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You're correct about the plants - Windsor and St. Louis split the vans, with St. Louis handling the short wheelbase models.
dwg
Kelly
The model you buy has some bearing on this as well, since I believe the AWDs will trail the others by several weeks. Initial production concentrates on models that will form the bulk of a dealer's sales, and since the AWD had a production run of about 5% of the total in 2000, they naturally have a lower priority.
As far as price goes, the delaers are just making educated guesses at this point. In the example above (very good choices, by he way!) $300 over invoice seems about right (that's what I intend to shoot for myself), but I suspect the $30,000 figure may be $200.00 to $300.00 too high.
Good luck to all the DC prospects, and I hope I've been of some help!
Too bad the 3.4 ltr is not available. Does anyone have an idea when it might be?
There will be only three trim levels available in the 2001 Dodge Caravan. SE, Sport, and ES are the only three trim levels starting in under $20,000 through under $35,000.
All of these are final answer on the info about the 2001 Dodge Caravan.
And that's my final answer!
DC's pricing method is the most common way to set pricing because it allows manufacturers to adjust pricing for current market conditions.
The way Honda sets its pricing does nothing more than fool people into thinking their vehicles have better resale value and adds to the unscrupulous dealer practices for which Honda has become infamous.
Even though it's tough to compare prices of two "similarly" equipped products that have a 4-5 year design cycle and which were designed in different years, I will give it a try. ;-)
2000 Honda Odyssey current expected selling price:
LX $23,400 (MSRP)
EX $26,000 (MSRP)
2001 Grand Caravan current expected selling price:
Sport $22,150 (Invoice +$300)
ES $26,500 (Invoice +$300)
Can you imagine the prices Chrysler could command for their minivans if they put a choke hold on supply like Honda? There's no way in the world people would have to pay MSRP for a Odyssey if Honda produced as many minivans as Chrysler.
As for pricing, all makers have the ability to adjust pricing for market conditions. They simply offer rebates/incentives to dealers. And its pretty easy for dealers to adjust too to changing market. Make/model not selling as well as last month, maybe we should accept offers that are $500 lower than we did last month. Still not selling well? Maybe go $1000 lower.
Different makes have different pricing strategies. Some set MSRP high and then discount/rebate to lower selling price. As a matter of marketing, many buyers feel like they got a good deal (just like people who go to jewelry stores and buy at 75% off prices that were 2-4 times inflated). Other makers set MSRP a lot closer to what the selling price is expected to be.
As for what "fools" Honda owners into thinking their vehicles will have higher resale value, I believe that is called history.
Yes, apparently Honda "seller's" have the ability to "control" Honda's price, they controlled Mark Roberts invoice pricing of the Honda Odyssey right back up to MSRP. ;-)
What I said and meant was the "manufacturer" meaning Chrysler Corp etc not the seller/dealer/middleman has sole ability to "adjust" pricing for market conditions. A seller/dealer/middleman doesn't have much ability to adjust price because a seller/dealer/middleman will seldom if ever sell a vehicle for less than they paid the manufacturer, and most sellers/dealers/middlemen are satisfied with receiving no more than their holdback plus something between $0-$500 over invoice.
BTW, How about publishing some actual numbers from those history books which show Honda's have better resale value.
I'm also thinking about getting one just so that I can drive around town with the new high beams on to blind other drivers out of spite. ;-)
-----
Here's another question that has nothing to do with 2001 DC minivans. Has anyone ever found themselves driving along in a caravan of Caravans?
The other day I found myself in the #4 position in a line of 5 Chrysler minivans. Can anyone top the record? ;-)
I've noticed the Mexican tourists who drive their late model Chrysler Minivan up from Mexico is really a Chrysler Voyager, but with Dodge Grand Caravan LE grill, wheels and gray bodyside cladding!!! Since summer tourism is up here in Southern Cali, I've seen quite a few of these vans. Pretty weird to see a Caravan LE but with Chrysler Voyager emblems.
Another weird one i've seen recently was a NEW 2-door Dodge Ram CHARGER!!!! It also had mexican plates. If you go visit the Chrysler Mexico site, you can see this pretty odd but cool looking vehicle.
they are from 97 to now generation
In #88, you praise the DC pricing policy because it allows DC to adjust pricing for market conditions. But how do they do that? With dealer incentives/rebates. How is that any different than what any other maker can do? That same model works for sales above and below invoice (with rebates/incentives).
Question: If DC dealers could sell the DC minivans for more than the invoice less whatever the current rebates/incentive is, would they?
carelton--The info you seek regarding resale value is very difficult to obtain. How will the pricing guides get the info as to how much people paid for the various makes/models when new? For different people at different times in different locations, the pricing will differ.
Another reason why the rental car agencies typically stock domestics is that there still are a great number of people out there who will never, ever drive a "foreign" car (despite the fact that many domestics are not built in US and many "foreign" makes are). Certainly, in NE Ohio (strong Ford country) that is very true.
