Chrysler Grand Voyager 3.3

...screwheads on internal trim, but Chrysler obviously think they are ok inside and out! Some of the build quality is a bit too plasticy and flimsy -the flat dash top surface is very thin and wobbles sometimes. This may have changed on newer models. Even the electric wing mirrors sound tinny and cheap compared to European cars. One last gripe is that on our old model there is only a lap strap in the middle of the bench seat -newer ones have a three ...
...store but now I think Chrysler do fold flat seats? Last year I lined the interior with a tarpaulin, strung from the roof handles, and took away a full load of tree branches to the tip. The attendants at the tip came over to see how much stuff I had fitted inside! When my daughter and I looked over our shoulders at the empty area on the way back we both did double takes at the size of the load space. It really can double as a van with the seats out.
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We bought a 1997 3.3 petrol grand voyager in October 2002 and have run it for three years now. Our last family car was a Mercedes 200TE estate (with the flip up rear seats) and my company car was a Volvo V40 estate -the small Volvo. We have 3 kids and a dog and regularly make long trips from the east of Scotland to the west of Ireland and England to visit relatives and friends. We also end up ferrying kids and friends around locally.

When we bought the car, from a dealer, it had 64k miles on the clock and came with a six month warranty. The warranty just meant that we had to use a dealer for initial servicing, which was a pain in the neck. The battery went during that period but, surprise, was not covered by the warranty.

The first time we went on a long trip to Ireland (at Christmas, with wrapped presents to take and unwrapped ones to bring back) I actually measured the load space to make sure that the suitcases would fit! It turned out that we could have taken the kitchen sink if needed. The rearmost bench seats slide back and forward but even on the farthest back setting a large suitcase can lie flat on the floor. I stacked three large cases flat on top of one another and they only came to the top of the seat back, so visibility was perfect and it left the other 40% of the load area to fill with pram, cot etc. When I lifted the tailgate in the ferry queue and you could see the amount of gear stowed in there it looked very impressive. I am sure that there were a few fellow passengers pointing to it and saying "blimey!" The Voyager takes a roof box but you will never see one as there is so much room inside.

There is loads of space under the seats too for items to be stored but on our '97 model there are adjustment and release handles cluttering up the spaces. Also, the release handles for the bench seat protrude too much into the cargo area and don't move when the bench seat moves -the seat back moves forward eight inches but these handles & rails still sit in the load space. Our Merc was full of lots of elegant little design features but a lot of the design on the Voyager is kind of slap dash. I don't like to see screwheads on internal trim, but Chrysler obviously think they are ok inside and out! Some of the build quality is a bit too plasticy and flimsy -the flat dash top surface is very thin and wobbles sometimes. This may have changed on newer models. Even the electric wing mirrors sound tinny and cheap compared to European cars. One last gripe is that on our old model there is only a lap strap in the middle of the bench seat -newer ones have a three point harness, which we would prefer.

Anyway, there are more plus points than minus. The engine is truly awesome and can accelerate the fully laden car nimbly and safely to overtake. It is the only car I have had where I can't tell the difference in handling when it is loaded up! On long trips I like cruise control and the overdrive gearbox just seems to tick over at 80mph. For a big engine the fuel eceonomy is great on motorways. On motorway trips two years ago I was getting fuel costs of 15 pence per mile. This compares with 2-litre Toyota which I had as a company car and cost 17 pence per mile in petrol! Admittedly it is more costly around town.

Space wise the kids can pretty much walk around inside as if in a mini bus and they love all the cup holders and cubby holes. I used to hate drive throughs for fast food but now it works really well. Baby seat goes in the middle bucket seat and the wife can move back there and sit beside baby when needed. It really is a family car.

Ours came with specially darkened rear windows, which make the rear passengers invisible from outside, colour coded bumpers/mirrors and rather nifty running boards. I think that it looks far nicer than the standard trim. The heavily tinted windows meant that my wife could breast feed in privacy in a busy car park while I went off with the other two kids. It also means that you can have a sleep in privacy, although the headrests are a bit uncomfy!

I have had the seats out in various configurations -they weigh a ton and take up a lot of space to store but now I think Chrysler do fold flat seats? Last year I lined the interior with a tarpaulin, strung from the roof handles, and took away a full load of tree branches to the tip. The attendants at the tip came over to see how much stuff I had fitted inside! When my daughter and I looked over our shoulders at the empty area on the way back we both did double takes at the size of the load space. It really can double as a van with the seats out.

It's size can be a pain going into town or local villages where the lanes are tight and parking spaces are narrow. If you're just popping up to the library on a Saturday morning you'll take the second car if you have one. But for travelling any distance it is the business -a Voyager in fact!

Finally had to replace the exhaust back box this summer -forget main dealers -local specialist was fine and a fraction of the cost. Same comment on tyres -shop around. Local Kwik Fit wanted to replace brake pipes at MOT but place I later went to said that the pipes are non standard size and would be a main dealer job -reckoned that Kwik Fit would have cut them and then been unable to rejoin them!

When we first got the car we flagged a few odd rattles and bumps with main dealer to investigate and fix under warranty. The air con has never worked and they couldn't fix it. Was told that manual says to run it every month or it breaks down! There was a strange "whooshing" noise from behind the dash which they couldn't trace but seemed to fix by topping up the air con gas.

Now for the gearbox: it seemed to slip when trying to hold on hills -dealer couldn't find anything wrong. It started making odd creaky noises at standstill and when parking -nothing to be found. Last month the gearbox broke spectacularly and was replaced with a recon one by a specialist at a full cost of £2,200. I am convinced that these symptoms indicated a fault but the dealer couldn't trace anything. I wish that I had had the specialist look at it instead.

UPDATE April 2008:
Still going strong at 108k miles. we have learned how to check the auto gear box fluid level correctly to avoid expensive problems. Took the Voyager to Paris and caravan site in Brittany last year with no problems at all. Before we went I had two new front tyres fitted (Pirelli P6s) for £210 and spent £100 on a service for the gearbox, just to be safe. Drove through the floods on way back: even with water up to the headlights the car kept going.
Just returned from a week in Northumbria where the Voyager did the usual excellent service. Turned out that we forgot to fully service it last year before French trip (!) so we needed new front pads and discs last month. At £500 including a full service this was pricey but not too awful.
A few small niggles have cropped up: the cruise control has stopped working and a dashboard light is coming on for the airbag. Will get local garage to look at these.
We are going to have to replace it soon I think, and will be looking at newer Voyagers, around 3-5 years old. 

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