Topic: Test Drive: 2015 Chrysler Town & Country Limited Platinum

[Snowman]

If you want the best van, you buy the Odyssey.  If you insist on AWD you buy the Sienna.  Everything else is a waste of time.   

If you want the best value, you get a Grand Caravan CVP. Spending a lot of money on a van seems pointless to me.

^This.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

If you treat your family car like a garden shed, well get a CVP. However, if it's going to be your daily driver for 10 years, the mid-trim vans offer the best combination of comfort, convenience and room for everyday use.

I also think all trucks should be 8' bed single cabs with rwd and dog-dish hubcaps and priced less than 20k$ 

  I like that...can I use it  If you are going to treat you primary family vehicle like a POS the GC is perfect. Most people do and I would never buy a used one.

[jamescottam]

I agree with those who see the value here in the lower level Caravan models. At 22K these vans are a very good value. But I have noticed even modest options raise the price quite quickly, and as you approach 30K I am thinking Sienna and Odyssey. At 50K or 40K I've lost all interest, except in the chuckle it affords for a few seconds.

[2JDM]

Even if they are dropping the Grand Caravan name, this will always be a "Grand Caravan" to me. I am really surprised that they are dropping that iconic nameplate.

[jamie1]

all depends what is more important for you... driving something from new, being the only driver, having full warranty coverage, getting a lower finance rate, choosing your colour/options.... or saving money.

i see both sides of that. personally, i'd go used too.. but must have under 20 kms and within one year of original service date.

as for the cvp eating brakes... it has gotten better, but still will be the one sore spot for many... and they all come with 17's now, just not all with aluminum. not a bad idea to keep money aside for brakes though...

With the money you save over the other brands....whats a set of pads for a Caravan, $100 if that.

$74.95. Although they fixed the brake problem about 3 years ago.

[SailFastSimon]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

[Fobroader]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[Rupert]

   The only van niche for other vans is the luxury end of the scale. I believe that the mid range with 'stow and go' and maybe the 'tow package' are the best options here and where decent sales volume is. If you need and use, occasionally, the full flat floor on trips to hardware stores...where ya gonna go.
    CVP is a great buy and not noticeably down market from the above...a good thing. Still has the great engine.  CVP has lots of floor space behind the fixed mid row also.
   The organisation must be nuts to give all of this UP. Almost every second vehicle you see is a Caravan.
   

[Noto]

on another note, I have yet to see a Grand Caravan/T&C that had a functioning rear wiper past 1 year old.

[Danno001]

Rockauto.com good place for rear wiper motors, even if shipping $ is steep

[Fobroader]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Downfall is YOU have to drive the GC when the family goes somewhere together (which is often).

Im sure its just as depressing to drive as its competitors.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[Noto]

I haven't driven the Odyssey, but the Sienna's not bad.

Nor is the GC. Parking is another story.

[mixmanmash]

I haven't driven the Odyssey, but the Sienna's not bad.

Nor is the GC. Parking is another story.

The Sienna drives well.  The Odyssey is even better.  It literally drives like an Accord.  The speed with which I can take cloverleafs is very car like.

[SailFastSimon]

For the DVD system, are there controls for the driver to use? I've found on other vehicles, it's limited to the person sitting watching the screen, but for parents I'm sure they'd be interested in having some controls rather than having kids screaming at them.

I'd also be curious to know how functional the seating is. I've read that the 3rd seat row of the Honda Odyssey has sufficient pass through underneath to slide 4'x8' sheets of plywood and still have that 3rd row functional.

The principal controls for the DVD system are located with the DVD/Blueray player at the bottom of the centre stack. There's then a remote control and two headphones included for the rear passengers. I'll be honest though that in the week I had the van we never went on a trip long enough to justify having the kids watch a film (and anyhow, my kids are now old enough that they prefer making us all listen to comedy on XM radio), so beyond firing up the system to check it out and take some photos I didn't really test all the combinations and permutations of who can control what from where, and how many different programs can be viewed/listened to simultaneously in different zones of the van. My bad.

I also misplaced the photos of the DVD system and the underfloor bins, and so I failed to send them along with the rest of the photo set. I have since passed them along to the editor, and with any luck it should be possible to add them to the gallery.

[tooscoops]

the different things in different zones question... as long as it is from a different format, you can listen/watch... so a dvd on screen one (and headphone 1), blue ray on screen two(and headphone 2) and sat radio through the speakers... cool... headset one on sat radio, headset 2 on fm, and a cd playing through speakers? super...

it's actually pretty good. and the screen up front has a settings section under VES that can change what the people in the back listen to/watch.

and to johnnyboys comment (or i think the part that is!) i'd like to see that '15 sienna or odyssey for less than 32 grand that has all those options! and if you could buy this for 35, my god! buy me a dozen! the resale definitely wouldn't "still suck" at that point!

[Fobroader]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Downfall is YOU have to drive the GC when the family goes somewhere together (which is often).

Im sure its just as depressing to drive as its competitors.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

That's why you buy a MDX instead, lol

 

[2JDM]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Downfall is YOU have to drive the GC when the family goes somewhere together (which is often).

Im sure its just as depressing to drive as its competitors.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Go test-drive an Odyssey and then a Caravan. There is a huge difference...the Odyssey is more polished and feels more sophisticated overall.

[Noto]

That's why you buy a MDX instead, lol

or...

[Snowman]

 

[greengs]

So no one here agrees that having a Scion FR-S to drive yourself and leaving your significant other to ferry the kids around in a Grand Caravan SE Plus is actually an awesome idea? 

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Downfall is YOU have to drive the GC when the family goes somewhere together (which is often).

Im sure its just as depressing to drive as its competitors.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

That's why you buy a MDX instead, lol

MDX is only slightly less depressing to drive than an Odyssey IMO.  Just buy the van for the wife, truck and fun car for yourself.   

[greengs]

If you want the best van, you buy the Odyssey.  If you insist on AWD you buy the Sienna.  Everything else is a waste of time.   

If you want the best value, you get a Grand Caravan CVP. Spending a lot of money on a van seems pointless to me.

Not pointless.  I don't want my childs riding around in a death trap that is Dodge Caravan   

http://www.autos.ca/general-news/small-overlap-test-cripples-minivan-crash-results/