'05 Stow n Go seats

So, who has placed an order for a new T&C with Stow N Go seats? I'm in the automotive business, and am very curious to hear from buyers, or potential buyers of T&C vans regarding their interest in this new seat system.

Is it cool? Is it something that makes you want to buy the T&C over another van? What sort of things could you do better/differently with the seats getting out of the way like that? Anything that it would prevent you from doing?

Hope to see some of you posting your thoughts here...

I don't have an '05 T&C, but I would have purchased one back in February instead of the 2004 I did buy if Chrysler would have offered the same incentives on the new ones (nada rebates on the '05 when they first appeared on the lot last week of Feb.). This "stow-an-go" is a nice feature over physically removing the seats. Where to store them while they-re out, the garage is bursting already!.

It's very rare that I've removed both rows of passenger seats over the
last 10 years (had a Transport SE b4 the T&C), maybe twice a year, but the idea of a covered pick-up is a great selling advantage without the storage problem, converts from Family Truckster to moving van in a short period of time. Just my $0.02.
Mike

Nice idea but I thought the floors that cover the wells where the seats go looked and sounded cheap . It seemed like they could rattle a lot over rough pavement and possibly not hold up over the long haul , just an observation when looking at them at the auto show .

looked at one last week at the dealership with my mother. the one we looked at was a loaded limited, i used my hand to knock the "lids" around some to check for solidness and rattles, they seem pretty solid, and the hinge design being a piano hinge wouldnt rattle much later.

however the one we drove, was a lxi with the touring package, was way underpowered compared to our 01 withthe 3.8, the sales man said it was a 3.8 but i didnt take the time to look, it felt and sounded like a 3.3....they said the buckets and new seats add about 300 lbs to the weight

the undercarriage looks interesting, and the spare tire is mounted under the drivers seat......who'da thunk?

however the one we drove, was a lxi with the touring package, was way underpowered compared to our 01 withthe 3.8, the sales man said it was a 3.8 but i didnt take the time to look, it felt and sounded like a 3.3....they said the buckets and new seats add about 300 lbs to the weight

The LX comes with either the 3.3 or 3.8L,while the Touring and Limited models come standard with the 3.8L motor.
Basically, the 3.8L is the 3.3L with a longer stroke. 215hp for the 3.8 compared to 180hp for the 3.3L.

The LX comes with either the 3.3 or 3.8L,while the Touring and Limited models come standard with the 3.8L motor.
Basically, the 3.8L is the 3.3L with a longer stroke. 215hp for the 3.8 compared to 180hp for the 3.3L.
I think it is matter of choice , we have a new 2004 T&C with the 3.3 and it seems to have enough grunt for most applications , the only time I noticed a lack was going thru the mountains in west Virginia . We will see when I have to tow the boat also . It will be mostly to put the boat in and out the water so I am not too worried as long as it can get it up the ramp . Has the towing package with the extra large radiator , tranny cooling and oil cooiling with a trailer connector , supposed to be a 3800 lb limit . Was pretty impressed with the highway mileage ,was getting 25-26.5 going between 70 and 75 on a long trip so you really can't ask for more than that with a vehicle that size .

weve always had buicks and before them a 72 pontiac with a 400 engine, so my mom is used to power. Her 96 will still lay rubber, and the 01 will bark them pretty good, even with the traction control on. but the '05 was almost like a dead pedal. from a stand still, it just groaned and took off kind of like our '92 with a 3.3 hauling 6 people and luggage,

Was disappointing to say the least

and sorry for the dual posts each time, but i wanted to answer the 2nd question. The sto and go seats are great for people who travel with lots of luggage. And who are meeting people out of town. Or who have vacation rental property like we do. A big problem with our family, is we all have minivans, we take out the seats to haul furniture and other junk, then when we go out as a family, we all have to drive our own car in order to obide by the seatbelt laws.
with sto and go, drop the seats, push in a sofa, or chair, or whatever, and when you get ready to go as a family, all the seats are there, instead of in the carport 300 miles away

It would depend on how comfortable the Stow'N Go seats are. We looked at an '03 Honda Odyssey but the disappearing seats were so uncomfortable we went with an '03 Limited instead. Convenience is nice but comfort is paramount.

