I think price and fancy features mean more to most families than handling in a minivan. The Honda may handle better but I suspect most buyers don't care. In fact, I sincerely doubt handling was the determining factor for most Odyssey purchases, if it was a boat people would still have made the same decision because its a Honda and when they finally fielded a competent minivan people were excited.
 
Its good to see Chrysler finally coming up with some modern climate and radio controls.

For whatever reason, my Mom just loves Chrysler minivans. Who knows why. She's in the market for one and can either get about seven grand off sticker on a remaining 2007, or obviously get no incentives on an '08. In your opinion, is the new 2008 that much better to warrant waiting instead of getting a great deal on an '07?

I would definitely wait, the current models arent all that refined and have cheap interiors.

I might have to get one of these bad boys for my '09 cross country trip. That Odyssey is too ugly if you ask me. Honda does not know how to do chrome trim (current CR-V further illustrates that point). The middle generation Odyssey looks much better IMO.
 
Is the Sienna getting redesigned anytime soon?
 
One of most important points in the First Drive was that the Swivel Seats are actually sized for adults. Those stow -n-go seats despite their functionality were tiny and low to the floor. I'm glad they give you an option with these new vans in case people want to haul adults as opposed to children.
 
I agee with Karl about the vent placement. Reminds me of the Sonota and Explorer- both stupid. However, in terms of features and important minivan stuff, Chrysler seems to be back on top. Sodeno/Entourage are still the best looking though.

Count me as one of those rare birds who picked the Odyssey for its superior handling, and a more comfrotable driver's seat than the Sienna (which was our other candidate). After driving the two, it was no contest. We use our van to travel from San Diego to Palm Desert on the back roads through the mountains, so handling was important. When not doing that, I'm carpooling kids to and from school & dance classes & scouting events.
 
I agree with chavis that the 2002-2004 Odyssey is better looking than the current model.
 
The Odyssey shifter sprouts from the dashboard, too. Twice I have bumped it inadvertently into neutral. The advantage of power plugs at the bottom is that the cable won't block anything in front of it (like radio and A/C dials). And you can leave them plugged in and they're out of the way.
 
These new Mopars look like good entries, and a much-needed update to the current bulbous design.

If only mini-vans were cool, looked more like SUV's they would be awesome, and I would have one. I think the idea of soccer-mom is too deeply engraved in people's mind to make mini vans appealing, no matter how many awesome features they have.
 
Something like the Honda Element seems to do some of the same "utilitarian" functions but with a different design.
 
If they can market it as more of a "road trip" vehicle, or something very social oriented (think VW MICROBUS) I think they would be going in the right direction to resurrect the minivan market.

Any comments on the 4.0L engine or 6 speed auto karl?

If the minivan is getting the new 4.0 L, is there any talk of the Jeep Wrangler upgrading to the 4.0 L in the near future? The 3.8 L is not even adequate for the Jeep.

The whole "minivan stigma" is a sham made up by men who want to appear macho and drive giant SUVs! I just wasn't able to get away with it :-). [Oh dear, I'm gonna get flamed]
 
For the same vehicle footprint a minivan can haul more people and gear than an equivalently-sized SUV and use less fuel in the process. As fuel prices go up, the stigma will be on the dinosaur body-on-frame SUVs that go to the grocery store and the drive-thru.
 
There are certainly plenty of applications where the full-size SUV fills a need, but the day-to-day commuting and family hauling are well served by minivans. And the kids will never fling open a door and dent the car next to you. In fact, you press a button and they can get in and out by themselves. Plus, they ride and handle better.
 
Actually, the minivans of today aren't all that mini any more. The Mazda5 is a good example of a minivan. I think Chrysler should push the envelope in this direction, too. If SUVs can run the gamut, why not people vans?

I actually like the current Ody design (we have 05 Toruing) better as its not as vanilla as the previous. It actually looks upscale in higher trims, is MUCH quieter, and feels MUCH MORE substantial in regards to structural rigidity. The only thing better about the previous is its slightly faster given it weighs less. I will agree the previous versions design comes accross as a bit sportier (for a minivan) than the current.
 
In terms of handling Odyssey vs DCX, its not about carving apex's or slalom speeds. Its about chassis composure, communication, and tactality something the DCX vans, and Toyota Sienna really lack. So yes 1487, I believe this is an additional selling point for the Odyssey and is percieved as important for some shoppers.
 
Im not sure what Honda has in store for the Odyssey MMC but hopefully it will be enough to keep the competition behind. So far the only thing I know is that the Touring model will dissapear and the power liftgate will be an option on lesser trims. I would also MAYBE look for some drivetrain tweaks and some additonal standard and optional features.
 
So far after 34K our Odyssey has given us no trouble but we have had to take it in for 2 TSBs regarding front airbag sensors and fuel pump wiring and of course it was taken care of by Honda. Other than that its been reliable and solid.
 
The only additions Ive added are, higher quality/more aggressive brake pads ( I hate the sissy pads Honda uses), window tint for the front windows, McCulloch 5000K HID kit , and 3M ClearBra. Id certainly buy another and probably will when the time comes.

Leyrob, men aren't the only ones running away from minivans. Many women, especially younger mothers, aren't too fond of them either. Of coure, given the advantages of minivans, this is a rather unfortunate trend.....

The 4.0-6spd combo in the new Caravan is fine. Not quite as refined as the Toyota or Honda, but close enough to keep most folks from noticing, and certainly close enough to keep me from describing the Dodge as "unrefined." The power is strong and the shifts crisp and responsive. Like I said, these vans are all getting very close, so it's really down to styling (highly subjective) and features (also highly personal based on an individual family's needs/wants).
 
