Let's talk minivans

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Ryan_PA

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The wife and I are in the market for a new vehicle since the lease is up on my current car at the end of February. Based on the functionality and relatively low pricing, we have settled on getting a mini-van. Also, we will be getting used, preferably dealer certified. Yesterday was our first venture out to a dealership, intentionally picking one not associated with a manufacturer and had a large inventory to pick through to get an idea of what cars we should target.

We drove, in order of preference:
1. Toyota Sienna
2. Honda Odyssey
3. Dodge Grand Caravan
4. Nissan Quest

The Toyota and Honda really stood out above the others. They really drove more like cars. They also had much less options than the Dodge and were priced slightly higher. The only reason the Sienna is ranked higher is my wife did not like the interior fabric, which may seem insignificant, but she can be specific.

So for anyone else on this site that has a family truckster, what do you say? Anything positive or negative on our current observations?

We really do not have super high requirements for features either. It would be nice to have the rear DVD for the kid, but I know you have to get a top model in Toyota or Honda, which would push us outside our comfort zone in pricing. Perhaps aftermarket would be an option. Power sliding doors are nice,, but I think most have at least one, and that is all we would need. I think all vans have power windows and doors... Really, I dont think e need anything crazy for features...
 
Back in July, we upgraded to a Toyota Sienna LE with power doors, windows and DVD contraption. My memory is a bit sketchy but I believe in the LE the power doors (which are far more convenient than I would have guessed; my kids can open and close them at the push of a button) are standard for the LE. We had to pay $1,500 for the DVD to be installed but it comes with wireless headphones, which have an obvious benefit.

It was pricey (about 30K) but we got 1% financing with quite a bit of wrangling on my part. It's a beautiful vehicle with a ton of cargo space.

I'd bet you could get a good deal on a used dealer certified one though they might be hard to find given what appears to be the extremely good customer satisfaction ratings.
 
If you don't need quite so much cargo space, maybe something like a Subaru Outback wagon would do? They're a bit less expensive and get good gas mileage. I'm still undecided about whether the all-wheel drive makes a difference in the snow - and we have a lot of snow right now - but I haven't gotten stuck yet so I guess it's working.

Dave
 
Wife and I looked at MiniVans too. What I liked most about the Sienna was the kid utility features that many of the others did not have. For example, the backs of the seats had kick panels. Basically nothing more than a patch of pleather where the childs foot might reach but, a nice feature if you do have the young ones.

The Honda was nice too but, overpriced.
 
Thanks. I didn't even notice the kick panels. The wife really liked the way the driver controls were laid out and oriented in the Sienna.

Funny someone mentioned the Outback, we had one a few cars back. Good vehicle, but we need the space and seating.
 
When Mrs. Jass and I were in the market for a mini van, we were indifferent between Toyota and Honda. They're both nice vehicles. It boiled down to which dealership would be doing the service after our purchase.
I'd be happy with either, but we purchased a used Honda with their pre-owned certified warranty, FWIW

Good luck
 
The only minivan that matters: Toyota Previa

RWD or AWD: check
Multiple sunroofs: check
Man-tran: check
superchaged inline engine: check
rotating captain chairs: check
mid-engine layout: check
Super awesome futuristic look:
96toyotaprevia500.jpg

check
 
Thanks. I didn't even notice the kick panels. The wife really liked the way the driver controls were laid out and oriented in the Sienna.

That was just something we noticed at last years new model cars show. There were other features that the Sienna had but, I forget.

Of course, looking at MiniVans just confirmed for my wife that she'd rather have a Yukon. WTF?

For me, it confirmed I'd rather have a Land Rover. That thing was insane!
 
The only minivan that matters: Toyota Previa

RWD or AWD: check
Multiple sunroofs: check
Man-tran: check
superchaged inline engine: check
rotating captain chairs: check
mid-engine layout: check
Super awesome futuristic look:
96toyotaprevia500.jpg

check

+1!!!

Those things still kick ass!
 
Funny someone mentioned the Outback, we had one a few cars back. Good vehicle, but we need the space and seating.

Understood. At the height of our child rearing we had several minivans. My personal favorite was a Pontiac Trans Sport, at least until the engine died. (Thanks, GM, for the crappy gaskets.) But I'm down to one teenager now and he rides up front with me so the Outback is a good size.

Dave
 
Presently own a Civic, XB, & Sonata, but when the kids were younger and playing sports, we bought a Grand Caravan.... base model. We got 10 years and 125 K miles out of it.... driving on dirt roads, in snow and ice all over Vermont. Got around 22 mpg with a V6 auto.

Replaced brakes and the exhaust system and changed the oil every 5K... otherwise it ran like a top.

With the seats out, it would hold a 4 x 8 piece of plywood flat in the back. One time we loaded a snow mobile into the back...

YMMV
 
The only minivan that matters: Toyota Previa

RWD or AWD: check
Multiple sunroofs: check
Man-tran: check
superchaged inline engine: check
rotating captain chairs: check
mid-engine layout: check
Super awesome futuristic look:
96toyotaprevia500.jpg

check

I think that's the ugliest car I've ever seen. Trust me, I drive a Honda Element; I know ugly!

Like, that's almost Aztec-bad ugly. It doesn't look so much "futuristic" as much as like a Jetsons-era expectation of the future. The 70's interpretion of "futuristic."
 
It doesn't look so much "futuristic" as much as like a Jetsons-era expectation of the future. The 70's interpretion of "futuristic."
How do you know what the future will look like? I stand by my statement that the Previa is what all vehicles in the future will look like
emot-colbert.gif
 
There's something very 70's-era looking about it... there's a specific van from maybe thirty years ago, but I can't think of the name of it. Looked futuristic then, looks dated now. F-U-G-L-Y.

Might be thinking of an old van that Hammond was driving on Top Gear...

Now that we're a family of four, I'm jonesing to replace our Civic - but I'm lusting (maybe a little too strong) for a Subie Outback wagon.
 
We are on our second Odyssey (leased). We love the way it drives and all the conveniences. 8 years ago (when we got our first) the Odyssey was the only choice. We then stuck with it for our second, as they make it easy for you to turn in one lease for another (although we did consider the Sienna).

This lease is coming to an end later this year, and I would seriously look at the Sienna this time, as it has made some advances in comfort features. We tried a Dodge, and it drove like a POS besides the Honda and Toyota. May have changed now?

Course, my wife is saying she wants a real car next, but with 3 kids getting bigger everyday (plus their friends), I'm not sure if that will happen. No way am I getting a fat arse ugly road hogging gas guzzling Yukon. I drove my BIL's Yukon the other day, and it handles just as badly as my old Chevy S10 pickup (which I feel like I am fighting every inch of the way just to keep it on the road). I would like a Subaru tho'.
 
I have a buddy at work who recently replaced his minivan with a Dodge Grand Caravan about 6 months ago. Mileage was about average, warranty was just barely expired. He's had nothing but problems with that thing. I know they're supposed to have the most features of all of the minivans, but I would recommend staying away. I think his is an 06 or 07, I can't remember for sure. So far, the A/C has bled out and required repair twice, his driver's side passenger door would randomly open, never while moving, but he had to get some switch replaced. Transmission gasket started leaking - a lot - and needed immediate replacement. Just a lot of stuff that shouldn't be happening to a car this young, really. I'm not impressed lately with Dodge build quality.
 
I owned an '04 Grand Caravan, the first year they had the Stow-N-Go seating. It wasn't a bad vehicle, the Stow-N-Go was actually very convenient and really simple to use, but we did have quite a few problems with the vehicle. Fairly minor, but the gas milage wasn't good, no Jeep/Dodge vehicles are, and mosst of the problems were fairly minor but more than I would expect for a vehicle of it's age.
 
I don't know how much help I'll be, but I drive a 96 Nissan Quest. The rear air never worked right, and it's got a leak on the transmission seal. However, it has 161,000 miles on it and the only major trouble it's had is needing a brake overhaul. The only other expenses have been regular maintenance and other consumables like tires and I need to get the windshield fixed. I would like a slightly bigger van for my next one, however.
 
I have a friend who's had several Dodge vans and he's always had good luck with them. We've replaced many parts, but just stuff like brakes and shocks and these things had hundreds of thousands of miles on them. He recently got a newer model and seems to like it a lot. I don't know anything about the foreign vans.
 
We've had a couple Grand Caravans that have done really well for us other than the alternator going out a few times - at inopportune moments, of course! The first one was totalled in an accident (not our fault), but the second one is still kicking with almost 250k miles.

I just picked up an old Odyssey but haven't put plates on it yet so I can't provide an informed opinion. I have been very happy with the several Honda Civics I have owned...

My folks recently acquired a Mazda 5 - it's like a cross between a minivan and SUV. It looks like a taller station wagon from the outside, but is really roomy once you're in. They really like how easy it is to drive, yet there's still room to cart around 3 grandkids, a dog, and cargo. Interesting vehicle - dunno if they're in your price range, but check it out...
 
