zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Germany Is Full Of Diesel Manual Chrysler Minivans And They Are Dirt Cheap
Germany Is Full Of Diesel Manual Chrysler Minivans And They Are Dirt Cheap-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:39

Image: TBV-Automobile (Mobile.de)

Today I bring you a revelation: Germany is chock-full of absurdly cheap equipped with two coveted features never offered in the U.S.: a manual transmission and a diesel engine. Yes, I’m talking about the torquey and fuel efficient glory of a compression engine bolted to fun-to-drive transmission, all encapsulated in an efficient minivan body. Just look at these deals.

Over the past couple of days, Jalopnik has on a Chrysler minivan , specifically drooling over manual transmission models with red interiors. And can you blame us? You get all of the practicality associated with a unibody van, plus the joy of rowing through your own gears, all in a bright red, extremely 1980s cocoon—it’s awesome.

But the issue with minivans in the U.S. isn’t just that manual transmission models have always been supremely rare, it’s that such workhorses have pretty much only come with gas engines. The joy of a torquey turbodiesel motor built to handle huge loads while scoring great fuel economy has been relegated to other markets, including Germany, where I frequently and scour Craigslist (). Recently, I’ve found myself drooling over Plymouth Voyager minivans that I’ve otherwise never been interested in, and I feel a bit weird about it. So I figured I’d share this recent fetish with you, dear readers.

Among the apples of my eye is the third-generation “NS” Chrysler minivan—you know, the really round one that may have looked cool when it launched for the 1996 model year, but has not aged well at all. That’s one in the top photo there, and it’s for sale for only 350 Euro, or about $393. Sure, the engine fires up and immediately stalls, but that can be fixed, and you can find these things in similarly workable shape for well under $500 all day.

This blue one actually appears to be in decent shape:

Image: Autohandel Andre Koschuhar (Mobile.de)

Here’s a look at the three pedals and the shifter:

Image: Autohandel Andre Koschuhar (Mobile.de)

And here’s another one for sale for only 450 Euro, or about $500:

Image: F. A. AUTOMOBILE (Mobile.de)

Image: F. A. AUTOMOBILE (Mobile.de)

What’s that you say? You strongly prefer the 2001 to 2007 “RS” fourth- generation Chrysler minivan? Fear not, for those, too, were offered with diesels and stick shifts. This beauty right here costs only 450 Euro or about $500:

Image: Autoscheich Live (Mobile.de)

It honestly looks pretty damn clean, and the extremely brief description “motor getriebe top” seems to imply that the engine and transmission are in tip-top shape.

Image: Autoscheich Live (Mobile.de)

If you’re not feeling any of those overly-round minivans above, the good news is that the second-gen “AS” minivan was also available in Germany (fun fact: This generation could be had in the U.S. with a manual, though not a diesel), and this one costs under $700:

Image: Mobile.de

Someone replaced the shift knob with a strange looking one, and my god does that engine look oily and radiator fluid-y as hell:

Image: Mobile.de

Image: Mobile.de

If you want one in nicer shape, and you’re willing to drop $900, there’s this red second-gen that’s apparently in good mechanical condition, per the seller. It honestly looks great:

Image: Mobile.de

Image: Mobile.de

Many of the cars need some basic repairs to receive their “TUV” inspection, and it’s worth mentioning that the VM 2.5-liter turbodiesel, which makes about 120 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque, isn’t really known to be the most reliable engine ever.

Still, the sheer number of manual diesel Chrysler minivans—vehicles that simply do not exist in the U.S.—plus the fact that they’re so cheap has me extremely intrigued.

screenshot: Mobile.de

I’m not saying buying one of these would be a great idea, but the quirkiness-per-dollar ratio of these Graz, Austria-built vans is ridiculously high. And I just thought you all should know that.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
Next-Gen Mustang Won't Go Hybrid or All-Wheel Drive: Report
Next-Gen Mustang Won't Go Hybrid or All-Wheel Drive: Report
The forthcoming, — either a 2023 or 2024 model depending on who you ask — may very well be the last with an internal-combustion engine and . Up until now, the rumor mill suggested it would also be the first Mustang to offer a hybrid powertrain and/or all-wheel drive....
Nov 5, 2025
The 2023 Civic Type R Already Has an Accessories Catalog
The 2023 Civic Type R Already Has an Accessories Catalog
As we stare down the barrel of , there’s a lesson we need to learn from the decades since: All of us, in those days of the new millennium, wore too many accessories. There was no reason, no moral defense for layering multiple belts. It was wrong, and we...
Nov 5, 2025
At $7,500, Is This 1990 Mercedes 300 SL a Bargain of a Benz?
At $7,500, Is This 1990 Mercedes 300 SL a Bargain of a Benz?
With its six-cylinder engine, today’s Mercedes R129 is a rarer bird than its V8-powered counterparts. We’ll have to decide if the price on this lower-spec’d roadster makes you want to flip it the bird as well. Should you be the sort of person who rues the vast number of...
Nov 5, 2025
2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Order Books Are Closed, For Now
2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Order Books Are Closed, For Now
If you were hoping to get your hands on a 2023 Corvette Z06, too bad. You may just have to wait for the 2024 books, as confirms with GM that Z06 orders are completely full. What’s wild about this is that orders for the new Z06 only opened in...
Nov 5, 2025
Bentley Flying Spur Speed Is a 207-mph Love Letter to the W12
Bentley Flying Spur Speed Is a 207-mph Love Letter to the W12
Bentley’s twin-turbocharged W12 engine has been integral to its brand since it relaunched itself with the in 2003. Its combination of packaging, effortless torque and huge power potential made what was ultimately an unconventional engine a real standout, . To celebrate the mighty W12, Bentley announced its Flying Spur...
Nov 5, 2025
Brabus’ Armored Invicto G-Wagens Are Insanely Over-Engineered
Brabus’ Armored Invicto G-Wagens Are Insanely Over-Engineered
More often than not, if you see a Mercedes-Benz G-Class in a movie, it’s being driven by or chauffeuring around a villain. It’s just , and what could make it more menacing than if it was seriously armored? , but not all armored vehicles are created equal. Many of them...
Nov 5, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved