Calling all Mini Van Mamas and Papas Too!

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

okay DH and i are taking the plunge, we are buying a minivan! just not sure what type to get...sooo we are wondering...what type do you drive do you like it? is there another model out there you would like better? Thanks a bunch!! I'm excited, i actually really want one haha...is that a bad thing???

 

[WVMomof3]

Love my Honda Odessey!! It is a 2000 and still running great, only wish I had a new one because after 5 years and 3 kids it is getting a little grungy!

 

[LaLa]

Welcome to the Minivan lovin' Club!

We took the plunge a few years back and honestly would not drive anything else. We had a Dodge Grand Caravan and just traded it in for a Honda Odyssey. We test drove the Honda Pilot and were considering buying that instead but for roughly the same amount, we could get the Odyssey. With two kids and the fact that we take lots of road trips, it was a no brainer.

We love our Odyssey. It has lots of really cool little features, like the kids have personal sunshades for their windows, and there's a flip down conversation mirror in the front so you don't have to turn around to see the kids in the backseat. Very nice.

Like I said, welcome. Once you go minivan, you never go back.

 

[fakereadhed]

Love my Zoom-Zoom. I am on Mazda MPV#2. Only vehicle I loved enough to buy again. Has rear windows that go down, foldaway 3rd row seat, sliding second row seat. Drives like a car. Great gas milage too!

Mazda MPV

 

[tiggerzpalz]

I have a 2003 Honday Odyssey and I love it! I swore I would never own a minivan but 2 little ones later I would not trade it for anything.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Wow there's a club and everything! haha thanks for all the replies! we have only 2 kids, but we just need more space more space! especially since we are going to start driving to FL this year

We have a Honda Civic and loove Hondas it's our second as a couple and my DH 5th or something like that, it's got excellent gas mileage for him since he travels 60miles each way to work. So Hondas are looking good to us! but we have been looking at everything and we just can't seem to put our finger on one yet..that's where the DIS comes in! Thanks a bunch and keep em coming!!

 

[KristiKelly]

We bought a Honda Odyssey about 3 months ago, I really like it. Before that I drove a Chrysler Town & Country. I really liked the T&C, it was loaded with all the bells & whistles. When we bought the Odyssey, the same model had fewer features of the T&C but I feel safer in the Odyssey. Trade in for T&C is horrible, we decided not to trade in and we are still trying to sell it -3 months later. I would recommend the Odyssey, it is the safest one out there.

We bought the EXL model, I believe. It has leather, DVD & sunroof. It's perfect for 3 kids.

We drove SUV's before owning a minivan. I love minivans, they're so convenient and roomy.

 

[Soccerpooh]

We have 2 Honda Odyssey's - a 2000 and 2005. They are so reliable, and I love the interior of them. They have a lot of great options too. Be careful if you test drive one- you'll be hooked!

 

[babiesX2]

I'm a minivan mama and loving it! We have a red Dodge Grand Caravan. DH is a Dodge/Chrysler loyalist and the stow and go interested us. We needed the extra space in the back for our front to back double stroller (twins). We keep the babies in the middle row captain's chairs and DD13 has the whole back seat to herself. Stow & go is great for putting groceries and other things in. The DGC had the most room in the back. Chrysler Town & Country is pretty much the same car but a bit more luxurious (& pricier). Oh, almost forgot to mention the automatic side doors and automatic back hatch -- those features!

 

[las3888]

We comparison shopped last summer and ended up with the Chrysler Town and Country. We wanted alot of bells and whistles and felt this was the best deal. My sister has the Honda and loves hers. They both get about the same gas mileage (not great) so they are about equal there. Town and Country is basically the same car as the Caravan. We love the fold-down seats and the trunk has an automatic open feature (as do the side doors). Comes in really handy when toting our little one. Our son loves the DVD player...it really comes in handy!

Good luck!

 

[crjack]

Another Honda Odyssey owner here! Love it still and mine is also a 2000. Would love to get a new one but this one has such low miles and runs great so I have a feeling I will have it for many more years.

When I was shopping for it I did a great deal of research and knew from my Accord trade in that Honda's hold their value. The Odyssey and Sienna always rated #1 & 2 in the publications that I used for safety and reliability.

They offer even more features now. I also have two children but feel like I drive half my neighborhood at times with carpools, school, etc. My husband never loved minivans but I know he is glad we have it, not just because it's reliable but it's roomy and we can flip down our rear seat and fit so much in back. It's nice when we need it.

Good luck!

 

[MTW]

We're in the same situation - I swore I'd never drive one - but one child later (and hoping for more) we've determined that it's inevitable.

In any case, my husband is very into comparisons, etc. etc. and it takes us a long time to actually purchase anything because we tend to keep things for a very long time (spent 2+ years searching for the 'perfect' sectional sofa - if that tells you anything). So you can imagine the effort he has put into a $25-$35K vehicle.

