So here I am still waiting to make up my mind. . . . Sometime
soon I’m going to trade in my ’89 Accord for a minivan. The
choices have come down to the Quest/Villager or the ’96
Caravan/Voyager (not Grand–too big). So you can see that I have
quite a bit of time to make up my mind, since the "regulars"
won’t be out until the fall probably.
Anyway, I read that the ’96 Chryco regulars will have as standard
a 4 cylinder engine, but not the same one that they have now.
Does anyone know anything about this engine? Is it a new one or
has it been used in any Chryco product? And will it really power
the vehicle?
Frankly, as a 3-time Accord owner I’m not entirely happy with the
notion of buying Chryco (or anything domestic, to tell you the
truth). The threads in this newsgroup, which I read regularly,
don’t inspire confidence, though I know that many of you are
happy with your minivans.
The articles in the major car magazines have been ecstatic about
the Grands, as we know, and I figure that the accolades will
follow the regulars as well. But even one unscheduled visit to
the shop in a year is more than I’ve come to expect.
–
Alan Shapiro
Brooklyn, New York
shapi…@is2.nyu.edu
In article <3r8d1t$…@cmcl2.NYU.EDU>, shapi…@is2.nyu.edu says…
>snip<
>Anyway, I read that the ’96 Chryco regulars will have as standard
>a 4 cylinder engine, but not the same one that they have now.
>Does anyone know anything about this engine? Is it a new one or
>has it been used in any Chryco product? And will it really power
>the vehicle?
Yep, the 16-valve 2.4L engine will be the base engine for most Voyagers &
Caravans. It is a close relative of the current Neon engine. The 2.4L
is also used in the Dodge Stratus. It’s relatively torquey and powerful,
(in the Stratus I drove) and seemed much smoother than Chrysler’s earlier
2.5L engine. Personally, I wouldn’t consider a minivan with anything
less than a V6. We’ve owned two, an ’89 with a 3.0L V6 (good) and a ’94
with the 3.3L V6 (even better). The fuel economy penalty for a V6 will
be minimal and you will be happy you opted for it the first time you need
to pass someone on a 2-lane road.
>Frankly, as a 3-time Accord owner I’m not entirely happy with the
>notion of buying Chryco (or anything domestic, to tell you the
>truth).
Of course, Honda has a minivan, too. I drove one and found it to be
comfortable. I liked the fold-in rear seat, too. However, I didn’t like
the price, nor the relatively cramped interior, nor the lack of power
under the hood. We had 4 people in the one I drove and I had to stomp
the accelerator all the way to the floor in order to accelerate up the
ramp onto the expressway. I’d quickly grow weary of listening to that
poor engine wind its way past 5 grand every time I wanted to get up to
speed.
Good luck with your purchase,
Drew
Comment by admin — November 22, 2009 @ 3:53 am
> So here I am still waiting to make up my mind. . . . Sometime
> soon I’m going to trade in my ’89 Accord for a minivan. The
> choices have come down to the Quest/Villager or the ’96
> Caravan/Voyager (not Grand–too big). So you can see that I have
> quite a bit of time to make up my mind, since the "regulars"
> won’t be out until the fall probably.
> Anyway, I read that the ’96 Chryco regulars will have as standard
> a 4 cylinder engine, but not the same one that they have now.
> Does anyone know anything about this engine? Is it a new one or
> has it been used in any Chryco product? And will it really power
> the vehicle?
First, if you do become a happy Chrysler owner, you may want to start
referring to it as CC rather than ChryCo…that seems to be the norm
among owners vs non-owners here (with some exceptions).
Second, the regular Caravan should be very reliable, particularly if you
hold out for a Canadian model. The Windsor plant is an excellent plant.
Third, the new four-cylinder engine has 50 hp more than the older one. I
suspect that for most people, it will be enough, but you may still want
one of the V6s. The main advantages of the V6 are lower revs and
probably smoother, quieter operation (but not definitely, since I
haven’t driven both). The 2.4 liter engine, based on the Neon engine and
the 2.2/2.5 before it (though only loosely), should be fairly quiet and
smooth due to its balance shafts.
Comment by admin — November 22, 2009 @ 3:53 am
Pegged as the assistant when my mom was looking for a new car, we
drove both 4 and 6 cyl. models. If the new 4 has 50 more horsepower
it should be sufficient, but I found that the 6 cylinder models held
value better than the 4, and that the 6 (with the 4 spd auto
transmission) got BETTER fuel mileage. Plus the added benefit of
not having to flog the motor as often when extra power is needed.
Good luck in your search…Tony Wirtel
–
Tony Wirtel, Canandaigua, NY – Seneca Indian for "The Chosen Place"
Comment by admin — November 22, 2009 @ 3:53 am
Alan Shapiro wrote:
> So here I am still waiting to make up my mind. . . . Sometime
> soon I’m going to trade in my ’89 Accord for a minivan. The
> choices have come down to the Quest/Villager or the ’96
> Caravan/Voyager (not Grand–too big).
Go for the Voyager, IMHO.
> Anyway, I read that the ’96 Chryco regulars will have as standard
> a 4 cylinder engine, but not the same one that they have now.
> Does anyone know anything about this engine? Is it a new one or
> has it been used in any Chryco product? And will it really power
> the vehicle?
I much prefer the V-6.
> Frankly, as a 3-time Accord owner I’m not entirely happy with the
> notion of buying Chryco (or anything domestic, to tell you the
> truth). The threads in this newsgroup, which I read regularly,
> don’t inspire confidence, though I know that many of you are
> happy with your minivans.
Count me in the happy owners group. I own a 1988 Voyager V-6 (bought new).
I also own an Accord, and I love that vehicle. But it won’t serve as a
minivan substitute.
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -
> —
> Alan Shapiro
> Brooklyn, New York
> shapi…@is2.nyu.edu
Comment by admin — November 22, 2009 @ 3:53 am