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Fully illuminated controls would definitely be nice but you get used to it very quickly and now I have no problem using the cruise at night.
Does anyone have this 'mini' minivan and what do you think. How much more will it cost come Sept? I heard the employee pricing goes away then. On the other hand I could have swore I pulled up pricing for this van months ago on Edmunds and it came up about the same price....perhaps it had a bigger rebate back then.
I do not want to be pressured into this van over the next two weeks if the price will not substantially rise thereafter....you guys should know the goings on with Chrysler and its rebates...what do you thing.
I also heard the Dodge's were cheaper but they apparently do not make the 'shorter' mini van anymore.
(Note, we have not had a Chrysler since some pretty pathetic experiences with a Sundance and Neon sime time ago, thus my apprehension on the product line)
We have had two Dodge short wheel base minivans, my wife drives it most of the time, in our family since 1985. Our current one is a 1996 SE Sport with the 3.3 L V-6. We like it for its all around utility in a fairly compact package. Won't hold a 4x8 sheet of plywood with the gate closed, but still pretty cavernous with both rows of seats removed, or even just the third row removed-compared to any sedan.
Except for a costly AC repair, our 1996 has been basically trouble free, now at well over 80K miles.
If you are interested in short wheel base version, I would recommend going with the Caravan SXT version which has the 3.3 V-6 standard, and ABS is an option. The 2.4 4 cylinder engine is too underpowered for this vehicle, in my opinion and does not improve mileage much, if any.
Stow and Go seats are not available on the short wheel base versions of Dodge or Chrysler minivans, however. There is just not enough floor pan length available for those storage pockets!
Note when perusing the internet, Edmunds, or dealer listings, the Caravan is the short wheel base version. The Grand Caravan is the long wheel base version.
I wouldn't worry too much about whether employee pricing is available or not. What with the strong competition out there, good bargains will be available either on leftover 2005 models or 2006 models if you are patient enough. Minivans, after all, are not particularly "hot" models where the people who have to have the latest and greatest are bidding up the price.
I purchased this van in Feb/Mar of 2004 (probably one of the first batch of 05's to hit the market). I had put only 13,300 miles on it when they said I needed brakes. I had always noticed excessive brake dust on the wheels, but I figured it was due to the openings on the wheels which allow you to see right into the rotor and pads. Now I think it was due to crappy brake pads! I have 2 friends who recently purchased this van and they are seeing the same on their wheels. I am curious if there are other 05 caravan owners who are noticing this same excessive build up of brake dust. If so, you should get your dealer to check your brakes before 12,000 miles...that's when the warranty expires for your brakes. I cost me $200.00 to have this repair done and I have not seen the brake dust since. Did they skimp on the brake pads in production????? I wonder.
I heard the grind about 5 seconds after pulling out of my driveway, just as I pressed the "recirculate air" button for the a/c. That was about 3 months ago and I have not heard it again since.
About 3-4 weeks ago I pulled into a gas station and turned off the ignition without turning off the a/c and the same white smoke billowed out of my front center vents. I started the van again and turned it off again and the smoke continued until I turned off the a/c. I have not had this happen again, even though I have turned off the ignition without turning off the air many, many times. When I turn the ignition off the power/radio stays on for 30 seconds but the air does not.
Did you ever get a diagnosis for these problems?
I don't think you needed brakes!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I wash my van every few weeks, so the brake dust never really becomes an issue. We've had our '05 DGC SXT since Thanksgiving 2004 and we absolutely love it!
I test drove a 2004 Sienna recently and it had MUCH more acceleration than my 2002 T&C LX 3.3L at speeds above 40 or 45 MPH. I test drove a 2005 GC SXT with 3.8L in early 2004 and did not notice much better acceleration than in my 02 T&C with 3.3L....but the new 2005 GC SXT was too new for me to stomp hard on the accelerator out of respect for the person who may buy it.
The Sienna CE is a fairly stripped minivan lacking many nice comfort features of most DC minivans altho it does have more powerful engine with an outstanding 5 speed Automatic transmission. I could not be satisfied with a Sienna CE after owning my nice, used 2002 T&C LX which is one of the lower priced DC minivans.
I have the sister to it, the Dodge GC. and don't see any exposed wires in the places you mentioned. Everything seems to fit together well with no gaps to see any exposed wires.
