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Comments
If you absolutely want a new one,,,go in for a toyota.It`s quieter than the Honda.But test drive both before making a choice as it comes down to personal preference.You won`t go wrong with either.
If you dont mind used cars,,I would suggest you go in for for a 1 or 2 year old toyota/honda bcos that way you wont lose a lot of money for a very low mileage used car.You could get a loaded version too instead of just the base no frill models.
Hope this helps.
> I drove all 3 of them and the difference was so obvious right from the drive to the interior
This is your opinion. Please don't present it as fact.
We drove all the vans, and we liked the T&C the best.
Especially when you factor in that it was $4000 less than the Toyota, and the Honda.
We love our T&C.
Now, whether Chrysler will be in business to honor their lifetime warranty; that is another issue.
Is it just because of resale value?
How long do you plan to drive the van? How long, historically, have you kept your vehicles?
If you are worried Chrysler will bankrupt and you won't be able to get warranty service, then go for one of the others.
If you are worried about the resale value of a car you might keep for 13 years.... well, I'm not sure what to tell you.
Remember, the T&C comes with a life time power train warranty. The Toyota's power train warranty is 5 years, 60k miles.
I can tell you this:
We did all the research on the T&C, and all the other vans, and we chose the Chrysler.
Let us know what you decided to do, and how it worked out. (just curious)
I was stating from experience.I had Dodge caravan, a twin of TC,, and it had no major problems,,but it had so many minor issues,-- small part break,small leaks, etc.Again nothing major but each trip to the dealer cost about 200$.And not to mention that is was with the mechanic for 1 or 2 days.The first 40000 miles or so,,there wont be any problems.After that its a different issue.But if you like it,,you should buy it.
But if you plan to trade it within 3 or 4 years the resale takes a real beating.
Plus Chrysler is in such disarray now,,,i dont know if it`s a safe option to buy one now.B`cos if they file for bankruptcy,,,then they need not honor any warrantys,,,and regular maintenance with parts would be difficult,,,specially if it`s a problem with electronics or computer.
Good luck.
ROTFL :P
Why did you go to the dealership if not to possibly buy a car? Don't tell me you were "just looking." THEY GOT YOU TO BUY A CAR.
>The veh. might turn out to be a great car.
In EXACTLY the same way, the Toyota "might" have problems or even leave you stranded. OH, THE HORROR! Owning a vehicle might not be a completely pain-free experience! Someday I might even - gasp! - have to CHANGE THE WIPER BLADES!
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f1117cc/0!make=Toyota&model=Sienna&ed_mak- eindex=.f1117cc
Sorry for tearing you a new one, but look at what you're doing... You're experiencing buyer's remorse, which every human being has, and you're talking about giving back the vehicle you just got FOR $10,000 UNDER MSRP and taking a $4000 loss on it? The dealership just sits there and giggles, because they'll be able to turn around and sell it for $23k again.
Now, while we were waiting for our GC to come from the factory, we rented a stripped-down version (Stow-N-Go the only option) for our Thanksgiving road trip. 2100 miles later, we're more stoked than ever about getting the vehicle, which may be in today.
Dear Friends. I am also stuck in the same analysis, of picking one over the other. Haven't jumped the gun yet (or bitten the bullet - you pick your metaphor!), but planning on going for it by this weekend (Jan 5th).
My best options for comparable minivans (all 2009; all with leather seats, DVD, navigation, blue-tooth, reverse camera):
Chrysler T&C Touring with package 25L.
* Power-fold 3rd row seat
* Stow'n go 2nd row captain seats
* Two DVD screens ... huge plus, in a family with an 8-year old and a 5-year old
* 20GB (or is it 30GB) hard-drive instead of CD changer
Toyota Sienna XLE with package 4
* Moon-roof
* Power lift-gate
Honday Odyssey EX-L wtih RES and NAV
* Power liftgate
PRICES:
Chrysler ... MSRP $37k ... Best price: $27k
Toyota ... MSRP $34,850 ... Best price: $31k (w/ 2.9% for 5yrs) or $30k (no sp financing)
Honda ... MSRP $37,525 ... Best price: $33,795 (w/ 3.9% for 5yrs)
I am inclining towards Toyota ... but am open to thoughts and suggestions. I intend to keep the car for 6-8 years (or longer) and while resale is not a concern, the longevity and reliability of the car sure is.
