Ecomodding a minivan

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you look up any top 10, 15 or 20 worst vehicles type article jeep Chrysler, fiat usually make up at least a third to around around half that list.
Going from a 2012 t and c down to a 2007 honda was definitely an upgrade imo.
You didn't juat eliminate a car payment, you potentially eliminated 2, to Chrysler people they don't sell their old one until the monthly repair bill starts to look like the payment.
If you're unlucky you get an occasional repair bill that becomes more regular while you still are paying the damn thing off.

I disagree, we have a 2011 Chrysler with 85k on it and not one single problem. It's only on it's 2nd set of brakes and tires, change the oil only once a year, couple air filters, couple wiper blades. As the OP found out, the 3.6 pentstar may be one of the best standard v6s ever made for economy and power, but we have had a Dodge minivan in every generation since 1988 and never have had a big problem. I also tend to buy used, our current van was a rental car first, so having a van with over 200k on it has been the norm. We did blow a headgasket on a 1990 once but drove it for a week that way, and when we did get it fixed it was one day and $400. I've had Honda buddies lose an ignition module and be dead in the water with a $500 bill, or something simple like and idle air controller take the whole van down and be a $500 bill in the end. You can still buy the "classic" Grand Caravan brand new for $22,000 which is such a deal for what you get. 6 speed, almost 300 hp, 7 passenger, cargo room better than a suburban, ability to pull 30mpg on a tank.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

If you look up any top 10, 15 or 20 worst vehicles type article jeep Chrysler, fiat usually make up at least a third to around around half that list.
Going from a 2012 t and c down to a 2007 honda was definitely an upgrade imo.
You didn't juat eliminate a car payment, you potentially eliminated 2, to Chrysler people they don't sell their old one until the monthly repair bill starts to look like the payment.
If you're unlucky you get an occasional repair bill that becomes more regular while you still are paying the damn thing off.

I'm well aware, but I got that town and country for about 70% of it's NADA value, and ditched it before it went really bad. In retrospect: I should have just gotten a Honda or Toyota then, but we had just totalled our last van and needed one right away.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I disagree, we have a 2011 Chrysler with 85k on it and not one single problem. It's only on it's 2nd set of brakes and tires, change the oil only once a year, couple air filters, couple wiper blades. As the OP found out, the 3.6 pentstar may be one of the best standard v6s ever made for economy and power, but we have had a Dodge minivan in every generation since 1988 and never have had a big problem. I also tend to buy used, our current van was a rental car first, so having a van with over 200k on it has been the norm. We did blow a headgasket on a 1990 once but drove it for a week that way, and when we did get it fixed it was one day and $400. I've had Honda buddies lose an ignition module and be dead in the water with a $500 bill, or something simple like and idle air controller take the whole van down and be a $500 bill in the end. You can still buy the "classic" Grand Caravan brand new for $22,000 which is such a deal for what you get. 6 speed, almost 300 hp, 7 passenger, cargo room better than a suburban, ability to pull 30mpg on a tank.

And the new Honda beats it on every front. To be honest hitting 85k, even 150k trouble free should be s given on any modern vehicle.

We had just turned over 100k and the power doors were getting sketchy, tranny was having issues, and other electrical issues in general. Our Honda has 160k, one power door doesn't work and other wise it's perfectly fine. The only reason it gets worse mileage is it doesn't have VVT, add that and they stomp the dodges, with more cargo space, more passenger space, and more towing capacity, and s body that holds up immensely better.

My 2012 town and country was in far worse condition body wise after being in Arizona until 2016, than our new Honda that was sold new in North Dakota in 2007.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson

I am going to do grille blocks and an air dam for sure. I'm pretty sure I can get away with a small kammback too, though nothing too extreme. Wheel skirts are probably out though, I might play with spats/ducting to try and help a little bit there.

Make sure to have a coolant temp monitor or be extremely cautious on how much grille you block. A blown engine isn't worth an additional mpg or two from blocking the grille.

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I disagree, we have a 2011 Chrysler with 85k on it and not one single problem. It's only on it's 2nd set of brakes and tires, change the oil only once a year, couple air filters, couple wiper blades. As the OP found out, the 3.6 pentstar may be one of the best standard v6s ever made for economy and power, but we have had a Dodge minivan in every generation since 1988 and never have had a big problem. I also tend to buy used, our current van was a rental car first, so having a van with over 200k on it has been the norm. We did blow a headgasket on a 1990 once but drove it for a week that way, and when we did get it fixed it was one day and $400. I've had Honda buddies lose an ignition module and be dead in the water with a $500 bill, or something simple like and idle air controller take the whole van down and be a $500 bill in the end. You can still buy the "classic" Grand Caravan brand new for $22,000 which is such a deal for what you get. 6 speed, almost 300 hp, 7 passenger, cargo room better than a suburban, ability to pull 30mpg on a tank.

