Jamie Jameson, DaimlerChrysler vice president of sales and marketing, said the new minivans are intended to continue the company's dominance, which it has enjoyed since pioneering the minivan in 1983. In the 1999 model year, Americans bought 1.5 million minivans. We will be quite competitive. The competition now is formidable. There are 15 models, including the Honda Odyssey, the new benchmark for handling and innovation.
Most minivans require the user to unlatch and lift a heavy, bulky seat.
One must then deposit the bench in the garage or basement for storage. The Odyssey's rear seat flips down in seconds with minimal muscle. Skeptics say they still require work. Automotive analyst Jim Hall of AutoPacific Inc. said Chrysler's bevy of handling and performance improvements may compensate for any seat difficulty. They are conceptually similar, but the difference is execution.