Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?
It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us.
Continue reading Would I Buy One?.
Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2004 Toyota Prius,2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI,2006 Lexus RX 400h,2007 Ford Edge SEL,2007 Honda Civic GX,2008 Audi R8,2008 BMW 135i,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe,2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Audi S5,2009 BMW 750i,2009 BMW M3,2009 Dodge Challenger R/T,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD,2009 Mazda 6 i Grand Touring,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Suzuki SX4,2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
In the past couple of weeks we've had a lot of turnover in our long-term fleet. Some cars have gone bye-bye and we've gotten a couple of newbies. I thought you'd want an update.
Gone are the BMW X5, Audi R8 and Dodge Grand Caravan. There will be no more blogs on these cars, but look for an in depth wrap-up on each in the next few weeks, just like the one we published on our Mercedes C300 today. All three are already missed. The X5 and R8 were staff favorites, and the minivan proved to be great at moving people and things, even if we didn't always shower it with praise.
New to the fleet is a bitchin' black 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T we purchased about a week ago. Look for its full introduction to this blog next week and a flood of posts soon after. We also recently acquired a Hyundai Genesis sedan and a Nissan 370Z, both of which we introduced to you and this blog recently.
Soon to finish up their time in our fleet will be the Cadillac CTS, Pontiac G8, the 2002 BMW E46 M3, our Subaru WRX STI and our BMW 135i. Any suggestions on replacements?
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2008 Audi R8,2008 BMW 135i,2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring
The Caravan is near the end of it's tether. We've had it a while and we've put a good beating on it.
In a fitting tribute to it's workhorse role of support vehicle on long road trips, photography van, and all around gear/folk hauler, I drove the Caravan up to Napa and back on assignment. In total I drove about 1,300 miles in a weekend.
If you've been a regular to the Caravan blog, you know how many of these types of trips we've done together. There hasn't always been a love fest between us, nor has it always been the most pleasant experience, but it always got the job done.
Now that I've set the keys on the board and walked away, I don't want to say goodbye to this donkey. I have another multi-day assignment starting today that I could use it for but it won't be there for me this time.
I'll forget about all the squeaks, the road noise, the clunky doors that don't always work, the crappy stereo, the floating ride, the uncomfortable seats and the chunks of salt still dropping from beneath you. Just one more ride, buddy?
On second thought, maybe it is a good thing we put you out to pasture.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 27,538 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Here is a list of most of our long-term vehicles with their best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle.
This list is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.
| Car | Best | Worst | Average |
| 2008 Audi R8 | 20.3 | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| 2009 Audi A4 Avant | 26.0 | 17.5 | 19.9 |
| 2008 BMW 135i | 27.7 | 13.9 | 20.5 |
| 2002 BMW M3 | 23.5 | 12.3 | 17.5 |
| 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan | 30.8 | 12.0 | 18.6 |
| 2009 Ford Flex | 26.7 | 13.7 | 19.8 |
| 2008 Ford Focus | 37.4 | 16.6 | 26.4 |
| 2007 Honda Civic GX | 47.3 | 16.6 | 31.4 |
| 2009 Honda Fit Sport | 37.1 | 28.0 | 32.1 |
| 2009 Hyundai Genesis | 24.8 | 15.7 | 20.9 |
| 2009 Infiniti FX50 | 21.8 | 10.7 | 17.4 |
| 2009 Mazda 6 | 29.1 | 19.5 | 23.6 |
| 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR | 22.6 | 11.0 | 17.0 |
| 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR | 24.7 | 11.7 | 16.8 |
| 2009 Nissan GT-R | 21.8 | 11.5 | 16.6 |
| 2008 Pontiac G8 GT | 24.0 | 12.0 | 17.4 |
| 2008 Smart Fortwo | 43.2 | 29.7 | 33.7 |
| 2008 Subaru WRX STI | 24.4 | 12.3 | 18.9 |
| 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI | 40.4 | 30.0 | 35.7 |
| 2005 Volkswagen Jetta Biodiesel | 50.4 | 30.3 | 39.3 |
Follow the jump to see the list organized by average so you can see how they stack up against each other.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
Continue reading Big List of Fuel Economy.
Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI,2008 Audi R8,2008 BMW 135i,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe,2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe,2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI,2009 Audi A4 Avant,2009 Ford Flex Limited,2009 Honda Fit Sport,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Nissan GT-R,2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Can't let the guys be the only ones posting about taking a long-term car to the Tour of California, can I? But unfortunately, the only at-the-race pic I could have taken of the Dodge Grand Caravan would have been on the fourth floor of a parking garage in Pasadena. I figured I'd spare you that beauty shot and wow you with a beauty shot of the minivan's third row instead.
On Saturday, the DGC was our chariot to the penultimate stage of the 2009 ATOC, where the racers completed five exciting laps of the Rose Bowl. With four adults and 3-year-old in a child seat on board, I took the opportunity to get to know that third-row while my husband took a turn at the wheel.
Continue reading 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT: Touring the Third Row.
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Last week I took our Caravan in for a routine oil change. The on board computer requested it.
I drove it to Buerge Chrysler Jeep in Los Angeles because they're close and because they have an express lane that promises a quick in-and-out experience while you wait. (You know, the way it used to be before they realized they can drag an oil change out to three hours of billable work.)
It took an hour to their 25-minute claim and when I was checking out, my service advisor told me there was a recall on the power-steering hoses. They didn't have the parts in stock but they're on order. I should be getting a call sometime this week about 'em.
