Why is the Dodge Caravan...

[Melaine]

SO much cheaper than Siennas and Odysseys? and why is it so much less popular? We would be able to afford a much newer/lower mileage caravan v. Sienna or Ody. WDYT?

[KrisM]

I could come up with guesses on why it's cheaper, but I don't really know.

But, I will say that the Caravan is much, much more popular around here than either the Honda or Toyota. I'm in metro Detroit, so it makes sense. I know lots of people who really like the Caravan quite a bit. Most are very happy with it. Some have had problems, but most have not.

[BunnyBee]

Reliability, comfort, resale value... Have you test driven them?

[Momit]

From what I've seen, the Dodge does not hold its value as well. Initial quality is fine but they may tend to need more repairs down the road. So you save $ up front but MAY pay more for service. Also check the specific model years as some are better/worse than others.

My good friend drives the Chrysler minivan and loves it. Most people we know drive the American ones because we're former Detroiters - not so many Hondas and Toyotas there!

[Cam&Clay]

I owned a Caravan about 10 years ago and couldn't wait to get rid of it. It was always in the shop. I can't count the number of times I got in and it just wouldn't start, which was unacceptable with a child with me. It handled horribly in snow and rain. It was just a bad car.

I drive a Hyundai Entourage now. It is the exact opposite of my Caravan. My next van will be an Odyssey, but only because they don't make Entourages any longer!

[Globetrotter]

I imagine reputation, resale and reliability??

[larig]

We're considering a minivan purchase in the next couple of months. We have ruled out the Ody, the Sienna, and VW because they don't have Stow n Go seats. We want the stow n go for camping, etc. We've rented a lot of minivans in the past, and really liked the Chyrsler and found the Dodge nice too. We don't care too much about resale, as we drive our cars until they die. For the money we save in this purchase, we'll have almost $15000 toward another car down the road. We'll see what we end up with--we're shopping for a used 2013.

ETA: BTW, the dodge/chrysler minivans are what the car talk guys recommend for people like us who want something for camping that isn't a full-on camper. Sadly we are getting rid of our 1978 VW westfalia camper, and this will replace that. (it's just not safe enough for DS).

[queenmama]

My first car was a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and it was a piece of junk. Always, always something going wrong with it. I will never ever buy another Chrysler product.

DH is still driving a 1992 Honda Accord and he's had so few problems with it! There's a reason they hold their value, not just reputation but reliability!

ETA: If it wasn't obvious, we also drive our cars "into the ground." ;)

Lara

[swissair81]

edited :)

[Globetrotter]

Our Japanese cars have proved to be very reliable.

[wellyes]

I'd get the Caravan.
But, I drive a Chevy too.
Cheap and good enough.
If money were not an object I would not consider a Caravan.

[AngB]

We have one and like it (about a year in including a long 15 hr drive and back.) My parents got one new around '98ish, no real problems with it other then maintenance, it lasted over 10 yrs till my brother was rearended on the hwy and it was totalled. We have had our Journey almost 3 yrs-including a couple long distance drives and dh's 3 hours of driving a day to/from work for 2 yrs of it- it hasn't needed any repairs so far.

[PZMommy]

We needed a minivan, and couldn't afford an Honda or Toyota. We got a dodge caravan and have been happy with it. The stow and go seating has been nice, and we have used it more than we thought we would. I've had my car two years now and no problems other than routine maintence. I do tend to only keep my car for five or six years and then trade up.

[jjordan]

I think it's mostly the reputation of Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth vs Honda & Toyota. At this point, I'm not at all convinced that the actual reliability data is there to support such (IMO) inflated prices on Honda especially, and to a lesser extent, Toyota. Recently on another forum someone who seemed to know a lot more about cars than me was saying that starting in 2011, Chrysler vehicles should be really great. Here is a quote of almost his entire post (and a link (http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2500602&postcount=13) to the post):


The Odyssey and Sienna are great choices. However, you may want to consider 2011 and newer Chrysler Town & Countries and Dodge Grand Caravans. Chrysler (which owns Dodge) heavily revised these vans for the 2011 model year and replaced the interior, engines, and revised suspension tuning. The current engine - called the "Pentastar" - is thoroughly modern, powerful, V6. Chrysler literally bet their company developing the Pentastar engine as they put it in literally every vehicle they make, from Jeep Grand Cherokees to Dodge Stratus(es) and everything in between.

