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Chevy Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza

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Comments

  • soderholmdsoderholmd Member Posts: 47
    If they are truly having the # of problems that people say, wouldnt chevy be taken out of the loop and the NHTSA would order a recall? :confuse:
  • fedupwithchevyfedupwithchevy Member Posts: 3
    that strictly depends on if the complaints are being filtered to the NHTSA. I know that I spoke to then already and nothing has been reported to them, so I filed a claim with them as well to get the ball rolling. i just think that it is interesting that my dealership told me that I must have had one produced on a Friday or Monday. I like being able to see the different people around the country that are having as many problems as I am. I dont think bad of Chevy or GM just think they made a vehicle that has had a lot of problems. :shades: :sick: :P
  • hammy233hammy233 Member Posts: 24
    What we could look at is the VIN# and when they were built....figure out which one had little "Gremlins" working on them? Mine were 5GZDV23L95D157742 & 5GZDV23L95D181831
  • natenbeckienatenbeckie Member Posts: 10
    This is a little odd too becuase I've filed at least 3 complaints with the NHTSA on this van. If I search for them I can't find my complaints.

    Luckily I haven't had the door open on it's own yet or I'd be driving this thing right through GM's front door.
  • natenbeckienatenbeckie Member Posts: 10
    Alright, that would be appreciated. How would you like to do this?

    For now the insurance company is still fighting with them about paying for the damages. However, that's all they're fighting for. They're fighting for themselves, not us.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    A reporter from a large daily newspaper seeks to interview owners of the Ford Taurus, Buick Terraza and Chevy Uplander. Please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com before Wednesday, February 8, 2006 with your daytime contact info and city/state of residence.

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  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Well, I got to see the diffenrence's in all 4 versions up close and personal and I still like the SV6 styling better. But after the show, I have to say the Mazda MPV got thrown into the mix.
    So, the current replacement list for the Escape stand as;
    1. Pontiac SV6 (3.9ltr)
    2. Ford Freestyle SEL (3.0ltr or 3.5ltr if avail.)
    3. Mazda MPV LX (3.0ltr)
    4. Nissan Quest SL Special Edition (3.5ltr)

    The Honda Pilot got eliminated from consideration.

    Check out the News and Views section for the Auto Shows 2006 post, I will be posting a link in there for all the pictures I took at the show Philly Auto Show.

    Odie
  • natenbeckienatenbeckie Member Posts: 10
    Just to help you with your decision...

    We traded in our 02 MPV for the SV6. The reason was it was small inside, the controls are rather hard to reach, and it's not comfortable at all on long trips.

    Oh yeah, and we were getting to the point of trans maintenance. I refuse to pay someone to work on my vehicles, and the MPV would have been a total nightmare to change the trans filter/flush the fluid.

    Based on quality at this point though, I wish we wouldn't have gotten rid of it.

    Stay away from the SV6 at all costs. It seems the problems are outnumbering the problemless at this point. I am absolutely flabbergasted at the number of people that are having problems with this van platform and the number who have had to go though the painful buy-back process. The 06 SV6 rental I had for a few days after my brake failure was just as problem ridden, so it went right back to Enterprise.
  • blessingsx4blessingsx4 Member Posts: 16
    Wow, let me just say your comment kind of threw me. Do you think if we could just get our vehicles fixed we would be sitting here wasting our time talking about our PAST problems? The issue at hand is NOT slander...it is the negligence of GM. It will end up shooting them in the foot that they continue to sell these vehicles that they know are defective and that they cannot fix.
  • blessingsx4blessingsx4 Member Posts: 16
    They should have sent you a form to fill out and to attach your repair orders and any other pertinant information to. If you never received the form in the mail after filing your complaint, call them and tell them.
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    No offense to any of you that are experiencing problems with your vans, but don't think for a minute that because you see six, eight, or even ten people posting in a forum somewhere that they have problems that this somehow makes it the "usual" case. The simple truth is that if you aren't having problems, you're probably not even visiting forums like this. While those with problems are almost guaranteed to post about them if they are visiting, if nothing else than to look for assistance or to "warn others."

    You'll rarely see people posting "My van's great! No problems at ALL."

    I can't say I've had no problems at all but so far my van hasn't had any serious issues. Even the fluctuating fuel guage hasn't left me sitting yet, despite letting it go until I had to put in 22+ gallons on the last fill and the fact that I live in western NC (the mountains, very few true level areas here).

