Ownership Verified: My Austrian Yankee: 2002 Grand Voyager AWD

luokyio

Merc Maniac
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
1,666
Location
Savonlinna, Finland
Car(s)
CLS, CL, Scorpio
And we're back with the US cars. Or Austria to be more exact.

After pushing insane amounts of repair money towards Renault, it was time to go before next batch of repairs would arise. Our fourth kid is due next month, any smaller car wouldn't be suitable. Actually even the Grand Espace was a bit too small, since there was really small room behind the third row seats for luggages. And a family with four kids tends to haul a lot of stuff, so a decent sized trunk is pretty important.

There was actually only two viable options: a minibus (Vito/Caravelle etc) or a Grand Voyager/Caravan. Minibuses tend to be always old taxis, which means odometer readings exceeding 700 000 km and pretty worn out condition all-round. Grand Voyagers are the best-selling MPV's here, so they had easily the biggest selection. Also there's some grey-import Windstars around, but they're rare, and apparently they're horrible in terms of reliability and rust. Did not leave much other choice than getting a GV.

So, long story short, I traded the Espace for a 2002 Grand Voyager Limited AWD. The option pack Limited gives some goodies, like leather/alcantara interior with six captain chairs, electric sliding doors, electric tailgate etc. It has 288 000 km on the clock. Original service history has mysteriously disappeared, but there's a service book that has everything done to the car after 2007. So I cannot trust too much on the reading, but cannot really see it having much more either. Last few years it has gotten only few thousand km per year.

On the way home I stopped by my parents' house, and noticed left rear brake being really hot. We lifted the car up and managed to get brake unjammed, but the cylinder inside the caliber is cracked, so I didn't want to drive the car home. Dad ordered a new caliber this morning, and it should come by Wednesday morning. So yes, again on the first trip home the car I've bought has broken. :cry: :lol: I sure know how to pick them.

- Another big problem that came on the trip was a whine from the belt or alternator. It can be heard only on idle with gear on. Even the slightest press of gas makes the sound disappear. You can also feel some trembling from alternator, so I guess the alternator bearing is dying.

- Rust-wise it is a both good and bad. Wheel arches are spotless, underneath really solid, but there are bubbles on the bonnet and the tailgate. These shouldn't be too expensive to get fixed properly after I'm convinced the car is otherwise worth having.

- The electric trunk opener doesn't open up like it should be, it must be helped manually to get it open. The mechanism seems to be easily accessible, so that needs to be taken apart and check what's wrong.

- Turn signal won't return from the left. Turn signal switch to be replaced?

- Both sets of tires are pretty bad. Summer tires (with aftermarket alloys) are close to legal limit, and winter tires are studless (steel wheels with original hub caps) with some tread left, but I already ordered a new set of Hankook iPike RS, as I don't want to receive a call from my wife that she's in the ditch again. :rolleyes: With AWD it would probably have been easily driven with the studless for one more winter, but I don't want to risk it. AWD doesn't help it stop any faster.

So, some things to be done for sure, but there's good things too. For instance this:

IMG-20151018-WA0005.jpeg


Fake wood! :mrgreen:

Also I cannot resist the column shifter. It's just so much nicer to have than floor shift.

Espace was better to drive, but this is a lot comfier. And I think I prefer comfort over driving feel, it's a MPV after all. Performance is pretty similar on both, of course Renault had more torque because of the turbo, but it's easy to overtake with this too.

Interior and leather are pretty good, some minor scratches on the driver seat, but I'll give them full treatment asap to see how they turn out. Sound system is really nice for and OEM system. A lot better than in Renault.

And biggest advantage over the similarly priced slightly newer low-end Voyagers is the AWD. Cannot wait for the slippery weather. Now I don't have any FWD's on my fleet, only AWD and RWD.

Couple of quick shots, more to come when I actually get the car home...

IMG_20151018_171116.jpg

IMG_20151018_171157.jpg
 
A FULL-WHEEL-DRIVE mommavan??????? :blink: I never knew chrysler made such thing. <3


- The electric trunk opener doesn't open up like it should be, it must be helped manually to get it open. The mechanism seems to be easily accessible, so that needs to be

If i'm not mistaken, the problem is with extinct gas lifters. (which should help it open and hold it)

- Turn signal won't return from the left. Turn signal switch to be replaced?
*sigh* i wish i had that problem. Mine self-cancels like... every 3 degrees of wrong turn. So every merge (or roundabout) is a fight:
-you turned right with a left signal, you moron!
-yes i know, it's a merge, i gotta go right, but signal left, so everyone on the motorway sees me...
-YOU TURNED RIGHT, DAMNHIT! i'm cancelling..
-Gimme the damn blink!
-Noway, that's against the logic, i'm off agiin. :p

- Both sets of tires are pretty bad.

I know it's a considered sin in most civilised parts of the world, but you can actually use high-speed ice rubber as all-season.

I personally tested Dunlop Wintersport 400 and Goodyear Ultragrip 8 on Merc. They've both put up a fight in range between icy (and very humid) -38 up to +40 summer traffic jams with rough acceleration/braking.

Both sets held 4 years non-stop.

Dunlops were more noisy on asphalt, but held better against sideforces on town speeds. (antidrift or how is it called)

Ultragrips designed to create vacuum in their pattern, so they held better on motorway speeds (and also pretty quiet), but tend to drift at cruise more, due to high-density centerline.



Anyways, i heartfully congratulate you (and your spouse) with that massive update.
 