I like them. My wife wants one.
I don't like the Honada Odessey's version, the seats suck.

The T&C's seats didn't rattle or act funny on test drive.
Love it. Tired of taking all three seats out of my present Grand Voyager.

Too expensive. They'll be cheaper and standard equipment probably next near If they sell enough. So all you out there with over 35K to burn on a vehicle buy one so I can get the seats on the base Voyager next year!

Thanks,

Slantsixness

Looked at the '05. The seats that folded in were very uncomfortable. They fold away nice, but no one thought about the seats construction for comfort. I bought the '04. I'd rather have comfortable seats 300 miles away than those folded lawn chairs in the '05

the folding chairs arent as comfy as what is in our '01 but they are worlds better than what is in the rear of a honda or ford....and i mean WORLDS better

Never thought of it that way...Never looked at a Ford or Honda for that matter. Pure knockoffs..
Let's see, Aerostar, Windstar, Freestar, and next year....Deathstar

Never thought of it that way...Never looked at a Ford or Honda for that matter. Pure knockoffs..
Let's see, Aerostar, Windstar, Freestar, and next year....Deathstar

You forgot:
Aerostar is second cousin to an astro (sounds like A$$HOLe...) as they're both rwd....

and the new KIA SARDINA, and whatever-the-f@#$ that Nissan thing is....is it still the Quest? HAHAHAHAHA...

How 'bout the Venture? or the MORONTANA...

remember the Lumina"APV" (All Putrid Vehicle) van and the pontiac Transport (tansplat)

Didn't toyota make that ugly F@@#ING mid-engined oh yeah, the PREVIA.... uglier than sin, and before tha toyota had that other van, the other one with the engine that sat up in the van, to make it impossible to get to your kids....

and LOL for mitsubishi's delivery-truck turned van too.. you remember , the one with the mobile home windows down the side and no grille?


they're all in NO way comparable to any of DC's minivans...

never will be.

LOL, no that's funny. You're right! Pure knock offs. No company has come close to copying what Chrysler has perfected....I love my mini-van. It's like driving in your living room.

I just bought a 2005 dodge grand caravan with the sto-n-go seating. i'm 6' 2" and 250#. the 2nd and 3rd row seats are as comfortable as anything else to come out of the factory in a long time. I also own a 72 Chrysler Newport. As far as I'm concerned, nothing has the room as a real FULL sized car. But I do understand that gas milage quotas must be met. Stow-n-go is both comfortable and practile, because we all know a rear seat hasn't been made for an adult since the 70's.
Filport

We purchased a 2005 Grand Caravan with the sto and go seats and really like them. There is no rattle at all and the floors are very solid, surprisingly so. Overall the van is extremely quiet. The seats disappear very quickly and easily making a cavernous moving area in about 2 minutes. They are higher I think than the non sto and go version. Very confortable, even in the back (60/40 split seat).

I agree with the knockoffs from Quest however nothing is better than the Sienna's leather and roomy interior not to mention the stow-n-go capabilities.

A real beauty that no other matches !!!

I test drove a fully loaded caravan with the stow-n-go seats. It was great. The price wasn't though. The seats are a fantastic idea. I have my rear bench sitting in the garage because I needed the room to transport, and now I have to get help putting it back in. The stow-n-go seats are wonderful for people with disabilities and anyone else really. I can't wait for the year end sales or maybe a traded-in one in the next year or two. I think it was a great idea who's time was long in coming.