    So while I wish you luck getting your issues resolved (or getting out of your vans, if that's what you want), it by no means indicates total negligence on GMs part for producing defective vehicles. It just shows that there are some out there that are having serious problems, and some who aren't. Really nothing new in the auto industry, and also nothing unique to GM. (Check out some Honda forums sometime to see the kinds of complaints, even for supposedly high quality vehicles like Accords..)
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    I've got three kids all under two years old, so I'll be putting one (or two) in the third row seat. It doesn't look like the third row has "latch" anchors at the base of the seats (for infant &/or child seats)?

    Can any one confirm this? Or am I not looking in the right place?

    If so, I guess the only option is to secure the child seats w/ the seat belts? It's a viable & safe option... just surprised there aren't any latch anchors in the third row (my second row captain seats have them).
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    the 3rd row seat do not have LATCH because of the folding in floor feature. I was told this by a sales rep at the Philly Auto Show.

    Philly Show Pictures

    Odie
  • haditwithmyvanhaditwithmyvan Member Posts: 19
    It is not just forums at edmunds.com where you will find people reporting on their lemon vans. There are thousands of websites where you can post complaints. Believe me, I have done my homework, these "issues" are NOT few and far between. Like I said before, I am glad that there are people out there that are having good luck with their vans but I guarantee that they will eventually have problems because there are a lot of complaints that dont come until the van has hit 40-50 thousand miles. I'm not trying to slander GM but the experience that I am having with them is showing that they dont think that there is a problem at all, I think they are buying my van back just to "SHUT ME UP". It that is what it takes that is fine, but what about the next mom that puts her child in the backseat of my old van? I am sure my van will be sold at auction and i highly doubt that the buyer will be informed that the door opens on its own while doing 65 miles an hour down the highway....THAT IS NEGLIGANCE!!!!
  • jaw0122jaw0122 Member Posts: 1
    I also agree its not true. I drove a Venture for 8 years and wish I had it back! I now drive an 05 Relay that has been in the shop more times in the 6 months I've owned it then my Venture was in 8 years!!!!!!!!!
  • natenbeckienatenbeckie Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for that, but it's obvious that nothing is ever "trouble free." If you look though here there's more than a couple of people having problems. These vans have some major safety issues. Power sliding doors opening while driving (and the door is supposedly locked), ABS and general brake failures, electrical systems shorting out, etc.

    This is more than just a few annoying problems. And the problems just keep coming back. That or GM claims it's "normal behavior."

    Come on, what's the chance that my brakes fail, I smash up my 2005 SV6, Enterprise gives me an 06 SV6, and it has most of the same problems as my 05?

    I've looked through the Dodge, Subaru, etc. forums and I don't see this many people with this many problems trying to get their vans bought back by the manufacturer.
  • haditwithmyvanhaditwithmyvan Member Posts: 19
    I was given an 06 Uplander while my 05 SV6 was in the shop and it has just as many problems if not more as my van. This is really quite ridiculous, I think. I asked the GM representative at my dealership to put his kids in the back seat of my van and take it down the interstate and his response to me was "I wouldnt take it to the grocery store" WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU???? :confuse: :confuse: image:cry::cry:
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    That sounds like a typical sales rep response... given that the 3rd row seats don't even fold into the floor... they do fold over, but that shouldn't preclude them from having the latch.

    Thx for the confirmation though... I'll just go with the old fashioned way & secure the child seats w/ with seat belts.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Mazda MPV? Is there a new model out there, or is this still based on the current model? I heard at some point there will be a bigger MPV.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Latch on 3rd row of Freestyle, and zero problems after 1 year and 22000miles of ownership.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Mazda did some upgrades for the '06MY MPV, and it looked and felt pretty nice.

    Odie
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    I agree that many boards don't see this many problematic vehicles.

    If you stroll over to some boards, they are near deathly silent (Infiniti I35 Problems and Solutions) and the few problems that do come up from owners are typically resolved quickly by the manufacturer.

