Minivans

ntburns22 said:
I too hung my head in shame when shopping for a van. I ended up really liking the body style of the Chevy Uplander. Not too mini van looking from the front. WHen I even got pulled over the trooper thought he was pulling over an SUV. :rotfl2: We just turned 10,000 miles on it and it has been so far so good and with standard DVD we could not pass it up.

we rented an Uplander when we went to Disney last August...got to National and they were out of full size cars. The attendant told us to pick whatever we wanted from the executive aisle and I went straight to the Uplander thinking it was an SUV. Only when I got close to it, did I realize it was a minivan...it was the perfect size for us since the full size would have been a tight fit. We were happy enough with it for the 10 days we had it (especially for the price of a full size rental :) ) but I didn't like that the rear seats didn't fold into the floor.
 
We just bought an All Wheel Drive one of these about a month ago and love it.
It was between this or an AWD Sennia, after the test drive and the Price difference we chose the Ford.

http://www.myfordfreestyle.com/specs/2005_freestyle_overview.php

The Ford Freestyle :

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With attributes of a sport utility vehicle, minivan and sedan, Freestyle's flexibility makes it ideal for active families. The purpose-built crossover has the versatility it takes to be the first choice for typically varied lifestyle scenarios, from a trip to the do-it-yourself warehouse to a weekend skiing.

Freestyle's strengths include:

The right package with crossover flexibility - dozens of seating configurations - for hauling people, cargo or any combination of both, plus the cargo capacity of a full-size sport utility vehicle with its seats folded
Natural, upright command seating in all three rows for easy entry and exit, long-range comfort and maximum visibility
Best-in-class second- and third-row legroom and third-row knee clearance thanks to purpose-built crossover architecture. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined passenger room in three rows of seating as Freestyle
The right powertrain, with a standard V-6, continuously variable transmission and available all-wheel-drive system for assured all-weather traction and smooth torque delivery
Crisp, assured handling, thanks to Freestyle's innovative, Volvo-inspired architecture with MacPherson struts, coil-over rear shocks, aluminum dual-piston front brake calipers, rack-and-pinion steering and carefully optimized suspension geometry
Energy-channeling frame and body structures - also inspired by Volvo - that help protect occupants in collisions
Optional safety package includes side air bags and the industry-leading Safety Canopy™, providing side-impact and rollover protection for all three rows of passengers. Freestyle's active safety technology, refined through more than 50,000 crash simulations, is expected to help the new crossover earn top safety ratings in government and independent testing.
An impressive new level of interior craftsmanship - consistent with an increased investment in interior design across Ford's car lines - helps Freestyle offer multiple levels of comfort and luxury, from the SE and SEL to the top-of-the-line Limited

Safety:

Freestyle starts with the notion that nothing is more important in a family vehicle than safety.

To position Freestyle as one of the safest and most secure vehicles in the crossover class, Ford packs in all the elements of its Personal Safety System™, as well as offering its innovative Safety Canopy™ rollover protection system in the new model.

Safety restraints were refined through more than 50,000 crash simulations.
The result is a crossover that combines several active and passive safety systems to exceed all current federal safety standards for front-, side- and rear-impact performance.

When equipped with optional side air bags and Safety Canopy™, Freestyle is expected to earn top crash-test ratings. These independent tests won't be conducted until after the new model hits U.S. showrooms.

Among the Freestyle's safety systems are:

Energy-channeling frame structures engineered by Ford and Volvo that help absorb crash forces before they reach the passenger compartment
A strong roof cross-member and energy absorbing cross-car tube that provide exceptional side-impact protection
Available side air bags and Safety Canopy™ for industry-leading head and chest protection for occupants in all three rows during side impacts and rollovers
Energy-absorbing adaptive steering column and collapsible drive shaft
Occupant-sensing technology, dual-stage front air bags and load-limiting safety-belt retractors and pretensioners that tailor safety system response to the severity of the crash
 
Feel free to quote me...I will NEVER own a minivan!!!


However, I have a Toyota 4Runner and I would buy anything Toyota makes...except a minivan. Toyota makes a great car. They seem to be more substantial for the money. I have had a Nissan, Mazda, 2 Chevrolets, 2 Hondas, a Jeep and my 4Runner and the 4Runner is undoubtedly my favorite of them all.
 
We have the 2005 Toyota Sienna 8 Passenger LE. We were deciding between this one and the Honda Odyssey. Both are great, but we just liked this one a little better. My only complaint was that the 8 passenger seating wasn't available on the higher end XLE model.
 

I had a sienna. Personally I could't get rid of that thing fast enough. I couldn't stand that car. I am just not a mini van person. I have a Landcruiser now and am sooooooo much happier. I have also had an Expedition and a 4 runner. I liked the Expedition just fine til I got the landcruiser.
 
stevenpensacola said:
Please tell us you're joking.

This van is nothing more than the old venture with a ugly new nose.

Nope not joking, he even checked out the interior and the dvd. His wife was preggo and she wanted a van and he didn't.

And I love my vans "ugly" nose. IMO its better then the others. To each his own.
 
We just bought a Ford Freestyle last week after having driven a minivan for 8 years. We love it!! I agree that the Safety Package can't be beat. It was a bit hard going to a different style from having the room in the minivan however after reading the details between the Freestar and the Freestyle we didn't lose any room in the seating (legs, shoulders, hips, etc.) We lost some space behind the last row of seats but with all the seating configurations that hasn't been a problem yet. We love it!!
 
/
We have had a Honda Odyssey for 5 years now and we have not needed any repairs- just maintenence and new brakes. I love it.

I had two friends get rid of their Ford minivans because they needed new transmissions within 2 years.
 
stevenpensacola said:
Please tell us you're joking.

This van is nothing more than the old venture with a ugly new nose.

ntburns22,
Please forgive me for the above post...It was uncalled for. I felt bad as soon as I sent it.
 
I don't really watch it either ;) , I just happen to be in the room when the kids have it on.... :rolleyes1
 
We also just bought a 2006 Odyssey a month or so ago. We drove both the Odyssey and the Sienna and liked the Odyssey better. We love it -- it's so much easier with two kids than the SUV we had before (a Blazer). :)
 
I have a 2005 Nissan Quest, which I LOVE (and no kids of my own yet!)

It's really big on the inside, and I can cart around 6 full sized adults with no squishing. I think its bigger then the honda or the the toyota. I also like the styling of the outside, and the powerful engine. I got the most basic model, so no fun extras like the DVD etc, but you can get all of those things too.
 












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