So, I'm always musing about what would be a good car to move my wife up to from the Cruze when it becomes financially practical to make any change. I intend to keep the Cruze, but would probably drive it myself as the daily errand runner. Our son is 3 months old and she frequently babysits 1-3 more kids and has a varied daily routine. I always come back around to "Suburban!" but she's not crazy about a big vehicle and they are a fairly expensive vehicle to operate when you're just hauling munchkins and groceries.
What we both value as much as anything is utility - easy ingress/egress, space efficiency, etc. Until 6 months ago there was a homely little 1992 Caravan sitting in the back of a used car lot in town for the longest time, and we stopped just to look. The short second row bench seat with a flat floor and decent size path back to the rear seat was a really attractive setup - something a lot of newer vehicles, with their second-row buckets or 60/40 split and stepped floor to the back (Suburban) don't have. It's also small and we both don't mind the exterior styling. Not to mention a shell to build off of is dirt cheap - if I went this route I'd welcome the opportunity to repower it with something completely different so a bad transmission or engine isn't a big deal. The original drivetrain in said vehicle isn't that appealing to me, and there are more reliable/efficient options, so I've mulled over what my go-to swaps would be.
Series II 3800 V6/4T65E: ample power, decent economy (at least 25 highway?), and very good longevity. I maintain 3 Buicks with 185K, 228K, and 270K on the clock and they all run very well with minimal maintenance and, on the 228K example, some substantial neglect in its recent past. But, that's more than enough engine for the little van and it's gotta have a computer to make it work. Wifey also prefers manual transmission and I'm not aware of any readily available transmissions for the transverse 3800.
VW TDI 1.9L (1Z or ALH, i.e. mechanical injection): Once again, very reliable. Enough power, better mileage (maybe 35?), and wouldn't be hard to find bolted to a manual transmission. No doubt easier to fit under the van's hood, too. But, if we're gonna talk mech. injection diesel, why not rise above the timing belt, take a long draw on the crack pipe, and go with:
Mercedes OM616 2.4L: This might the most expensive drivetrain so far, not to mention I'd probably put a turbo on it (to keep the back end of the van intact ), but if you want to talk reliability the Benz puts even the TDI to shame. They need their own kind of maintenance, but no timing belt. Maybe 28-30 MPG on the highway? Older tech, but rock solid if you just take a little care of it. Transmission? Who knows - something adapted as I don't think the 616 was ever mounted transverse.
Chevy Cruze 1.4T: Lots of computers, lots of newer tech, but 30-34? on the highway, plenty of power, and an engine I'm very familiar with. Also came with a manual transmission, and she's already used to that drivetrain in the Cruze. Very compact, too, as far as packaging is concerned.
Subaru 2.5 (turbo?) plus the AWD system would be a lot more work, but hey, then you have a minivan with the best AWD system around, right? Would almost certainly have to massage the firewall and front floors of the van to get it under the floor, though, and power (if N/A) and gas mileage wouldn't be that combo's strong suit.
90's Honda 4 cyl.: I'm somewhat acquainted with these engines. Light, durable, fairly economical, plentiful, available with manual trans., and fewer drivability quirks to tolerate than any diesel - just crank it and go.
Other ideas? If you've been asking yourself, "Why the h-e-double hockeysticks waste any money on anything close to this?" then the interest of such a project probably escapes you and your opinion probably isn't relevant.
But, for those that have some understanding why this appeals to me, what would you add to the concept?
What we both value as much as anything is utility - easy ingress/egress, space efficiency, etc. Until 6 months ago there was a homely little 1992 Caravan sitting in the back of a used car lot in town for the longest time, and we stopped just to look. The short second row bench seat with a flat floor and decent size path back to the rear seat was a really attractive setup - something a lot of newer vehicles, with their second-row buckets or 60/40 split and stepped floor to the back (Suburban) don't have. It's also small and we both don't mind the exterior styling. Not to mention a shell to build off of is dirt cheap - if I went this route I'd welcome the opportunity to repower it with something completely different so a bad transmission or engine isn't a big deal. The original drivetrain in said vehicle isn't that appealing to me, and there are more reliable/efficient options, so I've mulled over what my go-to swaps would be.
Series II 3800 V6/4T65E: ample power, decent economy (at least 25 highway?), and very good longevity. I maintain 3 Buicks with 185K, 228K, and 270K on the clock and they all run very well with minimal maintenance and, on the 228K example, some substantial neglect in its recent past. But, that's more than enough engine for the little van and it's gotta have a computer to make it work. Wifey also prefers manual transmission and I'm not aware of any readily available transmissions for the transverse 3800.
VW TDI 1.9L (1Z or ALH, i.e. mechanical injection): Once again, very reliable. Enough power, better mileage (maybe 35?), and wouldn't be hard to find bolted to a manual transmission. No doubt easier to fit under the van's hood, too. But, if we're gonna talk mech. injection diesel, why not rise above the timing belt, take a long draw on the crack pipe, and go with:
Mercedes OM616 2.4L: This might the most expensive drivetrain so far, not to mention I'd probably put a turbo on it (to keep the back end of the van intact ), but if you want to talk reliability the Benz puts even the TDI to shame. They need their own kind of maintenance, but no timing belt. Maybe 28-30 MPG on the highway? Older tech, but rock solid if you just take a little care of it. Transmission? Who knows - something adapted as I don't think the 616 was ever mounted transverse.
Chevy Cruze 1.4T: Lots of computers, lots of newer tech, but 30-34? on the highway, plenty of power, and an engine I'm very familiar with. Also came with a manual transmission, and she's already used to that drivetrain in the Cruze. Very compact, too, as far as packaging is concerned.
Subaru 2.5 (turbo?) plus the AWD system would be a lot more work, but hey, then you have a minivan with the best AWD system around, right? Would almost certainly have to massage the firewall and front floors of the van to get it under the floor, though, and power (if N/A) and gas mileage wouldn't be that combo's strong suit.
90's Honda 4 cyl.: I'm somewhat acquainted with these engines. Light, durable, fairly economical, plentiful, available with manual trans., and fewer drivability quirks to tolerate than any diesel - just crank it and go.
Other ideas? If you've been asking yourself, "Why the h-e-double hockeysticks waste any money on anything close to this?" then the interest of such a project probably escapes you and your opinion probably isn't relevant.
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