boblutzfan

Who needs a minivan? Well lets see: - Those that don't want an oversized door that the kids will open and bang into the car next to them in the parking lot - sliding doors are the answer here. - Folks that want seats that really fold into the floor - not onto the floor like in every crossover on the market. The interior height of a minivan is unparalled. - Those that want superior gas mileage for a people hauler - my mothers 2004 Chrysler Town & Country Limited gets 26 MPG with five people and their luggage crusing 70-75 MPH on the highway - try that in any crossover. - For those that want lots of leg room in all three rows - a minivan is again unparalled. I agree that the new Lambda CUVs are excellent and probably the best full size CUV on the market - but they are not better at being a minivan than a minivan is. Chrysler is surely going to gain market share and keep their crown with these new vans. I doubt even with three brands (Acadia, Outlook and Enclave) that GM will sell nearly as many Lambda's as DCX will these two vans.

Like a private jet. Very nice.

I do like the front end of the Dodge - but it looks like the Dodge will have cheaper headlights without the fancy HID projector lamps of the Chrysler TC. I guess that was part of their plan to make them more unique. I prefer the clean look of the Chrysler dash - the Dodge has too much black plastic for my taste. And I wonder why they left the void where the clock goes in the TC? It looks unfinished. Also, the door pull on the T&C has a nice sublte curve to it and I like the way it is set off with the metallic trim. The dodge door panel looks very plain and borring.

Probably in the bin that would have been used by the second row sto-n-go seats - as the swivel seats do not use that bin.

The round ones are much easier to direct air flow - even if they don't look as nice.

Agreed that the interior looks better than the current 300 interior. But remember that an updated 2008 300 is due this summer/fall with an upgraded interior - supposedly with more soft touch materials than the current car. I suspect that the two (Town & Country and 300) shared in teh development of these new more upscale interiors. Remember - the minivan is Chrysler's bread and butter vehicle - they will not let us down - expect an upgrade similar to what GM did with their GMT-900 SUVs. The Caliber and Sebring are not the standard for Chrysler's most popular vehicles - minivans and 300.

Can someone post the images...so we don't have to go to the links.

This is a minivan - not a sports sedan. The style is on the inside - which by the way is very dramatic. They thought of everything. Kudos to Chrysler on the interior. Can't wait to see one in person.

GM and Nissan tried to be different and failed. Only Honda, Toyota and now KIA were smart enough to copy the Chrysler formula and have found success. The new DCX vans look to be winners and will undoubtedly retain their #1 spot on the sales charts.

Incredible picture - styled like a private jet. I want one!!!!

The car seat issue is one I hadn't thought of. With an 18 month old daughter and another child within the year - that would make a Lambda vehicle very inconvenient. That issue alone may push me out of a Lambda and back to a minivan. I guess GM designed the Lambda platform for grown up families - not one with car seats that need to use a third row. How many people will purchase a Lambda without thinking through this scenario? They will be sorry.

Actually I think the van looks very nice. Check out these pictures: http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-...and-country-1/ In these images you can clearly see that there are two second row seating options. In the image that shows the mirror for watching the rear of the van it shows the standard sto-n-go second row seats. These are very different from the plush seats that can turn around and face the rear. Yet, in the picture that shows one seat facing forward and one facing rearward - you can still see the bin for the second row seats. I suspect that Chrysler is going to give us the option of these plush second row seats that can rotate or sto-n-go as I doubt the bigger chairs will fit in the floor. The nice thing is that when you option for the second row rotating captains chairs - you still get the storage bins in the second row - very clever. I suspect this will find lots of takers as many people would rather have the more comfortable second row seats if they aren't home depot junkies... Concerning the 3.3L V6 - it is a fine motor and a good one for the base engine. The 3.8L is far superior to the 3.3L as it has loads more torque. The good news is that the 3.8L and 4.0L will both be available with the new six speed automatic transmission. I can't wait to see this in the flesh. I suspect these will be big sellers for DCX. The new interior options, powertrain and styling should keep this at the top of the minivan class for some time.