Current reliability information has been very good for the 2011 and newer Chrysler vans.

As others have pointed out, it is well known that Honda vans like to eat their transmissions for lunch. Also with the Honda, you will be looking at a $1000-1400 timing belt replacement if it has not been done. If the timing belt snaps on the road, you'll be stuck. All timing belts wear out and all timing belts will eventually break, so if it hasn't been done, its worth doing (or if it has not been changed, use it as negotiating leverage).

Due to the fact that older Chryslers had some reliability issues, used prices on the vans are extremely attractive. You could take advantage of the market disparity discounting a very competitive van and get a newer, lower mile vehicle for the same as an older, high mileage import. For example, this loaded Caravan - http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car/...4-67c101177f6f

You won't wrong choosing among the Honda, Toyota (or my favorite, the Caravan). If you do get a high mileage van regardless of make, you should have the transmission fluid flushed at a reputable shop unless you have documented evidence it has been done. We were in your spot not too long ago and after driving the 2011+ newer Dodges - they weren't even on our list - found it better fit our needs more than the other vans. The extra savings didn't hurt either.

[Kindra178]

My parents have the Chrysler T&C; they are currently on their second one. They love it. I think they do regular maintenance at the dealer. They have had no problems with either one. My mom couldn't believe what we paid for our Sienna - I believe they paid $10,000 less. She always points out things their car has that our car doesn't have.

[emily_gracesmama]

We have a Honda Odyssey 2005 with 127k on it and a Toyota 4runner 2006 with about the same mileage. I hate the higher upfront cost but these cars have had hardly any issues with repairs so far. Something went on the 4 runner that cost about 800 to repair I want to say a ball bearing or something but the longer we have them the more likely I am to stick with these brands next time although the idea of a lower costing minivan is appealing. Especially since I'd like to convince hubby to get two minivans to replace these when they go!

[abh5e8]

We're considering a minivan purchase in the next couple of months. We have ruled out the Ody, the Sienna, and VW because they don't have Stow n Go seats. We want the stow n go for camping, etc.

my mom's oddy has stow n go seats for the third row, and its a few years old. you mean the others have them for all seats, so then you sleep in the back of the van?

[daniele_ut]

We test drove the Dodge, Kia, Honda and Toyota vans in October 2011. If money had been no object I would have bought a 2010 Odyssey. Alas money was definitely a consideration. We paid $15,900 for our well equipped Caravan with 32,000 miles on it. The comparable Ody we were considering was $29,000. We have been very happy with our decision.

We use the Stow N Go quite a bit for Ikea trips and for dh to transport timpani for his orchestra.

[bisous]

Okay, I love the idea of stow and go seats for a camper type situation! That sounds like a great solution and one that our family would love!

But that said, my friend with a Caravan deeply regrets her purchase. She does not feel that her car is very reliable. Having had Honda's my whole life, I'm not sure what I would do with a car that I don't find to be very reliable.

That said, we are soon going to be in a position of needing a 3 row vehicle and I'm just not really seeing how we'll afford an Odyssey or Sienna. I'm heartened by the stories of people who like their Caravans.

[ArizonaGirl]

my mom's oddy has stow n go seats for the third row, and its a few years old. you mean the others have them for all seats, so then you sleep in the back of the van?

Yes, both the 2nd and 3rd row seats fold flat (disappear into the floor of the car). Many of the older versions had seats in the 2nd row that could be removed, but these actually fold flat.

As for larig, I don't know where they sleep. ;)

My parents recently bought a Chrysler T&C through Costco and got a very good deal and LOVE it. I have serious van envy and this will be my next vehicle in a couple of years when we pay off DH truck.

[larig]

my mom's oddy has stow n go seats for the third row, and its a few years old. you mean the others have them for all seats, so then you sleep in the back of the van?

Yes. The second row of stow n go is awesome. They're less comfortable captain's chairs, apparently, but we're a family of 3, so comfort there is of secondary importance. We would normally sleep in a tent, but if it rained, we'd have the van option. Our vw had a bed in the back and a pop top with another bed, so we're used to van camping.

[larig]

Yes, both the 2nd and 3rd row seats fold flat (disappear into the floor of the car). Many of the older versions had seats in the 2nd row that could be removed, but these actually fold flat.

As for larig, I don't know where they sleep. ;)

My parents recently bought a Chrysler T&C through Costco and got a very good deal and LOVE it. I have serious van envy and this will be my next vehicle in a couple of years when we pay off DH truck.

We've rented a couple of t&c touring editions this year--man, were they nice.

[KpbS]

On a completely different note, my good friend loves her slightly used Kia van. They did a ton of research and have been very pleased with the reliability and price, fwiw.

[Piglet]

I always think of Caravans being the Graco strollers of minivans. Everyone around here drives them, but no one loves them. ;)

[queenmama]

I always think of Caravans being the Graco strollers of minivans. Everyone around here drives them, but no one loves them. ;)

Hilarious! I guess that makes Ody the Bee+ of minivans!

Lara

[codex57]

Not as refined, altho they've made a lot of improvements. Until it got the new pentastar engine, the drivetrain was literally antique compared to the others. Notoriously unreliable too.

It's better now. The main knock on it now is that it's smaller inside. Not sure about reliability for the new engine (a bit too early to tell, but Chrysler's never been known to have great reliability so people tend to assume the worst).

They've updated the design of the stow and go to make it more comfortable, but it's still not as comfy as a pure seat.

[Melaine]

I think it's mostly the reputation of Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth vs Honda & Toyota. At this point, I'm not at all convinced that the actual reliability data is there to support such (IMO) inflated prices on Honda especially, and to a lesser extent, Toyota. Recently on another forum someone who seemed to know a lot more about cars than me was saying that starting in 2011, Chrysler vehicles should be really great. Here is a quote of almost his entire post (and a link (http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2500602&postcount=13) to the post):


Wow, thanks so much that is very helpful. I shared it with DH also. Thanks for taking the time to find that. That seems to back up what I was reading about the 2011 being a big step up from 2010. The thing is, with the Dodge we can afford a 2011 v. with the Odyssey we had looked at several years earlier with 50K miles or more. Our budget is about $15,000. We aren't going to have a chance to look at them until Tuesday night but I'm hoping we will like them once we test drive.

[Melaine]

I always think of Caravans being the Graco strollers of minivans. Everyone around here drives them, but no one loves them. ;)

Thank you! :rotflmao:Speaking in terms I can totally understand.

[Melaine]

On a completely different note, my good friend loves her slightly used Kia van. They did a ton of research and have been very pleased with the reliability and price, fwiw.

We haven't been able to find a used Kia at all. The Kia dealership actually didn't even have one for us to see, saying they sold out immediately when they get them.

ETA: Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this! I appreciate hearing both sides. I will let ya'll know what we think after looking at them in person.

[hellokitty]

I always think of Caravans being the Graco strollers of minivans. Everyone around here drives them, but no one loves them. ;)

Yes, this. DH rented a grand caravan two months ago and said that while he was surprised that it wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be, he definitely felt that it did not drive as smoothly as our Ody, he said the steering is over-boosted and extremely twitchy. He also noticed that it seemed to have less cargo space (he rented it for huge stereo speakers he had to deliver OOS). He said he thought that the gas mileage was better, there is an, "eco-mode" that actually kind of worked. He said the seats were too mushy and he found it uncomfortable for his 9 hr drive, but for short drives, it probably would not be that big of an issue. For longer drives though, both of us prefer a more firm seat. Both of us think that the stow n go seats are awesome and a major selling point, along with the lower price for the dodge.

We are on our second ody. Obviously, we like honda. Our first ody (2001), didn't have any issues, except a whistling windsheild, which was covered by the warranty. It was still running great after 10 yrs, but I wanted to upgrade to a newer ody for the safety features of the side curtain airbags. We bought a 2009 used with 24K miles on it and have had it for two yrs so far and have been happy with it. I like having a car where you aren't constantly having to deal with nagging issues.

I drove a dodge back in the 90's and that was a negative experience for me. The fit and finish of the car was just... cheap. I also highly dislike how rattlely the dodge engines are. I'm not sure if this is something that is still an issue or not, but I actually told dh that the only brand car I will never by again is a dodge. After having owned one in the past, I just don't have the nicest opinion of them. I also have noticed a pattern. I have had about 6 friends, buy a dodge/chrysler (most of them had the town & country, so the nicest one), only to turn around and replace it with a honda ody two yrs later. They said that their dodge had nagging issues and they regretted not just having gotten to ody from the very start. I also had some friends who said that they were ok with the dodge, UNTIL they tried the ody and realized how much better it was, so then they wanted the ody. I do agree though, that it is a bummer that the price difference is rather drastic. However, I think that there is a trade off with reliability and how well the ody/sienna also hold their value compared to the dodge. However, I know ppl with dodges and they seem ok with them too, so there's obviously a population that are ok with it. The lower price is definitely attractive, I will say that.