We are planning on buying a 2005 Caravan with Stow and Go in about 8 months or so, we want to buy one right after the 06's come out, so that the 05's still left on the lot will be deeply discounted ;)
We rented one and took it on a week's vacation driving cross country about a month and a half ago, sort of an extended test drive. We were pretty sure that was what we wanted before spending a week in one, but afterward, we were really sure. @ adults and 4 kids ranging from 4 to 16 in that van for a week, it did everything we could have wanted it to. Now I just have to be patient and wait the 8 or so months until I can get one for a good price . . . I don't like buying new cars, either, I have a perfectly good 89 Caravan and I haven't seen any features on new vans that made me want to trade up . . . until stow and go.

Yes stow in go is neat, but I have wondered how the muffler will stand up. It seems because of the space needed to stow the seats, the exhaust looks cheaper.

Are you speaking of the longitudinally mounted rear muffler under the rear bumper facsia? Or is there a upstream pre-muffler (I haven't bothered to look)? I don't know about that muffler looking cheaper, but the new ehaust pipe routing would seem to hang a bit lower than the non sto-n-go. I love the seat functionality but strongly dislike the pipe running back in full view along the passenger side. Wondering if there are any *small* side skirts or running boards for the '05 that might help hide that eyesore?

I like my 02 TC seats over the StowNGo. StowNGo are not comfortable to sit in, maybe for kids only. I'll live with the roll-out seats until they can come up with more adult-friendly seats. Also, I like that I can stow long items under the roll-out seats. The stowngos don't do that.

That is a good point. The seats don't seem very comfortable compared to my 04's. Besides, over the years, I rarely had to remove a seat or any seats to haul something. It isn't that tuff to lift them out.

I have a 93 and its a royal pain to remove the seats. They don't roll. It takes at least two people to remove the rear bench.

I am disabled and I can't do it. The stowable in the floor seats will be wonderful once I can afford to get the new model. I think it's about time they came up with convenient seats in the vans. Other companies have been doing it for years.

We bought an '05 T&C Touring, three kids, full size dog, stroller, etc...

Seats are fairly comfy, a tad short in the depth (in other words, it doesn't support the entire theigh), but I'm taller than average and my kids love it.

The seats stow quickly and easily, and the flexibility is nice, I can stow half the back seat, still have two in child restraint seats, the third in a regular seat, two adults, a stroller, a 7' tree, groceries, and a roof rack left over.

Being able to stow one of the middle row pilot chairs is awesome. Very quiet, no rattling so far.

I have a 2005 DGC with stow and go seats. I just love this minivan. The stow and go seats are a little firmer than other middle seats, but they are far from being uncomfortable. Most professionals testers that have driven the Dodge/Chrysler minivans will atest to that. The cover over the wells are well made and not tinny. There are no rattles anywhere on the 2005, it's solid as a rock.Edmonds can verify that.

I keep one seat stowed on the middle passenger's side almost all the time. It allows easy entering the third row seats for the grandkids, when I have them. It also allows me to load a lot of stuff I would normally have to lift up to get it in the rear hatch. Such as a fairly heavy air compressor I took over to my brother's house. I only had to roll it over to the side door, push the handle down to lift the wheels up and push it in about two inches till the wheels caught on the van floor and just pushed it in. I tied it down with rope to the two hooks on the floor that the seat would hook into if it were up. I could not lift that compressor in the rear hatch by myself. I loaded a wagon in that space also and my dog lays there when I take him along with me.

With the other seat up, I have loaded the bin below with all kinds of stuff. I have a furniture blanket in it, along with battery cables, tools, umbrella, flashlight, can of instant flat, and tape. All stowed out of sight and it keeps my van looking neat and clean.

I can't be caught off guard with stow-n-go. If I go some place and see something I want. I can load it without going home and taking out the seats. I am always ready.

I got rid of a three year old truck with only about 23,000 miles on it because of stow-n-go. I found out helping move my sister with my truck and my brother's older minivan, that outside of real big stuff, the minivan can hold more than my truck, because he can pile up to the roof, while I could only go a little below the top of my truck bed.

I am still in love with my van, six months later.

You forgot to add; "Stop by the Dealership and I'll show you one!" :)

Ever try to load an refridge in a mini van??