But, your #88 started things off:
"DC's pricing method is the most common way to set
pricing because it allows manufacturers to adjust
pricing for current market conditions.
The way Honda sets its pricing does nothing more
than fool people into thinking their vehicles have
better resale value and adds to the unscrupulous
dealer practices for which Honda has become
infamous."
My point is simply that both Honda and DC have the ability to adjust pricing for current market conditions.
I never said DC was the only manufacturer that has the ability to adjust pricing. My point was Honda "dealers" can and do adjust Honda's pricing, but they adjust it in the WRONG direction.
DC dealers are in business to make a profit. Assuming that currently, DC dealers are selling the DC minivans for invoice less a $1000 factory rebate. If they could sell the vans for invoice less $500, wouldn't they? Wouldn't you?
Second, many of the posts that I have seen from folks buying Accords and Civics indicate that they have paid 2-3% above invoice. Not very different from other makes/models.
Third, Odyssey and S2000 are currently selling for more than that. I think the S2000 is simply a unique vehicle (similar to the Miata several years ago) and is more of a "gotta have" type car. Seems to me that when I hear ads for Dodge on the local radio for the current rebates/special financing, the Viper is excepted. And its my understanding that the PT Cruiser is not selling for invoice less $1000 or even invoice. Are DC dealers taking DC's pricing on Viper and adjusting it in the wrong direction? I don't think so. They are just responding to the market.
Now look at the Odyssey. If you compare the invoice price and MSRP for the 1998 (pre-redesign) and the redesigned 1999 Odyssey, there was almost no change (if any). My memory tells me it was less than $150 jump for 1999 in invoice and MSRP stayed the same. Yet, if you compare a 1998 Odyssey EX to a 1999 Odyssey EX for example, you get a lot more vehicle: V-6 engine, dual power sliders, front/rear a/c, a lot more room, etc for the same MSRP and virtually the same invoice. I believe that the 1998 Odysseys were selling at prices similar to the Accords and Civics (about 2-3% over invoice). Honda could have raised the invoice and MSRP on the 1999 (reflecting fact that it was selling more vehicle) and then sold them for a small percentage over invoice and a large discount under MSRP. The selling price probably would have been the same. Market forces determine the selling price. Not dealers or makers for that matter acting totally independently.
To me, the Odyssey is competitively priced at MSRP. It it wasn't people would not be waiting to get one. They would buy a DC van, Sienna, Windstar, etc. instead. Others (a majority of van buyers) decide something else better suits their needs (many times, I am sure price is a factor). But that price should be the actual $$ spent (including costs of financing) not what labels are put on that price.
And thanks for pointing out to me that I need to take my 1999 Odyssey EX to the dealer to get those problem power sliding doors installed. You see, ours have worked perfectly for 19 months and counting. I will make sure and tell the other real people that I know who also have not had problems with their power sliders that a trip to the dealer is required to have that taken care of. Thanks again.
KarenS
Vans host
Why do I read this DC thread? Because I have seen a lot of info in the media about DC's 2001 redesign. I am curious to see what features the new DC vans will have if nothing else than those features will probably be on the next minivan I buy. I don't see that as "trolling."
Why do I post in this thread? Invariably, people make comparisons to different makes in any thread, even those that are supposedly limited to one make/model (and Karen, I think you will have a very difficult time enforcing such a restrictive policy as you set forth in #120). Sometimes, people will misrepresent a feature/fact about another van or will make a statement that doesn't make sense to me. I often times will indicate the problem with the post. I have done that with many different vans (although certainly, I have done it more with the Odyssey because I have one). Why should people make a decision based on facts that may not be accurate? Certain issues don't need to be addressed because people reading these threads (and I think a person who is reading only ONE thread is fairly rare) can discern the issue themselves. To me, that is not trolling either.
It has been requested of me many, many times to "remove" a participant from a topic because their views differ from the others. As always, lively debate is what makes a discussion interesting, and no, it doesn't matter if they are biased and have flawed information, their opinions/comments are still welcome. BUT when it gets personal and/or accusatory, then it's time to step back and re-evaluate the topic. Face it, no matter how you try to convert them, there will always be someone who disagrees with you. ;-)
KarenS
Vans host
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Indydriver,
I'd bet you saw a base Sport. I have yet to see a 2001 Caravan or Voyager. It's funny how the long wheelbase Sport has come to replace the Base and SE models when the Sport originally started out as a special SE model with special trim. You can tell which model is DC's most popular.
Very smooth and powerful
List price avout 32,OOO with all the goodies
Power doors worked very nicely. Also open manually with to added effort.
