Town & Country: Mileage more important than age?

I'm looking for a used Chrysler/Dodge minivan and have come across two
interesting ones, both Town & Country's, similar enough options. Both
have 40K miles, but one is a 2003 and the other a 2005. The 2003 can
be gotten for around $1000 less than the 2005. Is spending the $1G
worth it just to get a newer vehicle?

The 2005 is missing the middle row bench, but I wasn't planning to
keep it in anyway. I want space for stuff, not butts. So I would
probably move the 3rd row to the middle.

--Marc

 

As you are seeing, age really affects prices of used vehicles, even
when in good condition. Toyotas and Hondas seem to be an exception. I
would guess that both had the minimum 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty
that would now be expired on both, unless the previous owner purchased
an extended warranty that should be transferable.

I would go for the less expensive one, unless the 2005 has options
that you care about that the 2003 doesn't have.

-KM

 

I would not buy the one "missing" something. you have to wonder. Also if you
ever decide to sell that would affect things greatly for you.

 

Thanks for the replies. The options are pretty much the same,
basically stripped down. And good point about the resale. I think if I
was the dealer I would have put the back seat in the middle and
advertised it as a 5-seater. They're a Ford dealer, so they might not
even have tried to move it up. When I had a minivan, about a million
years ago, I left out the middle seat most of the time. My kids liked
sitting in the "back-back". But the dealer didn't know, or want to
tell.

I'm going back to the 2003 tonight. I think I can whittle them down
further. The 2005 price is firm at $9995, which really isn't bad for
that year with those miles.

--Marc