Originally Posted by starlightmica From the Popular Mechanics article that was briefly posted on the web, thanks to Google Cache: 2008 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country From the folks who started it all, here's the latest version of soccer mom's prime transport, the 2008 version of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. Both vehicles are new in design inside and out, and share almost all features except for differences in front end and rear styling. An industry sales leader since its introduction in 1983, the Dodge/Chrysler minivan for 2008 reveals its confidence in the future of its model segment with the addition of a number of innovative convenience items. Inside the cabin, new swivel seats in the second row can be turned to face the third row, creating a conversation area for those occupants. Add a table to the grouping and you have a desktop play/study center. Outside, the body panels are all new and create a different shape—more boxy—to the profile. Front-end styling is all new too, but the two models stay true to their heritage. Dodge continues with the cross-hair theme in its grille, while Chrysler's front end offers an updated appearance similar to those seen in Aspen, Sebring and its own minivan predecessors. Minivans are nothing but adaptable, offering multiple choices in interior arrangements and functional assists. Among those (many optional) in the Dodge/Chrysler lineup are: • Power first and second row windows (Yes, half way down for second row.). • Five models, Town & Country's LX, Touring and Limited and Grand Caravan's SE and SXT. No mention is made of short wheelbase models in either lineup. • Powertrain lineup includes a 4.0-liter and 3.8-liter V6's mated to 6-speed transmissions and a 3.3-liter V6 (flex fuel capable) with a 4-speed. All transmissions are automatic. • Power sliding doors and power liftgate, plus power folding third row seats. • Dual and tri-zone heating and cooling, heated seats, sliding and removable center console with deep pocket, movable reading lamps and cloth or leather upholstery. • Second- and third-row (new) fold-in-the-floor seats, or storage bins for both when seats are not stowed. Safety continues as a major required feature of any minivan, and Chrysler offers side curtain air bags and stability control plus brake assist as part of its standard safety equipment. There are some nice pictures on carspyshots.net. Can't wait to see more pictures.

Nicely put. Between my parents (a 1996 LX and a 2004 Limited) and my sister (a 2003 LX) there are three Town and Country vans in my family that have and continue to serve my family well. The Acadia is my 1st choice for a new family vehicle - but the practicality and ease of use of a minivan is my wife's first choice - with the T&C leading the way. I predict a minivan in my family's future - which will bring the extended family total to four... Too bad GM never really took this segment seriously. And I doubt they have anything in the wings to surprise us. As you said - with gas prices bound to rise again - this segment is here for the long haul. Nothing else beats a minivan for fuel efficiency and people/stuff hauling ability. Who really goes off road in their Suburban anyway?

The high resolution images look great. I really like the front end of the T&C. The headlamps have a jeweled look to them - a big improvement over the existing T&C - which after eight years is looking tired. The chromed rear view mirrors and door handles look really nice.

That's were the GXP and Redline versions will help to sustain sales. I predict another addition or model to come out next year to keep interest in these great roadsters. I'm curious - what were Sky sales during the same time period? What were Miata sales during 2004 and 2005? Have they declined since the Solstice and Sky came out?

Since not even the the Aura offers a navigation unit - I seriously doubt the Malibu will have one.

Can someone post a comparison of the current Malibu and the new one. Thanks.

Yes, the Airlfite was ugly and it became the ugly Sebring. The Nassau has promise - at least in the drawings. What is your point?

Once again they are playing catch up. It should have debuted with it. There is no excuse for this. Saturn will lose initial momentum by not having all the right features from day one. I won't hold my breath on the Malibu having it until I see it for myself. The press photo we are all looking at is proof. If they were going to offer it from day one - why not show a photo with that option as it appears that this mock up interior has just about every other option. Also - not to sound to negative - but as in the Aura - the trim doesn't line up at the door dash on the driver's side. I hated it that the press photos for the production Aura this past spring had misaligned trim - but gave GM a reluctant pass since it was most likely a preproduction car - as this is. But this past weekend at the San Antonio Auto Show I sat in an Aura XE that has terribly misaligned trim on the doors. It wasn't even close to lining up with the dash trim. Looked cheap and poorly assembled - this on a production vehicle that has been out for four months now. I am one of GM's biggest fans - but stuff like this is getting a little old.

