Dodge Caravan to be discontinued

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Kira
Mini-van = box with engine and 4 wheels. If you need one, buy one. If you need/want a Ferrari, don't buy one. Mini-vans are service appliances. If they threaten someone's manhood that's their problem. I love 'em.

Like pick up trucks, I wish sparse ones were available. Kira


Nice observations.

I see folks who purchase minivans to be much more intelligent than those that are sold the lifestyle SUV and bite hook, line, and sinker.

Usually the minivan, is more practical, more economical, you get more for your money as well as they are cheaper to buy compared to a similarly equipped SUV.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
Dodge Caravan to cease in 2016

Remember how cool the "garageable van" was in 1984? It was cool enough that Ferris Bueller's mom drove one in the movie.

Fast forward to last week: My wife thanked me for opposing her desire to purchase a minivan after our daughter was born in 1997. Between 1984 and 1997, the whole minivan concept went from ooh to ugh. And it has gotten ugh-er since.


Sad but true. The utility of a van can't be beat by any three row SUV besides a suburban. There is nothing else on the market that offers the utility of space and access like a minivan.

Somehow the marketers have convinced people to go with SUVs (that really are the same underpinnings as a van, not some rough and tumble truck) by creating a situation where it's uncool to drive anything else. In a slightly more offensive way, it's almost pushed to men so they can be sure of their gender and to women so they don't have to admit that they're getting older. After all vans, station wagons, etc? That's ma and pa and grandma... Not current generation mom and dad with the same three kids and a dog... No (s)he's too cool for that. Be sure of yourself and buy what works best, not what you think makes you look coolest IMO.

Yet another trend contrary to my buying desires.

 

[antiqueshell]

The reason the marketing hacks push the SUV is because of the higher profit margin on them. Because we have so many
vain and friviolous consumers in our society today that is perfect hunting grounds for greedy marketing agents.

 

[oilmaven]

The end of an era. I've had no fewer than 7 minivans ('88 Caravan 4 cyl., 89 Caravan 3.0 V6, '91 Voyager 3.3 V6, '94 Villager, '96 Villager, '97 Town & Country and my current '99 Villager). Strangely, I've never felt that my manhood was threatened by driving one...like KIRA, I love them. I'm using the Villager for work and am putting 25-30K a year on it...it runs great...will drive it for a couple more years. Nothing beats the sheer room and versatility of a minivan (except for the 4x4 utility, I have no need for a truck...EVERYONE around here drives full-size Chevy pickups...not a lot of Fords or Dodges from what I can see...many rusted out and on their last legs...gas mileage with a truck is too low for my driving). I've hauled everything from firewood to furniture in them. I'm not brand loyal anymore (although I have a soft spot for the Dodge/Chrysler models even considering their rust and trans issues) and will probably replace the Villager with another "good used one" when the time comes.

 

[rjundi]

Who cares the Town & Country carries on the concept of the Dodge Caravan. Maybe instead of wasting resource on two vehicles they can consolidate energy into one great vehicle.

 

[Zaedock]

I knew a guy in the late 80's/early 90's who ran low 13's with a mod'd turbo Caravan at New England Drag way.

My wife hates minivans. We will never buy one. I've had a few company rides when I worked in Boston and they were fine with me. They could hold a lot and carry my drum kit to a gig.
I think she simply hates the soccer mom stereotype associated with them (and station wagons too).

 

[rjundi]

I have yet to meet someone who has said wow this minivan (Caravan) is exciting to drive or gloating/feels great the way it looks or they look in it.

They definitely do not appeal to the emotional part of car buying, they are the pinnacle choice of practical.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I knew a guy in the late 80's/early 90's who ran low 13's with a mod'd turbo Caravan at New England Drag way.

My wife hates minivans. We will never buy one. I've had a few company rides when I worked in Boston and they were fine with me. They could hold a lot and carry my drum kit to a gig.
I think she simply hates the soccer mom stereotype associated with them (and station wagons too).


Gus Mahon. Gus had one that ran low 13's sadly he died in a motorcycle crash.
Gus's page
To see the turbo stuff clink "this link".

Gary Donovan.
Gary's page
I was real big in to Turbo Dodges until I got my first LT1 car.

 

[artificialist]

I'm not surprised because people prefer the Chrysler T&C van anyway. Chrysler probably gets more in profit for the T&C because those vans are typically equipped with overpriced navigation computers, fancy leather interior pieces, televisions for children, and sensors for backing up in a crowded parking lot.

I also suspect the Dodge Caravan is going away because in the past, contractors could buy panel van versions of the Dodge Caravan, but now they could use the Fiat Ducato for that job.

Also, it doesn't help that the Caravan is notorious for transmission problems, and oil burning engines. The Chrysler T&C wasn't much better.

 

[Papa Bear]

Chrysler Canada (Windsor) is tied to the minivan.
We built the large van (RWD) here too until they dropped it and closed the plant. It wouldn't surprise me if Marchionne shuttered the minivan plant too in the near future..
Funny as Marchionne was educated at The University of Windsor years ago.

