
We now have a '96 (bought new as a leftover model in April, 1997) which is now at 75K miles. This one has been very good. Only major problem so far was an expensive AC repair two years ago. Van still drives and runs like new. Very quiet and smooth, and handles decently for a minivan. Again, we have never been stranded with it. We will likely keep this one another 2-3 years.
So we have now nearly 20 years of Caravan experience, mostly positive. I will never get my wife to drive another type of vehicle, given the hauling flexibility, commanding view of the road, comfortable ride at a reasonable cost.
Our '96 is a fairly loaded-sport model(SWB) which included captains chairs and ABS, alloy wheels and upgraded sound system. Normally we don't buy all these bells and whistles, but being a leftover model, we got quite a bargain. Basically got all the upgrades for the same price we would have had to pay for a base 97 model at the time. Seems most people buying the SWB Caravans don't buy them as well equipped, so the one we bought sat on the lot for a long time with no action and the dealer sharpened their pencil.
I would think assuming decent maintenance, especially time oil changes were done, your vehicle should easily go 150K or more, with some maintenance costs. In your situation, unless you put an extreme value on no downtime in the future, I would get the transmission fixed, rebuilt or a swap rebuilt transmission put in.
It is premature though to assume your transmission is about to die. Get one or two opinions, it may be a minor issue, like a solenoid hanging up, low or dirty transmission fluid, etc.
I've been watching the prices of the '04 DC vans plummet in recent days, and in particular am seeing great prices on the Caravan SXT--as low as $16,800. But that is without ABS (which I have to have) and the package that includes the split rear seat. I think I can do without the other options in that package, but I feel the split seat would offer a lot of versatility and would be a lot easier to lug in and out of the van than the single-piece bench (which I have now in my '99 GCS).
If you don't know by now, on the 2005's they are introducing "stow and go" fully storable second and third row seats. Both rows fold completely to form a flat load floor. Third row will be 60/40 and separate sections can be folded into floor separately. Available only on the long wheel base versions.
If you don't need that feature, the 2004's will be a big bargain in the next few months. I would consider one myself, however I think we will hold on to our '96 Caravan a couple more years.
I do have the split folding/split removable 3rd row and it is a lifesaver for me. I have 3 kids, so I use my 3rd row every day. A solid bench (like my previous van had) was inconvenient for 2 reasons. First was that the bench was either in or out. If it was out, I lost a lot of storage, if it was in, I lost my seating capacity. My current split fold is great. I can remove half of the bench for storage and still have half for seating. As a matter of fact, I have to go on an overnight trip tonight and I will remove half the bench just for this reason. The second reason revolved around the solid folding bench seat--like in the Honda. It is also useless to me for the reasons listed above. As far as the seating position in the center--I've never sat there. My 7-year-old sits there sometimes and has never complained. I can not imagine it would be real comfortable for a long trip, though. If you're contemplating a 2004 for the great pricing--good luck; and, get the split folding seat!
As far as the 2005 are concerned. I saw them at the Chicago Auto Show and was very impressed with the stow and go. It is really convenient for those that don't like to lift the seats out. But there are some draw backs to them. The seat padding in the 2nd and 3rd row are not as thick as our van and they sit lower too. The seat backs are shorter as well. I would have to raise the head rest for protection (where in our van I don't). You don't have any space under the rear of both rows to slide stuff under or to place your feet. Since all the seats are fixed, you can not re configure them. What I mean by that is, with our van we can move the split bench to the second row to have seating for five passengers with lots of cargo room in back. The 2005's you would have to leave the second row captain chairs in and fold down part of the 60/40 split bench to make it a 5 passenger. For me this would be a problem because you would have to place the cargo in different places instead of one.