- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
3.3i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
128kW, 278Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 13.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: Chrysler Grand Voyager 2005-08
You can say what you like about America and Americans but the place and the people sure know how to make a people-mover.
In a country where multiple car ownership is the name of the game, North Americans aren't afraid to make their people-movers as functional as possible. After all, if dad also has a Corvette in the garage, there's no problem with the people-mover being completely unsexy.
A great example of this is the Chrysler Grand Voyager, which has been on sale in this country for years and during that time, has served it up to the more established people-movers.
The Voyager was given a facelift in mid-2005 and these vehicles are now the ones to look for since they benefited from those updates and will also have sensible mileages on board.
As well as a rationalisation of the line-up (no more short-wheelbase versions and no more all-wheel-drive option), the upgrade brought with it a clever seating system called Stow 'n' Go, which gave the Voyager huge versatility.
The new seating allowed for anything from a seven-seater people-mover to a parcel van and everything in between. In fact, Chrysler claimed a total of 256 possible furniture variations for the car.
Instead of just folding the seats flat, they collapsed into big bins in the floor, which also acted as storage spaces when the seats were upright.
And once you had the knack of it, both rows of rear seats could be folded away in about 30 seconds.
The seats themselves were better than average, too. The centre row consisted of a pair of bucket seats with armrests, while the rear row was a 50/50 split-fold bench.
The big plus was that even with all the seats occupied, there was still plenty of luggage space and, typically, there were plenty of cup-holders and power outlets for everyone as well.
In fact, standard equipment was a Voyager highlight and in addition to a good stereo, you also got a very efficient climate-control system (tri-zone), a powered driver's seat, heated front seats, parking sensors, an alarm, leather trim and powered sliding side doors and tailgate.
The latter was a big winner with mums trying to get children and groceries into the car at once and was typical of the thoughtful touches Chrysler included in the vehicle.
Safety was a priority, too, and you got front and full-length side airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control. Curiously though, stability control was missing and would have been a welcome addition.
Chrysler had also thought about the driving experience, so instead of a wheezy four-cylinder engine, the Grand Voyager got a meaty V6 measuring 3.3 litres and making 128kW of power.
That didn't, of course, make it a racing car but it did give a relaxed performance via the standard four-speed automatic.
The downside was a fair thirst if you used the performance on tap. Most owners reported fuel consumption of about 15 litres per 100 kilometres for normal suburban driving and closer to 10 or 11 litres for careful highway driving.
But even if it was a bit of a guzzler, it was a very comfortable one. The ride quality led the class for this type of vehicle and even in isolation, it was smooth, quiet and unruffled over a long distance.
It also had the knack of feeling surefooted and secure on the road, which is not something that all people-movers are able to manage.
The first thing you need to be aware of when shopping for any people-mover is that kids, dogs and mountain bikes do terrible things to a vehicle's interior.
Check for stains on the upholstery and wear and tear everywhere from the carpet to the roof lining.
The Voyager's interior plastics weren't up to the same standard as the Japanese competition, so any damage is likely to show up more thanks to the harder plastics used. In fact, the hard-touch plastic fittings and finishes were one of the biggest complaints with the Voyager so make sure the dashboard and console trim items still line up and look OK.
While you're at it, check that every little electrical doodad (and there were plenty of them) obeys the commands of the relevant switch because electrical niggles weren't unknown in these cars.
That said, the later Grand Voyagers were much better than previous models to bear the tag, however it is still worth checking and testing everything before you hand over the money.
During the test drive, aim the car at some rough surfaces. Voyagers are known to gain a few rattles and squeaks as they age, so this is a good test to determine how "tight" the car still is.
Chrysler recalled Voyagers built in 2005 and 2006 to replace the windscreen-wiper mechanism, which could potentially seize and break, taking the wipers with it.
That single recall was in contrast with earlier models, which were recalled multiple times, so it underlines the progress Chrysler was making with its quality.
Need to know
-Make sure the car has been checked for the windscreen-wiper recall.
-Try to find one that hasn't been trashed by a previous family.
-Check all the electrical equipment for proper operation.
-You need to see an up-to-date service book.
What to pay
New | Now | |
SE 2005 | $55,990 | $26,900 |
SE 2006 | $55990 | $28,600 |
SE 2007 | $55990 | $33,000 |
SE 2008 | $55990 | $37,500 |
Limited 2005 | $69,990 | $35,000 |
Limited 2006 | $69,990 | $37,100 |
Limited 2007 | $69,990 | $42,700 |
Limited 2008 | $69,990 | $48,300 |
Source: Glass's Guide