Had LX also on lot for 28000 +
I agree with most of the posts above, except that I like the 2001 interior better than the 2000. I certainlt\y concur with Scanner that the plastic on the side is pretty ugly - thankfully, the ES has a body-color with chrome insert strip. Much better!
I went to two dealers in the area - the first had three Sports on the lot, two base and on AWD, surprisingly. The sales guy gave me the key and left me on my own, saying, "They're way in the back of the lot. We've got too many 2000s to sell first!"
I was pleasantly surprised pricewise - the salesguy was quick to whip out an invoice for the AWD, before I had even mentioned price and said they'd do "$200-$300 over". When I mentioned that an Autovantage dealer I had spoken to in the Spring about 2000s offered $100 over, he was quick to match.
The second dealer had two Sports on his lot, which I didn't bother seeing since I want an ES, and I had satisfied my basic curiosity at dealer #1. This dealer claimed to be able to go to invoice on an order, though his manner made me a bit sceptical. He was a mite perturbed that I had gotten the ES invoice price off the internet. "How can you have that price when I don't?", quoth the sales maven. Was he planning on some creative invoice padding?
I'll try to get to another couple of dealers tomorrow.
Planning to replace our 98 GC Sport with 01 Sport or ES, so dropped by a local dealer here in Toronto, Canada at the new vans. Overall, they seemed nicer, but our whole family didn't like the new seating arrangements, particularly 50/50 spilt rear on ES. We have the middle and rear benches on our 98 and prefer that even to quad-command buckets.
Does anyonone know when ordering 01 quick order packages 28K (Sport) or 29S (ES), if we could get middle and rear benches instead of the included buckets and 50/50's?
But, one of the things I was really waiting for was the split rear bench -- I really liked the Sienna's and the flexibility it offers (taking out just one seat or having both kids sit on one side of the van in different rows -- freeing a whole side for long cargo like lumber). BUT, I really didn't like the split that much. The center seat in the 3rd row was very uncomfortable -- could feel the "hinges" right in your back (can't remember if sienna's was the same or not). But I won't often carry 7 passengers so still debating the split. I was suprised that all the Limiteds (2) my dealer had came with a solid bench instead of the split. The dealer didn't know if it could be ordered the other way (Does anyone know that? can you get split rear OR solid bench in a limited??). I kind of liked the looks of the solid better -- and it has a fold down armrest that the split bench doesn't have. Not sure I have a choice on the limited or not -- but I can't decide.
My dealer said AWD would still be 4-6 wks. But I see somepeople online saying they saw AWDs already -- what part of the country? Or does it depend on when the dealer placed the order? He had no idea of the pricing (but I pulled out the invoice costs I got off the internet). He said he'd sell for $500 over -- but since he still didn't have official pricing I left it unordered. I'm sure I could get him down from the $500 too.
He also didn't have a list of options or anything yet -- does anyone know what options there are on a limited? I know the 4 cd changer. Don't know if any others.
Thanks
Kelly
Last Monday I visited a couple of Dodge dealers and one had an AWD Sport on the lot. Location shouldn't matter at all, but I'm in the Philadelphia area. What matters more is that Chrysler dealers don't sell many AWDs. Many don't order any at all, so if you want one I think you'll probably have to order it.
As far as price goes, your dealer has the invoices for the cars on his lot, but may not have complete info for the whole line. Ask him to show you the invoice (or better yet, copy it). I, too, think you'll be able to beat the $500.00 over you were quoted. One of the Dodge dealers claimed to be able to go to straight invoice, though that may be reaching a bit.
And the dealer does know the options, and has for some time. Ask him to show you the "Customer Preferred Code Guide".
The inside of the Limited is very nice (gauges & seats in particular. However, I like the looks of the dodge much better. The clading and wheels of the limited, I don't like.
About the rear seats. I have been told you can fit the captains in the third row with these new seats - Haven't seen it done but was told. It looks possible!
Also told that, at least for now, that the splits in the 3rd are only available with the child booster seat option in the second row. I hope this changes.
Anyone care to comment?
KarenS
Vans host
(The salesman I talked to said he didn't know; the answer of the Fleet Manager HE asked started with, "I'd guess it's probably ..." Needless to say, I preferred the saleman's answer :-)
Then I asked the liftgate to close one more time. It closed about 1/3 of the way, then opened all the way and repeated over and over. A technician on break walked by and suggested some plastic bags in the rear might be blocking the beam. I kind of doubted it, but he moved them and the liftgate closed.
I then hit the open button for the liftgate one more time and it and the two side doors began to cycle open/closed randomly and not in sync. We just stood back and watched for a while.
The tech said he'd like to try to fix it, but had to get back to work. So he hit the "off" switch for the power controls. Predictably, it did no good -- the doors continued to cycle and he went back to work. I finally got a little self-conscious and starting hitting the open/close switches and it all settled down.
Might be a few kinks to work out... Either that, or I somehow got it into "demo" mode ;-)