Is the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder in the '99 Caravan any good?

> So, your trading one 99 for another? Add the cost difference and the
> sales tax. are you really coming out ahead?
>
> Nothing against the dodge, but why don't you just have your intake
> gaskets changed as a preemptive strike on the GM?
> Your right, the 3.4 series can self destruct if your not careful.
> But if you know what to look for, you can stay ahead of the game.
> And who's to say that the dodge won't self destruct in a year?
>
>
> Bob


My wife works at the dealership where we bought the Venture and where the
Caravan is. The loaded 6 cylinder Venture is worth 4500 in trade in value
according to the blue book and the stripped 4 cylinder Caravan is worth
2500 (trade in value), so we'd have $2000 coming back, minus a little for
proft for the dealer, $200 or so, minus TTandL, $400 or so, and we'd walk
away with the Caravan (with a less problem-prone engine) and about $1400.
Plus I just like Dodges better and the Caravan has 17% more cargo room.


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Justin wrote:
>>So, your trading one 99 for another? Add the cost difference and the
>>sales tax. are you really coming out ahead?
>>
>>Nothing against the dodge, but why don't you just have your intake
>>gaskets changed as a preemptive strike on the GM?
>>Your right, the 3.4 series can self destruct if your not careful.
>>But if you know what to look for, you can stay ahead of the game.
>>And who's to say that the dodge won't self destruct in a year?
>>
>>
>>Bob
>
>
>
> My wife works at the dealership where we bought the Venture and where the
> Caravan is. The loaded 6 cylinder Venture is worth 4500 in trade in value
> according to the blue book and the stripped 4 cylinder Caravan is worth
> 2500 (trade in value), so we'd have $2000 coming back, minus a little for
> proft for the dealer, $200 or so, minus TTandL, $400 or so, and we'd walk
> away with the Caravan (with a less problem-prone engine) and about $1400.
> Plus I just like Dodges better and the Caravan has 17% more cargo room.
>
>
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When you said " a little money", it usually is you paying the dealer,
not the other way around. You must have a good connection at the dealer
to get a deal like that. Most used cars departments are profit makers
and they don't sell unless they can make a big score. ANd that usually
means at least a grand or two, not a hundred or two. I assume you talked
to the dealer people, not your "assumption" on what deal you can get.
A trade in headed for the wholesale lot is one thing, but a cherry
vehicle on the front of the used car lot is another. If you think just
because you got a blue book the dealer is going to play your game you
may be mistaken. You might have a better chance to get a deal on a new
car at a lot of dealers.

Another factor, sales tax and insurance. I just read the other day that
the chevy is cheaper to insure than the dodge. Is it any safer? no. But
there is less overall claims, so you may get a better rate with a
Venture. Call your insurance agent and ask. You might be surprised.

You also said the caravan has more room. If your going to load that
extra room up you may be sorry you have the 4 cylinder.

Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them
every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

Bob








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Justin wrote:
>>So, your trading one 99 for another? Add the cost difference and the
>>sales tax. are you really coming out ahead?
>>
>>Nothing against the dodge, but why don't you just have your intake
>>gaskets changed as a preemptive strike on the GM?
>>Your right, the 3.4 series can self destruct if your not careful.
>>But if you know what to look for, you can stay ahead of the game.
>>And who's to say that the dodge won't self destruct in a year?
>>
>>
>>Bob
>
>
>
> My wife works at the dealership where we bought the Venture and where the
> Caravan is. The loaded 6 cylinder Venture is worth 4500 in trade in value
> according to the blue book and the stripped 4 cylinder Caravan is worth
> 2500 (trade in value), so we'd have $2000 coming back, minus a little for
> proft for the dealer, $200 or so, minus TTandL, $400 or so, and we'd walk
> away with the Caravan (with a less problem-prone engine) and about $1400.
> Plus I just like Dodges better and the Caravan has 17% more cargo room.
>
>
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> -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

When you said " a little money", it usually is you paying the dealer,
not the other way around. You must have a good connection at the dealer
to get a deal like that. Most used cars departments are profit makers
and they don't sell unless they can make a big score. ANd that usually
means at least a grand or two, not a hundred or two. I assume you talked
to the dealer people, not your "assumption" on what deal you can get.
A trade in headed for the wholesale lot is one thing, but a cherry
vehicle on the front of the used car lot is another. If you think just
because you got a blue book the dealer is going to play your game you
may be mistaken. You might have a better chance to get a deal on a new
car at a lot of dealers.

Another factor, sales tax and insurance. I just read the other day that
the chevy is cheaper to insure than the dodge. Is it any safer? no. But
there is less overall claims, so you may get a better rate with a
Venture. Call your insurance agent and ask. You might be surprised.

You also said the caravan has more room. If your going to load that
extra room up you may be sorry you have the 4 cylinder.

Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them
every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

Bob








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> When you said " a little money", it usually is you paying the dealer,
> not the other way around. You must have a good connection at the
> dealer to get a deal like that. Most used cars departments are profit
> makers and they don't sell unless they can make a big score. ANd that
> usually means at least a grand or two, not a hundred or two.


My wife has worked there for 21 years. She's the office manager of the
dealership now. Employees get cars at basically cost; that's why the
trade-in values are so key here. It's like a fringe benefit.