[egoldber]

FWIW, I had a Dodge Grand Caravan for 8 years and I loved it. I got rid of it during the "cash for clunkers" deal because 1) I scraped the heck out of it in a parking garage :o and it would have been $$$ of body work for an 8 year old van and 2) the gas mileage for my commute after I went back to work was killing me.

But I never had any real issues with it and loved it. I personally couldn't see paying so much more and getting less in the vehicle for what for me was a purely functional vehicle.


he said the steering is over-boosted and extremely twitchy

See, I think this is just a driver preference. I actually prefer the steering on the Dodge/Chrysler. To me the Honda had a very "squishy" driving feel. I hate that. But our other cars have been German cars of one type or another with very responsive steering. People tend to prefer one driving "feel" vs. the other.

ETA: And personally I have known many people with Ody/Sienna who have had a lot of issues with theirs.

[Melaine]

Yeah, I'm reading a lot of differences which are preferences and I just personally could never justify a 6-7K difference in price over details like that (not with our financial situation). Resell is not really relevant as we would plan and hope to drive it into the ground. Also my last minivan was a 2000 Windstar that DH and I had never laid eyes on until it landed in my driveway, so no matter what we are getting it will be a huge improvement. My Windstar had a TAPE deck, for instance and no CD! The doors were both broken so the automatic lock did not work, and one door was messed up so you had to jerk it REALLY hard to open it (the door to open and close for carline, of course). My cupholders were broken so I had to stick my coffee mug in a rigged pencil cup in a dollar store crate. The heating in the back had been broken for several months. It had a couple of lights on the dash for months or years. Our other car is just as old. So I guarantee our next purchase will feel like a luxurious ride no matter what it is. Having a solid spot to put my coffee and being able to play a CD alone will feel like a big treat! :hysterical:

[tabegle]

I wonder if there's something to the "people that can afford the ody are more likely to take better care of their vehicles and make sure they do the regular maintenance versus people that buy the Caravan"?

Thus making the reliability only applicable to the used vehicles?

We're thinking of getting something bigger to accommodate a larger family in about 6 months, but we just can't stomach the Ody prices.

[o_mom]

When we were replacing our old Ody, we looked at the Chrysler/Dodge vans. However, we drove a friend's van that was a 2011, less than 2 yrs old, bought used from a dealer. The drive was rough and the quality in general just felt bad. They actually had a 'parts bag' where they kept the trim pieces that fell off. In contrast, our 10 yo Ody had only one 'fit and finish' issue with the power outlet being loose. Otherwise everything was just as solid as when we bought it.

The biggest issue, though, was that we wanted 8 passengers and that's not an option on the Chryslers.

[knaidel]

I think it's mostly the reputation of Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth vs Honda & Toyota. At this point, I'm not at all convinced that the actual reliability data is there to support such (IMO) inflated prices on Honda especially, and to a lesser extent, Toyota. Recently on another forum someone who seemed to know a lot more about cars than me was saying that starting in 2011, Chrysler vehicles should be really great. Here is a quote of almost his entire post (and a link (http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2500602&postcount=13) to the post):

I have a 10+ year old caravan. I bought it used, it has previously been a federal gov't fleet car. I don't have any problems with it (we bought it with 38K on it, 5years later it only has 65K miles on it). When we bought it, money was an issue-- I was working part time and my husband was in grad school, so there was no way we were spending $16K on a used Honda/Toyota with similar mileage.

People tend to knock american cars a lot--I don't know. I have 2 american cars that are each 10+ years old , and they've given us little trouble. I have a few friends that had their caravans for 150K miles, with no problems. My neighbor just recently gave up is 1996 Chevy Malibu with 175K miles on it.

I rented a late model caravan in Florida recently. I'm not really a car person, but it seemed like it had nice features in it. I would totally buy another one if needed.

[MSWR0319]

Around here you aren't cool unless you drive a Chrysler T & C. I hardly see Ody's around here and if I do, it's usually people who lived somewhere else first. It's mostly T & C and the Dodge. That being said we live close to Detroit also. I haven't heard many complaints from any of my friends who own either. Of course they've not driven an Ody to compare, but I think you'd be fine with either.