Looks like I got here too late to put in my plug for the Odyssey. Driving a 2005 that we bought new. (It'll be paid off next year!!!). We lived in Hawaii for two years after we bought it, so it only has 45K on it, but it has been a very reliable rig.

Great power on the highway. Decent gas mileage on road trips. (We drove to Idaho a couple years back with a full load of 8, roof top carrier (cheap bag type) and the rear cargo area full. Got nearly 20mpg all the way there and back. Plus it is one of the few vans that can carry 8.

Based on the fact that it's almost paid for and the reliablity, we'll probaby be driving it 5 years from now.
 
My wife recently picked up a Honda Odyssey and so far so good. I must say, for a mini-van it's quite pimp. The DVD system is a life saver for long trips with a two year old. The GPS and built in XM are nice too, and it's amazing how handy the backup camera is.
 
The only minivan that matters: Toyota Previa

RWD or AWD: check
Multiple sunroofs: check
Man-tran: check
superchaged inline engine: check
rotating captain chairs: check
mid-engine layout: check
Super awesome futuristic look:
96toyotaprevia500.jpg

check





No offence man, but that's one ugly van...
Man-tran: check
Do you mean a manual transition? In 2010? Does it also have oil lanterns? That would be sooo 19-century awesome :D

superchaged inline engine: check
"in-line" engine: is that a 4-cylinder engine? In a van?
 
When it comes to a vehicle the kids are basically going to destroy (kids are megnetically attracted to winter slush, summer mud puddles, etc.) my personal opinion is function over form. I picked up a 2005 Base Model Nissan Quest in 2007 for just $16k used. It was still under warranty and had just 19k miles on it.

It has performed perfectly since the day we drove it home. With regular vacuuming/cleaning it's holding up very well. I still don't understand the point of paying tons of $$$ for gadgets to entertain the kids. If I had asked my dad to spend $1,500 on a t.v. for our 1989 Dodge Caravan growing up he would have slapped me in the back of the head. To each their own, I suppose. But the best thing you can do for your wallet (and vis a vis your brewing hobby) is to buy, not lease, a make/model that is known for dependability and long-term performance. Good luck. For the price range I was willing to spend it was either the Nissan or a Dodge. I've been very happy with the Nissan.
 
Its for you just as much if not even more than it is for the kids. It will keep them quiet on long trips.

We'll definitely have to agree to disagree on this one.

I understand why keeping your kids quiet on a long trip would be much easier on the parents. But IMO encouraging the kids to experience what's going on outside the van is probably a better experience for them. They can watch tv and play video games at home anytime. I'm no crazy anti-technology parent or anything, I just think kids need a break from that stuff now and then.

Some of my best memories of my dad were formed while on long road trips. I learned how to read a map with his help (even discovered a spot along the way that we both had just seen in a movie documentary called Andersonville in GA that he agreed to stop at because he was just as interested in it as I was). Without going further down memory lane, my point is I definitely would not have opened that map if I had a DVD screen and a Nintendo in front of me. YMMV
 
We pick up the van tomorrow, did not get any gadgets with it other than the sliding door. We already have one of the portable DVD players you can strap to the headrest, that is a million times cooler than anything I had as a kid. If I could have found one with the built in TV for the same price and condition, obviously that would have been ideal. But, as said earlier, these vans are good for long periods, so it is hard to find them with low miles on the used market in my price range. We ended up getting it for $7K under asking price, so I am happy with the deal.
 
As much as I hate to admit it, I think you made the right choice. My family has a long history of minivans and the latest generation was a big step down for Chrysler.

1993 Dodge Grand Caravan - 191,000 miles, heavy tow duty, lost the AC clutch ~20k ago, as-yet undetermined intermittent misfire issue (still my DD, tho)
1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager - 220,000 miles, no towing, runs well, has the cancer bad
2003 Dodge Grand Caravan - 180,000 miles, moderate tow duty, runs well, clean body
2008 Chrysler Town and Country - 50,000 miles, moderate tow duty, runs excellent, clean body, 3 shifters, 2 steering columns, 1 center stack
 
We've got a '97 Grand Caravan Sport. Has about 220K on it right now. Its moved people in/out of dorms dozens of times, towed a 19' ProLine for a couple of years, and can take a sheet of plywood in the back.


Somewhere, I've got a picture of it pulling a car carrier with an '85 300zx.
 
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