My editorial: Historically speaking, Toyota/Honda retain their value better, and are less prone to problems. Notwithstanding the anecdotal observations that oppose this, I, therefore, would support Chrysler for a 4-5 year term, and Toyota/Honda for short- and long-term. Comments?
Lastly, whatever happened to Nissan Quest? Endangered specie???
Thanks.
I test drove the 2008 Caravan and the TC minivans too. The ride was harsh and the road noise was very audible.The interior was too much hard plastic.For $20000+ , I would expect better.Also if reliability,durability and trouble free maintenance is important,,definetely go with the Sienna.You just won`t go wrong .
Also I would consider the long term viability of Chrysler with their bankruptcy status..If you are spending $ 30 k,, make a good reliable trouble free choice with the Sienna.
Good luck.
Signing off from my soapbox!
I'm in the opposite situation -- bought a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX after having T&Cs for 8 years. HATE the Odyssey and looking at trading it in. have had NUMEROUS problems (repeated battery issues, cruise control doesn't work, etc.) with it, it doesn't have near the convenience features that the Chrysler products had, it is amazingly harder to use and less comfortable than the American cars I have driven (stupid things like no chime when you are low on gas and the gauge is directly behind the steering wheel so I don't see it regularly -- I've almost run out of gas many times. Or the AC/heat controls are awkward and counterintuitive and the heat doesn''t really blow on your feet -- my feet are always cold in this car. You can't lock the sliding doors with the keyfob until they shut completely, and they are SLOW, AND the range isn't very good, so you have to stand there and wait for the doors. It's much slower than just doing it manually. And NO ability to pick the options you want -- because I didn't want leather and a sunroof, I also couldn't get power liftgate, compass, etc.)
Honestly, I am shocked that people like the Hondas as much as they do. I fell for the hype and this was my first Honda and will definitely be my last. And in this economy, the resale value seems more theoretical than anything else...It's in good shape and low miles and KBB is more than $20,000 private party and I owe $18,000, but I am being offered $14,000-$15,000 or so on a trade-in (from 3 different places), so I am stuck with it for awhile.
If I could get the deal you got on a T&C I'd take the hit and trade this one in in a minute.
You seem to be lurching from one impulsive decision to the next, but I hope your next choice works out better than the last one -- and better than mine!
The MSRP is 39,500 and the invoice is 36,000. They offered it for 33,750.
I offered them 26,000. After some discussion, the dealer agreed. Havent bought it yet. but have to decide by tomorow. I AM GETTING A GOOD DEAL??
Its Black in color and fully loaded. second and third row 9" DVD screen. premium leather seats. first and second row heated seats. chrome exterior and chrome wheels. Sat TV and Sat radio for one year from the date I buy. moon/sun roof. Dual Power Seats. in very good condition. Drove for 20 miles or so and had a smooth ride.
waranty will be for the remaining 26,000 miles.
Any thoughts on this price?
Have to bet in this Market the dealer will not want to take this vehicle to auction. Great time to buy (you are in the real drivers seat)- horrible time to sell. Best of luck to you in the new year!
2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LIMITED. min selling price $16,700, max selling price (Super clean, 589 miles) $25,700, average selling price $22,052..
If the vehicle is super clean than the 26k you offered is pretty close. I would try for another grand or see about some free services and that extended warranty. With the rise of the crossover (new minivan) minivans are or are going out of style. Expect a greater than normal depreciation as more and more larger crossovers hit the used market.
Also ,chrysler is in a bankruptcy scare-- so dont know about long term viability with parts etc.