You forgot to add; "Stop by the Dealership and I'll show you one!" :)

Ever try to load an refridge in a mini van??

I'm no salesman. Just a very satisfied owner of my first minivan. I've owned pickups for over 15 years and never thought I'd be without one.

No, I doubt I could load a refridgerator in it. Don't think I'd load one in my truck either. I'd still need someone to help me get it off the truck and wheel it in the house. Then I would need to get rid of the old one. It's easier to pay a $30.00 delivery charge.

It's just this van gives me so many more features I never had with my truck. Especially storage and room for picking up three grandkids from school. It was a pain in the butt with my club cab.

I haven't ever loaded a fridge in one, but I did haul a 5 foot long chest freezer in mine the other day . . . wife found a deal at a garage sale she couldn't pass up, then called me to come and get it.

well, to that point, we each have our needs. Ever tried to haul three kids and a dog, legally, in a pickup truck? How about the stroller? When it rains? I guarantee nobody will swipe anything out of the back of my minivan, couldn't say that about my truck.

I do admit, though, that if I have to haul tall stuff I have to borrow or rent a truck.

I wouldn't trade my minivans for a truck.

I wouldn't trade my minivans for a truck.


Up until Dec. I have owned trucks for over 15 years. That's when I bought my first minivan and it was because of stow-n-go that I did it. My last truck was only three years old and had approx. 24,000 miles on it. But outside of hauling real big stuff, I saw a lot more advantages to the minivan. I like it as much now as the day I bought it. I haven't had one thing go wrong with it since buying it. No rattles anywhere. This van is solid as a rock and has a much better air conditioning than my truck had and with a lot more goodies. Chrysler employees did a heck of a job putting this van together. They've come a long way.

I have a 99 grand Voyager I like it better than my 01 Silverado 4x4 excab 4 door. Best vehicle I ever owned. Chrysler quality is as good if not better than most.

I bought an 05 SXT without the stow-n-go seats. The plastic floor covers didn't seem to me to be strong enough. (Too much plastic!!!) I also never buy something 'just invented' and released. Maybe Chrysler will get lucky with this invention and no one will be thrown threw a windshield because the folding seat folded up and flew off the floor in a frontal crash. However, the seating overall, both stow n go that I tested & my removables, are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever owned, being made of NASA developed super high density foam. I guess my Mark III conversion van spoiled me. Our van is our vacation vehicle, usually only seeing 3 - 5k miles of driving per year. When compared to my full size conversion van, which are very hard to find nowadays, this minivan sucks! Poor legroom, uncomfortable seating, under engineered heating & a/c, outside mirrors that sound like empty milk jugs going down the road, cabin recirculation that makes you yell over the noise to talk with your family, less than 20mpg for the 3.3L even on the hiway, backup lights with poor illumination, stereo with a speaker protection circuit that constantly lowers the volume on kickin CD's at near to full volume, sun visors that don't stay up against the window - they fall down no matter what, and being 6'3", my view is out the top third of the windshield, I don't even need to use the sun visors, and speaking of visors, I like the way they only put one light on one side of the mirror, so in the dark half your face is in shadow and you can't see it, under engineered electrical system that constantly dims the lights / audibly lowers the heater fan, I could go on and on. I'm getting rid of this piece of plastic @%$# ASAP. I hate it!!! Going out of state next year for my replacement vehicle, either a full size GM conversion van, or a Caddy. New York dealers suck.

Anyone want to buy a dark blue 05 Caravan SXT with 8K miles?

DrS

How much ;) ?

$22.5K negotiable. Send me an email through my profile, and I can send you a photo of the van as well as a photo of the original window sticker. All service records are in the vehicle, and I had our local Ziebart detailer apply their Gold Shield package, which included total rust proofing, paint protection, window treatment & fabric treatment, to the tune of $1300+. (Spills wipe right off the seats - not a water soluble treatment such as Scotchguard) The engine has never seen more than 3500rpm. I also bought and installed the custom molded rear wheel splash guards.

DrS