I have owned several Chrysler products in the last 25 years. I can say so far, this van has a better fit and finish than any of their other products I have owned. So far it has been trouble free in the eight months I have had it. That has surprised me some, with all the electronics on it.
and the lowest i got it to was 31.370.
anyways my van does have the gps navigation radio RB1 but it does not have sirius which i really want. has anyone had any experience upgrading to sirius? i called around and pretty much everyone wants close to $300 for the tuner and the install kit ,,plus $140 for installation. i just think this is allot of money.
thanks
JOse
I did get the brakes replaced and got the old pads-they were very worn. I no longer have the excessive brake dust. In fact I have hardly seen any dust since having this done, around 3 weeks ago. Sure makes me think they use very low quality pads in production. I highly recomend any owner noticing excess brake dust to have their brakes checked prior to reaching 12,000 miles!
I originally heard the noise on start up. Now I've heard the noise on a few occasions when I was sitting in the car with the engine off. The noise sounds like a loud buzzing type noise that seems to be coming from the area where the center dash vents are. Its not exactly a buzz but it's pretty loud and lasts about ten seconds.Anyone out there have a similar experience? It almost sounds like an electric switch activating..
BTW this is my second Dodge my last one was a 98 sport and I am totally convinced that there is no other minivan out there that can compete in looks, fit and finish, design and reliability. Dodge/Chrysler have the market, hook line and sinker!
Soooo what does he do? He buys a Dodge Caravan, puts the 250hp V6 from last 300 in it, adds Viper brakes and wheels, modifys it completely!! I'd bet he had 300hp by time he was done!! Talk about sleeper car!!!! Plain old white caravan!!!!
Lets face it, a car looks good when the wheels are clean and I pride myself in the shape I maintain my cars and trucks. The T&C creates incredible amounts of brakes dust on BOTH front and rear wheels. :mad: The condition is worse than on my high performance cars. I have noticed alot of other 2005 T&C's with the same problem. It would be nice to have wheels that stay reasonably clean for 300 or 400 miles. These are the WORST, I am getting too old to be cleaning my wifes wheels weekly as I have enough trouble keeping up with my truck and sports car.
Would love to hear from others if this is a very COMMON problem and if so what the cause and whats the fix. This annoys me so much that I am considering paying my mechanic to put in ceramic pads for me, which is the solution I used on my last truck when someone else put in cheap pads. Ceramics would go a month and still look decent after 5 -7 hundred miles.
Just my two cents
However, another friend has 80,000 + miles on a 99 GC with alloy wheels. The alloy wheels are NOT discolored and not corroded and the van still has the original pads (rear brakes are drum). :confuse:
I HATE the problem but the separately controlled temperature for driver and front passenger are such a nice luxury that I got the used 2002 T&C LX after comparing one son's 2001 Ody EX and another son's 2002 GC Sport. This one feature is NOW an item my wife and I could never be without...and we also like the complete overhead console that is NOT on any Odyssey.
German car makers/engineers prefer that pads and rotors wear evenly. When you replace pads you must replace (not turn) rotors too! This causes a lot of dust. I wonder if DCX is heading that way? I don't have a clue though, just guessing!
Could be the pads are coming from China, are made of cow sh*t and that's the reason
2000 Ford SVT Contour
2003 Ford F-150 Supercrew 4x4
2004 Dodge Stratus SXT
2004 Chrysler Pacifica
2005 Jeep Liberty
The Pacifica was marginally better with the chrome-plastic wheels.
My 2002 Lexus IS300 brake pads were great. Those wheels never looked dirty from brake dust, and I'd sometimes go 1000 miles between washes. My 1999 Ford F-150 Supercab 4x4 was pretty good, but it had chrome-plastic wheels too. I think Ford changed the pads between 1999 and 2003.
I replaced my 99 F-150 front brake pads with Napa Ceramix and the rotors from Autozone, and the rotors warped in less than a year. Then I bought appropriate rotors and they are still good after 30k miles. Anyway, my point is that ceramic pads retain heat longer than semi-metallic which can be a bad match with some rotors.
My Olds Van had a tray built into the top of the dash that was very handy. Any after market items that attach to the dash of the T&C?
Has anyone attached their I-pod to the stereo system? What's the best route?
I have two dogs and I'd like to protect the back of the van from scratches... anyone been there?
Thanks for your time in advance.
It may work, but why not just go to a Dodge dealer and buy it from them? I am sure their parts dept. have just what you need. It might pay to have a can or two around anyway, in case you ever have to add it to your tranny.
And finally, the Touring is a little less expensive. Can it be had with leather and the nav?
Having looked very closely at new T&C, Grand Caravan, Odyssey, and Siennas, I do not feel that the DC minivan interior looks as elegant as the interior of the Odyssey and Sienna. The leather in T&C Limited is not as soft and supple as the others. There is more hard plastic in the T&C Limited than in Sienna XLE or Odyssey EX or Touring. The Chrysler T&C Limited still has an old fashioned 4 speed AT while the Odyssey and Sienna have a more responsive 5 speed AT.