My suggestion- Go for sienna/odyssey.Also the TC takes a real beating on the trade in value.within 5 years its total junk.And it has a lot of recalls with poor reliability.
Check out the sienna xle or odyssey touring before buying TC.
I had a 2005 Grand Caravan SXT for over 3 yrs w/ approx 50K miles on it. Never had a problem. Traded it in for a 2008 T&C only because of more features, i.e. windows that open, side air bags, stabilizer, MyGig. Got it the end of Aug and have over 7,000 miles on it already. No problems...yet...Thank goodness!
Can't wait to see how hosed I get with insurance money and trying to buy a new one. Anyone getting any good deals lately? I think I want to get the same on.
T&C with dual dvd nav etc.
I really dread having to reseach all this stuff again, but at least my wife is ok and the kids weren't in the car.
In response to your question, though, the deals now are very good. We got a new 09 T&C Touring for $10k below the $33K MSRP in December. I would think the deals now are even better. If there are still folks with 08s on the lots, those were a good $2 - $3k less than the 09s.
Let us know how the insurance treats the depreciation. It seems that the Blue Book prices are higher than the market right now, and not reflecting the discounts that dealers are offering, but the insurance folks probably know this and have ways to compensate. We just had a $4500 collision repair on our 04 Malibu and I was curious how close this was to the "totalled" value of the car.
Cant wait to see what insurance does myself. The other driver who is at fault has a near "no name" carrier. We have SF tho so should be ok in the end.
ill post back when i hear.
By way of background, I personally own a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L purchased in 11/07 for $25294 (new). Our van has close to 20k on it now and we're happy with it. Within the first couple hundred of miles, the power steering pump failed and was replaced, but that has turned out to be an isolated incident (the dealer thought that the part was just screwed up from the get go for whatever reason) and the van has been flawless since. No squeaks or rattles have developed--so far so good.
My parents had a 2006 DGC SXT. It had 45k and was having problems--need some work on the steering unit, which out of warranty was expensive--and some routine stuff--new brakes and tires. Altogether, they were look at close to 2k worth of work, so they figured they might try to upgrade to the new bodystyle after we got a decent CarMax price on it.
Today we purchased a 2009 Chrysler Town and Country Touring 25L with a $33735 MSRP for $25112. We actually live in VA and I cross shopped every Chrysler dealer I could find that had one in MD and VA, and couldn't get anyone to come closer than $2k to that price. I know going back that prices were probably a bit lower, but that's what I was looking at now. Frankly, I'm actually happy to get them a car with a build date of 12/08--on these, the later the better as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully some of the problems have been worked out.
Now personally, I would stick with the Honda. It just so happens that my parents are the people that Stow N Go really was decided for. My dad uses his van as a combo taxi for grandkids and bascially a work truck. He puts the seats down and hauls everything from trash to furniture to tvs in that thing. My Ody, on the other hand, is almost exclusively a passenger vehicle.
I tried to get my parents to consider Honda and Toyota (Sienna would actually be a better fit given the softer ride), but I just came back to the fact that I didn't want my dad as he's getting older sitting there with a screw driver trying to lift a 50 pound seat.
The new T&C does have some cool features--dual dvds, the uconnect tunes system, etc. The double heated seats is extremely nice and my mom is thrilled. But the build quality-plastics, etc--is clearly not even close to our Honda. Also, the 3.8 engine is really not particularly comfortable for this van--its what he had in his '06, and it is a little quieter than the 4, but accleration is still too slow for my taste. Once its up to speed, its fine.
I hope to God they have good luck with theirs--I know of the problems that others have had. Its a bit of a risk. But they did get a good deal, and certainly the new one is more likely to stay in good shaper longer than the their old one--plus its safer with ESP. So, in their situation it might sense. The dealer matched the CarMax price on the trade, so it was an easy, great deal--but of course we were using one of the most respected dealership groups on these forums so that is no surprise.
I do understand your concerns though and I share them as I begin the new car search again. Can I get one with no issues again? sigh.......
Kevin
That was a no negotiation price, I hope to get it down to about 23,500 tomorrow night.
