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Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Voyager

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Comments

  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    Are you sure you wern't at the Honda dealership? That story sounds like many of the stories that are described on the Odyssey forum, right down to the techniciations ignoring the problem.
  • jmcstravjmcstrav Member Posts: 4
    The better engine arrives as a dodge option in March 01 in case anyone wants to know.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    hey,

    there has been some buzz on usenet that a new tranny is coming with the 3.5l engine in march 01. has anyone else heard this? maybe there'll be a 42te or 43te.
  • jcrider1jcrider1 Member Posts: 2
    Can someone help me? I'm being told that the 2001 Limited does not come with the split rear seat? Is this true? thanks
  • con66con66 Member Posts: 3
    I am objectively considering the Odyssey and the 2001 Chrysler T&C. My brother has an EX which I'm well acquainted with. I test drove a 2001 T&C Limited on Friday. My impressions were mixed:

    Positives:
    1) extremely quiet. No comparison to Odyssey in this department.
    2) Attractive exterior design (looks better in person).
    3) Excellent brakes.
    4) Some cool features such as power center console with flip up cell phone cradle, three zone climate control, great storage.
    5) More luxury features than Odyssey EX.
    6) Power sliding doors are superior to the Odyssey (very easy to open in manual setting, reverse easily upon contact).
    7) Nice Infinity stereo.
    8) Good power (about same as Odyssey).

    Negatives:
    1) Feels very small inside compared to Odyssey. Less leg room in 2nd. row and much less cargo capacity behind 3rd. row. Power lift gate motor and spare tire location waste space. Appear to have sacrificed usable cargo space for more rounded design.
    2) Head rests in 2nd. row angle forward in a fixed position. I found them extremely uncomfortable.
    3) Numb steering and handling.
    4) No split rear seat in Limited model.
    5) Leather option in Lxi (my model preference) only comes in blue for some inexplicable reason. How about tan? I don't like the looks of the cloth in the Odyssey and feel that today's leather is more durable with young kids than cloth (I have three - 6 months, 2 yrs. & 4yrs.).
    6) It has been reported that 2001 Chrysler vans will not get 5 star crash ratings.

    Conclusion:

    Overall I was disappointed. The Chrysler is nice, but the Odyssey is better where it really counts: room, safety, handling and reliability. It is inexcusable that the 2001 Chrysler vans will not get five star frontal crash ratings when the competition has had them for years (honda, ford, toyota). Chrysler seems to have emphasized form (i.e. power lift gate) over substance.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    this five star rating thing has gotten out of hand. it has simply become marketing hype more than anything. what really counts are actual insurance claims and here is where the chryslers shine. granted, i do think chrysler mis-calculated how much folks are looking at those ratings these days...
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    by the way, my mother who has arthritis will greatly appreciate that new power liftgate!
  • jfz219jfz219 Member Posts: 63
    I agree with most of CON66's impressions. However, some points need to be addressed. The proximity of the head rest to the back of the head greatly improves its effectiveness in crash situations. If it feels confining,adjust the height to at least the top of the ear.

    The handling is adequate with the standard suspension. If you like more, test drive the upgrade available with the trailer towing package. The springs, sway bars, and shocks are stiffer. I personally chose the standard setup after driving both.

    Leather is available in the LXi package. The colors are a navy blue and taupe. The rear seat in the LXi is split.
  • scannerscanner Member Posts: 295
    Plus another record sales month too!
  • palmer2palmer2 Member Posts: 5
    Sounds like the 2001 town and country LXi only comes in blue or taupe leather. Does the 2001 dodge grand caravan come with tan(beige) leather?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    palmer2,

    not sure about the gc leather colours, but i did look at an 01' limited and the taupe colour really looks alot like a deep tan...for what that is worth.
  • con66con66 Member Posts: 3
    I have the 2001 catalog. The only leather option for the Lxi appears to be blue. Taupe (with suede) is only available in the limited.
  • jfz219jfz219 Member Posts: 63
    I test drove both the LXi and Limited with taupe leather interiors. The LXi does not have the suede inserts. The seat contour is also slightly different. Additionally, the third seat is the 50/50 arrangement.

    Both interiors are very nice. The blue will go well with the white, silver, and blue exterior colors. The taupe is a medium shade which will compliment the white, green, champaigne,and dark blue exteriors. After you see the taupe, you will not miss the light beige.

    When choosing your new van, test drive both the standard and trailer package suspension setups. I suspect that Motor Trend drove the latter. It is a harsher ride on midwest streets. I preferred the standard.
  • palmer2palmer2 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info on the town and country and the leather in it. Any impressions on the Lxi and the Limited? Are both similar in comfort?