Lots of great choices in the minivan segment -- if you've got the self-esteem to shop here! :)

Actually most men I know like minivans. It's the wives that don't. I would be quite happy with one but my wife loves her Grand Cherokee and refuses to be seen in a minivan.
 
If you're trying to look cool or "macho" neither todays SUV's or minivans fit the bill. Might as well go for practical (meaning minivan) and buy a second car that's cool.

Firstwagon. Funny you should mention that because I thought the same thing. I think women might be more concious of the stigma than men.
 
When I joke and tell people I'm gonna get a minivan for my next car, they laugh because a) I'm single with no kids and b) they couldn't see why someone my age would want one. Honestly, it'd be a smart solution considering how many times we're out and need to take 2 cars when we could all cram into a minivan. Also, someone in the family is always going to the airport, Lowes or where ever and needs to make special arrangements for transportation. Just call me up, drop the seats down and BOOM, problem solved.
 
Brett- 4.0L in the new vans (and Pacifica) is in a different engine family than the 3.8 in the base vans and the Wrangler. It's an enlarged version of the 3.5L SOHC in the LX cars and it's probably too wide to fit in a Jeep do to its overhead cams. The 3.8 is a pushrod and likely much more compact.

Seriously, I love minivans and like chavis10, I'm single with no kids. They're just so handy, and realistically, they drive a whole lot better than any SUV. I'm glad to see that Chrysler's back in the game with these new vans.
 
And yeah, I think that it's women who dislike minivans more than men. Take a look at the next Mazda5 driver you see & tell me whether it's a male or a female. Surprisingly, most of the 5 drivers I've seen are men...young men at that. Karl, is there any way that you could perhaps write a piece on this with some more substantive data on the market's demographics?

It would probably be hard to prove exactly what the dynamic is without a specific study. I know women influence a much higher percentage of vehicle purchases than the "records" would indicate (i.e. they may not sign the check or the title, but they had a big say in what was purchased in the majority of vehicle tranactions).
 
The only way to surely confirm that women are as much (or more) anti minivan than men (something I would agree with) would be a targeted study.

These vans both look great- they pull off the 'machismo' look that the last GM vans failed miserably at. The only advantage of an SUV is towing (offroad isnt even considered since less than 5% of suv buyers acutally do it). I think the stigma on SUVs right now is actually greater due to the growing number of people who dislike their non-environmentally friendly nature and lack of real utility.

I always wonder where numbers like " less then 5% of SUV go off road" come from. I suppose someone did a study but I think it's more of a guess made by someone who doesn't like SUV's or doesn't go off road themselves.
 
I've seen countless SUV's off road but I'm sure it's more dependent on which SUV you are refering to then the type overall. I've seen lots of 4runners, Pathfinders, Troopers, Jeeps (all types), Suzukis, etc. crawling around the mountains of British Columbia.
 
Haven't seen many Rav4s, no CRVs or Highlanders, MDX's, Pilots, ...
They maybe skewing the results.

It's great to see Dodge reclaiming the minivan throne. I'm happy they havent completely given up on vans the way Ford and GM did. Instead they perservered and upped the ante with the GC. Im really impressed with all the gadgets the new vans have, plus they look better too.

Chrysler needs to stick with vans since thats their bread and butter. GM has a lot stronger car lineup than Chrysler and sells far more pickups. They were NEVER a major player with minivans. This is what Chrysler has been good at for over 20 years. They need to get their cars up to the same standard of competitiveness.

I'm one of those ladies that said I would never drive a van. I had a Grand Cherokee which I loved but it became too small for a family of 4 that inluded 2 boys that played sports. We're all tall too, from 5'10" to 6' 5". I took the plunge with a 98 T&C (replaced by a 03) and never looked back. There is nothing in my mind and experience that can match the versitility of a mini van. Those that ride in the van always comment on the comfort and peppiness and when I take out all the rear seats I can really pack the cargo in. I just took my son to college and had his bike, a 4.3 cubic refrigerator and a 27 inch tv in the back as well as all of his miscellaneous stuff....and that with just the back row taken out. No trailer was needed! I was thinking of looking at the new Dodge Challenger (my dream car as a youth was a 72 Plymouth Barracuda) when it comes out next year but I then saw this new T&C/Caravan. Forget the Challenger as it looks like Chrsyler has worked some magic here with the new van. Speed would be nice but again, you just can't match the versitility and comfort of a van. I don't mind people seeing me in a mini-van because I know that I'm the smart one for buying such a wonderful car! I don't see anything on the horizon replacing it, especially not a SUV. I have to say that I'm a fan of all Chrysler and Dodge cars. We don't drive anything else. At present we have the '03 Town and Country, a '06 Chrsyler Sebring, and a '07 Dodge Caliber. Yeah Chrysler - keep charging!

Minivans are the most practical people and "stuff" haulers available - form follows function. Cool, they are not, but the only person I need to impress is myself - I could care less what others think. The Ody and Sienna are fine vans, but my last Grand Caravan was very reliable. We sold it with 162K on the clock, and had no issues with the engine during its life (and, no timing belt changes either, as the 3.3L V6 OHV design used a timing chain). And, more importantly, the much maligned 4-speed ECT automatic was flawless during the 162K miles - no failures or rebuilds. Changed ATF every 24K miles. The 26MPG on the highway was acceptable. The overall cost of normal routine and preventive maintenance was also low, unlike what Honda and Toyota can cost. Properly maintained, the new Chrysler minivan will most likely be a reliable workhorse. I wish them success with the new generation minivan.

Why buy when you can rent. One can get minivans for 30 - 35$ a day from hotwire.
 
For all my family needs, I would buy the Mini clubman and rent the van when needed.

Agreed. I'm a huge fan of the "Rent the big stuff when needed, drive smaller/efficient stuff the rest of time."