Total cost: $27.84
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 23,500 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Plenty has been blogged about our Grand Caravan's cargo versatility
and capacity
. This weekend during a moving expedition, I found what our beloved (or reviled) DGC can or cannot carry, as well as what does and does not work as we get ready to part ways with this long-termer.
Continue reading 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan: Movin' and Groovin'.
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
With a large shelving unit in my weekend, I partnered with the cavernous Grand Caravan. The middle seats had been removed for a photo shoot, but the nifty center table was still installed. Removing the table is not hard, once you figure out the push-button release for the pole. The table top comes off its perch easily enough once you sort the under-edge release, and then the two pieces stay together with velcro straps and get stashed in the under-floor storage unit behind the driver's seat.
Continue reading 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT: No Super Bowl?.
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Nothing more here than a little behind the scenes action of our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. With its massive sliding doors, wide liftgate, manual shift control, powerful motor and sturdy roof, the mighty Dodge is the preferred workhorse for our photography staff.
Just after I took that picture, I took a good look at the Ram emblazoned on the "chrome" grille and chuckled. "It's a mini-van, this thing shouldn't have the same logo as those burly trucks from the same company.", I thought. But then it hit me. I've been blinded by the leather-like interior, and the fancy-pants (but impossible to use) navigation system, and the power remote doors. The Dodge Grand Caravan isn't the luxurious retreat from the daily grind that the Honda Odyssey is; the DGC is a workhorse. It's the kind of minivan you can load with firewood found in a ditch. Or fill with dogs. Lots of dogs. Muddy ones. I wouldn't do that with an Odyssey. I'd have to lay down a tarp first and then put a blanket over the tarp and then I'd have to take it to a detailer and then probably sell it.
The Dodge Caravan wears the Ram for a reason. It's not pretentious or pretending to be anything other than a Minivan. We've never abused the DGC but we have put it to work and that's what you should be able to do with a utility vehicle. Too many vans and crossovers forget what fueled their initial popularity.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 24,952 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
There's plenty of dancing room in the middle of the DGC ever since the Mikes removed the second-row Swivel 'n' Go captain's chairs for couch-hauling duty. I took this as an opportunity to see what it's like to have a child safety seat in the third row.
Installation was easy enough. My placement choice was limited to the center seating position because that's the only one with a top tether anchor in the cargo area (see photo below). Seating an adult in the remaining seating position on the passenger side of the bench seat was possible, but I don't recommend it. It's pretty squishy back there (though there's TONS of legroom), but maybe if your car seat is a slim one, it wouldn't be as tight a squeeze. Cinching the kid in was a breeze; being able to kneel right in front of her and tighten the harness strap (rather than leaning in from the outside and tugging at back-wrenching angle) was fantastic.
Once the captain's chairs are back in there, I'll try this again and report back on how much harder it is to accomplish.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 24,781 miles
Continue reading 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT: Now It's a Limovan.
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
I started up the Dodge Grand Caravan this morning to the unwelcome sight of its tire pressure warning light. A broke out my tire gauge and a quick check of the pressures confirmed my fate. Three tires were at spec and one was down 10 psi.
I live within 2 miles of a tire shop and the leaker had plenty of air to survive the trip without my having to mount the spare. So I drove over, had the tire patched and was ready to leave after 30 minutes and $17.18.
As I walked back to the Caravan this guy in his Infiniti i35 pulled into the driveway. His mangled tire clung lifeless to the rim, which was visibly damaged itself. "The tire looked low" he told the approaching mechanic "so I drove straight over." This brings me to my gripe.
A lot of people check their tire pressures by the bulge of the sidewall. By the time a tire "looks low" it is already too late. To drive on it at this point is risking safety, tire replacement costs and in the case of this guy, wheel replacement costs. Why don't drivers understand this? Spend the $20 for a tire pressure gauge. And check your tires regularly. Spread the word.
So how many out there carry a tire pressure gauge in your car - - and use it?
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 24,374 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
No problem for the Grand Caravan SXT. Well, not a problem so long as you don't mind leaving the gate open a hair
Oh, and not really a problem unless you have about 20-minutes and the freakish gorilla strength required to get the second-row seats out. At one point during the removal I had to use my foot as both a lever and as a stopper to block the tracks from locking themselves again. Swivel 'N Go is a neat parlor trick, but Stow 'N Go is far more useful.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 24,008 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
There's so much to like about the Dodge Caravan - sadly, seems like for every positive, there's a negative.
Continue reading 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan: Good Van? Yes and No.
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
Sometimes we get accused of abusing the vehicles in our long-term test fleet. Well, guilty as charged. This weekend I threw a 10-foot tall, bone-dry Chrismas tree on the roof of our 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT. Nothing to protect the roof but the paint Dodge supplied. Then I strapped it down to the roof rack with the world's largest ratchet strap and headed for the local recycle center.
The next morning, in a moment of charity, I decided to hose all the pine needles off the van. Imagine my surprise when I noticed some of the trim bleeding salt from the Bonneville Salt Flats. I'm surprised because we drove the van to Bonneville way back in July.
You see, we figure it's our job to be extra hard on these cars and trucks. If they survive 12 months with us, then they just might be worth your hard earned bucks.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 23,700 miles
Categories: 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT
That's a load of 8 ft. long 2x4s and three sheets of 4x8 drywall in the back of our long-term Dodge Grand Caravan. Lets see our BMW X5 or our Infiniti FX50 do that.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief
Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD