Calling all Mini Van Mamas and Papas Too!

[imageid]

I seem to be with the majority here! Honda all the way!!! I had a Ford Windstar before and had numerous problems. I have a 2004 Honda that I wouldn't trade for the world!

 

[tmt martins]

We use Mini's for work and I have had many .Windstars ,Lumina,Caravan,And now

I have an Uplander it is very nice drive good nice visibility for parking .I put anywhere from 10 to 200 miles a day on it.

I myself am a SUV guy have a 93 Jeep Cher.(DW"S) and a 99 Jeep Grand .And the Uplander has that same sight and feel as my Jeeps.-

 

[crjack]

Wow....interesting info on the pricing. When I bought my Honda new in 2000 it also happened to be the least expensive. C&T and Sienna were higher and at the time the Sienna was much smaller and did not have the folding rear seat like my Odyssey. I wanted the Honda for other reasons than the pricing but I am surprised to hear that it was $4000 higher for one poster.

I do like the new Sienna and the design changes that have taken place over the last few years. The Mazda just seems very small for me but many people here seem to really like them.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Yes you called? I am a Minivan mama and proud of it!

We have a 2004 Honda Oddessy. (I see they are rather popular around here.) It was a good price for what you get. We really like it.

My brother bought a used one (2003 I think) and he doesn't like it. It just doesn't "fit" him. He liked things about his old Chevey Venture better. So it really is a mater of what works for you. The Honda is very good for not needing much though, very dependable.


We were at the Honda dealer 2 weeks after our 2nd child was born. It wasn't my kids so much, but my brothers 3 kids I drive around a lot and I couldn't fit all the kids in my old car anymore. I love it. I love silding side doors. I wish the trunk popped, but it works ok anyway. Kids love the DVD player.

 

[Twingle]

We had a Town & Country that I liked very much, but we currently own a Chevy Suburban. Believe it of not, the T&C just didn't have enough room for our everyday needs! The Chevy is a gas guzzler and a half, but does and has absolutely everything we need.

I did enjoy the mini while it served my needs - have fun shopping and test driving!

 

[justKim]

In our area the Odyssey is so popular, you often are parked with one on either side.

I hear you. We have a gold Odyssey (that I love!) and there are plenty in our neighborhood. There are even several with Mickey antenna toppers, so I keep my plain black one on to distinguish it from the others in the school parking lot. Although my 3 year old says it's easy to find ours because it is "the dirtiest one". My favorite Odyssey around here though is the one with subtle, tasteful muscle-car flames painted on the hood. Sweet.

I was a reluctant minivan buyer 3 years ago, but you couldn't pay me to give it up now. Having my children as far apart as possible in the car is priceless. How I lived with only 2 cupholders for so long will forever be a mystery...

Good luck!
Kim

 

[DeeDeeDis]

Hey, another vanmom here from way back

currently own a 2001 Olds Silhouette which i love - rides very smooth more like a delux car than a van (owned a ford before)
automatic side doors (both sides), heated front seats, on star, backup sensors, fog lites, traction control, lights turn on automaticly as the sun sets (love this feature), vcr (pre-car dvd days)

What i love most is the fact that the audio/video systems can be multi-used at one time. came with 4 sets of wireless head phones - which may not matter if your kids are still young but as they get older and one wants to listen to a cd and the other two are watching a movie and mom & dad want to listen to the radio, this feature comes in very handy.

the dvd/vcr feature is GREAT for long trips. Last trip we took we hooked up the playstation and the boys had a baseball homerun derby all the way to florida (they were 16, 16, 15, & 13 yrs old at the time)

Well two of those boys will be in college this fall so looks like its almost time to get rid of the van....now can anyone recommend a small SUV??

 

[ZachnElli]

I have a 2004 Sienna that I got back in 2003, the new style when it first came out. I still love it! It also has the sun shades for the kids windows and they roll down, power trunk, parking sensors, rear view camera, this year's model is suppose to have power fold down seats in the back. Good luck getting your van, my dh was very opposed to it at the time, but he loves our Sienna just as much as I do!

 

[disneyfansx5]

Another vote for the Honda! We have 3 children and travel often. It is WONDERFUL! The TV/DVD player is a lifesaver. Put in a movie and enjoy the ride. Our children have riden in our van for 12 hours without complaint.

Had no problems with our van.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

WOW! this thread just took off and boy are DH and i happy! we love hearing all your thoughts on the vans! thanks so much and keep em coming if you're out there and haven't posted yet! we're looking to have it all bought and done withby the end of April thanks again!!

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have a Toyota Sienna and love it. We haven't had any problems with it and it is rapidly approaching 100,000 miles. We would definately get another one.

