Very comfortable, trouble free, and roomy ride for my wife and kids.
This minivan has NEVER left us stranded anywhere.
As you can see, I replace components BEFORE they break and leave my wife stranded somewhere. I do all the work myself, save a bundle, and have a vehicle that I can trust on long trips.
I bought one with the 3.3L pushrod engine so I wouldn't have to worry about periodic timing belt replacement.
Performance with the 3.3 is good (for a minivan), and the ride is soft and comfy. Very few rattles or squeaks have developed over the years (surprising from a Chrysler product...).
The 4 speed overdrive tranny, which is a sore spot with many - has been trouble free for me. I changed the fluid and filter as soon as I got it (second hand, from a dealer), and changed it again at 100,000 miles, and at 135,000 miles. You MUST use Chrysler approved ATF +3 fluid in these things. See allpar.com for more info regarding the overdrive trannies. I'm beginning to think that the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. I know a service manager of a private repair shop, and he says that they aren't blowing up in epic proportions. I'm not doubting that some folks have had serious problems - but I think the transmissions may not have been rebuilt properly, the technicians screwed up, or they were just abusive drivers
Fuel mileage is currently 20 MPG city, and 25 MPG highway. I think the figures were better when we first got it (around 60K miles.), but still much better than any mid-size SUV.
Chrysler minivans (or any minivan) are inexpensive on the used market because the "soccer moms" don't want to be seen in them anymore - and have moved on to buy big/slow/heavy/gas guzzling SUV's instead. So the SUV has now become the "soccer mom" vehicle of choice. Take advantage of the situation while you can, and buy a minivan over an SUV (I don't care what brand).
We're hoping this car will last over 200,000 miles. Our last minivan (a 1986 Plymouth Voyager LE 2.2L 5 speed) went an amazing 304,000 miles before we sold it.
