KHE Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Jason, My Mom had the trans. die on her Chrysler convertable at 72,000 miles....The local dealer rebuilt the trans. (it took them three weeks...) and when she picked up the car, the rebuilt trans. blew less than five miles from the dealer. The dealer installed a new transmission and she traded the car on a GMC Envoy. The GMC dealer asked her how many times the transmission was replaced. I will not read Consumers Reports due to their extreme bias against the US automakers... I remember one of bbobynski's posts where he stated that the Consumers Reports goons wouldn't evaluate the H2 because they said it probably wouldn't score very high. They had their mind made up without even driving the H2! If GM would have slapped Toyota badging on the H2, Consumers Reports would have raved about it... Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 What do you guys think of a 98 or 99 Chrysler Town and Country LXi van? With close to 100k on them they are going for around 7k and look real nice.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 What do you guys think of a 98 or 99 Chrysler Town and Country LXi van? With close to 100k on them they are going for around 7k and look real nice.. I could never stand the interior of late 90's Chrysler cars...period......they have a really cheap look to them.......like wht someone said before....your best bang 4 the buck would be a 95-2000 GMC Safari or Chevy Astro.... I happen to like one like this....but with higher mileage and lower price. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...4&category=6159 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 What do you guys think of a 98 or 99 Chrysler Town and Country LXi van? With close to 100k on them they are going for around 7k and look real nice.. That would be a great buy. Those will have the dual sliding doors, leather seats, Quad Seats (probably), and be very reliable for you. My Grandpa has a '99 Grand Caravan SE, and it was a very pleasant-riding vehicle. Ergonomics were also very good. It's a simple design. You can't go wrong. Personally, we're probably going to buy ours from Carmax, and buy the extended warranty. That's good for 4 years/48,000 miles from the point of sale, so that should keep us moving if we DO have any problems with it. I like the Astro a lot, but it just doesn't have the features that really make modern minivans useful...like a driver-side sliding door, Quad Seats, front wheel drive. If you can find an AWD Astro, that would be best, but if you get RWD only, stay off the snow-covered roads! You'll also get much better mileage in a FWD Mopar or Ford product. The Caravans approach 27-28 mpg on the road. I'd be surprised if the GMC could muster more than 20-22, based on its poor aerodynamics and outdated RWD platform. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 My Father had a rented PT Crusier. He was was going up a hill, and you guessed it, the transmission gave out. When the tow truck driver arrived, he said that he was always picking up Chyslers with bad transmissions. Also, my Dad had owned a Dodge Aries, and a Plymouth Horizon with a VW engine and they constantly had problems. He also had a Toyota Previa. That van was really nice, it had a good ride and lots of interior space, the only downside, it was really slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Well it's like with anything.. You hear all the bad things. I've read lots of really good reviews on the LXi and then lots of bad ones that say it's a money pit.. It makes buying used cars a very difficult decision.... Even my STS, I read lots of good reviews and then lots of 'money pit' reviews where people had lots of problems. Having a hard time here :> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Buying used always presents a risk. But considering how much you spend on NEW cars, used is really the way to go, especially if you're conscious about money. For the price difference between a new and used Town & Country (probably a difference of $3-400/month), you could put 2 or 3 new transmissions in there every year and still come out on top. You'll likely not have to put ANY major work into it. But if you did, you'll feel comfortable knowing you're saving so much money over a new vehicle. My parents told me how much money they wasted on new cars all the time. Every car they bought was new. $3-500 a month for each car, right down the drain. Half that or less for a good used one. Personally, I love this country's lack of faith in our own products, because that means really great Cadillacs cost me pennies on the dollar compared to their price new (depreciation). I'll buy a 2 year old Cadillac over a new one any day, and pocket the $20,000. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill K Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 My brother in law had to replace the trans. A woman at my office has had the trans go out on two different Chrys minivans. Hers were only/always serviced at the dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Well if the trans goes out ill rebuilt it myself with 'bulletproof' parts I just hope the engine doesn't go out .. How reliable is the 3.8L ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 I just hope the engine doesn't go out .. How reliable is the 3.8L ? Very. Same deal with the 3.3L. They're the same engine really. Simple, OHV designs. Very smooth, and powerful for their size. They'll easily get the job done. Look at the links I provided earlier for more info. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Are you not into station wagons???