Not budget friendly, but we got a brand new mini van!

[sarahlovesmickey]

Okay, I have been like anti mini van all my life. Most of my friends drive them and they are very nice, but I was not convinced. Well, with our 4th on the way, we broke down and bought a 2008 Toyota Sienna (all we buy is either Honda or Toyota vehicles). We bought the model that offers All Wheel Drive because winters are harsh here and we heard that they are excellent in snow. So, yup, that was our big purchase this weekend!!

Good news is that we love the van and we have 0% financing for the life of the loan. And I haggled our poor salesman to death to get the best deal. One time when the salesperson stepped away, hubby whispers to me "don't you have any kind of coupon for this??" He knows me too well!!!

So, thought I would share our good, although not so budget friendly, news!!

 

[moredisneyplease]

Boy its like a mirror of me!! I was anti mini van too but after pricing all of the SUVs and looking at their gas mileage I just couldnt bring myself to buy one! So I too purhcased a Toyota Sienna (I'm a long time Honda fan) as my family expanded. I've had my van for nearly a year and I LOVE it! To make it even more family official I have some Disney magnets on the back and should slap on a "my child is an honor student at......" bumper sticker!

Welcome to the minivan mom club!

 

[Reagan&Co.]

I would kill whoever took my minivan away from me!!! Where else would I keep my STUFF????!!!

Hey, I have a Logan and Emily, too!

 

[d1gitman]

i just love the anti-minivan crowd! all our friends who just had to have SUV's scoffed at our minivan. they have all caved in and bought a minivan at one point or another and now swear by them...kind of like people who scoff at us WDW addicts...

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

i just love the anti-minivan crowd! all our friends who just had to have SUV's scoffed at our minivan. they have all caved in and bought a minivan at one point or another and now swear by them...kind of like people who scoff at us WDW addicts...

Yup, there is no turning back now! We have a Toyota 4Runner (SUV) that seats 7, but the minivan is so much more spacious!!! Why oh why was I not converted sooner??????????????

 

[PoohHappens]

Congratulations!!!!!! We have just started looking. At our house transportation is strictly that.....I am not picky about what I am driving. The thought of taking on a car payment makes me cringe. We think we like the Siennas the best. We only have one child now, but we are almost finished with the liscensing process to become foster parents.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Congratulations!!!!!! We have just started looking. At our house transportation is strictly that.....I am not picky about what I am driving. The thought of taking on a car payment makes me cringe. We think we like the Siennas the best. We only have one child now, but we are almost finished with the liscensing process to become foster parents.

thanks!! I am not too picky, but I am a little bit. Like, for us, a DVD player is a must in our vehicles, but we have 3 (almost 4) small kids so it is piece of mind for all of us!! But, I don't need leather seats and the most luxurious things in my vehicle. It needs to be comfy and reliable!

 

[mommyto2]

I too, was a non-minivan believer. Then we bought a honda odyssey. I love it! My favorite feature...the power sliding doors.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I too, was a non-minivan believer. Then we bought a honda odyssey. I love it! My favorite feature...the power sliding doors.

I know!! And if you are a certain distance from the van, you can just push a button on your clicker thingie to open the door!! Great when you have your hands full of kids!!

 

[EthansMom]

I just bought the '08 Sienna this weekend also!

I totalled our Forester last week. Thankfully no one was hurt, but I had to have a new vehicle. With our young kids growing bigger, we needed the room of a bigger vehicle.

The kids love it... They love the room and the separate captain's seats in the 7-seater are awesome. I can't believe how nicely set-up it is... feels luxurious even though we didn't get the high-end model. Things like audio controls on the steering wheel and electrical plugs in the rear seating area really are sweet.

We did end up getting the front-wheel drive version which saves a few miles per gallon on gas. Since the FWD version has traction control, it'll perform similar to AWD in all but the very slipperiest weather. We do plan to use the $$ difference between the FWD and AWD to purchase studded tires this fall.

We have a 99 Corolla with over 120k miles on it. Toyota's really got the reliablity thing down. We've never had a maintenance problem with our Corolla... never!!!

Enjoy your ride!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I have a 2008 Sienna after having a 2004 Sienna and a 1999 Sienna. I love it! We have had great luck with all of them. They might not be sexy, but they are comfy, reasonably good on gas, and we can haul our kids, our dog and all our stuff with room to spare.

Enjoy your new van!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

They might not be sexy,

Really??? you don't think so???


These days I have sexy written all over me: 7 1/2 months preggo AND a mini-van!!!!!!!!!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Really??? you don't think so???


These days I have sexy written all over me: 7 1/2 months preggo AND a mini-van!!!!!!!!!

Sexy is, of course, in the eye of the beholder! DH enjoys driving the van when we go on trips, or maybe he just doesn't want to be the one turning around to get the kids to stop fighting or to put another DVD in!

 

[2TxAgs]

My 2000 Sienna has 142,000 miles on it and is still going strong!

My first car out of college was a Toyota Corolla. Can't go wrong with
these cars.

When the kids are off on their own and I don't need the space, I'm getting
whatever convertible Toyota makes at the time.

TxAg

 

[kinntj]

Congratulations on your new Toyota minivan!! We bought a Honda minivan in March and I just love the space and storage. I wonder why we never bought one before this.

We got 2.9% finance, so not as good as yours, but we did talk them down to a low, low out the door #, so we didn't do too bad. We didn't get the all wheel drive, because I don't drive in bad weather and my last crossover didn't have them and I did fine. I know you'll enjoy having yours though.

It'll be my last minivan as I'm hoping to have this one for 10 years. At that time the kids will be teens and I'll be ready for a crossover again or a nice car.

 

[carmie3377]

I too was an anti mini van mom. That was until I drove one when our car was in the shop a couple of years ago. It was a Toyota Sienna and we loved it. We decided to trade my car in May and we bought a Nissan Quest. I've read complaints about the Quest, but honestly, I like it just as much as the Sienna. We haven't had any issues with it. I really love the space and ease of getting the kids in and out.

 

[TiggerMomNine]

We have a 2001 Sienna, and I won't give it up! We are down to ONLY two kids, and DH has been trying to get me into a sedan for years, but I can't give up my van! Back in '01, there was only one power sliding door, and I love it. Good luck with your new van - it will treat you well for many years.

 

[NCardella]

What???? What do you mean "not budget friendly"??? 0% financing for the life of the loan is awesome! They're letting you borrow their money at no cost to you, sounds VERY budget friendly to me!

Congrats, mini-van converter! You'll love it! 7 seats in a minivan is very different than 7 seats in an SUV....just how do you get to those back seats anyway?

(spoken by a true mini-van lover and driver of a 2005 Pontiac Montana!)

 

[carmie3377]

7 seats in a minivan is very different than 7 seats in an SUV....just how do you get to those back seats anyway?

I couldn't believe the difference. We test drove a Nissan Forerunner and hated it. Felt like a board was sticking up our backs. The second row barely had leg room and then the third, no use even sitting back there. With the Quest, tons of leg room even my 6'3" Dh can sit comfortably in even the 3rd row. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to get to know the minivan. I always said I would never be a minivan mom but now I'm glad I am.

 

[NCardella]

I couldn't believe the difference. We test drove a Nissan Forerunner and hated it. Felt like a board was sticking up our backs. The second row barely had leg room and then the third, no use even sitting back there. With the Quest, tons of leg room even my 6'3" Dh can sit comfortably in even the 3rd row. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to get to know the minivan. I always said I would never be a minivan mom but now I'm glad I am.

My brother calls our car "the living room"!