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Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
(guess everyone else is posting in the DC subcategory discussions, eh?)
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Thanks
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
TIA,
Pete
1. Does anyone know if the 3.5 liter V6 will be available on the 2002 minivans?
2. I presently drive a 99 300M and felt the 3.8L engine in the 2001 minivan is much smoother than the engine in my 300M. Anyone else like to comment?
Unfortunately (depending on your view of the world) the 3.5L engine was not listed as an option. What I do recall:
- DVD based enteratinment system as an option
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Rear audio controls (not sure if this was new for 02, don't recall it being available last year)
Did note that Honda is upping the power in the Odyssey to 240hp and I believe offering a 5-speed automatic. Based on this I was hoping Chrysler would take a step on upgrading their drivetrain.
--BKS
Try the following sites, plus consider the FM modulator option.
http://www.crutchfield.com
http://www.jcwhitney.com
Don't know if that matters to you (or your kids), but if it does, I would strongly recommend purchasing a CD player that claims to be sensitive to CD-Rs. Either of the links provided by Scanner will serve you well. Depending on where you live, Car Toys and Magnolia Stereo are also decent retailers.
thanks.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I remember what Car and Driver said when they first drove the 2001 Minivan-- this was so good it could easily replace a sedan. It takes a drive to understand what they mean.
Ed
I think the reasoning behind Edmund's dislike and almost hatred of the Dodge Caravan is presumtuous and false. People DO like a van that drives like a car, has many small but very helpfull features, offers good performance, and looks great in the process. The Honda Odyssey doesn't use the same formula as the DC minivans do and for that reason they will never sell more.
Edmunds.com can continue to devote 3/4 of it's long term update for their Grand Caravan ES to trashing the van and telling people how much the Odyseey is better, but as far as sales go, the consumers don't seem to be listening...
-Adam
Regarding incentives, they may vary by state, or even region within a state. The current incentives in upstate NY are $1000 or low-rate financing (2.9% for 36 months as I recall). I do know that if you order a vehicle, the incentives that apply are the ones in effect at the time of delivery, not the ones at the time of the order.
-Larry
Naples, NY
Pete
Any thoughts?
Ed
Just want to improve the handling. I have Michelin Pilots on my 300M. They are terrific.
Ed
price difference.
GC eL.............$22,728 / 24,175 = $1447
GC Sport "H"..$24,470 / 26,680 = $2210
GC eX.............$25,049 / 26,725 = $1676
The difference in dealer markup between value priced eL and eX compared to Sport is NOT as great as one may have believed. I think DC will make MORE money on each eL and eX than on Sport if they continue to offer incentives on Sport.
.....Why would anyone buy a GC Sport instead of lower priced eL with more features or the eX with many more features for only $45 more?
.....My 1999 GC SE has nice extra features above the 2002 eL or Sport. They are: Cast Wheels, Roof Rack, Infinity Sound System, + single CD with AM/FM/Stereo Cassette. MSRP was $27,490 and I paid $22,590 after discount, incentive, etc.
.....However, the 2002 GC eL and GC Sport have Triple Zone Temp Control while I have Dual Zone. It would be really nice to have the separate temp control for the rear area. I actually prefer my one piece 3rd seat that will slide, tip forward, and recline to the 50/50 split 3rd of 2002 GC eL.
Mind you, this would also mean getting a Sport or EX with dual power/manual sliding doors, and power/manual trunk, so the EL may be the way to go for you, even though the EX and Sport either come standard or have available the things your '99 has, which would be the cast aluminum wheels, CD Player, and roof rack.
Here are basically the pros and cons that I have come up with about the split bench. And just to let you know, these cons that I made up a while ago outweighed the pros, which ultimately made getting a Limited with the full bench a very easy decision.
PROS
-Each seat only weighs 55 pounds
-Can leave one in, and take another out
-When third row seats are vacant, you can flip one or both forward for good extra cargo
CONS
-Split seats can't slide forward and only tip forward, so in my case on vacations where the dog HAS to sit on the third row seat, the tip feature wouldn't even matter. This would mean I wouldn't have as much space behind the split third row as I would if it slid forward like the full bench
-Dog is more susceptible to slide off the split third seats in the event of hard braking and onto the floor since they can't slide forward up against the back of the second row buckets
I wish Chrysler would offer a split third row that tips AND slides forward, because Toyota currently offers that feature on the split third rows in the Sequoia and Sienna.
Also, I'm wondering if anyone here could give me an opinion on the Odyssey trunk. As you might have figured, on trips, I HAVE to have the third row up, so I wouldn't even be using the Magic feature. Even with the third row up in the Odyssey, does it actually hold more than a Chrysler van with a third row bench that is all the way slid forward? The well in the Odyssey third row looks great and all, but it still seems as though the Chrysler vans would still have more space lengthwise with their third row slid forward.
Oh well, that's enough rambling for one night. Thanks of anyone could fill me in on my questions!
We put both our small kids back there and usually leave just one second row bucket seat in the vehicle. When we have to haul long items, we remove a bench half and move a kid to the second row. Real easy.
Your "con" listing is a little more on the personal side. Your dog must be one happy canine. The major con is that you lose functional seating for an additional body.
And yes, it would be nice to have a multiple track system like other vans.
Have I missed something about the BR or similar vehicles?