[wellyes]

People tend to knock american cars a lot--I don't know. I have 2 american cars that are each 10+ years old , and they've given us little trouble. I have a few friends that had their caravans for 150K miles, with no problems. My neighbor just recently gave up is 1996 Chevy Malibu with 175K miles on it.American car companies earned their bad reputation with terrible quality for many, many decades. But today, my automotive engineer DH says American cars quality is as good as Japanese car quality was in the 90s-- when Hondas and Toyotas earned THEIR reputations for excellence.

Caravans are not as quite reliable as Odys, but, they are much cheaper too. So it is not an apples to apples comparison.

[vonfirmath]

When we were replacing our old Ody, we looked at the Chrysler/Dodge vans. However, we drove a friend's van that was a 2011, less than 2 yrs old, bought used from a dealer. The drive was rough and the quality in general just felt bad. They actually had a 'parts bag' where they kept the trim pieces that fell off. In contrast, our 10 yo Ody had only one 'fit and finish' issue with the power outlet being loose. Otherwise everything was just as solid as when we bought it.

The biggest issue, though, was that we wanted 8 passengers and that's not an option on the Chryslers.

We bought my parents 2006 Dodge Caravan off of them. Its at 110K+ with no major issues. (we put a lot of miles on our cars) We do regular upkeep and our parents did as well. We don't have a parts bag or any need for one.

my parents replaced the Dodge Caravan with a Chrysler Town & country. They really loved this series of cars. My sister has a Dodge caravan too (older. Not sure what year) and her major problem is tires -- but she lives on a dirt road and blames it on that.

[AnnieW625]

I wonder if there's something to the "people that can afford the ody are more likely to take better care of their vehicles and make sure they do the regular maintenance versus people that buy the Caravan"?

Thus making the reliability only applicable to the used vehicles?

We're thinking of getting something bigger to accommodate a larger family in about 6 months, but we just can't stomach the Ody prices.

I have a co worker who has a 2003 or 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan. While she has had some issues with it she takes great care of it and really likes it. She probably babies her van with more regular dealer recommended service (mileage check ups and service) than I do with my Honda Pilot. She has never once said she has needed something else or wanted something else. I have ridden in it many times for work events and have always been comfortable.

I think based on your last response I think the Grand Caravan will suit your family well.

I also highly rec. looking for a previous daily rental. That is always the first place DH and I look when we start researching cars. Unfortunately we haven't found much, but for a mini van at least in my area there seem to be a lot of them. Also a friend of mine bought a mini van from one of the local transportation agencies and her van used to be a carpool van. When she had it (her kids are now in high school and college) she loved it and the price was right as well.

I say buck the trend and go for it :thumbsup:

[KLD313]

I think you're always going to get people that say I will never own another... Personally I will never own another Ford, I've and two I don't like the transmissions.

If you're worried about reliability, search the specific year and see what people have to say. I would get what you can afford and what suits your needs. I don't buy foreign cars so an oddy or whatever wouldn't even be on my list.

[Melaine]

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the feedback. I don't think we can get over to the dealership until tomorrow night but it's great to have some idea ahead of time. When I think about getting a 2011 Caravan with 30,000 miles v. a 2008 Honda with 70,000....

[AnnieW625]

Hmm. that's a pretty good dilemma to have IMHO. If you think you are going to be driving a lot of miles (200+ per week) then I would definitely go with the car with the lower miles. If you are going to be driving a lot of around town and less than say 200 miles a week then I don't think I would have an issue buying a 2008 Honda with 70,000 miles on it.

I know I am comparing apples to mangoes here but I bought a 1990 Toyota Corolla with 90K miles on it in 1998. I put 40,000 miles on the car in the little less than 3 yrs. I had it and had it not been totalled (it wasn't worth it enough to fix it, I would have if the insurance would have let me) in a freeway accident I would have driven it for another 5 yrs. until I had DD1 in 2006. It would have had probably close to 225K on it by then. It was a great car. In 2001 I replaced it with a 1996 Honda Accord coupe with 57K miles on it. Drove that car until I bought my Pilot and it had 143K miles on it. Again had it been a 4 door I probably would have easily gotten another 4 yrs. out of it and sold it when I had DD2 in 2010. So my point is that buying a Honda with 70,000K miles on it if you know you aren't going to be commmuting in it could be a good thing and it will have many many years left on it. The only think I might look for on the internet would be transmission issues because the prior model Odysseys (and Pilots) from the mid to late 2000s had reported some transmission issues. Codex might know of a good Honda forum so you might want to send him a PM.