> You also said the caravan has more room. If your going to load that
> extra room up you may be sorry you have the 4 cylinder.

I have an '87 Ram full size truck for hauling. The vans aren't used for
hauling much more than 3 people at anytime. We sometimes camp in it
though where the extra volume would come in handy. We take out all the
rear seats when we go camping and don't haul much poundage.

> Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them
> every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
> it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

I didn't know that.



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> When you said " a little money", it usually is you paying the dealer,
> not the other way around. You must have a good connection at the
> dealer to get a deal like that. Most used cars departments are profit
> makers and they don't sell unless they can make a big score. ANd that
> usually means at least a grand or two, not a hundred or two.


My wife has worked there for 21 years. She's the office manager of the
dealership now. Employees get cars at basically cost; that's why the
trade-in values are so key here. It's like a fringe benefit.


> You also said the caravan has more room. If your going to load that
> extra room up you may be sorry you have the 4 cylinder.

I have an '87 Ram full size truck for hauling. The vans aren't used for
hauling much more than 3 people at anytime. We sometimes camp in it
though where the extra volume would come in handy. We take out all the
rear seats when we go camping and don't haul much poundage.

> Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them
> every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
> it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

I didn't know that.



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Twas written.....

>
> Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
> it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

A lot of this may be due to maintenance on the trans. We
have a 92 Caravan that in the first 90K, we put in three
transmissions. With the third one, I started doing fluid
changes at 25K mile intervals. We just turned over 201K and
trans is doing very well. The key, IMO, is to follow the
heavy use maintenance schedules. Granted, there's a 3.3 in
front of mine, but it is the same trans, just a different
designation.

--
Lynn in StLou
REMOVETHIS anti-spam measure to reply

Twas written.....

>
> Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
> it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.

A lot of this may be due to maintenance on the trans. We
have a 92 Caravan that in the first 90K, we put in three
transmissions. With the third one, I started doing fluid
changes at 25K mile intervals. We just turned over 201K and
trans is doing very well. The key, IMO, is to follow the
heavy use maintenance schedules. Granted, there's a 3.3 in
front of mine, but it is the same trans, just a different
designation.

--
Lynn in StLou
REMOVETHIS anti-spam measure to reply

Justin wrote:

> We have a chance to trade our loaded '99 Chevy Venture for a '99 Caravan
> and a bit of money. The reason I want to trade is the 3400 in the Venture
> has a lot of known problems which haven't crept up yet but I want to get
> out of it before they do. Plus I've always been a Dodge/Plymouth fan. The
> '99 Caravan is a base model, power nothing, just AC, a stereo, with the 2.4
> engine, thus allowing us to get some cash out of the deal, too. Is the 2.4
> any good and is it powerful enough for a van? Same engine they put into
> the Stratus/Cirrus? Thanks.

Same engine as the Stratus and PT Cruiser. Earlier ones had problems
with head gaskets blowing. A new gasket introduced in 1998 is much
better. I think it's acceptable in the Stratus, plenty of torque but
noisier than the Mitsu V6. It will perform less well in a minivan, just
due to weight; but ultimately only you can decide if it's powerful enough.

Justin wrote:

> We have a chance to trade our loaded '99 Chevy Venture for a '99 Caravan
> and a bit of money. The reason I want to trade is the 3400 in the Venture
> has a lot of known problems which haven't crept up yet but I want to get
> out of it before they do. Plus I've always been a Dodge/Plymouth fan. The
> '99 Caravan is a base model, power nothing, just AC, a stereo, with the 2.4
> engine, thus allowing us to get some cash out of the deal, too. Is the 2.4
> any good and is it powerful enough for a van? Same engine they put into
> the Stratus/Cirrus? Thanks.

Same engine as the Stratus and PT Cruiser. Earlier ones had problems
with head gaskets blowing. A new gasket introduced in 1998 is much
better. I think it's acceptable in the Stratus, plenty of torque but
noisier than the Mitsu V6. It will perform less well in a minivan, just
due to weight; but ultimately only you can decide if it's powerful enough.

Lynn in StLou wrote:

> Twas written.....
>
>>
>> Most people i know with the dodges are also putting trannies in them
>> every 60 to 80K. If that one has NOT been already rebuilt, chances are
>> it could be due. Its a crap shoot anyway you look at it.
>
>
> A lot of this may be due to maintenance on the trans. We have a 92
> Caravan that in the first 90K, we put in three transmissions. With the
> third one, I started doing fluid changes at 25K mile intervals. We just
> turned over 201K and trans is doing very well. The key, IMO, is to
> follow the heavy use maintenance schedules. Granted, there's a 3.3 in
> front of mine, but it is the same trans, just a different designation.

The key is to service the transmission regularly under the heavy use
schedule, and to only use Chrysler type fluid. Even though the dipstick
and the instructions on the early ones like your 92 say you can use
Dexron, YOU CAN NOT without damaging the transmission. Every Tom, Dick
and Cheapie Harry from Armpit, Arkansas can see that Dexron fluid is
cheaper at Wal-Mart than the Chrysler fluid. But the savings won't buy
a transmission rebuild once the damage is done.

Newer ones, beginning with the 95 models, also seem to have better
computer programming, which can be "flashed" into the transmission
controller on some of the older ones, too.