Agreed. This is tons better than the Aura and simply blows the G6 out of the water. This will help move the Malibu off the dealership lots and not the Rental lots. Well done. However, I doubt they offer a screen based navigation. Why? Well, the Aura (which is supposed to be more upmarket than the Malibu) doesn't offer one. this makes no sense to me as it is a corporate unit that would just slide right in. The TBT navigation through On-Star isn't the same. They need to offer the DVD/Screen based Nav units across the board. Other than that - this looks really good.

My wife and I just got back from the San Antonio Auto Show where we were able to see the Outlook and Acadia. Unfortunately the Outlook was up on a stand where you weren't able to get inside. The Acadia on the other hand was on the floor and being crawled in and all over by tons of interested people. After a long wait - here are my 1st hand Lambda impressions: - It is huge. Definitely as big on the outside as a minivan. Obviously this is why it has class leading third row space and storage capacity. - The interior is great - however I was a bit disappointed that the dash is primarily hard plastic. My 2004 Mazda6s has a nicer feeling dash than the Acadia. However - while it was hard plastic - it was similar to that in the Tahoe and Silverado - it was low gloss and of high quality. - The switch gear inside felt solid and everything worked very smoothly. The ergonomics were 1st class. The Center Console was incredible to look at - the floor model has the navigation (which is how we will order ours) and looked very rich and high tech. - True to their word the third row is adult sized. I am 5'11" about 200 lbs and adjusted the front seat for my size and then climbed in the middle and third row - all were roomy. The 1st and 2nd row were very comfortable and the 3rd row was acceptable. I wouldn't want to ride to Dallas back there - but I could say the same thing for my parents Chrysler T&C or my in-laws Odyssey. - Slide and glide seats worked well to provide access to the third row. - The doors had a nice "thunk" when closed - which is good considering the vehicle in question was probably a pre-production model. All in all everything felt very high quality and very well put together - with the exception of one minor detail. The plastic (metallic) trim around the center console sliding door felt cheap and wasn't well attached. Believe me - I spent at least a half an hour (in two sessions - I had to go back again before we left) going over every square inch of the Acadia. That was the only thing I found fault with. Not bad considering it is a pre-production vehicle. Unfortunately the Enclave concept car was not there. A shame because the Buick area didn't have a soul around save for a couple in their 50's looking at the Lucerne. They could have used the excitement of the Enclave Concept to spark some interest in the brand. After much looking my wife came down pretty hard that she didn't want wood trim in her next vehicle - so the Acadia will be it. She was pretty excited and we can't wait to testdrive one to confirm the choice. It is one of the best CUVs on the market - GM definitely has a hit on their hands.

Agreed, I have seen two Aspen's in the last couple of weeks. They were both Limiteds with the big chrome wheels and looked very good. One was black and one silver. They are actually priced pretty competitively and are a size that many people like. It will be interesting to see how they sell. They are much better looking than the Durango.

That's not even the base model. The base model doesn't have aluminum wheels... The Acadia will be a hit - as will the Outlook and Enclave.

Sorry to hear that the interior was cheap. Chrysler has really dropped the ball with their interiors. I hope the 2008 minivans demonstrate a change in the over all quality of their interiors and use of soft plastics. In my opinion - the interior of my mom's 2004 Chrysler T&C Limited has a nicer interior than the latest crop of DCX cars to include the highly aclaimed 300. The T&C at least has soft touch material on the dash and door panels. The Nitro is the first of the all new products to hit the market for this fall. The Caliber has hard plastics on the interior - but it is an entry level product - so I give it a pass...for now. The Sebring "looks" to have hard plastics on the interior as does the Aspen. If DCX keeps this up - they will be the last ones in the industry still using rock hard cheap plastics on their interiors. Thankfully - GM is finally changing this for their new cars... Again, too bad about the cheap interior on the Nitro - I liked what I saw from the outside.