1. People may need that third row just for kids and the Buick meets that requirement.
2. Crossovers have a higher clearance than an AWD minivan and if you travel certain backroad or ranch roads enough that may matter. Our 2001 AWD T&C performs wonderfully on all sorts of road conditions. The only time, however, when we have had to "turn back" was due to insufficient road clearance--something our SUV would have handled easily.
to rusted metal. Anyway, I determined that the noise only occurred while the air conditioner was running. I also heard noises from the engine similar to the old Pinto noises when the car would continue to run after you removed the key. This latest noise just seems to boost the engine at various times. I took it back to the dealer and they kept it for two days. Both noises are still there. I got a friend to ride in the car and he said that the air conditioner noise was probably the "clutch". The dealer said they checked that and because they could not get the noise to be constant, they could not repair it. The other noise they said will always be there because the engine is running. I'm worried because the engine noise only began about 1 week or so ago. I love the way the van handles and just want to know if anyone has been experiencing same.
louisjeanboyz
I also wonder why the GC eL has the 50/50 split rear seat instead of the one piece 3rd row seat. The 50/50 split 3rd row seats cost $200 more in the GC Sport with Quads in 2nd row than does the one piece rear seat with 2nd row Quads.
The 50/50 seats were meant for easy flexibility and having one seat weigh about 75 pounds but another weigh about 40 pounds would not be totally ideal or easy to lift out.
The 50/50 are both an equal and a generally easy 55 pounds each. The bench though is a cumbersome 120 pounds. I guess I'm lucky I don't take it out my bench that often to worry about it.
While you and me may like the full bench, the crack in the middle of the split seat is obviously less of a problem to the majority of Chrysler minivan shoppers, since it wasn't long until all of the dealer lot Town & Country Limiteds were fitted with the no charge split bench, rather than the premium full bench with center armrest like mine. Oh well.
As for the bench; storing it when removed was always the bigger issue for me. Couldn't park both cars in the garage with it in there.
The 2002 Caravan brochure calls them the eC, eL, and eX on pages 20 and 21 where Standard features and options are shown and pages 22 and 23 where Colors, wheels and accessories are shown. I have not yet seen a 2002 Voyager/Town and Country brochure so it may be that Chrysler models are labeled differently than Dodge.
The announcement in the Detroit News Tuesday August 28, 2001 stated that the new 2002 models would be called the Chrysler Voyager eC / Dodge Caravan eC and the Chrysler Town & Country eL and Dodge Grand Caravan eL
Here is the link to the complete article:
http://www.detnews.com/2001/autos/0108/28/c01-279918.htm
http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolva.asp
Total passenger minivan sales thru Sept (2001 and 2000):
TOTAL: 2001 = 944,804 .....2000 = 1,134,041
NOW: each company actual sales and percent of total each year:
DC......402,450 = 42.6%...2000...451,379 = 39.7%
GM......177,711 = 18.8% ..2000...225,699 = 19.8%
FORD...131,128 =13.9%...2000...183,701 = 16.1%
Honda...95,082 = 10.1%...2000....98,272 = 8.6%
Toyota..65,967 = 7.0%...2000....82,575 = 7.3%
Nissan..37,255 = 3.9%...2000....61,519 = 5.4%
Mazda...24,299 = 2.6%...2000....28,488 = 2.5%
Sedona...7,311 = 0.8%...2000....NONE
Eurovan..3,601 = 0.4%...2000.....2,418 = 0.2%
DC includes Caravan, GC, T&C, Plymouth and Chrysler Voyager, and PGV.
.....GM includes Venture, Montana, Silhouette, Astro Passenger, Safari Passenger.
.....Honda includes Odyssey and Oasis.
.....Nissan includes Quest and Villager.
VERY INTERESTING: While 2001 DC sales are down, so are the sales of most other companies...including Honda (Odyssey and Isuzu Oasis). DC percentage of sales for 2001 increased impressively as did Odyssey and the lowly VW Eurovan.
Most often overlooked and not mentioned when talking Odyssey and TC. How important is a full size spare to you?
While HOnda offers the storage 'well' behind you, you can't get a full size spare. Only the temp spare tucked under the floor between then front and 2nd row passengers. Personnally, if I'm on a road trip and get a flat, I'm not sure I want to cont the trip on a temp spare and have to unload people or stuff to get to it. If you will always use the 3rd seat, then such points become something to consider.
-- BKS
PS - as for the k9. put him or her in a harness that fastens to the seat belt. This keeps them from becoming a flying object under severe braking or accident situations. Its better for humans and K9.
-Larry
Naples, NY
Enjoy your new car. Lots about this vehicle are absolutely wonderful.
Let us know how the 2002 AWD is. I am thinking of getting one also.
Ed
It has been mistaken as many different things:
Tire balance
Bad roads
Engine misfire
Fuel pump
Torque Converter shudder is usually not the first guess that mechanics and non-mechanics will make when this symptom first surfaces.
Complaint:
What you usually experience is a slight shake or vibration in third or fourth gear that is downright annoying. It has a certain "washboard road" feel in the seat of your pants. Drivers usually just live with this problem until they can't stand it anymore.
Cause:
Torque converter shudder is very simply caused by worn-out transmission fluid. The lock-up clutch inside the torque converter is slipping/grabbing giving the shudder effect.
The fluid is originally died pink at the factory so you can tell when the fluid is failing or oxidizing. It will turn dark red, then change to brown, and finally to black. Automatic transmissions are designed to slip as part of their normal operation. Poor quality fluid allows too much slip and eventually causes failure. In severe-duty vehicles like Police, Limo, Taxi, the fluid quality is much more crucial.
Solution:
Use an Automatic Transmission Fluid Exchanger/Flusher to completely remove the old fluid every 20,000 miles (severe-duty). This process ensures that the fluid is reset to 100% performance efficiency. The torque converter lock-up clutch will no longer chatter.