    My father just drove up my drive way with a white 2001 Lxi which had everything on a standard Lxi except leather and the auto on/off lites. Boy was it nice. Stereo sounded like a concert and when we turned it off, it was so quiet. It had the 3.8 L engine which felt great when my dad let me test drive it. It had the split 3rd row seat. He told me he looked at the Limited model but it did not have the split 3rd row.

    Did you compare the 2001 t&c with the Odyssey. My neighbor up the road has one. Maybe I'll see if I can test drive his and compare. Both vans seem very spacious which is important to me.
  • jfz219jfz219 Member Posts: 63
    My wife is spoiled by leather and heated seats. Therefore, the Odyssey was out of the question. We have had leases for the 1994, 1996, and 1998 T&C vans. Even with sons well over six feet, and a daughter who can't pack light for college, the T&C has been more than adequate in interior space. The change in 1996 was a dramatic improvement, but it had several quality shortcomings. The 1998 had more features and a significant improvement in quality. The 2001 has the addition of the power doors and gate. But I think most of DC's efforts resulted in upgrading the safety and durability. I actually purchased this van.

    For those who had questions about availability of models and colors, your local can track your choice down in his region. My wife's choice of the champaigne Limited required my dealer get one from another dealer 290 miles away. The added cost was $165 to the dealer and a 48 hour wait for delivery. Not bad!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    does the 01 feel pretty well screwed together? is it fairly quiet, at least compared to the 98? and does the 3.8l feel more powerful and refined vs the old 3.8l. thanks. my parents are looking at getting a new 01 limited and i was wondering what your impressions were of the new vs old. thanks.
  • vttomvttom Member Posts: 3
    Where did you get the 2001 literature? My local dealers have not received the new brochures. BUT all dealers do have a printout which will tell you about all options, what items come with what packages, all options code designations, etc. You can even say you want to order such n' such vehicle; all they have to do is enter it into their computer and you will receive a printout which explains the options chosen and whether one item can be ordered with another. Hopefully I will be ordering my GC Sport next month.
  • tnawaratnawara Member Posts: 1
    What kind of deals are people getting on their '01 Town & Country's? I've been to several dealers in the west suburbs of Chicago and received wildly varying offers. One dealer firmly and repeatedly said that they would not sell for under invoice, another said they were willing to deal a bit, and a third was willing to deal even more. This third dealer is willing to sell a loaded '01 T&C LXi ($34,315 MSRP, $30,916 invoice, $29,988 true invoice after holdback) for $32,000.

    My questions are:

    - Are there significantly better deals out there?
    - Should I hold out for a better deal?
    - Should I just take the deal, shut up, and be happy?

    Thanks.
  • caracciolocaracciolo Member Posts: 5
    I HAVE NOTICED THAT EDMUNDS.COM DEALER INVOICE PRICE FOR THE 29S PACKAGE FOR THE ES GRAND CARAVAN IS LISTED AT $1687, WHILE ANOTHER WEBSITE THAT WAS REFERENCED IN THIS TOPIC(/newprrpt.exe?page=23&make=DODGE....) LISTS THE DEALER INVOICE PRICE FOR THE 29S PACKAGE AT $1262. QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN $$$$$$$$$. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHICH ONE IS CORRECT?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    here is another comparison with the previous generation minis. it appears that heated seats are no longer standard on the t&c limited. weren't they standard on the 00' model?? someone wanna verify this or set me straight??
  • jfz219jfz219 Member Posts: 63
    Heated seats are a $250 option not included in the Limited package. I don't know the 00' model onfo.
  • scannerscanner Member Posts: 295
    Re: #183 and #182

    I guess southerners got tired of paying for an option they didn't need. Heated seats are still standard in Canada.
  • cesarpcesarp Member Posts: 47
    standard on the 00 Limited. Nice feature! Only wished the back seats had them also.
  • scannerscanner Member Posts: 295
    Re: 180 Carleton,

    EVIC = Electronic Vehicle Information Center. This is the name for the display located at the top of the dash behind the steering wheel. I'm not sure, but I would assume some of the dash indicators will simply be duplicated on the EVIC overhead console on the T&C Limited.
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Carleton, in looking at a 2000 Caravan brochure the 16' Genesis mags were an option with the suspension package, not standard. I've seen a few Sports in my area with wheel covers.(standard suspension) seems the 2001 has the same content.
  • huffaustinhuffaustin Member Posts: 2
    Not that I am entirely hung up on this, but does anyone here know when they (the government, etc.) will be crash testing the 2001 Chrysler/Dodge vans? I'm curious to see if they do any better.

