I'm going to do it...

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted by StevieC
It will be krown'ed for sure.

Man I am messing up big time with wording things today! I don't drink coffee but maybe I should, I don't think I've woken up yet.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Originally Posted by StevieC
It will be krown'ed for sure.

Man I am messing up big time with wording things today! I don't drink coffee but maybe I should, I don't think I've woken up yet.


It's all good...

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Off topic: With your experience driving Grand Caravans:

My grandma's 14' Grand Carvan drives really aggressively in normal mode. When I've driven it, I've got to put it in "Eco" mode to get it to drive normally. One example is when passing on the freeway and giving it a normal amount of gas to pass someone, it drops down several gears and screams! Takes off like a racecar too. In Eco mode it drive about like I'd expect.

Have you experienced this?

I rented a GC last spring for a road trip...did not do anything like this. (Of course, I may have had it in "ECO" the whole time and not realized it.) It did kick out of 6th occasionally, but the van was carrying most of 1500lbs (4 people and a bunch of stuff).

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Looks nice! I agree you have violated some sort of BITOG rule. In an alternate universe a SteveC just traded in his GC for a Highlander so all is good now.

 

[KrisZ]

Congrats on the new van, now instead of an ugly soccer mom SUV, you'll be driving a stylish soccer mom minivan.

Seriously though, that transmission must've been pretty bad for you to trade in so early, hopefull Toyota pays attention and fixes this transmission.

On another tangent, I believe Chrysler is making a huge mistake letting the GC die, although they extended the production to 2019 from the original 2018 target. It is still selling extremely well and I believe after a mild interior and exterior refresh and infotainment update this minivan could still be a very good budget option for those that don't want a $40k plus minivan. This platform is very well sorted out, people are obviously are still interested in buying one, so why not invest a little and let the production continue? I mean, it's not like Chrysler has an abundance of models flying off the shelves in their stable. Makes no sense whatsoever to me.

 

[StevieC]

KrisZ

- Soccer Mom.

The 8 speeds leaves a lot to be desired and not just annoyances but questionable reliability long term if it keeps up the harsh shifting that is intermittent. I can't see that lasting to the usual mileage points Toyota's should be known to achieve.

I agree it will be a sad day when the GC's are gone but it is getting really old in the tooth and still selling well so why not just update it and leave it alone. I mean they could just grab the 9 speed from the Pacifica now that it "seems" sorted out with the early bugs.

I'm glad I got mine before that day.

 

[ndfergy]

I was going to suggest that putting it into S8 mode will not lock out the OD gears, only S6 (1:1) or lower to mitigate tranny hunting. We do that, S4, with our 6spd '14 Camry with speeds < 75 km/h or so for improved driveability. However, that's water under the bridge now.

You're not unique; I did the same thing many years ago selling a less than a year old car for something else because of reliability confidence. No point being unhappy or on tenterhooks for the next 5+ years..

Good luck on your new ride. Looks sharp.

 

[methusaleh]

Love the looks of the new Caravan and hope it works out for you!

How as the Highlander in the snow? I've considered one for the wife; she's driving an Edge Limited now and finding it sure is "limited" with two kids.

 

[StevieC]

Thanks ndfergy.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by methusaleh
Love the looks of the new Caravan and hope it works out for you!

How as the Highlander in the snow? I've considered one for the wife; she's driving an Edge Limited now and finding it sure is "limited" with two kids.


Not sure, bought it this summer.

 

[blupupher]

I have been looking at the GT Caravans. I really like the look of them, have been debating doing a test drive. I know the current version is totally different than the '05 I had.
Mind if I ask the price?

 

[StevieC]

The price for me would be different because our currency is worth less compared to the USD and I get a retiree discount thanks to my dad. The MSRP on the van is $50K ($38K USD). It has the auto-leveling suspension which is a free add-on with the towing package it has. It certainly rides nicer than the stripped version my dad has and the SXT Premium Plus my Father in-law has.

 

[JTK]

^ That was my bride's main dislike with our 2013 Grand Caravan. She didn't like the ride quality. It was a tad stiff, but I attributed that mostly to the solid beam rear axle. The other dislike for her was the lack of adjustability of the front seats that our particular SE model had (same as base model seats). I still regret trading off that van. It was my favorite of the bunch we've had.

 

[StevieC]

Yeah I find the seats in my dad's basic version too high for me and the back support uncomfortable with my bad back. My father in-law's and my new one have the power adjustable seat which can be lowered down and has lumbar support which I'm happy about.

 

[Uregina09]

MSRP on most domestic vehicles doesn't mean much in Canada. $50k MSRP on a Caravan? ...‚ I assume it was around $31k to $33k plus tax after all discounts.

Originally Posted by StevieC
The price for me would be different because our currency is worth less compared to the USD and I get a retiree discount thanks to my dad. The MSRP on the van is $50K ($38K USD). It has the auto-leveling suspension which is a free add-on with the towing package it has. It certainly rides nicer than the stripped version my dad has and the SXT Premium Plus my Father in-law has.

 

[StevieC]

I just listed MSRP so that he could compare MSRP in the US and figure out what percentage the difference was between the two countries if the currency exchange alone wasn't enough. And yeah I agree $50K for a GC is comical but it's what was listed on the screen when I was at the dealership working out the numbers.

 

[Uregina09]

The MSRP on domestic trucks is laughable too. I factory ordered my F150 in March and paid approximately $13k less than MSRP. Discounts on remaining 18s are around $18k. Way too much room to pay way too much if a person isn't a smart shopper.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Uregina09
The MSRP on domestic trucks is laughable too. I factory ordered my F150 in March and paid approximately $13k less than MSRP. Discounts on remaining 18s are around $18k. Way too much room to pay way too much if a person isn't a smart shopper.


Yup, we saved 22K over MSRP on our RAM.

 

[Uregina09]

Given your experience, I revise Stevie's out the door price down significantly. Perhaps they paid him to drive it off the lot.

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Uregina09
The MSRP on domestic trucks is laughable too. I factory ordered my F150 in March and paid approximately $13k less than MSRP. Discounts on remaining 18s are around $18k. Way too much room to pay way too much if a person isn't a smart shopper.


Yup, we saved 22K over MSRP on our RAM.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by StevieC
The price for me would be different because our currency is worth less compared to the USD and I get a retiree discount thanks to my dad. The MSRP on the van is $50K ($38K USD).



That is an insanely high MSRP for a Caravan, I know that Chrysler always seems to have huge discounts on them though so I hope that there isn't a single person in Canada that has actually paid that much for one. Even loaded up with all the bells and whistles it's not worth that much. (especially with the huge depreciation that Dodge/Chryslers typically suffer)