A FULL-WHEEL-DRIVE mommavan??????? :blink: I never knew chrysler made such thing. <3




If i'm not mistaken, the problem is with extinct gas lifters. (which should help it open and hold it)


*sigh* i wish i had that problem. Mine self-cancels like... every 3 degrees of wrong turn. So every merge (or roundabout) is a fight:
-you turned right with a left signal, you moron!
-yes i know, it's a merge, i gotta go right, but signal left, so everyone on the motorway sees me...
-YOU TURNED RIGHT, DAMNHIT! i'm cancelling..
-Gimme the damn blink!
-Noway, that's against the logic, i'm off agiin.



I know it's a considered sin in most civilised parts of the world, but you can actually use high-speed ice rubber as all-season.

I personally tested Dunlop Wintersport 400 and Goodyear Ultragrip 8 on Merc. They've both put up a fight in range between icy (and very humid) -38 up to +40 summer traffic jams with rough acceleration/braking.

Both sets held 4 years non-stop.

Dunlops were more noisy on asphalt, but held better against sideforces on town speeds. (antidrift or how is it called)

Ultragrips designed to create vacuum in their pattern, so they held better on motorway speeds (and also pretty quiet), but tend to drift at cruise more, due to high-density centerline.



Anyways, i heartfully congratulate you (and your spouse) with that massive update.
Yup. Several generations had it. It was discontinued in the 2005 refresh because of Stow n Go.

Rumor has it that AWD will make a return in the next generation. It may be via an electric motor.
 
Holy shit, I've never seen a 90s minivan with a bull bar.

They're called "light bars" here for legal reasons I guess. That's also typically why people buy them.
 
Oh man, we had a blue one of those (not AWD), only it was a Town and Country, not a Grand Voyager. It was great. Moved two kids into and out of college. Held up. And those sewer drains on the center stack warmed you up or cooled you down wicked fast!
 
Holy shit, I've never seen a 90s minivan with a bull bar.
That's not a bull bar! This is a bull bar.



Nudge bars like the one on luokyio's Voyager are common for whatever reason here. People want their people carriers to look more butch, I guess.
 
Nice one! Way better than any old beat up minibus that you were considering. This should do the job nicely.
 
Huh, ok. Wouldn't be my first choice for family vehicles. Hope this one lasts!
 
Holy shit, I've never seen a 90s minivan with a bull bar.

Bull bars are illegal, so this simply cannot be such :D It's a mount for extra lights. Just happens to lack some lights. I may consider adding some though, knowing the lighting power US cars tend to give.

A FULL-WHEEL-DRIVE mommavan??????? :blink: I never knew chrysler made such thing. <3
Yeah, pretty rare here too but they do exist.

If i'm not mistaken, the problem is with extinct gas lifters. (which should help it open and hold it)

Actually they do lift it all the way up as long as they're given a little push over the lock. But I'll investigate, I guess that would be the cheapest and easiest fix.

I know it's a considered sin in most civilised parts of the world, but you can actually use high-speed ice rubber as all-season.

I personally tested Dunlop Wintersport 400 and Goodyear Ultragrip 8 on Merc. They've both put up a fight in range between icy (and very humid) -38 up to +40 summer traffic jams with rough acceleration/braking.

Both sets held 4 years non-stop.

Dunlops were more noisy on asphalt, but held better against sideforces on town speeds. (antidrift or how is it called)

Ultragrips designed to create vacuum in their pattern, so they held better on motorway speeds (and also pretty quiet), but tend to drift at cruise more, due to high-density centerline.
I'm not going to test that. Any tire that is even decent in the winter is totally crap in the summer. And any tire that is even decent in the summer is totally crap in the winter. :lol: Two sets of tires is the only way to go in my books.

Anyways, i heartfully congratulate you (and your spouse) with that massive update.

Thanks :)


What I remember from Voyagers I rode in when I was a kid is waft.

Also, can we call you Janeway now?

Had to google. I'm a nerd that has never watched Star Treks... :rolleyes:

Nice one! Way better than any old beat up minibus that you were considering. This should do the job nicely.

Thanks, I hope so too. Even though a bit rough start again for ownership.

Huh, ok. Wouldn't be my first choice for family vehicles. Hope this one lasts!

A bit late for the party but what would have been the alternatives?:cry: I drew a blank.:dunno:
 
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It's a mount for extra lights. Just happens to lack some lights. I may consider adding some though, knowing the lighting power US cars tend to give.

That, sir, is a blunt lie. *monocle* US light are the best, except most people tend to confuse their pattern and level them by the upper line. (so they beam into asphalt)

I installed US-spec light on my Merc few years ago. Never come back to "Euro-V"
 
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Hope you're right. My Buick had terrible OEM lights, but Cadillac on the other hand had excellent. They were xenons though.
 
Your taste in cars man :lol:

Awd minivan with a push bar....didn't know that was a thing, but I like it.
 
I'd take a minivan over a large crossover any day. Minivans are excellent for hauling large numbers of people and can also be easily converted to haul major cargo. They're not hugely fun to drive, but you can at least do cool things with them. Especially with AWD.
 
I installed US-spec light on my Merc few years ago. Never come back to "Euro-V"

Those aren't US spec, they're aftermarket. They might have US DOT stamps on them but they're no more "US Spec" than my right sock.
 
Those aren't US spec, they're aftermarket.

Yes they are aftermarket (Corean to be exact), but spec means specification, as in "built for". And they output US light pattern. (straight square with two lines, rather than one V)
 
Yes they are aftermarket (Corean to be exact), but spec means specification, as in "built for". And they output US light pattern. (straight square with two lines, rather than one V)

Yes, but the light pattern doesn't necessarily have anything to do with anything. It's pretty common knowledge that many American cars have really shitty headlights. Of course it's possible to make a good headlight even with the US light pattern, they're not that different after all.

And when someone says "US spec" about anything related to a mercedes (or any car, really) they mean that they retrofitted the OEM stuff for that market.
 
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