 

[Joe_Power]

 

[jimbrewer]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I think she simply hates the soccer mom stereotype associated with them (and station wagons too).


No doubt. I'm past that age now, but when the kids were little, I recall there were quite a few "hot moms" with kids at the school. For some reason I can't remember what kind of cars they drove.

I don't know why a car with a 15:1 weight to power ratio would be dowdy but a VW Touareg that is about the same or less power to weight ratio that costs three times as much is sexy. The power of marketing, I guess.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: jimbrewer
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I think she simply hates the soccer mom stereotype associated with them (and station wagons too).


No doubt. I'm past that age now, but when the kids were little, I recall there were quite a few "hot moms" with kids at the school. For some reason I can't remember what kind of cars they drove.

I don't know why a car with a 15:1 weight to power ratio would be dowdy but a VW Touareg that is about the same or less power to weight ratio that costs three times as much is sexy. The power of marketing, I guess.

This is what happens when the generation of today doesn't want to drive the kind of car their parents drove.

Sort of like how in the 80s, station wagon sales declined because people didn't want to remember their parent's car either. That is something my mom and dad told me. When they saw the 1985 Nissan Maxima, the dealer said they would upgrade for free to the station wagon, mom said NO WAY. By 1990, Nissan made no more station wagons for the USA.

 

[bubbatime]

My wife and I just bought a Town and Country. With a 1 year old and another on the way soon, we NEEDED a mini van. We tried every SUV on the market and they just don't offer the space, utility, and fuel mileage of a mini van. We don't care about the "vanity" aspect of the car, just the utilitarian nature of it. There really is not a better "family" vehicle out there than a mini van

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
I see folks who purchase minivans to be much more intelligent than those that are sold the lifestyle SUV and bite hook, line, and sinker.


Wow; you can accurately judge someone's intelligence by observing whether they drive a minivan or an SUV? What a gift!

Actually, to be fair, you didn't say you could do it accurately...

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
I have yet to meet someone who has said wow this minivan (Caravan) is exciting to drive or gloating/feels great the way it looks or they look in it.

They definitely do not appeal to the emotional part of car buying, they are the pinnacle choice of practical.


The exact same thing can be said about the SUVs. How many people buy SUVs because they're exciting to drive or have that unique look? Yet people buy them by a boat load. Why? Because it's fashionable, just like minivans were fashionable at one point in time. But at least the minivans were practical and served their purpose (family hauler) very well. SUV of today, you know "Sport Utility Vehicle" are neither sporty nor have great utility. Heck, some of them, the CUV segment, are not even rated for towing without voiding the warranty, or have pathetic towing ratings as to not cannibalize pick-up truck sales.

SUVs are a prime example of playing on people's vanity. They are being sold the image of the outdoor person going on those exciting trips to the forest, camping cycling etc. Yet the vast majority of these SUVs will never leave the city, they will be driven by some middle aged man or a woman to the office and back and to get groceries.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
SUVs are a prime example of playing on people's vanity.


I wonder how many "sports" cars get driven at 9/10ths on anything resembling a regular basis rather than being just commuters.

*

If the Caravan goes, what will be the low cost minivan? Wasn't the AVP the lowest cost one, at $20k?

 

[datech]

>>>"If the Caravan goes, what will be the low cost minivan? Wasn't the AVP the lowest cost one, at $20k?"


They will just have the "town and country' which is Chrysler.

Dodge brand will be for performance cars, Jeep for SUVs, Chrysler for the family vehicles.

And Fiat, for whatever

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
My wife and I just bought a Town and Country. With a 1 year old and another on the way soon, we NEEDED a mini van. We tried every SUV on the market and they just don't offer the space, utility, and fuel mileage of a mini van. We don't care about the "vanity" aspect of the car, just the utilitarian nature of it. There really is not a better "family" vehicle out there than a mini van


Our findings exactly.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
SUVs are a prime example of playing on people's vanity.


I wonder how many "sports" cars get driven at 9/10ths on anything resembling a regular basis rather than being just commuters.



Fair point, but my main "pet peeve" with the current SUV's is that they are not even capable of doing the things that are being advertised they can do, except few outliers of course. Most have mediocre AWD capabilities and like I mentioned earlier their utility is not all that great when even cars like Focus wagon can have more cargo room.

So, while a sports car may not be used to its full potential on the street, but it is certainly capable of being a "sports" car given proper road course. On the other hand, most SUV's can be out SUV-ed by some hatchbacks or wagons (Subie Legacy wagon comes to mind) and their only advantage seems to be larger ground clearance.


It's pure fashion plain and simple. When minivans were popular and fashonable we had couples with one kid NEEDING a minivan, now we have couples with one kid NEEDING an SUV. The only difference IMO is that we went backwards with vehicles capability to perform the "family hauling" thing.