northrol

Like the title says; Is the Uplander a good vehicle? I have a aunt whom says it is not - and instead recommends the Chrysler Grand Voyager - but I do not like Chryslers. Can previous and owners of the Uplander please give faire notes - is the car a good vehicle, yes or no?






(sorry for the bad English... not my primary language)

Papa Bear

I own a 2007 Uplander and it has approximately 70, 000 miles on it. I bought it as we were having our first grandchild being born and we knew we would want/need a van to carry everyone together in one vehicle. In 2007 the price dropped on the Uplander (and other GM vehicles) and it appeared to be the best "value".
It has been relatively trouble free and I take good care of it. There was a coolant leak and bad sway-bar end link that was repaired under warranty. The tires began to wear and become noisy (I rotated them as required) and GM FINALLY repaired the rear axle alignment and replaced the tires under warranty. I replaced the rear shock absorbers with Monroe sensa-tracks as I thought the factory softness was too spongy and vague in handling.
The van runs well and has been a dependable vehicle for us. I don't expect too much from it as far as luxury or refinement and it has been a good vehicle for the money so far.
You should be able to get one cheap and if it has been cared for and maintained it should make a good van for you.

northrol

Thank you for your answer. The Uplander is quite expensive here in Sweden. 19.500$ for a 2008 with 55.000 km. we could import a used one for almost half of the price, including shipping.

Do you know how long warranty is? If there is any on an imported car as the one we are looking at. Maybe I can take the VIN and call Chevrolet/GM here in Sweden and have a look.

442dude

I own a 2008 Uplander which we purchased used in 2009...it has almost 70,000 miles on it as well...We purchased it as a replacement for a 2000 Venture.

I would say it depends upon how YOU define "good". So far it has been pretty good to us. We've replaced a couple of front wheel bearings and had a couple of small issues with it but nothing that was major. It runs well (ours is a 3.9) I would almost call it pretty quick but since its so big its hard to tell. I try to take good care of it and it gets all of its required maintenance when it should.

I read all of the reviews of lots of minivans before we bought it and the one thing that stuck out to me that I read was where the author said "The problems you may encounter with the Uplander are not ones which would strand you in the middle of nowhere, they are annoyances". I think that sums it up pretty well. One thing I have seen is that the electric sliding doors seem to be a mechanical nightmare, you may want to avoid them if you can and stick to the LS model which does not have them.

Its not the best at anything as far as minivans go - the interiors are very average and don't have all of the features that others have, gas mileage is about average for the class/size, and its no more or less fun to drive than any other...that being said, you can find them at very reasonable prices compared to other makes of similar year and mileage as they weren't very popular.

We looked at the Chrysler minivans back in 2009 and didn't like them as much as the Uplander...and I don't know too many people who have had great luck with the Chrysler's in terms of mechanical quality either.

Bottom line: I think you could do worse and I think you could do better as its very middle of the road (and that's not a bad thing) If you like the size and looks of the Uplander its certainly worth a second look. I believe that if they are taken care of they are likely good for a lot of mostly trouble-free miles.

Good luck shopping! Post back with any questions.

442dude

Also - the 2008 came with a 5 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty regardless of whether you bought it new or used.

northrol

Thank you!