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Are you not into station wagons???? I'm not sure who you were asking, but I personally love station wagons. My wife hates them, but I love them. Minivans ARE a lot easier to get around in though...no folding of seats, no rear-facing seats, full height for large pieces of furniture, "walk aroundability" in the cabin, etc. I like the Chrysler Pacifica, and I REALLY like the Dodge Magnum, but neither will get the fuel economy of a minivan (with the possible exception of a Hemi Magnum with MDS), and neither are old enough for me to pick one up used for $15k or less. Neither will haul near as much as a minivan. The minivan we get will probably replace my pickup truck (and I'll have the Seville back full-time), so it's got to have the ability to haul more than I'd be able to fit in something like a Dodge Magnum. I love the GM B-body wagons of the 1980s (Caprice, Olds, etc), but the economy would be much worse, and the safety would be much lower than a newer minivan (no airbags, ABS, etc). I really love the station wagon, but for our purposes...buying a minivan purely for pragmatic reasons, the wagons just fall short. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Sort of both of you.....I happen to really like the 94-96 Buick Roadmasters.....they were great and can be picked up for nothing. Plenty of power great realibility and good fuel economy too. If it werent for finding this caddy, I would have got a nice RM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 Kids with carseats are easier to get in and out of a minivan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 If you were looking a lil higher I would say go for a Diesel Excursion....cant get much roomier then that. Plus you get super gas mileage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg P. Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 The Chrysler Town & Country is a great choice. Good history of reliability combined with a great ride and comfort features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 If you were looking a lil higher I would say go for a Diesel Excursion....cant get much roomier then that. Plus you get super gas mileage. I think we're talking about a budget below $10,000 here...and mileage better than 10 mpg...although with a diesel Excursion, you CAN use B100, which is not reliant on foreign sources of oil at all! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 If you were looking a lil higher I would say go for a Diesel Excursion....cant get much roomier then that. Plus you get super gas mileage. I think we're talking about a budget below $10,000 here...and mileage better than 10 mpg...although with a diesel Excursion, you CAN use B100, which is not reliant on foreign sources of oil at all! I understand the budget part.....but they do happen to get 20-25mpg on the highway and around 19 combined.......find a minivan with that engine.....AHHHH...560lbft Tq in a minivan would be art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 I understand the budget part.....but they do happen to get 20-25mpg on the highway and around 19 combined.......find a minivan with that engine.....AHHHH...560lbft Tq in a minivan would be art. Wow, I've never seen that high, and a cursory search using Google shows average mileage between 8 and 15. And with prior experience with a Powerstroke Ford (an '01 F-550), it wouldn't get 25 mpg if you dropped it out of an airplane! But if a Powerstroke Excursion really did get as high as 25 mpg, and if we had a good source of B100 fuel, that'd be a great vehicle to sustain our oil supply. Ironically, it'd appear just the opposite. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msilva954 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 I understand the budget part.....but they do happen to get 20-25mpg on the highway and around 19 combined.......find a minivan with that engine.....AHHHH...560lbft Tq in a minivan would be art. Wow, I've never seen that high, and a cursory search using Google shows average mileage between 8 and 15. And with prior experience with a Powerstroke Ford (an '01 F-550), it wouldn't get 25 mpg if you dropped it out of an airplane! But if a Powerstroke Excursion really did get as high as 25 mpg, and if we had a good source of B100 fuel, that'd be a great vehicle to sustain our oil supply. Ironically, it'd appear just the opposite. The old 7.3, while being a good engine wasnt great like the new 6.0. If you push the problems of the 03' 6.0's away and look just at the 04's you will notice them to be the best Diesel engine ever.......for a truck at least. Another forum I frequent shows that alot of its members get anywhere from 19-25mpg in F250's 350's and Excursions.......with the Ex's being on the lower side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 The old 7.3, while being a good engine wasnt great like the new 6.0. If you push the problems of the 03' 6.0's away and look just at the 04's you will notice them to be the best Diesel engine ever.......for a truck at least. Another forum I frequent shows that alot of its members get anywhere from 19-25mpg in F250's 350's and Excursions.......with the Ex's being on the lower side. We had the 7.3L and it was a horse of an engine. We had a Banks powerpack on it, and it'd boost up to 25-30 psi under load, which was about 25,000 pounds by the way (overloaded). The truck wasn't enough for the load (had a towing rating of more like 22,000 pounds) and the truck was replaced with an F-650 with a Cat 3026B. I've heard a lot of good things about the new 6-liter diesels. Didn't know they got mileage that good. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 My friend has a 7.3 diesel Excursion 4X4 and gets around 16 mpg on the freeway with the cruise set at 70 mph. My 82 diesel suburban 2 wheel drive 1/2 ton at 70 mph would get 25 mpg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis9378449 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Good luck with your mini van search. I agree with your comment about the Roadmaster. My dad has a 94 with over 300,000 miles on it and it still rides 10x better than my STS. My wife has a 97 T&C LXI with about 110,000 miles and all we've ever had to do is replace brakes, belts, hoses, etc. She gets about 18-29 MPG around town and about 24-27 on the highway. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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