I have never bought an American car used, but my parents did buy two Chevy wagons used in the 80s and 90s and with proper maintence the first one was 15 yrs. old when they finally sold it in 1998 (so they had it for about 10 yrs. IIRC), and the second one they had from 1998 to 2005 (and I think it was an 89 or 90) and with proper maintenence and probably driving about 10K miles per year they had no issues with the car either. They were both sold running and had over 150K miles on them.

Another reason I think American cars tend to be cheaper is Union labor, but I'll leave it at that.

[Tondi G]

I don't have a Caravan but my MIL did. She (and her kids) drove it a TON and it just kept on ticking! I have a Dodge Durango (2006 model) and it is a workhorse. We have had NO problems with it. I get my regular oil changes and services. I don't do a whole lot of driving though. I assume we will have this car for another couple of years. It has a Hemi with the 4 cylinder shut down which is great for city driving. I love my vehicle. Having a 3rd row and being able to accommodate passengers has come in handy many times! I know someone who bought a town and country minivan after baby #4 arrived ... they bought it 2 years ago I think, and they have been very happy.

I hope you find the right vehicle for you and that you love it!

[bisous]

Melaine,

I'm in a similar position to you. I drive a 2000 Honda CRV (with only a tape deck, lol) and need a minivan or larger vehicle. In our case, it is because I will have four children!

Like you, I am not interested in features and think I could deal just fine with the fit, finish, drive and whatever else is inferior in the Caravan. I'm heartened by reports here of reliable Caravans.

I just did a search in consumerreports.org and I do know that they no longer have the stellar reputation of yore but they specifically note among ALL kinds of vehicles to avoid the Caravan. The report I was consulting was published in 2011.

I confess, this gives me pause. While features aren't important to me, reliability is.

I may not be able to afford an Ody or Sienna in any circumstances, but if I had an Odyssey with only 70K to choose from, I think I'd do that in a heartbeat. I'm still looking through the articles to see what newer vehicles are reporting. If I find anything specific, I'll let you know.

GL!

[knaidel]

I will be honest: I don't know how much I would base my decision on what it says in consumer reports.

I would like to hear others opinions of CR on cars.

[bisous]

I will be honest: I don't know how much I would base my decision on what it says in consumer reports.

I would like to hear others opinions of CR on cars.


CR has never steered us wrong (on cars) BUT it has been a LONG time since we've bought a car!

[MelissaTC]

I drove a 2005 Grand Caravan for awhile. It had all the bells and whistles (this was after the first redesign, when the stow and go was new). We got it for around $26k and sticker was almost $33k (corporate discount). It never gave me a problem. I serviced it when necessary, stayed up on oil changes, etc... It was too much car for us and we switched to a Ford crossover. But I would never discount the Caravan. I see lots of them on the road. And I know people who have had trouble with both Siennas and Odysseys. We have driven quite a few American cars and have never had any big issues with any.

[Melaine]

Hmmm yeah I definitely have heard to take stock in CR!

[AnnieW625]

I will be honest: I don't know how much I would base my decision on what it says in consumer reports.

I would like to hear others opinions of CR on cars.

I don't think they are all bad, it just depends on what you are looking for. All auto mags., blogs, and reviewers do this, and most of them are men or at least the final article is written by a man, maybe even one without kids. I just looked it up, but Car & Driver's last in depth mini van comparison from 2008 had the Grand Caravan placing 3rd over the Nissan and Hyundai Entourage. Honda was 1st and Toyota was 2nd. The article while old is well written and will give you an understanding of what these auto mags are looking for. CR does the same thing but often on a much smaller scale, like US News, they want some value, road noise and comfort level to be #1, not often not functionality or the best overall fit for families to be #1. .

IME of reading Consumer Reports it is usually a coin flip of which is better the Sienna or the Odyssey, and the decision maker is road noise quality (same thing goes for small to mid size SUVs) and ride not overall quality or price of the vehicle.

Motor Trend, Road & Track, Motor Week, and Auto Week are good places to start. Surprisingly there is a lot of mini van love (way more than beige Camry love) on an auto blog called Jalopnik so you might find some decent reviews and musings over there.

