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Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans - READ ONLY

7485 messages,  Last post on Mar 23, 2008 at 7:43 AM

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What is this discussion about? Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Van

#7331 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [bhs1975] by shipo Jul 10, 2007 (11:25 am)
Replying to: bhs1975 (Jul 09, 2007 7:04 pm) Well, as for longevity of the T&C goes, our two Dodge Grand Caravans (twins of the T&C) are fast approaching a combined quarter of a million miles, and they've been virtually bullet proof. In addition to regular maintenance, the 1998 has needed a starter, a door switch, a transmission and a vacuum battery tray over 145,000 miles. Not too shabby. Our 2003 has been similarly endowed with reliability in that it has required an ABS sensor, one set of front sway bar bushings and a power door motor over the course of 95,000 miles.   Combined the above repairs total to about thirty-four hundred dollars (and change), which given the mileage is awfully darned inexpensive.   Best Regards, Shipo
#7332 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [bhs197 by jchan2 Jul 10, 2007 (11:43 am)
Replying to: bhs1975 (Jul 09, 2007 7:04 pm) I would get the 07 Odyssey.   The lack of Stow N Go in the 04 is a big negative for me, and the fold flat third row comes in handy more times than you think...
#7333 of 7485 Re: Odyssey vs. Grand Caravan SXT [thegraduate] by marig0107 Jul 10, 2007 (1:07 pm)
Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 16, 2007 6:39 pm) And teen driver will be driving the 93 dodge shadow! How's that for keeping a car around???    The only thing that would worry me about that would be lack of safety features. I'd at least want a car with dual airbags for a new driver.   I think with just the one airbag, this is a good starter car. It will be a long while before he's driving anyone around, particularly other teens.   It is certainly a whole lot safer and better than any car I started out with.   That said, I am prone to the paranoid and now you have started up my paranoid zone.   Thank God for the school buses, that he will use daily for school! That limits car time to work and home only.... Replies to this message: thegraduate (Jul 10, 2007 2:31 pm) marig0107 (Jul 11, 2007 5:39 am)
#7334 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [bhs1975] by marig0107 Jul 10, 2007 (1:12 pm)
Replying to: bhs1975 (Jul 09, 2007 7:04 pm) A (good) dilemma:    Have verbally negotiated a good deal on a new Honda Odyssey, however have just recently been offered a family van (the Chrysler) for $10,000 less. Seems like a no-brainer to go the cheaper route - the Chrysler only has 27k miles on it. But I'm still a little leary about the Chrysler product's reliability over the long haul. If you were in a similar situation, would you go the new van route or save the cash and go with the 3yr old model?   I'd say do your homework. There are a few around here who swear by their dodge products and have themselves experienced good things with them, along with friends.   We've had the whole other spectrum with dodge. had a terrific car with them so we went with the caravan when van shopping. CR had them rated top of the line and we thought, why not. Well, the next year, the reliability rating in CR plummeted. We had awful experiences from the first year of owning it.   So check the newer issues of CR, check online reviews here for that model caravan that you are looking for. See if it is acceptable to you. Sometimes price is not the first consideration in car buying. You may end up with the more expensive deal when trying to save a few dollars.   Good luck and most of all, make it a fun car buying experience
#7335 of 7485 Re: Odyssey vs. Grand Caravan SXT [marig0107] by thegraduate Jul 10, 2007 (2:31 pm)
Replying to: marig0107 (Jul 10, 2007 1:07 pm) Didn't intend to make you paranoid. I didn't realize the Shadow had even one airbag (and it will be the one the most important person to you will use!).   I started in a 1996 Accord. Dual Airbags are all it has (I still drive it regularly!). No ABS has been something that's scared me only a handful of times though, and I'm turning 20 next month (got the car 50,000 miles ago in August of 2002). I'm now at 174k miles, and haven't been injured in either of my two wrecks in that car (wrecks that combined cost over $4,000 to repair - NOT MY FAULT, but still!).   Don't be paranoid. In a Shadow, and in the city, he won't be going too fast to do anyone too much harm, much less himself since he has an airbag. Replies to this message: marig0107 (Jul 11, 2007 5:39 am)
#7336 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [bhs1975] by bobber1 Jul 10, 2007 (5:18 pm)
Replying to: bhs1975 (Jul 09, 2007 7:04 pm) No need to calculate anything for me. If you're saving $13,000 go that route. Your family member has already taken the resale hit and that shouldn't even factor into the equation with the savings you're looking at.   Honda's are nice(I own one), but the Chrysler products are decent as well. Parts will be a lot cheaper to come buy than the import products and you'll be able to afford to stick some money into it with the savings you're looking at. Replies to this message: masterpaul1 (Jul 10, 2007 6:19 pm) thegraduate (Jul 10, 2007 6:58 pm) masterpaul1 (Jul 11, 2007 7:22 pm) and 1 more... shipo (Jul 11, 2007 5:43 am)
