Which car would you get if you were in my situation?

[ikessky]

Okay, I'm at a little bit of a deciding point on vehicles. We are looking at an '04 Impala and an '04 Dodge Grand Caravan. Now, they both have similar mileage on them (around 14,000), come with the remaining 3 year/36K warranty, and would both last for quite a while. We can pay either of them off in around a year to 1 1/2 years. Now, they each have their seperate good and bad points.

Minivan Pros:
-Lots more room
-Easier to take longer trips in with our kids
-Built in child seats (no more moving car seats for at least the one kid)

Minivan Cons:
-Insurance is more expensive (about $50 every 6 months)
-About $1400 more expensive
-Only gets about 25MPG
-No keyless entry

Impala Pros:
-Every factory option except for leather, moonroof, and alloy wheels
-Better gas mileage
-Cheaper insurance
-Cheaper initial purchase

Impala Cons:
-Less room with the kids
-Will still end up switching car seats around when we take the other car

Keep in mind that we have 2 kids and are wanting to build a new house in not so very long (~2 years or so). The main thing I worry about if we don't get this minivan is that when we do need another car after the other one dies ('01 Century), we will have a house payment and will not want to take on the payments of a minivan also. So what would you do in my situation?

[Doubt_Incarnate]

im voting gm, dads 99 century has almost 200K miles on it and its still in really good shape, so your buick probably won't be dying. if you only have 2 kids the mini-van is a ittle over kill, go the cheaper route, i think you can get away with it. and because its a car, you'll probably enjoy driving it more.

[vsop4me3.1]

go for the impala, I have 2 kids and they fit just fine in the back of the GP, however if you plan on vacationing it can be done in the Impala, but would be a lot easier in the mini van. either way I would buy the Impala. as for the car seats the impala has the latch system, so changing car seats is a piece of cake.

[Cliff8928]

Well, I may have to think on this one, does the impala have the 3400?


Cliff Scott
89 BerettaGT
04 AleroGX

[ikessky]

Yes, the Impala has the 3400. We also found a Chevy Venture for a really good price. That one has the 3400 as well. I know my wife likes it a little more because it has bucket seats in the second row and the Grand Caravan does not.

[bszopi]

My parents have an 03 or 04 Chevy Venture and it is very nice. Drives smooth, is nice and quiet, and is quite versitile with the removable seats.

[vsop4me3.1]

wow, the caravan gets no love on this board.

[ikessky]

We are going to go looking again this weekend. Ultimately, it will be up to my wife as it will be mainly her vehicle. I did tell her that I felt more comfortable working on the Impala or the Venture though.

[patgizz]

my 97 caravan has 207,000 miles.... more room for kids and car parts and stuff for the house.

[Lyle's GTP]

Go with the Impala. You don't NEED the bigger space, and if it turns out you need more room for long trips you can get some really nice roof racks. Plus, you know what happens with mini vans. The end up turning into driving junk yards. By this I mean, toys, wrapers, clothes, bottles, etc. When you have a smaller space it tends to be kept cleaner. Oh, and if you need to strangle a kid they are within arms reach.

I can't stress this one more...GAS AIN'T GETTING CHEAPER!!! I think I could make a solid bet to say that gas will be at least double what it is now in the next five years. That makes a highbrid look like an H2.

Lyle

[bszopi]

My parent's Venture gets batter gas mileage than my Beretta, with the same engine.

[ikessky]

Supposedly, Dodge minivans have the best gas mileage out there. The sticker, however, says it is about 25MPG highway. I'm thinking it will be a little higher than that.

[ikessky]

The decision has been made!

Well, the Dodge dealership dropped their price even more and is going to add keyless entry and remote start for no charge. At this price, I just couldn't pass up the deal. We are going to be picking the van up later this week.

[White93z34]

RE: The decision has been made!

i woulden't touch the dodge, namely because it's a dodge. they have entirely too many quality control issues for me to ever consider one of their cars.

impala all the way or mabie a venture.

[Lyle's GTP]

Re: RE: The decision has been made!

i woulden't touch the dodge, namely because it's a dodge. they have entirely too many quality control issues for me to ever consider one of their cars.

impala all the way or mabie a venture.

True that. A guy from my home town had a Caravan, and he put 6 trannys in it in 7 years. Not kidding either. Plus, Chrysler wouldn't pay a dime either. They claimed driver error. He tried to go to court over it and Chrysler sent two big lawyers down. They shot him right out of the water. He had no proof, that the tranny failures were not his fault, because the dealership did all the work.

My uncle had a Interpid aswell. One day he was driving it and he felt the tranny shutter a little. So, he took it to the dealer they said their was nothing wrong with it. So, with disbelief, he asked the service tech if he honestly felt it would be fit for a long trip. The guy said, "absolutly." Two days later, BAM!!... tranny piled up. Once again the dealer never paid a dime, all he got was a "Better luck next time." Was a real bitch for him too, because he was never hard on it and it was maticulasly maintained by the dealership.

I would never buy a Chrysler.

Lyle