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Is America's last cheap minivan worth it?

Take a good look at this beauty. Because once she's gone there may be no turning back. The minivan market has been completely decimated over the past fifteen years. I could list all the former brands (dead and alive) that once formed the lynchpin of parenthood for this inherently conservative market. But that would involve at least fourteen commas, three sets of parentheses, and possibly even one 2000s-style recount. Back then, middle-class America loved these people-movers and even the well-to-do were glad to load them up with unique luxuries such as power sliding doors, captain's chairs, integrated child seats, and DVD players that entombed cacophonous kids into a temporary silence. Back in the '90s, the minivan market regularly realized well over a million sold units a year. In 2000, minivans finally hit their familial peak of 1.4 million vehicles in a year with the help of two top-20 bestsellers: the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. Today the minivan just isn't popular. This year it'll likely represent only a half-million in annual sales, with not a single minivan hitting America's top 30 in overall volume. But as I always tell folks, "If you want a deal, you have to hit 'em where they ain't." So you want a cheap and affordable minivan for cash money that isn't a 15-year-old Plymouth in purple? Does it have to be new? Really? Well, if you're married to that type of person, this Grand Caravan with the American Value Package is the cheapest thing going. Deals can also be had on the mini-minivan Mazda5, but since it's been discontinued due to low demand, let's focus on the still-popular Chrysler minivan. The cost for this 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan according to TrueCar is right around $19,500 depending on where you live in the USA. But let's take a look at the 2015 models instead since they tend to have even stronger discounts during the wintertime thanks to manufacturers and dealers who are busy shoveling out all this older inventory. If you opt for a 2015 model instead, you're looking at a market price right around $17,800 and luckily these minivans are still sitting in multitude. Wanna click those rebate and incentive buttons? If you currently lease or finance a FIAT or Chrysler product, have AAA coverage, and finance the car with FCA, you can make off like the proverbial bandit for a price of only $15,229 before the dealer inflicts their bogus fee money dance.

2014 Dodge Durango bows with eight-speed auto, updated looks [w/video]

Dodge has significantly updated its full-size Durango for the 2014 model year, giving the seven-passenger hauler a fresh look and a well-rounded boost of competitive features as it enters its fourth year in the showroom.
Cosmetically, it is hard to miss the revised front end with projector-beam headlamps and LED daytime running lamps, "floating" crosshair grille, a taller front bumper and a new lower fascia. The rear end of the facelifted Durango has been redesigned with the automaker's now-signature LED "racetrack" taillamps and resculpted rear fascia. All of the wheels are new too, with 18- and 20-inch options for each trim level with a variety of factory finishes.
Inside the cabin, buyers can select the automaker's latest Uconnect infotainment system with a full suite of infotainment features and connectivity accessed through an 8.4-inch touchscreen. Other optional goodies include a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seating and a Blu-Ray player capable of running unique programs on the twin individual rear monitors.

Detroit 3 small cars lay an egg in latest Consumer Reports reliability study

Consumer Reports has released its Annual Auto Reliability Survey and the results are, in a word, interesting. While we already covered the score-damaging effects of infotainment systems, there's another big angle to the data that's getting some attention - the utterly dismal scores of the Detroit Three's small car offerings.
The turbocharged Dodge Dart and Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the Ford Fiesta were their respective brands' lowest-scoring models, a stat that's made worse by the fact that the American automakers finished 25th, 21st and 23rd, respectively.
That's not acceptable for The Detroit Free Press' auto critic, Mark Phelan, who has penned a scathing critique of the D3's small car reliability scores, arguing that GM, Ford and Chrysler are "out of excuses."