#7337 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [bobber1] by masterpaul1 Jul 10, 2007 (6:19 pm)
Replying to: bobber1 (Jul 10, 2007 5:18 pm) If it checks out mechanically, I'd go with the 04 T&C. You might even be able to get an extended warrenty for peace of mind for over $1,000. We bought a used 01 DGC EX back in Sep. 03 with 37K on it. (This was a new year module.) We bought the extended bumper to bumper warrenty for three more years. (We saved $10,000 buying used.) We now have over 88K and for the most part has been very reliable. We have never been stranded or needed a tow. Under warrenty we had both front window regulators and motors changed. Front suspension sway bar, bushings and links replaced. Cargo latch changed and computer upgraded software added. Other things out of warrenty that needed to be replaced was one of the thermostate housing bolts broke off while still inside the engine. (Not sure what caused this. I backed out the bolt myself and replaced the thermostate and bolt. Only cost about $20.00) Just last week, I broke the emergency brake padle, while trying to apply it. (I will have to take it in for that to be fixed.) We will need to have the water pump replaced in the future from a very small leak that was found when the cooling system was flushed. (This I'm going to keep an eye on, because I haven't seen any leaks on the ground, before or after the flush.) The links and bushings are going to need to be replaced again in which I'm going to try and do it myself. (This is the only thing that I don't see as reliable only lasting a few years. But, it is farley easy to fix according to some here on Edmunds.) All electronics, air/heat and mechanical are working as they should. Still get about 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. Replies to this message: thegraduate (Jul 10, 2007 6:58 pm) masterpaul1 (Jul 11, 2007 7:22 pm) thegraduate (Jul 11, 2007 7:35 pm) shipo (Jul 11, 2007 5:43 am)
#7338 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [masterpaul1] by thegraduate Jul 10, 2007 (6:58 pm)
Replying to: masterpaul1 (Jul 10, 2007 6:19 pm) Maybe I've been spoiled my my service from my 174k mile '96 Accord, but you've had a lot more things fixed from 37k to 88k miles than I have from 125k to 174k miles in my car. It doesn't sound particularly "high-quality" with all of those repairs... multiple suspension parts needing replaced more than once over 50k miles, power windows, thermostat, water pump, breaking a pedal(!)?   It's that sort of stuff that will nickel and dime a customer right into the arms of another make of car. Sure, I'm sure any manufacturer has its share of the same, but your vehicle seems particularly full of little issues to have so few miles. Replies to this message: masterpaul1 (Jul 11, 2007 7:22 pm) thegraduate (Jul 11, 2007 7:35 pm)
#7339 of 7485 Re: Odyssey vs. Grand Caravan SXT [thegraduate] by marig0107 Jul 11, 2007 (5:39 am)
Replying to: thegraduate (Jul 10, 2007 2:31 pm) lol...doesn't take much to make me paranoid.   Yep, he does have the airbag. I have never had ABS up until now. It was never a big thing because being a NYC driver, I really pump brakes. I have beeen making an effort with my new car NOT to do that, but darn if it ain't hard   thanx for the kind words. I do worry about him. People here drive awful...I have seen worse driving habits than any big city up north in this little town!
#7340 of 7485 Re: 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited vs 2007 Honda Odyssey EX [masterpaul1] by shipo Jul 11, 2007 (5:43 am)
Replying to: masterpaul1 (Jul 10, 2007 6:19 pm) The swaybar bushings on Gen4 vans are problematic, period, full stop, the end. Some also claim that the swaybar ends are troublesome as well although it is unclear whether that is actually the case or whether the links are being lumped in with the noise generated by worn bushings.   In our case, our 2003 developed the infamous "clunk" somewhere in the thirty to forty thousand mile range and we simply ignored it until about the 85,000 mile mark when it finally got annoying enough to do something about. I am an analyst by trade and as such am a fan of changing one thing at a time instead of throwing a whole bunch of parts at a problem hoping to solve it via brute force. So, ignoring the dire warnings of many experienced folks, I simply changed the bushings (I used the NAPA "Blue" bushings that cost about $11.00) and NOT the links.   When I admitted what I had done I was told that I'd need to go back in and replace the links as well and that I was a fool for not doing them all at the same time. Well, I'm here to say that nearly 10,000 miles later and our 2003 is still as quiet as it was the day it rolled out of the showroom.   In defence of the "You must change the links" folks, I've heard anecdotal reports that suggest that Chrysler used two different end link types, one primarily plastic and one primarily metal. If that is the case, then I can certainly understand why some folks are convinced that the links are needing replacement at the same time as the bushings.   Best Regards, Shipo

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