Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3

My Van:

1998 Grand Caravan SE Sport
3.3 Liter engine
Infinity CD Stereo
Power Seats
Power Windows
Power Mirrors
Overhead Information, direction outside temp. gauge, etc.
4 Captain chairs
Digital odometer
Sporty looking gauges including RPM Gauge
8 Speaker Infinity CD stereo unit
Cruise control & More

I bought this van used, as my ...
...180,000. I was so satisfied with my old one for several reasons. It ran foe quite some time without having trouble, so I figured it was best to buy another one. So we set out to buy one, but we also did careful researching from time to time over a years time, so we would have a good idea of what to expect in price & quality track records. So went out and drove many different makes & models, and eventually we were pretty sure we wanted another Caravan. ... more

My Van:

1998 Grand Caravan SE Sport
3.3 Liter engine
Infinity CD Stereo
Power Seats
Power Windows
Power Mirrors
Overhead Information, direction outside temp. gauge, etc.
4 Captain chairs
Digital odometer
Sporty looking gauges including RPM Gauge
8 Speaker Infinity CD stereo unit
Cruise control & More

I bought this van used, as my old 1991 Caravan started to show signs of wear after 180,000. I was so satisfied with my old one for several reasons. It ran foe quite some time without having trouble, so I figured it was best to buy another one. So we set out to buy one, but we also did careful researching from time to time over a years time, so we would have a good idea of what to expect in price & quality track records. So went out and drove many different makes & models, and eventually we were pretty sure we wanted another Caravan.

From some of the others we drove, we did not find some of the things we like the most. First, the comfort of the Caravan is hard to match. The Pontiac Transport was nice, but the seats were too hard, and it did not seem to handle as well. The Chevy Venture was nice in many ways, but they did not seem to available in the extended version like our Grand Caravan. The Ford Windstars were nice, but the comfort was not there, and the cost was much more. The one Mini-van that seemed to impress us was the Mercury Villager/Nissan Quest. However, finding one in our price range was difficult, unless to had close to 100,000 miles, or it was much older.

The Caravan we purchased is the Grand Caravan Sport. The Sport has a little different styling, and it seems to have slight changes inside. The seating is a little softer in the standard Caravans, but these are still very nice to travel in. After taking long trips in this van, we've found ourselves comfortable through the entire trip. It is certainly spacious enough throughout. I recommend the Grand Caravans for the extra length, it really comes in handy. We learned that from our old van which was only a standard length mini-van.

The controls are all pretty convenient. Cruise control is on the wheel where it should be, and the instrument panel is pleasing to the eye. This model has the sporty type gauge layout, and it is nice to have the tachometer included.

I would most certainly recommend the tinted glass like this vehicle has. First of all it's great if you have kids. We always had to try to fit some kind of shade in the rear windows to keep the sun off of our little ones, and that is no longer a problem. The second reason for tinted glass is that it keeps out quite a bit of sun, thus reducing the inside temperature on those hot summer days.

There are 4 quad seats, and one bench type in the back. The to middle seats come out Very easy when you need that extra room. They are very comfortable, and recline for ultimate relaxation. The rear bench seat can be pulled out easily, as it has rollers, and is not as heavy as our old one was, so it's not a back breaker to remove. It also reclines almost all the way back, and almost serves as a small bed for a child.

The 3.3 liter engine is probably the smallest engine I would have in a van this size. It has plenty of power, but I can see the need for a little more boost on take off. My gas mileage ranges from 24-27 MPH, depending on the amount of passengers. The fuel tank is certainly large enough to take you for long ways without having to stop for gas.

Taking sharp turns and parking this van was the best of all that I test drove. The nice tight turning radius makes it easy for anyone to put it in the tightest of spaces. It make sit easier for my wife to maneuver and park, since there are times she feared it would be difficult, because of the extra 2 ft. length.

After owning one of these, it would be very difficult for me to go back to having a car, and impossible for my wife. She loves it so much, she'll never give it up, except for another one like it. She especially likes being higher up where she can see ahead better. Even out older Caravan did not have us sitting up this high.

All in all, this vehicle just made sense. And from what I can see, the Chrysler mini-vans seem to have pretty good mileage in comparison. Some people have tried to talk me into buying a Honda Odyssey, claiming that the Chrysler vans had some trouble with the transmissions. And although the Honda's are quite nice, I did look into their track record a little, and it would seem that they have quite a transmission problem themselves for a fews years now. I could not see paying A LOT MORE for a van, and having to be concerned about paying somewhere in the ballpark of $5000.00 for Honda to rebuild it. Now I'm no genius, but I know the Chrysler transmissions are around $1500-$2000 for a rebuild. I had one go out on my old Caravan at 89,000 miles. And although there was no warranty on the vehicle, Chrysler (recognizing the problem) completely rebuilt for me, with only a $100.00 deductible. From what I hear about the Honda's, they are failing around 40-45,000 miles. The warranty is only for (unless you bought more)36K. Honda is not paying a dime to fix theirs. You'd think they might even meet them half way, but no dice.

I now have close to 90,000 trouble free miles on this van, and they were a pleasure to put on. And say what you will, my old van which I sold to some friends of mine, is not only still running with almost 200,000 miles, but it is running very well. And most of it still has original equipment. With a track record like that, for a van in it's price category, how could I not consider buying another!
 

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