Cars.com Faceoff: Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest

While most requests we hear from families involve wanting a car that has all the capabilities of a minivan but isn’t actually a minivan, there are still minivan shoppers out there. Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder and Mike Hanley took on three popular models, including the newly redesigned Dodge Grand Caravan and slightly tweaked Honda Odyssey. Can the Nissan hold its own against such tough competition? Check out the Faceoff to find out.

Cars.comparison: Family Workhorses

Best Cash-Back Finds: 2.15.08

President’s Day is Monday and you’ve probably seen a lot of commercials about big car sales. Automakers had a pretty dismal January for car sales across the board and they’re looking to pick things up in February. Besides our full list of incentives you can find here, many are offering short-term incentives for just the weekend. Here are some of the best we’ve found in terms of quality, safety and value. Yes, there are three minivans.

2008 Kia Sedona

MSRP: $20,695
Cash back: $1,500
Percent off MSRP: 7.2%   
Expires: 3/3/08
5-Year Ownership Costs

Kia’s minivan has been an underachiever for some time, but still is one of only three minivans to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award. The interior isn’t the best in the class but the base price and long warranty are mighty alluring. Add up to $1,500 cash back depending on where you live and the Sedona seems mighty sensible.

The 2008 Cars.com Mileage Challenge: Part 2

Yesterday, we detailed our scheme to document the real-world mileage of four 2008 models — a Nissan Rogue, Subaru Impreza, Dodge Grand Caravan and Hyundai Sonata. All the cars except the Rogue had trip computers with mileage readouts, so we were able to easily track our mileage along the way. The results are in:

The 2008 Cars.com Mileage Challenge

As the price for a gallon of regular gas hovers above $3 a gallon — $3.40 in California — it’s high time we investigate what sort of mileage our cars achieve in the real world. In October, the EPA released its 2008 Fuel Economy Guide, which rates mileage using stricter standards for acceleration, air-conditioning use, cold weather and top speeds than were used in the past. The new measures purportedly reflect real-world driving better than before; MPG ratings dropped some 5 to 15 percent per car using the new standards.

Still, the EPA tests are done in laboratories, not on the road. To test real-world mileage, we took four cars across interstates and rural roads between Chicago and Madison, Wis., in October. Nine hours, two pit stops and one greasy lunch later, we had logged some 300 miles.

New Minivans Included in Chrysler Sale

The Chrysler Event of a Lifetime might be hyperbolically named. After all, anyone who considers a year-end car manufacturer sale the event of their lifetime probably needs to do some serious self-examination. Therapy might even be in order.

While they're getting those issues sorted out, though, the rest of us can take advantage of the deals Chrysler's event entails. The automaker is offering a variety of savings on 2008 models, including $3,000 on a 300C (excluding the SRT8), $2,000 on Sebring convertibles, $1,000 on a Town & Country, and $1,500 and $2,000 on five- and six-passenger Pacificas, respectively.

Dodge and Jeep are in on the act, too. Dodge trucks get the highest discounts — $3,000 on the 2008 Durango and $4,500 on certain Ram trims — while the 2008 Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee get $3,000 each.

A variety of long-term financing deals are also available.

Time is of the essence: current deals expire Monday, Dec. 3, and Chrysler has yet to announce any incentives past the current expiration date. Though surely Chrysler would want to extend the Event of All Our Lifetimes, right? 

Check out Cars.com's Incentives page for a full list of deals.

Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan

The best-selling minivan on the market is back with a completely new design, inside and out. Mike Hanley dissects the DGC to reveal a heavily upgraded, but still not top of the heap, family-mover that deserves consideration. 

2008 Dodge Grand Caravan Expert Review (Cars.com)

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan

A van is a wonderful thing for carrying people and things. Your cargo stays dry — unlike in a pickup — and the load floor is usually lower than an SUV's. Combine that with power hatches and doors, and the ingredients are there for a good Weekend Athlete car.

Video: Talking Chrysler Minivans

This week Chrysler is hosting an event in San Diego to highlight its two new minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. Cars.com managing editor Patrick Olsen corners Chrysler product manager Mario D’Ovidio on the back of a new Town & Country about the next generation of family haulers.

Chrysler Minivan Pricing is Key

Chrysler has cut the prices for its next generation of minivans, and some experts say that’s not a bad decision.

“If Chrysler can cut the price of its 2008 model minivans this fall and still make a profit — and there's no reason to assume it won't make a profit — then the price cut is a wise move," said Erich Merkle, an analyst with IRN Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich.

While it's cutting prices, Chrysler is also adding 35 new items to the vans, from electronic stability control and side curtain airbags to second-row seats that swivel to face the third row, with a table in between where kids can eat lunch or play games while they travel.

New 2008 Chrysler Minivans Cost Less Than '07s

The redesigned 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans will go on sale this fall with more standard features than the outgoing 2007s, as well as a lower sticker price. Chrysler announced prices this morning, and the base Town & Country LX will start $3,585 less than last year’s, at $22,460 not including a $730 destination charge. That’s the biggest dip in prices across the two lines, but all five models cost less. The base Caravan SE will start at $21,740, $1,950 less than the 2007.

All models have been extensively redesigned and add new safety features like electronic stability control and a tire pressure monitoring system. The interior and exterior are completely redesigned, and both minivans are longer than before. 

Full prices for all versions are below.

Chrysler Prices Diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee

This March, Jeep will start selling a diesel-powered version of its Grand Cherokee SUV. The 3.0-liter V-6 common rail turbodiesel engine — called CRD for short — offers 376 pounds-feet of torque, which is more than the optional Hemi V-8 while getting around 50% better gas mileage. The CRD starts at $37,885 before a $695 destination charge.

Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder drove a pre-production Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD over the summer and came away mightily impressed. Full model lineup prices are below, excluding the destination charge. 

2007 Detroit Auto Show: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan

From outside the Dodge Grand Caravan, there isn’t a lot to wow the eyes of potential minivan shoppers. The all-new Grand Caravan is certainly not as eye-catching as the Nissan Quest or Toyota Sienna. No, it — and the Chrysler Town & Country — is boxy, tried and true. All the interesting stuff is underneath the skin.

The big “must-have” feature is the Swivel ‘n Go seating system with two second-row captain’s chairs that can rotate 180 degrees to face the third row. There’s also a removable table for those Texas hold ’em fanatics or — more appropriate for the target market — travel board games like Battleship.

The interior finally catches up to the rest of the Dodge family, but we’ve found even those new vehicles to be a step below the competition. Also note the strange position of the shifter, right next to the gauge cluster. That has to be the oddest positioning we’ve ever seen, and until proven otherwise during a test drive we won’t believe it’s a more convenient placement than the standard column shifter. What is cool for the family set is an optional power fold-flat third row of seats and standard stability and traction control, plus side curtain airbags for all three rows.

We’ll have more from the floor on Sunday, but for now enjoy the photos below.