07 Caravan SE 3.3 -- Opinions

[thewoahna]

Well, my wife and I are expecting our 3rd child in a few months and currently we have been driving a 06 HHR and love it. Since we are going to need more room, it is going to have to be traded in. I work at a Chevy dealer and we took in a 2007 Caravan SE 3.3 with 48k miles on it. I am able to buy this for $8300 plus tax. Would this be a wise investment? Anything I should look for before purchasing? Though I work at a dealer, I dont know much about cars. Any input on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Bear]

I can only comment on my '96 Caravan with 3.3 liter engine. I have owned this car since it was new and have no regrets, it has been almost trouble free (water pump, fuel pump and starter) in 14 years of service. These vans have a large amount of storage room and if it is a stow and go that makes it very versatile. The van drives like a car and is very comfortable on the road. In 2007 I bought a sedan and was going to sell the van but the kids (40+ in years) said oh, no, what if we need it to haul something, I said I will sell it to you, no takers, so we still have the van and when our local daughter needs to haul stuff she does not take the Durango, but borrows the Caravan.

Just my 02 cents worth.

[thewoahna]

Well, I have been doing a lot of research, and I found people that say "STAY AWAY" and other thats LOVE the vehicle, no one really in the middle. It makes me nervous because they are split pretty much 50/50. In my research I also found that the price ($8400 plus tax) on an 07 with 48k miles is a great deal. So, I need to find out if I should take the deal or sit around for a couple of months and hope for a deal on something else.

[Bear]

Have the dealership check her out mechanically and then take her out and drive her (both of you) and then make your decision. Your money so your decision.

If I were looking for a mini van and this one had stow and go and checked out mechanically, I would buy her.

[moparman58]

Go with Bear's advice and see if your dealership will throw in a bumper-to-bumper warranty as part of the deal if you are feeling unsure. Check the Carfax on it to see how it's been used in the past. It won't show everything, but will at least give you an idea of where it's been, if there have been accidents and if it was a rental vehicle or not.