Nevertheless, for me the DC minivans offer more important features at a lower price than either the Odyssey or Sienna.
Last time I looked, the T&C Touring and GC SXT can be purchased with both leather and Nav but the T&C/GC Nav screen is smaller than the Nav screen in the others.
I believe DCX is going to 8" screen for 06? Still a little smaller than Honda's 9" one.
I sorta like the hard plastic for my situation....camping, hauling stuff and dogs. I'd have the Honda interior trashed in a few months I think, and be worried about using it
I almost got the Nav in my Dodge but decided it wasn't worth it, considering small display etc... I picked up a Garmin GPS for $600 with same size display as OEM but it's portable between my vehicles
Hard plastic is better for many situations as dennis has indicated.
After closely looking at minivans, I am convinced that DC minivans provide the features most people want at the best price.
If we were to buy a new 2006 minivan, it would probably be the short wheel base Caravan SXT and just not take as many clothes, snacks, books, etc. on trips that we have been taking.
Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler minivan problems
ClaireS, Host
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2005 Chrysler Town & Country & GC SXT Safety features, everything is a STANDARD on the Limited
Minivan-first driver-side inflatable knee blocker
The knee blocker inflates in conjunction with air bag deployment to help position the driver relative to the air bag and offers additional upper leg protection.
Three-row supplemental side-curtain air bags
Three-row, A- to D-pillar side-curtain air bags provide full-length coverage for all rows of seats. The side-curtain extends protection to all outboard passengers. Both side-curtain air bags have independent impact sensors, which trigger the air bag on the side where impact occurs.
Advanced multi-stage front air bags
These air bags provide enhanced protection for a greater range of occupants at various deployment levels, based on the severity of an impact. The front passenger air bag is also equipped with a standard occupant classification system.
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
The OCS determines the conditions for activation or deactivation of the passenger-side front air bag, based on the weight of the occupant.
Minivan-first standard door alert
The alert signal lights activate when the power sliding doors or manual sliding doors are in operation, signaling that occupants are getting in or out of the vehicle.
BeltAlert
This system periodically activates a chime and illuminates a light in the instrument cluster to remind unbelted drivers to buckle up.
Rear park assist
This rear obstacle detection system offers an audible warning and rear overhead display.
Child seat anchor system
Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) help ease the installation of compatible aftermarket child seats.
Enhanced accident response system
This system makes it easier for emergency personnel to identify a vehicle and reach the occupant by turning on the interior lighting and unlocking the doors after air bag deployment.
Constant force retractors (CFR)
CFRs are engineered to force-limit the belt system and gradually release seat belt webbing in a controlled manner during a severe impact.
Pretensioners
During a collision, the front seat belt pretensioners electronically sense a crash and immediately remove slack from the seat belts, thereby reducing the forward movement of the occupant's upper body.
Energy-absorbing steering column
The innovative stroking steering column uses "release capsules," which allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy absorption during a crash. The column also features "tuned" metal bend straps that deform during column stroke for optimal energy management.
Front crush sensors
Two sensors located below the headlamps measure the severity of an impact and relay crash information to safety systems in the occupant compartment.
Tire pressure monitoring system
This advanced system monitors the pressure inside each tire and alerts the driver to improper tire pressure conditions.
Anti-lock braking system
Equipped with electronic sensors that prevent wheel lockup, the system offers improved steering control under extreme braking and/or slippery conditions
Now, I have found replacement radios (I didn't want to go with the $500 Chrysler one!) and faceplates that would fit in to the space, but I haven't found anything that says it will actually work with the CD/DVD changer. I spoke to one sales rep (at an on-line retailer) who said that he didn't know of any radios that would be able to control the stock CD/DVD changer.
Is this true? Would I have to replace the CD/DVD changer in addition to the CD/AM/FM Radio?! Is there no CD/AM/FM/MP3 radio out there that (1) is decent, (2) is not $500 (like the Chrysler one), and (3) works with the factory changer?
If you did replace the radio, do the steering wheel controls still work? I haven't found a replacement radio that would allow them to work.
My current plan was to wait for Chrysler to come out with an mp3 capable radio some day and install that.
It looks fairly str8 forward...anyone have any experience with this?? Trickiest part is cutting carpet to fasten mounting bracket. It comes with "detailed" instructions but they're mostly detailed pictures, and no verbage!!
BTW - if you go to any DCX website, they're having $25 rebate on accessories over $200...not bad!
I'll keep everyone posted.