Learning about cars is really easy actually and it is good to have more than one opinion so I do still value what CR has to say.

eta: cars.com has absorbed motherproof.com's car reviewer site and they are helpful as well ( I would love to work for them--they actually just posted a review of my car today:))

[codex57]

I will be honest: I don't know how much I would base my decision on what it says in consumer reports.

I would like to hear others opinions of CR on cars.

CR is prolly the last place I'd look for opinions on cars or electronics. Consumer reports has been sued before regarding their "testing" procedures. There was no ultimate judgment against them (one settled), but while it's been a while, everything I've read about the cases has me against CR's position. There might not have been a slam dunk legal win against them, but both were easily "convictions" against them in my mind.

There was also the botched car seat testing thing. Didn't like how they handled that one either.

So, because of those instances, I rank CR's credibility re: cars/car seat to be just above the National Enquirer's.

The mainstream car magazines (Car & Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend, Automobile, etc) don't know how to review minivans, but at least it's simply ignorance more than anything else. They have parents on staff yet they'll assign the single guy to review a batch of minivans. That kind of thing. Still, they try to be impartial and don't fudge the tests to try and get some headline grabbing result like CR essentially does.

[wellyes]

I bought my last car because it was a 'do not buy' on Consumer Reports! It had a terrible rating due to a specific issue with steering. Which was fixed on all models before resale. I got a GREAT price on that car. You just have to look at the details and be strategic.

[kjmollypup]

So, I have a 2010 Caravan. I'll admit that at first I did NOT want to be a minivan mom. I wanted an SUV actually. And, I didn't think I needed a van since I wasn't planning a large family. However, the stow n go seating was a big thing to me. As it is, the way I currently use it, I keep the third row down and use the entire back as a storage area for strollers, groceries, etc. And I love that the third row is split so that if I do need an extra seat, it's very simple to put one side up.

Reliability - well, I haven't had any problems that would make me think that the Caravan is any less reliable than anything else I've driven. In fact, it's had many less recalls (if any) than my VW Passat had (blown fuel pump while driving, which was SCARY). I do, however, keep right on top of maintenance at the dealer and have all recommended service performed in a timely manner.

I did test drive a few smaller vehicles, like the Ford Edge, before I test drove the VW van, T & C, and the Caravan. (Yeah, these are all basically the same vehicles at different prices.) I just couldn't get behind paying much more for a VW even though I loved my VW's, and the T&C felt the same as the Caravan and I preferred the Caravan's interior anyway. I did NOT test drive a Sienna or an Ody, why do it if I knew I couldn't afford it? We didn't look at used, but to be perfectly honest, if I needed another van I would not hesitate to buy another Caravan, or to look at something used with low miles. And, there is a mix of all of these vehicles in my group of acquaintances.

[knaidel]

so, because of those instances, i rank cr's credibility re: Cars/car seat to be just above the national enquirer's.
.


haha!!!

[Melaine]

So we drove over to the dealership and stood around waiting for 45 minutes for various folks to figure out that their website is way out of date and in fact they didn't have any of the three vans we wanted to look at. Big fat waste of time and now it looks like we are back to the drawing board. DH thinks it was just a scam trying to get people to come out to their dealership with "deals" that are long gone. Ugh.

[wellyes]

So we drove over to the dealership and stood around waiting for 45 minutes for various folks to figure out that their website is way out of date and in fact they didn't have any of the three vans we wanted to look at. Big fat waste of time and now it looks like we are back to the drawing board. DH thinks it was just a scam trying to get people to come out to their dealership with "deals" that are long gone. Ugh.

Classic bait and stitch, I am sorry. You should write on their FB page or Yelp.

[AnnieW625]

Bummer. I would go through the warehouse club like Costco (not sure if Sam's or BJ's has a program) or AAA and have the dealer contact you that way. You fill out a form online and let them know what you want. I believe they only deal with standard dealers not used car lots and I know for sure Costco offers a deal for used cars as well. Once you submit the form they will tell you which dealer near you has the Costco program. I dealt with 3 dealers and had positive interactions with 2 of the 3. I bought from only one of the three but would have bought from the other one I liked as well, but got a slightly better deal from the one that I bought from and they had the car on their lot, but they had to look for it.

Whatever happened with the van that had been in an accident?