I went to the San Diego Auto Show yesterday and had the opportunity to sit in and examine a number of vehicles a lot more closely than I otherwise normaly would without getting pestered by a salesman. I specifically wanted to check out the '08 Grand Caravan and '08 Town&Country, because I have considered these as potential replacements for my current minivan, an '02 Grand Caravan.
First of all, the exterior. I think it is nearly impossible to design a striking minivan and the Grand Caravan is no exception. That being said, it is not a bad design. I kind of like the boxier shape of the '08 and I think it helps to make the GC feel roomier than the previous model. The one I sat in was similar to the picture above. I also saw a base model '08 on the freeway when I was driving to the show and the black body side moldings made it look really cheap, I don't understand why they would even sell one that looked like that.
Next, the interior. Since my '02 was before the introduction of Stow-n-Go seating, this was my first experience with it. This is a feature I would love to have in mine. Not having to drag the seats out when I need to haul something larger and having the extra cargo compartments in the floor when the seats are out would be awesome. I have read that in the previous generation the middle row buckets with Stow-n-Go were less comfortable than without (like my '02), I don't think this is the case with the '08. I believe they are just as comfortable as my '02. Sitting in the drivers seat, which is the seat I am most used to, I like how everything is laid out. The shifter on the dash is different, but is in a comfortable position. The cruise control switches are different than my '02 but I think I would like it better than my '02 and like my '02 it has a cancel feature (which I miss in my '04 Malibu, so I can disengage the cruise without tapping the brakes). The radio and available in-dash nav are located nice and high, within easy reach and viewing, this works real well but results in an odd looking center stack. The main gripe I have sitting in the drivers seat is the quality of the plastics used. My '02 GC, '04 Malibu, '94 Sable, and '85 Olds 98 Regency all used better plastics on the top of the dash than this '08 GC. The T&C fares a little better than the GC because of the different treatment of the center stack. The T&C uses silver plastic (supposed to look like brushed aluminum?) for the center stack, which looks cheap, but looks better than the GC with its black plastic.
Overall, I am disappointed with the new GC and T&C. The cheap plastic used on the dash will probably be what kills the deal for me, especially on the T&C. The T&C I sat in at the show stickered at around 40k. The plastic used all over the dash is inexcusable on a vehicle going for 40k. Keep in mind I didn't drive these vans, so maybe that will change things for me. That all being said, since I am most likely buying used again when it comes time to replace my van I will either be looking at an '06-'07 T&C or I will be looking at an Odyssey or Sienna because I can't see myself getting an '08 GC/T&C.
Sorry for writing a book here, just thought someone might appreciate a look at these through the eyes of someone who actually owns a minivan and will continue to be a minivan owner for the forseeable future.