A long shot, but I'm going for it. I think they need the sales.
I paid 26,100 last august for my Touring with Nav, swivel etc. I found a mistake on a dealer site and got them to honor it, but now they don't return my calls for a new one.
I had never looked at the dodges. So I was a bit unprepared but went in anyway.
I told them what I had on my totaled 2008 T&C and they had a pretty comparable caravan. It didnt have swivel, (which I seem to be the only one in the country who likes it) but it had dual dvd, 17", 4.0, leather.
They seemed genuine and told me I was going to be blown away by the price. I took a look at the van and then they showed me the price......27,900$. I laughed and told them I paid 26,100 for a comparable town and country last august. They could not believe it. Granted the dealership I bought from honored a mistake, but these guys were pretty genuine.
When I revealed that I had a quote(only on the phone) for 24,900 for a somewhat comparable T&C they were adamant that it was a ploy to get me into the dealership. All in all they were good guys and we chatted for a long time about pricing and dealer schemes and whatnot.
So tomorrrow I will call the original 24,900 quoting dealership and talk to the sales manager. I am betting that they will say that vehicle is gone but I should come in and check out the others. If so, I will buy from the dodge guys.
It really hurts that if they are scamming me it looks like I will be paying more for my new 2008/2009 van than I paid for my very nice 2008 T&C signature value.
But it is looking more and more that the pricing you are seeing is the best you can do now.
This blows. But, it will be nice to have 0% financing.
The dealers were empty when we visited and more than happy to talk $$s with us. They were vey open about what the Employee Price was (note - it is lower than the employee price as advertised). They were not willing to get down to the "real" employee price but they were within about $750 of it (and below the "advertised" Employee price)
Good luck to you!
I had the same experience for my parents though. The dealer most local to us was adamant that nobody could beat 27.5 or so on the car...and then when we did the deal with fitz, was like...sometimes you just can't beat them.
Yeah, pretty much...
BTW--so far, they like the thing. My father apparently got almost 25 mpg on his first tank, and my mother is having fun with the radio and the heated seats.
Personally, I'm sticking with my Honda, but I will say its a step up from the previous gen Dodge vans. I still think the interior quality is cheap though.
Good luck with your purchase.
Good luck with your purchase.
can you tell me the name of the dealer? I have been quoted for a similar configuration 2009 around $28K OTD. I live in NJ and will not mind driving up to CT to pick one at your price
it has all the features except for Power sun roof, sirus TV and Sviel and Go.
From dealer in NJ
$22495 is a great price. you can also email me at atrajan "@" yahoo.com . I would like to make the purchase today or monday.
appreciate the help.
I had to have a car Wed to replace an accident car so there was no time to screw around.
What is this owner loyalty 2000$ off BS. Apparently it is completely random. I bought an 08 T&C last august and wasn't on the list. We even called chrysler about it but they wouldn't do it. Still the 0% is great.
I would say the deal in CT is almost unbelievable, I would think they would be more expensive there.
Oh well, I still like the Grand Caravan SXT i ended up with, loving the 4.0 engine I didn't have before. All in all, I feel good.
Some of the VES stuff has quite a clumsy interface, but it really is great when you get it going.
I am really digging the 4.0 engine over the 3.8 in our totaled T&C. It's just nice to not have that feeling that your van's power is the equivalent of an '89 Ford Escort with 88 horse.
Thanks a lot
My email: jillsd@hotmail.com
I was hoping to get exterior chrome trim added (for cost) plus 3 additional wireless headphones for no charge. Does that seem reasonable?
I'm sorry I cannot find the pm button. I would really like to know where you purchased your vehicle. Our Jeep broke down two weeks ago and we would like to get it replaced. :sick:
Thank you very much
Kevin
I have found so far that they just want to take an extra $1k off. Is it unreasonable to think they should be reducing it more for a 2008? Why wouldn't I just take a 2009 if it is only going to cost me $1k more? I thought they'd be more willing to unload the 2008s.