Automotive

Dodge Grand Caravan or Toyota Sienna?

  • Last Updated:
  • Nov 21st, 2005 10:30 am
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Deal Addict
Jul 11, 2004
1052 posts
483 upvotes
gilboman wrote:actually, the sienna has standard Dual Stage Front Airbags, Front Seat Mounted Side Airbags, and Front and Rear Head / Side Curtain Shield Airbags
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On the 2005 Sienna, only the XLE version had the above airbags. the curtain airbags were not available (even as an option) on the lower models.
Deal Addict
May 27, 2003
1344 posts
54 upvotes
growler wrote:I picked up the touring edition of the Odyssey. The nav unit has been useful even though I thought I would rarely use it. Backup camera (only in the touring) is very handy. 6 airbags and I believe VSA are standard on all Odyssey's. Also, the voice recognition system is also very useful as I never have to reach for knobs, switches etc. Also, this vehicle, though a van, drives more like a car.

A few issues:
- Rear tire is stored on left rear. So, left rear passenger (in back row) has less shoulder room.
- Power side doors. Can't manually open or close. Always powered up. Yes, I don't always believe in having everything powered.
- Using DVD Shrink recompressed DVD's are hit and miss on the built in DVD player. Seems to screw up the first few seconds of the first chapter that can cause the DVD player to display an 'error message'. DVD works fine, albeit with a glitch showing, on the Philips 642, but, not a crash. Reads DVD-R and DVD+RW. Haven't tried anything else.
- Wish the vehicle came with a bluetooth based handsfree system that works with my cellphone.
- 12.5L/100km city isn't realistic. Other that I now get about 15-17L/100km in the city. On the highway, the best I've been able to achieve is 9L/100km. Expect 12.5L/100km for combined highway/city. At least it uses 87 octane gas.

Some good (unexpected) things:
- 115volt AC adapter (only on touring). I think that the inverter is a either a good quasi square wave inverter or maybe even a sine wave generator. The reason why I say this is because, I have a quasi step Targus inverter and if I plug a DIVX/DVD player into the Targus inverter and display the image on the Odyssey's rearseat entertainment LCD display, I see a ton of electrical noise. If the same player is plugged into the Odyssey's built in inverter, the image is clean free of any electrical noise. Though the Odyssey's inverter only functions when the ignition is in the 'on' state and not the 'accessory' state.
- voice recognition system (only on touring, as mentioned above)
- enough power for me. even when going up hills at highway speeds with 7 adults passengers in the vehicle.
- good storage capacity in vehicle without throwing it all in the back.
Sounds VERY nice. May I ask what the cost was?
Banned
Jan 11, 2004
19816 posts
572 upvotes
growler wrote:On the 2005 Sienna, only the XLE version had the above airbags. the curtain airbags were not available (even as an option) on the lower models.
i was referring to the 2006 that have been in showrooms for a while now.
Deal Addict
Jul 11, 2004
1052 posts
483 upvotes
Good to hear that Toyota has decided that increased safety features shouldn't be reserved for the top of the line edition of their minivan. Honda had done the right thing (at least in the 2005 model year) by ensuring that safety came first before options even though it increased the base price of their vehicles.

Corporately, I believe that it was a good call.
Deal Addict
Nov 6, 2003
1007 posts
3 upvotes
I would pick the Odyssey over the Sienna, just my personal preference.

From personal experience, Honda dealers tend to be more willing to negotiate price while many Toyota dealer are pretty firm on their pricing.
Deal Addict
Feb 22, 2005
2431 posts
8 upvotes
The Dodge Caravan sold well for many years and lasted because it had a Japansese engine in it..which it doesn't anymore. Buyer Beware...
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User avatar
Oct 12, 2005
315 posts
195 upvotes
Stouffville
Do a Google on 'Caravan transmission problem' and see what pops up.
Sure the Sienna is not perfect...sludge problem with the V6 but you can always sell it and recoup most of what you paid for it. Whereas the Caravan will be worth as much as the amount the Sienna has depreciated. We bought a brand new (in 1997) Grand Caravan for close to $28000, in 2002 with only 90K, the tranny went.
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Dec 24, 2004
10708 posts
152 upvotes
yes I've heard that Dodge transmissions suck, but the people on Dodgetalk(a dodge hobby bbs) say that caravan transmissions can easily last the life of the van but you have to take care of it, in other words, for example, at the slightest hint of funny noises, take it in for servicing, change the tranny oil regularly, and if it still acts funny, get it FLUSHED immediately.
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Mar 8, 2005
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Audiogenic wrote:The Dodge Caravan sold well for many years and lasted because it had a Japansese engine in it..which it doesn't anymore. Buyer Beware...
the caravan never used a japanese engine. Chrysler group (dodge , plymoth, jeep) only used japanese engines in the dodge colt, dodge stealth, eagle vista, eagle talon, and a few other that probably popped up my head.
all l supplied by mitsubitshi.
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Oct 12, 2005
315 posts
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Stouffville
oldsnail wrote:the caravan never used a japanese engine. Chrysler group (dodge , plymoth, jeep) only used japanese engines in the dodge colt, dodge stealth, eagle vista, eagle talon, and a few other that probably popped up my head.
all l supplied by mitsubitshi.
It was a well known fact that Chrysler did indeed utilize Japanese engines in their Caravan/Voyager minivans. They were built by Mitsubishi (which although partially owned by Chrysler is still considered Japanese) and were introduced in the first generation model in 1983 as an option. That was the 2.5L turbo charged engine. In 1987, they started to offer the V6. In 2001, they stopped the use of all Mitsubishi engines in the Caravan lineup.

You can read up on it at the Allpar site under 'a history of the Chrysler minivan'

http://www.allpar.com/model/m/history.html

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