    Thanks!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    it is hard to say, but i suspect they will crash test them rather soon since this minivan is one of the most popular vehicles in north america. and chrysler has already warned their dealers that they are not expecting the minis to get 5 star ratings. the old minis were getting decent scores except for in off-set frontal crashes. supposedely the new mini will do much better in off-set crashes but not much better than the old one in full frontal crashes. overall, they will be very safe vehicles. however i still can't shake the thought that chrysler engineers have miscalculated in not designing their new minis to achieve 5 stars.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    for anyone interested, you can visit www.chrysler.com and build your own 01' town and country or voyager. they just updated the prices and equipment for the new minis...
  • jamesboberjamesbober Member Posts: 7
    Hi:
    I am looking at both the GC-ES and the T&C-LXi. What is the difference? The T&C is a few hundred more in invoice price and the only differences I see are the front grill, the instrument gauges look different and the T&C took the cheap way out by only including steel wheels instead of cast aluminum. Have I missed something?
  • jamesboberjamesbober Member Posts: 7
    Hi:
    I need to get some clarification. Does a CD player come standard on the GC-ES? The option list on Dodge's web site shows the 4 disk as standard but Edmunds, show it as an option. Which is correct?
  • jamesboberjamesbober Member Posts: 7
    Will the power sliding doors operate while the vehicle is in motion? Or is it locked out.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    I found that a pretty well loaded ES (leather, 29S package, AWD, etc.) is very close in price and features to an LXi. However, you should check this out: I think the LXi lacks the "AutoStick" and auto dimming exterior and interior rear view mirrors. I also believe that the ES 29S package includes (for FWD only) a touring suspension and 17" wheels, which are not available on the LXi.

    Make sure you verify what I'm saying here, but I believe it is correct.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    I believe what is standard is only CD changer controls, not a CD changer. I think you get a single CD player upgrade included in option package 29S. A separate option (RDW) adds an in-dash 4-disc changer (lower on the console). What I'm not sure about is whether adding the 4-disc changer deletes the single player in the radio proper, or whether you wind up with both.

    (check Edmunds pricing -- no CD is mentioned as standard; RAZ, which includes a CD, says, "INCLUDED in 29S"; and RDW costs much less if you already have 29S)

    Hope this helps, jamesbober.
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    Jamesdober, a salesman was sitting in the driver's seat with the engine running and tried to open the liftgate. It would not open. It turned out it was blocked because he was not in "park."

    Something I'm not thrilled about is this: I reached into the vehicle to hit the overhead button to open the starboard door. I accidently hit the liftgate button instead. I realized that I was about to buy a new grill for the pickup parked behind the Grand Caravan, so I hit the button again, hoping to reverse the liftgate. It continued to open fully. Luckily, there was enough clearance to the pickup that I did not field test the collision sensing mechanism.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Fortunately, the rear liftgate's pinch protection mechanism is very sensitive (but not too sensitive) and I doubt that you would've caused any damage at all to the pickup truck behind.

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • rolfe2rolfe2 Member Posts: 81
    Granted, the mechanism is sensitive, but I find in odd and worrisome that the operator can't change his mind in mid-cycle. After all, the operator has eyes to anticipate with, but the door only can feel things after the fact. I'll bet the engineers re-think this one eventually.

    I'll probably take a look at the wiring diagram and see if I can modify my own. The logic seems simple -- if the operator hits the button and the door is in midstream, just reverse direction.
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    I agree with you that it is rather counter-intuitive that the system cannot be reversed in mid-cycle. FWIW, the Honda Odyssey's power sliding doors cannot be manually reversed when their in mid-cycle either. Strange...

    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • brianinohbrianinoh Member Posts: 20
    FWIW, my experience with our Odyssey EX is that if you pull the handle or push the dash button while the doors are closing or opening, the doors will stop. Pull the handle or push the button on the dash again, and the doors will reverse (door that was opening when it stopped will close and door that was closing when it stopped will open). Seems to me that that is what rolfe expected with the DC lift gate.

    BTW, it never ceases to amaze me that when someone makes a post about one thing or another that a non-Odyssey van cannot or does not do, someone always posts that the Odyssey can't or won't do it either. Why is that relevant? Several other makes of vans have power doors yet you specifically mention the Odyssey. Do you just not know about the other vans? Just curious....
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    The Odyssey popped into my mind mainly because I had just read over another poster's message mentioning this quirk a couple of minutes before. I did not mean for it to have any particular relevance.

    And yes, I'm not as familiar with the other power door systems on other vans, other than the Odyssey and Pontiac Montana. I do realise that the new DCX vans, as well as the Toyota Sienna are available with them.

