If you had a $20,000 budget for a 7 passenger vehicle...

[Belle5]

what would you buy (what year, model, make) and why? Budget could creep up to $22,000 if a must.

TIA!

 

[okeydokey]

A Honda Pilot. We have the base model. I think we paid 22,000 for it. It seats 8 and is very reliable.

 

[jenlynn0808]

I bought a 'new to me' '09 Durango last summer, paid $18k for it. Only has about 36k miles on it, think it was around 27k miles when we bought it. I like it and it meets our needs. Gas is a pain though, about $60-$75 to fill up. I don't usually go to far so a tank will last me 2-3 weeks.

 

[Belle5]

A Honda Pilot. We have the base model. I think we paid 22,000 for it. It seats 8 and is very reliable.

Was this a used car? What year?

 

[disneygirl 17]

A Honda Pilot. We have the base model. I think we paid 22,000 for it. It seats 8 and is very reliable.

I was going to say the same thing - Honda Pilot.

We paid $22,000 for our used (2 yr old) but it was fully loaded.

 

[MomtoGKC]

We love our Toyota Sequoia. It seats 8 and is SO comfy. We got ours used - I think it was 4 years old at the time? It only had 36,000 miles and was in perfect shape - we paid between $18,000- $20,000 I think (definitely not more that 20 - that wa sour top number) at CarMax.

 

[Green Tea]

Either a used Pilot or Oddysey

 

[swilshire]

I can tell you what we did and regretted. We went through three Dodge Caravans because they were so much cheaper before we broke down and spent the extra for an Odyssey. The last Chrysler experience was so awful that I swore never again to own a Chrysler product. The Odyssey was more expensive, but mile by mile, I'm convinced we'll save in the long run.

Sheila

 

[sunlover13]

We bought a used Honda Pilot around that price. It is an '07 w/ 36,000 miles on it. LOVE IT!

 

[riley2008]

I have a 2007 Honda Pilot. I love it - loved my Accord much more.

If you typically need room for 7 people, I'd probably go for the Odyssesy. It would have been more convenient with more than 3 kiddos. We went with the Pilot because we only have the two kiddos and my DH liked the Pilot.

(I did drive the Toyota Sequoia - LOVED it. A friend has one, still loves it, but 15-16mpg.)

 

[KibbyCat]

My Chevy Venture holds 8 passengers. They stopped making those in 2005, so you'd have to get a pre-owned if you wanted one now, but we bought ours a year-old and paid $13K.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I just bought a Chevy Traverse. I love it - new it is around 25000 but I would imagine you could buy a used one in your budget. The kids and I both love it!

 

[cvjw]

Toyota Sienna mini-van. We bought ours new for $25,000, but I'm sure you could get a used one for less. It is so spacious inside, gets fairly good gas mileage for a larger vehicle, is so easy to drive, and hasn't given us a drop of trouble in the 5 years we have owned it. Can't say the same thing about the Ford Explorer that we traded in for it!

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

get a used Honda Odyssey. That's what we did and love it after 10 years in our used Grand Voyager.

 

[csharpwv]

You might want to look at the Ford Taurus X or Ford Freestyle - it's the same car, they just changed the name from one year to the next.

My SIL has one and really like it. They bought a used fully loaded (leather, Microsoft Sync, power everything) and plenty of room for 7 passengers.

I am positive they paid under $22,000 used - and it was very low mileage.

They are no longer in production, but there are quite a few out there on the market still. It has been extremely reliable and very flexible.

Just do not buy a Dodge, Chrysler, or Jeep product. They have HORRIBLE reviews from Consumer Reports - only one vehicle in their entire lineup this year was recommended by Consumer Reports, and that was the Dodge Ram 4X4 truck! HAHAHAHAHA

 

[december]

I can tell you what we did and regretted. We went through three Dodge Caravans because they were so much cheaper before we broke down and spent the extra for an Odyssey. The last Chrysler experience was so awful that I swore never again to own a Chrysler product. The Odyssey was more expensive, but mile by mile, I'm convinced we'll save in the long run.

Sheila

I just bought a Honda Odyssey last Tuesday, and I LOVE it. It is a 2007, with 48,000 miles on it, and was certified. I paid $21,000 for it. I test drove a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan with about the same number of miles on it that was only $18000, but it just didn't look as nice on the inside. And the reviews were scary.

I've driven it 310 miles and I'm still on the tank of gas the dealer put in it, so I'm happy in that category too! The kids love the room. I can't wait to drive it to Orlando this summer!

 

[CowboyCO]

2006 Acura MDX. Good MPG, luxurious, quadruple 5 star safety rated. Incredible reliabilty.

 

[bdcp]

I have a 2007 Honda Pilot that I bought brand new and it cost a bit more than 22K LOL. 4 wd and loaded. It's a great vehicle, but if I required a 7 passenger vehicle, I would buy a minivan, which is what I had when I had kids at home. A Pilot will hold 8, but the very back seat is really only roomy enough for children or small adults. A minivan is much more comfortable. We owned two Chrysler minivans (89 and 98). I drove the 89 for 99K miles and the 98 for 138K miles. I expect the Pilot to last for quite a while.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Used GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse or Buick Enclave. I have the Traverse, it! Now, all my friends want one instead of their minivans (yes, even their Odyssey's!)

Although, I admit, I don't know how much they are used.....I'm assuming you can find something in that price range. I bought mine new with 0% financing and kept my $ (that I'd saved for the car) in the bank!

 

[pArKsFaN]

Be sure to take into account the ages/sizes of your children, as well as how much "extra space" you need (groceries, sports equipment, shopping, pets...a lot of minivans and SUVs have tiny trunk spaces). Oh, and whether or not flip/fold seats are something that you can get along with regularly if you go SUV. If you plan to keep it awhile you want to make sure it will "grow" with your family! Taking kids to test drives can be a pain, but before you finalize your purchase it might be a good idea to put everyone in and see what you think.

We have 4 kids and bought a 7 passenger GMC Envoy XL when they were 11, 7, 6 and 4. We loved it at first, but it became a nightmare as they got older....not enough space at all. After acquiring 2 large dogs we decided to upsize with a similar budget last summer. We were trying to find a newer Chevy Suburban without a lot of mileage, but it was pretty impossible under $22,000. We ended up coming across a 2009 Ford e-350 that had less than 3,000 miles on it and a full factory warranty. Not exactly gas-friendly but at least we all fit comfortably. I like the fact it is fairly utilitarian, just like our Honda Element - no carpet, so very easy to keep clean too. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a full size van if it would be your only vehicle, solely because of the gas concerns. Not to mention, the "look" of it isn't for everyone. It's worked well for our needs with a similarly-sized family, so I thought I'd mention it.