 

[rapriebe]

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

Sherrie,
I'm going through the same issues with my Ford Winstar. However, I think the dealer has finally figured out the problem with the lights flashing. For awhile all of the interior lights would start flashing and I felt like everyone was looking at us when we would be driving along with the lights going off and on. Now I'm starting to have some transmission-type problems, when I attempt to take off from a stop light, the car feels like I'm sitting on ice and just sits there. Go figure. Oh and the alarm - it got so bad that I can't even use it anymore. It would go off all the time. Last time it was in for service they told me that the alarm kept going off but do you think they tried to fix it. No, no, no, it just kept going off in the dealer's parking lot. I'm currently in the negotiation phase with a dealer to get rid of this piece of JUNK. My recommendation is anything BUT a Ford van right now.

 

[Savsmommy]

Well, we have a 2002 Ford Expedition. I would have loved to have a Honda Odyssey but DH wouldnt have it. He said we are not driving around in a minivan. With two kids I think it would have been easier with the minivan, but I still love my SUV. I dont think you can go wrong with a Honda Odyssey. I heard great things about it.

 

[allboyz]

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???

I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna! I LOVE IT! I don't even look at the other minivans! I had a Sedona prior to the Sienna! I guess we got a lemon or something because we had a lot of problems with it. So after about a year we started looking for new vans. I test drove numerous vans. It was not until I test drove the Sienna that I said "THAT IS IT!". Over two years later I'm still thrilled with our choice! We have not had any problems with it at all. Good luck with your decision.

 

[mlwear]

WOW! this thread just took off and boy are DH and i happy! we love hearing all your thoughts on the vans! thanks so much and keep em coming if you're out there and haven't posted yet! we're looking to have it all bought and done withby the end of April thanks again!!

I had to factory order both the Odysseys when I purchased. It took about a month or so for each to arrive. In 2002 you couldn't find a new one around here (or many places) and there was no chance of paying anything but sticker price. Now, there seem to be several on lots, but very few Tourings with nav/dvd. There still isn't a huge amount of wiggle room on price negotiation if you are buying new (my research showed most common $1K but sometimes up to at very best $2K--that was almost a year ago, there could be a drastic change.) Do some research for your area. (Although, not as often as others, sometimes Honda will have good financing deals.) The 2006 allows you to get the dvd w/o nav, which I likely would have chosen if it were an option in 2005, but I am so thrilled with the navigation system. Yes, I am a gadget junkie but it is so useful. Anyway, it was hard to wait to get the new van, but I loved picking out my colors and exactly what I wanted. No more gushing about my Odyssey. Although, personally I have my favorite , I know several happy Toyota owners.

 

[allboyz]

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.

You are so right! I fought getting a minivan to the last minute but it made since with 3 kids. Once I test drove one I was absolutely hooked! I can't imagine going back to a car or truck.....

 

[allboyz]

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!

We have the entertainment system on our Sienna too. The dvd player helps out so much when on long road trips. They can watch movies or play their video games. I'm so glad we purchased this option. Many times when it is my turn to drive my husband goes back there with the kids to watch a movie or play games. Great for the family.

 

[Selket]

We bought a Honda Odyssey last summer and we LOVE it. I wouldn't even look at another van after this one. We have the one with the DVD and NAV system - it is an awesome car. We drove the Sienna and it was like driving a giant Corolla. I didn't like that the Sienna had about 200 options - it was very hard to price one out. The Honda is not so difficult - most of the upgrades are included as you go up in price.

Our other car is an SUV and I enjoy that one too but nothing beats this van for kids. And we can pack for a week's vacation and put it in the back (behind the THIRD row of seats) and not even see the stuff - amazing!

 

[grlpwrd]

I used to love my SUVs (I used to have a Ford Expedition and I still use my Landcruiser), but I crossed to the "other side." I love driving my 1998 Chevy Astrovan. This model isn't the safest or best out there, but I manage because I can't afford new or nearly new right now.

My dh says he will get me any car I want (hey - we have 5 kids and we are a very busy family) and I really want a Honda Odyssey.

The minivan works great because it's roomy for all of us, we can schlep things easily with us where ever we go, and we like it. I was Girl Scout cookie mom this year and it held a lot of cookies in the back plus all 5 kids and a table. I have to be practical so that's why I am sold on a minivan for the next car we get.

Someone on a thread here said she felt that her level of hotness fell by 70% just by driving a minivan , but I don't care... It's all about being practical, right?

 

[BikeFan]

Interesting about the complaints from Windstar owners - our 2001 Windstar has been pretty problem free, and the price was great, so we're happy with it. My brother-in-law's Odyssey (2002 maybe?) had the transmission fail twice, both times out of warranty (the warranty was very short, because, as the salemen say, who needs a warranty with a Honda?), so he's paid something like $7000+ in transmission repairs before it even hit 60K miles. I guess every maker has the occasional lemon.

Repeating what others have said, GET THE DVD/VIDEO SYSTEM for the kids!! I don't know how we'd endure 12+ hour drives to WDW without it!!