From: wiryaman@riscee.pko.dec.com (Santa Wiryaman)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: advice needed: 1992 Dodge Caravan
Date: 27 Jul 92 15:26:52 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard MA

In article <1992Jul25.011539.25458@ulowell.ulowell.edu> hdasilva@cs.ulowell.edu (Herbert DaSilva) writes:
>In article <1992Jul24.155130.15627@engage.pko.dec.com> wiryaman@riscee.pko.dec.com (Santa Wiryaman) writes:
>>In article <92204.30103.6310550@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM> 6310550@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM writes:
>>>Are the child seats worth getting ? 
>
>>As a $400 option?  No way.  You can get two top of the line car seats at
>>Toys R Us for much lower than that.  These will definitely be more comfortable
>>for the kids than the integrated car seats.
>
>  As with any option, you don't have to pay full price for anything.  Just
>  because it is listed as a $400 option doesn't mean you couldn't get them
>  basically for free through haggling.

No, I don't think you can get any option for free.  If you do, then they are
taken from extra profit of the base car and any other options, extended
warranty, etc.  If you do the bargaining with list price as the starting point,
then I can see where this might happen.  I'd prefer to use a starting point of
the dealer cost of the car and all options plus small profit for them  (I know,
even this is not 100% foolproof).  I just don't trust anything given for free
by a car dealer, they are just gimmicks.  Last week I saw a dealer ad offering
a free LoJack Prevent ($695 list).  How generous I thought, but it turned out
it was free upgrade to LoJack Prevent if you buy LoJack Retrieve ($595 list).
Next time you buy a car do this, haggle to get an option for free and then when
they agree, switch to a car without the option and ask for the same price minus
the option price.  See how the dealer would feel.
Anyway, even with the dealer cost of the car seat option you can get two decent,
more comfortable, and made by baby products company rather than car manufacturer
car seats.

>
>>Anyway, I just bought a Mazda van after comparing it with a Caravan or Previa.
>>IMO, Mazda has better handling and firmer suspension than Caravan.
>
>  As a tip to any potential Caravan buyers who would like a crisper suspension
>  than the standard suspension, order the "towing package" even if you don't
>  plan on towing.  This little option firms up the suspension a tad and 
>  significantly reduces body roll.  For those that already have a Caravan or
>  Voyager, and want to reduce body roll, Mopar Performance sells a pair of 
>  bolt-on sway-bars for about $250.00.
>
Points taken.

Another thing about Caravan or some other cars I considered buying,  there are
just too many little options to choose.  I gave up reading four pages of
Consumer Guide's price list for the Caravan.  I guess some people like the
flexibility, but dealers also have lots of room to play with all those options.
Then there are the siblings, Plymouth and Chrysler.  It takes a lot of work to
figure out all the options.  Once I decide what I want, there are no such thing
available, so frustrating.


-- 
Santa Wiryaman

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