SHOULD I accept the FREE 2001 Honda Odyssey which has about 102000 miles that my #3 son is offering me or KEEP the 1998 Chrysler LXI which has 97299 miles? One of these will be sold.
As far as I know, the Honda rides like a kids red wagon over a gravel road but could get new tires and a new timing belt from my son. I banged the Chrysler on the passenger side and it won’t be fixed, BUT the worst is that the DRIVER’S SEAT HEATER DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK…IN ST. PAUL, MN.
Sell both and buy something different. The 2001 Odyssey is well known for failing transmissions. How many times has the transmission been replaced? If it hasn’t been replaced, it may need a new $4,000 transmission soon.
The Town & Country doesn’t have good reliability either, perhaps a Toyota Sienna is the best minivan bet from that era.
Goldwing is right about the transmission. If you have any use for a minivan whatsoever, sell the Chrysler. Then take the money and put it someplace safe where it will safely earn something. When the Odyssey transmission fails, use that money to get an updated and improved transmission put into it. (That’s what I’d probably do anyway).
I agree that you should sell both and get something else. I suggest a 2011 Lincoln MKS - my father got one recently and it’s great. The heated seats work all the time, and the camera and display that show you what’s behind you when you’re backing up is a nice touch.
Thanks for your info. The Chrysler seat was working perfectly until about 2 months ago. Now it works every now and then. I think it is a loose wire connection. What does a 2011 Lincoln cost? 2 trade ins?
Well, I was being facetious. I figured if those were your two options, buying a new car was out of the question, so it was meant to be tongue in cheek. To answer your question though, I think one like my dad’s, all-wheel drive, with the supercharged, Ecoboost engine and the other options, is somewhere between $45k and $50k. I don’t know what you could get for trade in values. You might check out www.nadaguides.com and kbb.com to get an idea of what your vehicles might be worth.
Well, I decided to keep the Chrysler and try to have the wiring of the driver’s seat heater fixed. Any suggestions?
Erm. .
Take it to a shop and tell them to fix the wiring on the driver’s side seat heater?
Specifically, Which engine is in the LXI ?
CSA
There are no suggestions now that you have made the best choice possible. I would think that minivans would heat up slowly inside. It’s nice to know that Chryslers still have a better ride than an Odyssey with run-flat tires. I wouldn’t vote for that to change.
Oh, suggestions to fix a heated seat. If it works half the time, you might want to find a connector, disconnect and clean the terminals if you can get to them. You may not even have to clean it, just pulling it apart and reconnecting it might fix the connection. Other connections that use a lot of current seem to corrode faster than the ones attached to the average LED.
You might like to have the body damage fixed. The better the car looks, the more you might want to keep it. Tom and Ray say that so often that I’m starting to believe it.
You could take the Honda, but with a plan that when the transmission fails no money will be spent on a transmission. 100K on the honda is not a lot unless it was doing what it was made for, hauling kids around.
You say there is an offer to put a belt and tires on the Honda? this outlay should be evaluated closely.
“the worst is that the DRIVER’S SEAT HEATER DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK…IN ST. PAUL, MN.”
THAT’s your worst problem?
Ever been to St. Paul?
I Guess You’re Right. Living In St. Paul Is Far Worse Than Broken Cheek Warmers.
CSA