Minivan time - let's make the best of a bad situation

[250and3]

OK team, everyone knows minivans are uncool. Nobody really WANTS a minivan.

That being said, I'm pretty sure my wife's next car will be a minivan. I'll probably only drive it once a week or less.

So, what's the "best" minivan? Are any actually nicer/faster/better than the others?

At first glance, I'm leaning towards the Grand Caravan, because it appears a little cheaper, the new engine sounds decent, and it's got those nifty stow-n-go seats.

The Odyssey has a great reputation, but not sure if it's worth the extra few thousand.

Any other family folks in the same situation? Anyone bought a minivan recently and can share some insight?

[Fcuk]

Sienna. Mini vans are awesome

[03ozwhip]

did she hand you your balls in a bag or basket? why the fuck a minivan? you know there are SUV's that cost the same, right? i say NO MINIVAN.

[RickDaTuner]

Odyssey is great, Honda fuel economy and reliability. The sienna's are the ones that are high priced.

[AndyL]

swagger wagon (toyota sienna)

Got a '10 GC - it fucking SUCKS. Repeated issues with this damn keyfob ignition (keeps forgetting what keys are programmed) been in 5-6 times now. Spare tire is between the front seats - if you EVER get a front flat, you're f*cked - you can't get the jack under the jackpoints; with a front flat, you can't get clearance to get the spare out, until you get it jacked up - and climbing under a vehicle on a OEM jack = Gets abhorrent mileage around town. One of the strut mounts on the tailgate just sheared off today...

Can't wait to trade it in on a sienna...

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by AndyL
swagger wagon (toyota sienna)

Forgot about that video

[ExtraSlow]

I always thought that minivans were the only thing chrysler did well.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[kvg]

Say no to mini van!! Get a pedo van

[AndyL]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I always thought that minivans were the only thing chrysler did well.

I figured so too... Until we got this one, I figured a chryslers experience + mb oversight would mean it would be a massive improvement over the previous generations...

Hindsight, and we did debate the sienna vs the GC - decided to take the lower price... But now, yeah - we would have been way better off to take the sienna; especially since we bought just a few months before that 'canada value edition' came out at 19,988 - we payed almost 27... only difference is we've got the swivel n go instead of the stow n go...

Originally posted by RickDaTuner


Forgot about that video

Best marketing campaign EVER... Why the hell it never went much more than a month I think I only saw 1 tv commercial...

[thager]

get a awd chevy astro

[sillysod]

Were going to pick up an R-Class this spring for a fam hauler.

IMO only nice minivan and avail in diesel

[rage2]

R63 AMG if you can find one.

[trieuth]

Originally posted by AndyL

I figured so too... Until we got this one, I figured a chryslers experience + mb oversight would mean it would be a massive improvement over the previous generations...

Hindsight, and we did debate the sienna vs the GC - decided to take the lower price... But now, yeah - we would have been way better off to take the sienna; especially since we bought just a few months before that 'canada value edition' came out at 19,988 - we payed almost 27... only difference is we've got the swivel n go instead of the stow n go...


Best marketing campaign EVER... Why the hell it never went much more than a month I think I only saw 1 tv commercial...

the canada value package didn't come with stow and go though and had bench seats instead of captain seats in the middle. the new 11's are 100x nicer than the 10's to be honest with you. and if you want one for even cheaper wait a few months and rental car companies are getting the 12's now, the used 11's will be on the market in huge numbers soon.

[treg50]

I did not vote, none of the candidates appealed to me.

Just don't get the updated/new Nissan minivan, what a hideous monstrosity. The Odyssey seems like quality, but pricey. The Caravan has a really good price and Stow-n-Go is amazing, but maybe not the best looking. The Sienna, it's like between the Odyssey and the Caravan, but almost as ugly as the Nissan. It's a tough call.

[flipstah]

Never get a GC/Town and Country/whatever.

I rented one for my US trip and it was probably one of the worst vehicles I've driven. It had 20k miles but probably had one of the worst transmissions ever; shifts were never smooth and it was always jerky.

Interior was shitty and plastic galore for a high-end Chrysler and stereo was shit.

Swagger Wagon or a Quest FTW.

Originally posted by rage2
R63 AMG if you can find one.

Or an XC90. We use it as a people hauler and it's awesome. 7 seater AWD + enough room in the back for things!

[Maxt]

The one thing Minivans have over Suv's is the sliding doors. The sliding doors are great in parking lots for kids and groceries...
Even though I despise minivans, if I had to buy another one, it would be another GC.

[dirtsniffer]

what about a mazda 5?
imo kids should not be in charge of opening swing out doors. they dent the shit out of others vehicles. so to the guys who suggest SUVs I hope you open the door for your kids

[250and3]

OK, let's put some constraints on this.
- Must be under 40k. If we spend too much on the wifes car, that just impedes me getting a newer car.
- Must have "lots" of room behind second row seats.
- Must have "decent" fuel economy.

So that gets rid of the R-class (price) and most SUVs. Large SUV's get poor economy and are too costly, small SUV's are too small.
One that is definitively left is the Ford Flex. Used Flex can be had under $20k, and new for under $30.
Wife likes the idea of a sliding door, but who knows.

Pedo van is still in the running.

[alpha_gangsta]

I love minivans but most people despise the idea. I think the majority of those haters though haven't ever had to load up 2+ kids into seats and the usual hassles of young kids that can't buckle themselves in. It's a big pain in the ass lifting kids up into seats of an SUV vs just stepping into a minivan. Plus it feels like there's always so much more room in a minivan.

A few friends have commented that it's best to avoid spending too much since you only really need a minivan until the kids can get themselves into the vehicle and buckle themselves in. After that... get whatever you want. I'd love a turbo diesel awd wagon with 6speed. hehe