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Vans & Minivans 2008 Minivans 
1261 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2008 at 7:47 AM
You are in the Vans & Minivans Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: hansienna (Feb 24, 2008 2:39 am) I think your title says it best... Some people don't care about having the biggest engine, they want the smallest price, or some specific feature/stand alone option that they can't get in another minivan without having to spend $$$$$ for top of line model. I think the new door panels on 08s are just fine...good graining, lots of pockets/holders etc. Some people want the best warranty available at no charge, maybe they're buying minivan for young children and want to keep it for 10+ years? I think for 08, Chrysler has put back in the lighted switches and upped the stakes with LED lights throughout minivan. Has anyone heard how Chrysler's minivans are doing in sales lately? I know they fended off Honda's dumping of 07 Odys and I keep seeing tons of car trailers moving Minivans around Detroit (probably coming in from Windsor).
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Replying to: marine2 (Feb 23, 2008 10:53 pm) Good points and glad to hear you're confident enough to trade the Honda in for a Ford. I own a Ford and Honda and really like both of them. You know one car reviewer has said Detroit is suffering right now from sins it committed in the past. I think there's a lot truth to that statement. For years they put out sub par quality products relative to the imports. They didn't stand behind them too well and it's coming back to haunt them. I agree the domestics have gotten a lot better. The competition if fierce however and with our Wal-Mart mentality in this country, it's become a tough sell to say buy it just because it's American made. I think most of the Japanese cars have displaced the Europeans as the quality & and dependability vehicle which consumers will pay a premium for. However the Korean and soon to come Chinese vehicles have filled the value segement that the Japanese used to fill. American makers continue to be squeezed in the middle as the have been since the early 70's. I'm not sure what the answer is. Big Labor says it's Managements problems and Management say it's a Big Labor cost issue. It's pretty simple however. If the domestics can't make money, they're going to go the way of Zenith T.V.'s. The Golden Goose for the USA may finally end up like the Dodo Bird.
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Replying to: marine2 (Feb 22, 2008 10:05 pm) I don't see how you think they're trying to keep this a big secret. Every automotive press outlet in the world covered that story.
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Replying to: yatesjo (Feb 23, 2008 4:16 pm) He is, and give up, there's no convincing him, I've tried. I even showed photos in this very thread, earlier. I'm not disputing the fact that the gauges bother him, only that noone else complains. I have had the same gauges for a year now and love the blue hue and soft, pleasant glow. The only better gauges in Minivan-dom are the Hyundai Entourage's Lexus-like gauges (on the Limited model only). I respect hansienna's opinions but I think he believes that his opinion is fact, and that everyone agrees with him. That's just not the case. Per surveys 79% of Sienna owners are happy, and he falls in that 21% minority. For his old, beloved T&C van the number of satisifed owners was just 49%. So his opinion is in the MINORITY. His input is useful in these threads but I wish he was more accepting of the opinions of others, especially when the majority disagrees with him.
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Replying to: bobber1 (Feb 24, 2008 9:24 am) When I bought my 2005, people on here said they wouldn't by a Dodge/Chrysler minivan because the inside was two plain. It only had a four speed tranny, was to slow, didn't have stability control, side air bags etc. Not much was complained about in the quality of it. Now Chrysler has a new minivan out that has all the stuff many complained about them not having, and loaded it with stuff none of the rest even offered and priced it cheaper, so now they go back to past quality that really hasn't been an issue on Chrysler minivans for years. The 2008 Chrysler vans are great vehicles. Built well and a ton of features on them. Don't buy them just because they are American. Buy them because they a good minivans and because your also helping your country by doing so. Thats the way I look at it. |
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Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 25, 2008 6:38 am) I don't see how you think they're trying to keep this a big secret. Every automotive press outlet in the world covered that story. I'd like to know who carried the press release then. I get Consumers Report, Automobile and Motor Trend magazines and saw nothing in any of them. I also get the newspaper and saw nothing in that on their massive recalls, hidden recalls or even the Japanese government thinking of suing them. So who carried it? I didn't see it on television news either. I am sure there are many on here that were as surprised as I was to hear the news about Toyota's quality problems.
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Replying to: marine2 (Feb 25, 2008 7:01 am) Journal Sentinal Cars.com Consumer Reports AutoBlog AOL Videos YouTube And that's just the first page. The press loves covering a story like this. This is how it should work - the problem appears, people discuss it on-line, create a buzz. That puts pressure on the manufacturer to address the issue, and they do.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 25, 2008 7:36 am) A quick Google finds coverage from: Journal Sentinal Cars.com Consumer Reports AutoBlog AOL Videos YouTube And that's just the first page. The press loves covering a story like this. This is how it should work - the problem appears, people discuss it on-line, create a buzz. That puts pressure on the manufacturer to address the issue, and they do. Does it say what issue in Consummers Report has it in? Most of those you mentioned, most people would never see or read. Now if you had said NY Times, Arizona Republic, Edmonds, Motor Trend, LA. Times, CBS, NBC, I could understand it. They sure wouldn't have a problem with that kind of news on those sources if they were American. |
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Replying to: marine2 (Feb 25, 2008 8:33 am) Click & Clack spoke about the issue on the air, too. It was pretty funny, as usual. Detroit Free Press covered it (naturally). Edmunds may have blogged it. I guess it was big news for those that wanted it to be big news. I dunno, it's just a spot weld. Doesn't seem like that big a deal, or that costly to repair, for that matter. Click & Clack had quite a bit of fun with it.
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Replying to: dennisctc (Feb 24, 2008 3:15 am) 
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