I can’t speak about the reliability of the more recent Caravans, but I’d like to own one or a Pacifica. However, I can tell you about my experience with our family Caravan.
There have been rumors and grumblings about reliability issues with Chrysler cars and vans, but I’ve owned and operated, let me count… eight, Chrysler vehicles and have never had an unreliable or problematic one and loved every one of them. To me, the Asian car reliability myth is still alive and well. Anyhow, back to our Caravan…
I prefer to buy used cars, but back in 1996 I must have gone nuts for a minute because I bought a new vehicle! It was a 96 Caravan. My 25 year-old daughter was a baby in a child seat when we picked it up. It has hauled our 2 kids to soccer games, gone on vacations every year, hauled building materials (including 4X8 sheets), an upright piano, a double door refrigerator, and pulled trailers, etcetera.
Now the trusty van is semi-retired in Florida, but is still a daily (almost every day) driver, hauling beach chairs, coolers, inflatable kayaks, bicycles, golf clubs, sometimes up to 7 passengers, you name it.
It is still as reliable as ever and still an easy, fun to drive vehicle. I will probably have to replace it some day, but who knows? And if I do, I be lost without a mini-van. I’d buy a Caravan or Pacifica. Keep your SUVS.
CSA
