Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
On paper, this type of vehicle makes more sense IMO for most people.
Totally agree. 110%. On paper, a wagon usually "makes more sense" than an SUV.
I'll re-state something from the end of my previous post: personal buying decisions aren't always so black-and-white. Shoes don't fit the same size feet the same way. Some people like blue instead of red. That doesn't make them vain. It simply means that they like blue instead of red. To me, deciding why someone bought an SUV instead of a minivan or a wagon will be as accurate as guessing how much money someone has based on the age of their vehicles. We all drive what we drive for many reasons.
Back to the original topic, it will be sad to see a long-running name plate go away. We've owned both before, a Grand Caravan and a Town & Country. I do hope they continue with a "value package" T&C, for those buyers looking for a ~$20k minivan.
I'd say there's a considerable narcissistic component in almost every new car purchase made. Otherwise used cars would always trade as closely as possible to their expected remaining useful life. We know that that is almost never the case.
That said, I agree with the others that the nuttiness implied in the purchase of most SUVs exceeds that of other cars. But the nuttiness goes almost unnoticed. Not many people fling a Mazda Miata around a track for kicks, but most people will goose it around a few corners now and again. I see SUVs everywhere. Do all these people really need a 4x4 in the wintertime? Almost none, and I live close to the rocky mountains. Visit Phoenix, and you will see about as many 4X4 trucks as you would in any large snow=belt city. Are they going off-roading? Doubtful. As an earlier poster pointed out, these vehicles are too large for that.
A young guy with 5K to put down can get a 19K Grand Caravan for about $200 bucks per month that will square him and his family away on the car front for quite a few years. If I were that young guy I would get one now while I can. The cheapest Chrysler Town and Country is 8K more but has the same powerplant. If nothing else, the discontinuation would help protect the resale value of the Dodge.