    Hope this answers your questions.
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • crunchcrunch Member Posts: 84
    Maybe I can clear up a few prior questions on the 2001 GC. The ES does NOT include a CD player. The 29S package does include a single CD player, as well as the AutoStick, Touring suspension and 17" wheels previously mentioned. Info is from the sticker on our new Silver/navy leather 2001 GC/ES.
    The wife loves it! Keeps looking for excuses to drive it. Reminds me of me when my 300M was new.
  • tugboat2tugboat2 Member Posts: 7
    This car has been on the market for about a month, yet I have read virtually nil posts concerning the experiences of new owners. This topic appears dead in the water. Am I missing something? Is there another thread or even another site/newsgroup where this discussion is occurring?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    i would say most folks who buy minivans (mommy-mobiles) aren't the type to mess around much in places like townhall...and there is nothing wrong with that!
  • tugboat2tugboat2 Member Posts: 7
    I agree.. just like Seinfeld says "there's nothing wrong with that"....however Honda Odyssey has generated well over 200 posts in less than a week.
  • hersbirdhersbird Member Posts: 323
    Hey do the above two posts give you any insight to your question in #201? If every possible negative of the Chrysler is compared to the oddyssey (like not getting enough posts on edmunds) then why not post the other way around when relative.
  • crunchcrunch Member Posts: 84
    We've only had the new 2001 GC/ES for a week and about 300 miles but I'll give you a few initial impressions....

    Buying - Good price, 225 over invoice. I have a long standing relationship with the dealer but that's the best I could do, two other folks were in line in case the deal went south.

    Driving Impressions. Great!! good acceleration (3.8 215hp) not quite as fast as my 300M but way better than the Chevy Astro it replaced. This van is quiet!!! A lot more so than my 300M at highway speed. No vibration, no wandering, little side wind effect. Far more stable than the Astro. I haven't played with the autostick yet.

    Great sound system...

    3 zone air works great--

    I have my doubts about all the electrics in the three automatic doors, they are working fine now but I'm considering a service agreement for protection after the 36000 mile mark (repairing a "industry first motor inside of the door" sounds expensive to me).

    I know that's way to early to tell if the quality is there for the long run but initial fit and finish is good, nothing to complain about so far.

    I'm not a Chrysler bigot, I just buy what suits my fancy. I must say that 32,000 trouble free miles in a 99 300M didn't hurt the decision process though.
  • brianinohbrianinoh Member Posts: 20
    No. Again, the following is the type of post that I am concerned about:

    Person A: I really wish that make X had feature Y.

    Person B: Well, the Odyssey doesn't have feature Y either.

    I just don't see how that makes Person A feel any better about the lack of feature Y. Why should it be relevant?

    And when I asked the question in #201, I was referring to a "feature" that the Odyssey does have.

    btw, I do not see #211 and #212 as being negative on Chrysler. If you think about it, they are more negative on Odyssey owners. ;)
  • tugboat2tugboat2 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks Crunch for your input. The purpose of my post was to generate some discussion or at least direct me to a relevant site. It was not meant to stoke the paranoid fantasy of some.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    crunch,

    i have a y2k intrepid and also think it's kinda noisy on the highway. funny how chrysler can create a "quiet" minivan but fail to do so on its flagship sedans!
  • brianinohbrianinoh Member Posts: 20
    The Odyssey has been a very popular topic for conversation bere in Town Hall. Initially (back in Fall 1998), TH was the best source of info on the redesigned Odyssey. Most dealers had never seen one and almost no Odysseys were on the lot long enough for the dealer to get very familiar with the vehicle. Details came in pieces here in TH as more and more people bought and drove them. Some initial info reported here in TH was inconsistent and had to be sorted out. The same is not true with the other makes of minivans because you can simply go to virtually any dealer and drive any other make of minivan and the dealers are familiar with them.

    In addition, Odyssey buyers typically wait some period of time for their vehicles. Therefore, they continue to come here to see what is new with the Odyssey and what new experiences people are having. The same is not true with the other makes of minivans because you can go to just about any lot and buy one today and drive away today.

    Because TH is a good source of info on the Odyssey, many Odyssey owners continue to come here as a source of info on problems or issues that develop during ownership. With the redesign, the solutions to some of the problems/issues may not be known by every dealership across the country so TH is a way of spreading the solutions. With many of the other makes, dealership service depts are very familiar with most problems that develop.

    Regarding the 2001 DC vans, I too am somewhat surprised that there has not been more threads and posts on the new DC vans which have been much anticipated. DC sells so many more vans than everyone else that I would have expected more interest here. But because of the factors noted above, I am not sure that the numbers are very large for the DC owners that post here (especially based on ratios of numbers of owners). In addition, the new DC vans are now on the dealer lots and DC, with 3? plants, is able to put a lot of vans out there right away. Why come here to talk about the new DC vans when you can just go to a dealer and drive whatever make/model you want?
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    Now now, scanner. Be nice! There's no need for disparaging remarks...

    Thanks,
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
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