    I've never seen a board with this many SERIOUS safety related complaints about a specific vehicle design WITHOUT a massive recall.
  • mirde98mirde98 Member Posts: 95
    I work for a rental car company and i rented a new 06 Terraza CXL with 210 miles on. I loaded up with 6 people plus cooler, bags, etc. I went on a 300 mile road trip and i must say as a rented vehicle it never failed. 6 adults were comfortable and the dvd rocks. The van had power everything and my friends like it. Audio/speaker sistem sucks for music. There more suitable for movies. If ure listening to cd's or radio station and if u turn the volume at the middle bar the speakers start to creak and grind. Gas mileage was 18mpg at best with the cruise control set at 70mph. I noticed that loaded with 6 people and climbing a small hill the Terraza quicks runs out of breath. The engine is smooth but not powerfull with the van loaded. When watchin movies and cruising there were interference from the engine and the speakers...weird whining sound. 2 times when i started the van the Low Oil Pressure light came up. I work with this vans everyday and YES they have tons of electrical gremlins. The van itself its nice lookin and looks like a bargain...but the electrical/computer issues makes me think twice about getting one. And i notice all this issues in only ONE DAY of driving it.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    If you'd like to give advice about arbitration or other legal matters, an email discussion would be great, but it would be off topic on this board.

    Everyone, please don't post your email addresses on any public message board -- doing so leaves you vulnerable to people who spend their days trolling for this kind of information. That means spam, among other things. If you'd like to have members communicate with you via email, you have the option of making your email address public in your profile. These profiles are only available to registered members.

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  • blessingsx4blessingsx4 Member Posts: 16
    The issue you raise is an interesting one! Does anyone here know what happens to vehicles that are bought back because they have all of these issues that cannot be fixed? It probably isn't like real estate where there is a legal disclosure that has to take place. Is there anything we can do to make sure other parents do not end up in these things having these problems? In addition to the saftey issues, they probably won't come with a bumper to bumper warrenty so the next owner will have to pay for all of these trips to the dealerships just to find out it is not fixable and then the lemon law probably will not apply. Wow...the problems associated with this just keep escalating. Any ideas anyone?
  • haditwithmyvanhaditwithmyvan Member Posts: 19
    The GM rep i talked to said that these vehicles go to auction. I asked him what they would do when another mom puts her kids in the back seat of my old van and the door opens and something terrible happens. Of course, he had NO answer for that question.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    The topic here is vehicles... not manufacturer practices and polices. If you'd like to talk about business practices of automakers, take it to the News & Views Forum. Posts regarding this are off-topic here and will be removed.

    It's extremely clear that some members have had problems with their vehicles, and those have been enumerated in depth and repeatedly. Other members have not been able to help in resolving these problems, and the process for seeking resolution offsite has already been outlined. Let's stop rehashing the same issues and move on.

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  • terribleterazaterribleteraza Member Posts: 5
    What can I say about the terrible Terraza. The front leg room is great if you were the mayor in the Wizard of Oz. The 3.5 liter engine is grossly underpowered with virtually no torque. It constantly is down shifting on the highway to maintain speed plus the gas mileage sucks. The seating configuration is from the late 1990's. The access to the third row seats with the tray table down between the second row seats is nice if your first name is Pegleg. The genius who developed the back up warning light system never sat in the drivers seat with DVD screen down. Yes, it blocks the lights. The rear visibility is joke with the third row head restraints blocking virtually the entire rear glass and the fact that they don't fold away is another quality GM design. And last but not least, I went to a Buick and some other car dealers to trade it in and discovered it had depreciated $13,000 in just one year. Thanks GM. I feel your pain. How can anyone really like this vehicle is beyond me.
  • natenbeckienatenbeckie Member Posts: 10
    Yes, we are pretty upset about the value too. Depreciation is normal, but on a trade this thing is worth 1/2 of what we bought it for a little over a year ago, and we have average mileage on it. I got more out of my 02 MPV when I traded it in.

    I just saw a GM commercial on TV with them touting how their vehicles hold their value. Aparantly we aren't so lucky.

    Yet another addition to the list of reasons these vans are the worst thing to hit the road since skunk roadkill.
  • genmtrfangenmtrfan Member Posts: 78
    200 hp is not "grossly underpowered." At 22 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, I think it's a good balance of power and economy. Those numbers are excellent mileage for a vehicle of this size. Want more power then opt for the 3.9 liter.

    Did you not look at the van before you bought it? If you were unhappy with what you call 1990's seating configuration, then why did you buy it? Personally, the configuration has worked well for us with 3 kids. Today we picked up 67 cases of girlscout cookies, last week it was a twin bed and table, all without taking out the seats. No, they don't fold completely flat. But, again if you are one of the few that need the seats to completely vanish on a regular basis, why did you buy it? If you need to take them out a few times a year, you can do it, what's the big deal? I've done it once in 9 months of ownership.

    One other point, with incentives I paid 7K less than sticker, or about 10K less than a comparably equiped Honda. For that kind of savings I can deal with seats that don't do majic.

    The only problems we've had are the whistling noise on acceleration, and the side mouldings are begining to loosen. I haven't taken it in yet for the repairs. No engine or transmission issues in 14K. The electronics have been fantastic. The DVD and wireless headphones have been a favorite feature for the kids. Personally, I love the SUV stying. It doesn't look like any other van on the road. Wheels are cool, remote start exclusive. It's way more advance that what anyone offered in the 90's.
  • blessingsx4blessingsx4 Member Posts: 16
    So, as opposed to “rehashing old topics” I will bring a few new ones to this discussion. So...how about the picture quality on the DVD. It is
    probably the only plasma screen tv we will every own!!!(because of the cost and all) I really enjoy the picture quality. Oh, and the multiple cup holders are a nice feature too. It is great that everyone in the car can have their own place to put their beverage. I like that the blinker is silent. Loud blinkers can be annoying. The low gas warning is great, except for when it doesn’t go on and you run out of gas. The power sliding doors are a big plus, especially since the kids can’t slam them. The only down side is when they open while the vehicle is in motion. And how about the dash? It looks so pretty when it is all lit up. It does not look as appealing when the lights dim down. The driver information center is a nice feature. Setting your own preferences is fun. It would be even better if it wasn't constantly telling you all of the failures your car was experiencing. I like the sunglass holders. They keep my glasses from getting broke by the kids. It would be helpful if they were a little larger to accommodate my husbands glasses. I like the built in car seat. It helps with leg room issues that you have when you put a standard car seat on the bucket seats. It is difficult to have a child sleep in it, however, unless you recline it a bit which inconveniently puts the seat onto the lap of the unfortunate person sitting behind said seat. The glove compartment is nice and roomy. And it is kind of awkward that there is only one arm rest on each of the front seats. I understand that it is only because of the side curtain air bags, but still very uncomfortable. And on that subject, how come the air bags only cover the middle seats. Am I just supposed to put my two favorite children in those seats and say sorry to the others????? Hmm…what a choice to have to make. Anyway, when I bought this car, it quite honestly was for looks. I felt like I was too young to be a minivan mom. I think there should be a trial period on all new vehicles, so one could discover that all of the “cute” features the vehicle is equipped with are actually not so cute after all. And we won’t get into performance.
  • haditwithmyvanhaditwithmyvan Member Posts: 19
    DITTO, DITTO, DITTO JENNIE!!!
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    I'm with genmtrfan... I think the real issues get watered down when you start complaining about "obvious" design elements of the car. Anyone spending ~$25k on a car should at least take it for a test drive and make sure they're aware of the basics... like engine power, seat layout, visibility, expected resale value, etc.

    As far as resale, anyone paying anywhere close to full price on a first year model in this price range and then trying to unload it within a year or two should expect to take a huge hit. Domestics, especially Buicks, are even more prone to rapid market depreciation (hence once reason why they're significantly cheaper (after incentives) than the Honda, Toyota, etc).

    We don't want to take away from the legitimate problems some people have had with their vans. Don't confuse vehicle problems with personal preferences & poor buying decisions

    As for me, I've got a '05 LT that we're happy with (so far)... especially in terms of value. A few minor issues (horn, DVD buzzing)... but nothing that couldn't be addressed when I got the oil changed.
  • terribleterazaterribleteraza Member Posts: 5
    genmtrfan, thanks for your input. I have driven GM for 30 years and were completely satisfied with all the cars I have owned. We traded a 2000 Montana, which was a good van. The redesign in 05 added 400 lbs to the vehicle with only a 20 lb increase in torque. You harped on "200" hp, but that is not what powers a vehicle, it is torque. The engineers at GM knew it was a mismatch and after ONLY one year offered the 3.9 which was not offered in the 05. The reason we bought it is because father-in-law worked for GM and we got the employee discount before it was in vogue. All of the other shortcomings I mentioned are present on all GM minivans, rear visibility, front leg room, blocked back up warning lights, etc. There is no excuse for those on a redesigned vehicle. They are just not in the same league as others. You are right though, cosmetically it is beautiful and with Buick having the only one with independent rear suspension, it rides much nicer the its GM siblings. But, like a marriage, you don't get to know the party until ya live together. If you can live with quirks, you have a happy marriage. Having been "married" to the Buick, I can't live with the quirks.
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    I think genmtrfan's point was that almost all of the things you listed as "problems" were fundamental / obvious design elements...torque, weight, seating config, leg room, accessibility, etc.