85K? Come back when the car has 285K. As said, any modern car should be able to last 100K-150K without any major troubles.

Although I do admit that some Honda Odyssey's have weak automatic transmissions. For a minivan I would go with the Toyota Sienna. 30+ MPG highway is possible if speed is kept below 70 MPH. With hypermiling I could get around 30 MPG around town. Their tall gearing really helps and Toyota makes some pretty bulletproof automatic transmissions.

I'm sure a lot of what we're all saying is brand loyalty, let's admit it. But the proof is in the puddin', as they say, and Hondas and Toyotas are generally considered to be more reliable. But hey, that doesn't mean each individual Chrysler vehicle is bad. We had a '06 Chrysler minivan from ~150K to ~220K and its main major repair was the torque converter. It barely broke over 20 MPG while the Sienna was pushing 30 MPG. Got it for cheap though and it was still probably cheaper per mile than the Sienna was. You happen to have a Chrysler; as with any car, take care of it and it'll take care of you.

~ Happy hypermiling.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Make sure to have a coolant temp monitor or be extremely cautious on how much grille you block. A blown engine isn't worth an additional mpg or two from blocking the grille.



85K? Come back when the car has 285K. As said, any modern car should be able to last 100K-150K without any major troubles.

Although I do admit that some Honda Odyssey's have weak automatic transmissions. For a minivan I would go with the Toyota Sienna. 30+ MPG highway is possible if speed is kept below 70 MPH. With hypermiling I could get around 30 MPG around town. Their tall gearing really helps and Toyota makes some pretty bulletproof automatic transmissions.

I'm sure a lot of what we're all saying is brand loyalty, let's admit it. But the proof is in the puddin', as they say, and Hondas and Toyotas are generally considered to be more reliable. But hey, that doesn't mean each individual Chrysler vehicle is bad. We had a '06 Chrysler minivan from ~150K to ~220K and its main major repair was the torque converter. It barely broke over 20 MPG while the Sienna was pushing 30 MPG. Got it for cheap though and it was still probably cheaper per mile than the Sienna was. You happen to have a Chrysler; as with any car, take care of it and it'll take care of you.

~ Happy hypermiling.

I would have liked a Toyota, but the Honda presented itself for the right price

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson

I would have liked a Toyota, but the Honda presented itself for the right price

Not trying to bash the Odyssey. If I couldn't get a Sienna I would get an Odyssey. But that's just my brand loyalty talking again. Hondas are great cars - heck, both cars I've owned have been Hondas. My family has owned two Toyotas now and they've both been great. Logically between cars that are both as reliable as those Odyssey and Sienna, price matters more, and in your case the Odyssey was, as you said, the right price. For perspective, my dad would choose an Odyssey over a Sienna, but my family bought the Sienna for the same reason - it was the right price.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Not trying to bash the Odyssey. If I couldn't get a Sienna I would get an Odyssey. But that's just my brand loyalty talking again. Hondas are great cars - heck, both cars I've owned have been Hondas. My family has owned two Toyotas now and they've both been great. Logically between cars that are both as reliable as those Odyssey and Sienna, price matters more, and in your case the Odyssey was, as you said, the right price. For perspective, my dad would choose an Odyssey over a Sienna, but my family bought the Sienna for the same reason - it was the right price.

Yep, I paid half for my ody that a similar age sienna is going for, and there are lots or good low miles used engines available around here: lots of rear ends and deer hits that still run and drive but the chassis twisted beyond repair

[redpoint5]

Lets see a fuel log added for that Honda.

[Hersbird]

I said I have had over 200k basically trouble free miles on a caravan, just our current one is at 85k. Body and interior are also flawless at 8 years old of rental car duty and parked outside in Montana, but that is owner care not build quality. Pay $10000 more if it make you feel better for a Hinda or Toyota, but minivan wise Dodge has always lead that category.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I said I have had over 200k basically trouble free miles on a caravan, just our current one is at 85k. Body and interior are also flawless at 8 years old of rental car duty and parked outside in Montana, but that is owner care not build quality. Pay $10000 more if it make you feel better for a Hinda or Toyota, but minivan wise Dodge has always lead that category.

Here's what the actual data says, collected from mechanics:

Minivan - Dashboard Light




The Odyssey had some really bad years, where Honda basically messed up all of their V6 auto transmissions. The Accord data were really bad for those years too.



Here's the Dodge (statistically speaking), and bear in mind that even a vehicle with a score of zero will still have many trouble-free examples: