Buying A New MiniVan Help

[mjkacmom]

Honda or Toyota (I have the Honda). I really prefer a minivan over a SUV - I can't imagine not having sliding doors.

 

[Bethenny]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far. Yeah its not so much about it being a minivan so much as good seating options and not being a huge monster like the denali or the tahoe. I have driven a tahoe (and an expedition) and I dont like it. *shiver* Thats me and if it makes you happy so be it. I am not here to pick on anyone. We all have our driving preferences. I just love the way most minivans drive and they have the amount of seats I want.

B

I have the GMC Acadia which is the same model as the Chevy Traverse mentioned earlier. It's not nearly as big as the Tahoe but it's the perfect size for us. I really really love the way it drives. It's so comfortable and quiet on roadtrips. And it gets decent mileage. And we can still fit a few suitcases in the trunk with the 3rd row in use. It's definitely a great option if you're not dead-set on having a minivan.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I have a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L and love it! It drives like a car, but is very convenient to have when hauling kids, groceries, etc. I usually keep mine set up to seat 7 and it also has a small jump seat that easily installs in the middle row when I need to seat 8. I get anywhere from 18 mpg - 22 mpg depending on the driving conditions.

This is my second Ody and aside from a few recall issues a couple of years ago, I have not had any problems with it. My previous Ody was an older generation, which were notorius for having transmission problems. I think those issues have been solved with the newer generations.

 

[arminnie]

I'm on my second Honda Odyssey - kept the first one for a decade and have had this one about 5 years. They are so reliable. I travel a lot alone in part in rural Mississippi where I may not see anyone for 2 hours. I feel safe in the Odyssey. Unlike when I had GM products and never knew when I would break down (on a regular basis) and have to be towed.

They do cost more but really hold their resale value.

Mine has a feature where it drops from 8 cyclinders to 3 cylinders when the extra power is not needed. It really helps with the gal mileage. I'd like of like a Honda Element which is smaller but gets worse mileage.

 

[heatherwillmom]

We had a Ford Windstar when my DF had an accident in it with my children in it. He was hit by a car in-between the driver's door & the back sliding door so hard it bent the frame. My daughter was sitting in the middle captain's chair in her car seat. She was 4 at the time. My DS was on the other side in his car seat. My father had a bump on his head. Both kids had a bruise where the car seat buckle pinched them but no other injuries. The police offier who worked the wreck said that his wife wanted a mini van & he was going to get her one like mine because of how well it stood up & no injuries. it was only 8 months old, but it was totaled. For safety, you can't beat it.

 

[SaraJayne]

We have a Chevy Traverse. I consider it a minivan just without the sliding door. It seats 7 (we have captains chairs as our second row, otherwise you could seat 8 with a bench seat on the second row).

 

[WIDisneyFan]

Add me to the list for Honda Odyssey. We have had ours for 2 years now and just love it. Ours is a 2008 EX-L

 

[mrsv98]

We had a Ford Windstar when my DF had an accident in it with my children in it. He was hit by a car in-between the driver's door & the back sliding door so hard it bent the frame. My daughter was sitting in the middle captain's chair in her car seat. She was 4 at the time. My DS was on the other side in his car seat. My father had a bump on his head. Both kids had a bruise where the car seat buckle pinched them but no other injuries. The police offier who worked the wreck said that his wife wanted a mini van & he was going to get her one like mine because of how well it stood up & no injuries. it was only 8 months old, but it was totaled. For safety, you can't beat it.

We had a Windstar for years and loved it, unfortunately Ford no longer makes minivans.

We now have a Kia Sedona and absolutely LOVE it. Great space, comfort and style. The only drawback is the gas mileage, not great I have to admit. We have had it 4 years now and are really pleased.

 

[Happy Mom2]

I hated my Dodge Grand Caravan. It practically eats through tires. Our mechanic said it is the worst van on the market. Love, love, LOVE my Honda Odyssey. I could not be happier with it!!

 

[KCK]

As an avowed NON-minivan owner you'd think I have no business on this thread. But I AM an auto enthusiast and keep up with that world, and have several friends who own minivans.

From what I hear:
Honda Odyssey usually wins in an all-around contest. Resale is almost certainly the best, as is reliability (par with Toyota?) and the current model is said to 'drive like a car'. As you must know, that's a good thing, particularly when it comes to safety.

Sorry to dis the Chrysler/Dodge owners here, but that is the last minivan (or any car) I would choose. They have always had problems and if my experience with a few rental cars, including an older van are any indicator, they are pretty lousy at the driving experience too.

Also noted that someone mentioned VW. Nice looking BUT be aware it is a Chrysler in disguise! C makes them for VW. A friend recently rented one and he was VERY disappointed in the driving experience.

I'd say the best thing for you to do is gather info (eg from Consumer Reports and such) about reliability, pick the top 3 of those that fit your budget, and drive them to see which suits your style. Because it can be argued that minivan reliability is a bit more important than for other cars as they often contain kids, and are often driven by women, and women USUALLY know less than men about repairing autos. This is NOT a dis to women, it is simply a widely-observed and generally agreed upon phenomenon. I could write a book about ways women are superior to men too.

 

[MickeyMinnie1971]

Another vote for the Honda Odyssey. We bought our 2003 EX-L new, and we have been very happy with it.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Another vote for the Odyssey. We drive a 2003 LX and love it. I haven't driven the Toyota. We get the Chrysler minivans a lot when we fly somewhere and I find that the new ones still compare very unfavorably to our seven year old Odyssey.

If you get one, wire it up. We have two kids, so when we travel it's the parents in the front, the kids in the middle, and luggage in the back. We added headrest monitors to our seats so the kids each have their own screen. The screens are great for watching movies or playing games. We have a CarPC loaded with all of our movies. We also hook up a Wii when we travel.

If your van doesn't come with an AC eletrical outlet, I recommend that you add one. We had a power inverter mounted under one of the seats. We use that to charge phones, iPods, DSes, Kindles, and laptops. It's extremely handy. We also found an adaptor that has four USB power ports so it can charge up to devices at once.

One thing that concerns me about vans is that the luggage is unsecured in the back. That makes it more tempting for thieves if they can see something valuable. It also makes that gear more dangerous in an accident. We mitigate that by covering our stuff with a sturdy net while we travel.

I always recommend that people looking for a new vehicle check out the safety ratings. I love the website InformedForLife.org because they do a good job of presenting the safety information.

 

[PrincessMomto2]

Another vote for the Honda Odyssey. We have a 2008 model and I love it! It definitely drives like a "car"

I would test drive both the Toyota and Honda and see which one you like best. That is what we did and the Honda won for us. Both are very good vans. Good luck!

 

[okeydokey]

Our Dodge Caravan gave us nothing but trouble. They are very poorly rated in Consumer Reports for reliability. We finally got rid of it for a Honda Pilot (seats 8) which we love.