    Some of those elements might not be favorable to other brands, but with the discounts, you probably got a comparably equipped Buick for about $5-$10k less than a Sienna, right?

    For some of us, giving up a little torque & leg room & not pulling the DVD down until after we back out of our parking space are worth the savings relative to a Toyota or Honda.

    Unexpected mechanical, electrical, etc problems are one thing... but in your case it sounds like you just made a bad buying decision based on your needs.
  • vanman1vanman1 Member Posts: 1,397
    If you think it's underpowered why did you buy? If you don't like the seating why did you buy? I can't understand people who buy something they don't like and then complain. :confuse:
  • terribleterazaterribleteraza Member Posts: 5
    Vanman1, you are right, I made a bad decision. I think you'll agree it is tough to evaluate everything on a test drive. And to answer your question, momma liked it and we all know the cliche', if momma ..........
  • blessingsx4blessingsx4 Member Posts: 16
    I heard a rumor today from a reporter. The CSV's are history!?! I have a confirmed end to the SV6 but not a definate confirmation on the other three. Any input??? Oh, the reason for my other post and complaining about the little things is that we are no longer allowed to "rehash" on this board about the serious issues. I most certainly want to remain a member of this board so I am just trying to play by the new rules:) Anyways...no more CSV???
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    Based on this article, it sounds like it's just the end of the Pontiac version?

    http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/SUB/60210130

    I can't imagine GM not trying to get at least a few more years out of this model (for Chevy, Saturn, & Buick). Even if they decided today that they needed a better product in this segment, it would take at least 2-3 years to get it to market.
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    Not just yet, I'm sure. But it's most likely nothing to do with the constant poundings a few people have been making on the quality / reliability issues. The main reasons the CSVs will be going away:

    1) GM vans haven't been extremely competitive with the rest of the market (except possibly in Canada)
    2) A from-scratch redesign was going to be too costly / time-consuming
    3) Crossovers are the hot new ticket (and are really vans in drag anyway, with slightly less useable space and seating in most cases.. ie. CSV lite)
    4) GM has had (hopefully) competitive crossovers on the drawing board for a while, and will soon bring them to market (see Buick Enclave show vehicle)

    Because of the above facts I think GM simply decided to do a major refresh on the existing vans, but used mostly existing components. This is also the reason the 3.5l was chosen to power them initially, as the 3.9 wasn't yet ready and GM simply wanted the vans to hold the line until their true successors (see the crossover references above) are ready. This doesn't mean GM expected to gain market share, simply that they used what was currently on hand to keep from being eliminated totally from the market.

    As far as the vans themselves, despite the bad experiences a few have had, and I agree your experiences have been pretty bad, many of us have had good experiences with the vehicles we bought, and find them to be an especially good value once you factor in what we got for what we paid.
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    BTW, by soon I mean in another year or two. I'm feeling a bit too lazy to check just now, but elsewhere here on Edmunds' I'm sure you can find the expected model year rollout date for the Enclave and its brethren. I'm fairly sure the corresponding CSV for each division will bow out at the same time as the new crossovers come in.
  • rimorphisrimorphis Member Posts: 1
    sciteacher wrote:
    I ordered this van so I could tow stuff- the trailering package includes the HD cooling and the wiring harness, but not the trailer hitch. If you get the trailer hitch from Chevrolet you pay $325-350 including installation- and they were quick to tell me that the trailer hitch would come with the wiring harness.
    Sciteacher, or anybody else, how is the uplander for towing?
    I've got a ~2000 lb popup trailer that is a bit heavy on the tongue wt. and was thinking about the Uplander.

    Thoughts?
    robert
  • 535353535353 Member Posts: 10
    It looks like with both the 3.5L or the 3.9L, the towing capacity is 2000 lbs, but 3500 lbs with the trailering package. They also note this - NOTE: Trailer tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of total loaded trailer weight up to 500 lbs.

    I don't tow w/ mine, but it looks like it could handle your trailer if the trips are relatively short &/or infrequent. As it's not overly powered to begin with, a long trip through the mountains might be a stretch.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Yes the towing weight is 2000lbs, but with the Trailering Package (not just the hitch) it increases to 3500lbs. You DO NOT get the wiring harness with the trailering provision package, you get it when the dealer (or factory) adds the hitch. I've been in talks with 2 pontiac dealers now, and both of them are going to add the hitch at NO COST.
    So as it stands right now, the SV6 would include the Sport Package, Convienence Package, Trailering Provisions (with Hitch included). My total price would be $27,341.00.

    But we are still looking at other vehicles also (prices do not include rebates / incentives)
    1. Mazda MPV LX ($26,765 after packages)
    2. Pontiac SV6 ($27,341 after packages)
    3. Ford Freestyle SEL ($27,460 Standard Equipment)
    4. Nissan Quest 3.5 S Special Edition ($27,491 after packages)

    My wife and I set a $28,000 limit for our purchase. The Mazda jumped up in the list after the car show, but also after our test drive. There is a local dealer that is both a Mazda & Pontiac Dealer, so we will be setting up a comparitive test drive with each vehicle (comparitive = wife takes one, I take other, then we switch). Unfortinately, my wife also had seen the Mazda 5 (seems a little small (and only has a 2.3ltr 4cyl.).

    Odie
  • hammy233hammy233 Member Posts: 24
    When I had my :lemon: Relay :lemon: I was pulling a 1500lb Fleetwood(Coleman)Taos Trailer, by the time you added the Propane and Battery the Tongue was a tad overweight, I tried compensating for it by hanging the bikes on the rear of trailer, but as far as power and handling, braking was suffiecient, power was in my opinion poor, 200hp? with 2 adults 1 child a dog the engine was struggling, hunting for gears, and was very thirsty...hear in Ontario Canada the only flat level stretches of road are near Windsor, so anywhere else you went was an uphill battle, try going with the 3.9L or a different vehicle, I`ve yet to install a hitch on my 06 Vue 3.5L 250hp..so can`t give an opion on that yet.
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    I'd have to go with the other responses to this question. The 3.9L should be better for towing thanks to the increased torque though. I'd actually recommend the Terraza over the other CSVs for this task though, since it comes with the auto-leveling rear suspension.

    One of the problems I've seen when towing with other vehicles and slightly heavier tongue weights was that as the rear is pressed down the front gets light. Since that's where the steering wheels are everything starts to feel really darty. The auto-leveling rear suspension should reduce that issue, and from my buying experience the Terraza pricing is pretty much the same as pricing for the other brands so long as the equipment is roughly equivalent.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    The auto leveling load suspension system come is included in the towing provision package with the SV6. The towing package also includes the Heavy Duty alternator, engine cooling system, and engine oil cooler.

    But yes, you would be better off with the 240HP / 240 lbs-ft 3.9ltr engine that is only avail with the FWD sport package. The only reason that the 3.9ltr is NOT avail with the AWD is that it will NOT fit with the rear transaxle.

    Odie
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    I wondered why the 3.9 and AWD were mutually exclusive.
  • morewasabimorewasabi Member Posts: 58
    Jerry you're right on about value. I have a 2005 Terraza and the Van has been great. :) The 3.5L is peppy, the van is extremely quiet and plush. The value has been outstanding. Similar Toyota van sticker is $10k more, paid $26K for mine, Toyota would be $36K plus. Honda the same. For those with problems, go to the Honda and Toyota Van problems discussion and read up on engine problems, doors, transmissions, vibrations, clunks, pulling to one side, AWD malfunctions etc. Both the Toyota and Honda are rated tops, but still have similar problems if not more. So, I’ll keep my savings in my pocket and have fun with it elsewhere. That’s good value to me! :shades:
  • jerrywimerjerrywimer Member Posts: 588
    The value is the biggest reason we're driving a Terraza now. It may not be tops in many categories, but it's more than a match for our needs, and the styling is something we really like, to boot. I even think the materials, colors, and styling in the interior are above the competition, if features are short for some.
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