We have determined that the Odyssey is the way to go for us based on the 2005 or 2006 models. Those models have a new engine feature that when the van hits a cruising speed - meaning you maintain a certain speed for a set amount of time - be it 25 mph or 65 mph, 3 of the 6 cylanders (I'm sure that is spelled wrong) shut down which is supposed to save on gas milage. I don't know if it makes a big difference but it sure is a good marketing gimmick. Also, the resale on the Odyssey is much better than any of the domestic vans. We have never purchased a "foreign" car - but this will be our first.
We test drove the T&C, Caravan, Mazda and still like the Odyssey. The only one we haven't really looked at yet is the Toyota Sienna, which is supposed to be nice as well.

Best of luck shopping for your new vehicle!

 

[prestonsmomma]

We have a 2001 T&C that I can't wait to get rid of. I love the "mini-van" aspect of it and all of the room but we have had issues with ours. We currently have a belt slipping, auto sliding door works 95% of the time, and the auto back hatch has never worked. Just too many little issues for me. It drives great though. I would love it if the doors worked like they should. Yes I could get them fixed but at nearly $200 EACH.

 

[LoveMyBoys]

I drive a 2004 Toyota Sienna and love it. I love the way it drives and maneuvers on the road, and the inside is very roomy and comfy too.

 

[rhiannonwales]

I have a Ford Windstar.I love the space and easy ride of a minivan, but JUST SAY NO TO WINDSTAR!!
My Dh is from a ford family (thats all theyve ever owned) weve had 3 fords now and the last 2 were just awful.
The Windstar has an electrical issue which no one can figure out - it thinks the door is open, dash lights come on for no reason, panic alarm goes off sometimes when no one is around.It also stalls, and now i think its got a coolant leak.After we got it we found that LOTS of people have the same issues.
I definetly want another minivan - next time out i think it will be either a honda or toyota.
Sherrie

 

[mlwear]

Another vote for Honda Odyssey. I was reluctant about getting a mini van. Drove a couple and didn't care for them. I drove the Odyssey and was hooked. I bought a new loaded up 2002 Odyssey that I loved, but when the updated model came out in 2005 I had to get it. I have the Odyssey Touring with Navigation and DVD and lots of add ons. It is a great vehicle. I love all the gadgets: voice commands, parking sensors, rear camera, XM radio, side sun shades, I could go on and on...I think of it as the mini van version of Kit the Knight Rider car! A lot of $ to tote around the kids and get groceries, but IMO worth every cent.
I read some info. about some new features Honda is coming out with on their cars (seems they will practically drive themselves). As soon as they are incorporated into the mini van, I won't be able to resist to trade up.
In our area the Odyssey is so popular, you often are parked with one on either side. One way I justified trading in the 2002 was because there were so many silver ones, like mine, that I couldn't find it in the parking lots!
Not sure how difficult finding a quality used one is. I know my trade was sold to someone in the service department before the salesman even closed the deal with me.
Good luck, have fun, welcome to the world of soccer moms!

 

[Bird-Mom]

We are currently driving a sedan although we have had 2 minivans, and we are back in the market for another! Two thumbs down for the Chrysler Town and Country (we had a 1997 and it was always breaking down; they have gone through a redesign and might be better) and the Ford Freestar (beautiful van with awful, awful gas mileage and brake issues). We are trying to narrow it down between the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyessy and Mazda MPV and maybe a Honda Pilot if my dh freaks out about the minivan again. Mazda will give us more for our money because Honda and Toyota have such high resale here, and we are looking for a used one. Choices, choices!

 

[mrstomrice]

Hi! We just bought a minivan as well. We bought the Chevy Uplander. I love it! It looks like an suv but rides very nicely...and I like the thought that I bought an American car. I would have also looked into Chrysler due to the stow and go, but we bought used (2005) and there wasn't a T&C available. I love the sliding doors as well as the dvd player, which will come in handy for the 2 day trek to disney in a few weeks GOod luck!

 

[rileyroosmom]

I have a 2000 Mazda MPV that I am very happy with. At the time of purchase it was the only one with side roll down windows and leather. It really does drive like a car. It is smaller than the Odyssey. At the time we were looking, you couldn't even get an Odyssey. I'd like to get a larger van because my ds12 is 6'!! We end up taking out the second captain seat when we drive to Disney so he can have some leg room. If it wasn't for him..LOL I'd say there are no negatives to this van. One thing I really like about it is it's not as popular as the Odyssey. I hate seeing the same car/van everywhere.

 

[java]

We just bought our second T&C with the stow and go-that was the selling point for us- 4 kids and a huge dog. I LOVED the Odysey but it was just too small for us. The trunk space was too small for our dog to fit. It also was about a $4000 price difference for the Honda- The Toyota Sienna was the other one we checked out- It gets great safety ratings and they were practically giving it away- but once I saw all that storage in the T&C I knew that my DH would have to have that one.
So bottom line- T&C all the fun stuff- like power trunk!!(with 2 kids in Tae Kwon Do we are opening the trunk about 4 times a day- so easy to push a button to close it!)
Odysey- beautiful Minivan and drives like a car- safe and some decent features- so quiet.
Sienna- safe and cheap
Good luck and happy shopping. When I test drove them I eliminated the Sienna I just didn't like the way it felt- I also needed all wheel drive and it just felt strange on the Sienna. So I say take them for a drive they all feel different.