We looked at AWD Siennas. They don’t have a spare and use run-flat tires. We hate those for a number of reasons.
We put winter tires on the Odyssey and went everywhere we needed to go, which included ski areas.
3 Row Reliability
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We put winter tires on the Odyssey and went everywhere we needed to go, which included ski areas.
Nice post and summary. Thanks. I just wanted to add that a minivan is an extremely good use of space. I contrast an 8 passenger Honda Odyssey with large trunk for groceries with a much bigger and higher off the ground Ford Expedition SUV with only 7 passenger seating and no room in the trunk for groceries (unless you get the extra long extended version). Also without the sliding doors and high step to enter, it's extremely awkward as a 7 passenger vehicle.
In comparing Honda Odyssey's versus Toyota Sienna's, Odysseys are fun to drive and have really nice interiors. Siennas are a bit bland and boring. But Sienna's have superior reliability and incredible MPG so a Sienna will be a much more frugal vehicle with very low repair and fuel costs over it's lifetime. Personally I chose the Honda Odyssey's since they are one of the safest vehicles in real world crashes according to the non profit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with the fewest deaths. Each time there is a fatal crash, the police reports feed into the IIHS national database.
I personally prefer not to spend $50k+ on a new one, so I like buying the low mileage earlier model Odysseys after depreciation has created a bargain.
Bottom line is: SUV"s suck at being minivans. Awkard access (high step entry and no sliding doors), uncomfortable seating, and small trunk space for groceries. Minivans were the right choice for my family.
The Outlander, especially with the older V6 engine in the GT trim is a solid choice. However, 3rd row space is subpar imo unless it’s for very short adults or tiny kids. Cargo space behind the 3rd is also quite small imo. Pictures from a 2024 SEL that I had as a rental.
2nd row slides back and forth, seats kept in position for 5’9” driver and 5’9” passenger in the 2nd row. Phone for reference is an iPhone 10.
Take a look at newer Armadas as an additional point of reference, they are based on Patrol which are highly regarded for off road excursions. It’ll lose out to Traverse and Atlas for interior space though. Depends on what set of priorities you have. Good luck!
Pictures
2nd row slides back and forth, seats kept in position for 5’9” driver and 5’9” passenger in the 2nd row. Phone for reference is an iPhone 10.
Take a look at newer Armadas as an additional point of reference, they are based on Patrol which are highly regarded for off road excursions. It’ll lose out to Traverse and Atlas for interior space though. Depends on what set of priorities you have. Good luck!
Pictures
How about a 2025 Mazda CX-90 AWD? Either the 3.3L V6 or the PHEV, depending on your needs. A relative just leased a 2025 CX-70 PHEV (2-row) last month and loves it. The PHEV can tow 3,500 lbs., while the regular CX-90 has a 5000 lb. rated capacity.
https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/cx-90
CX-90 Build Tool:
https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/build-and-price#/25C90
Here's a link to the current incentives:
https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/special-offers-and-incentives
My relative decided on a $0 down, 2-yr/24k mile lease, and Mazda has a $7,500 lease incentive on the PHEV, available until Jan 29th.
For sure, but nobody buys a BRZ with the intention of having people sit in the back. Three row SUVs, on the other hand, are heavily marketed as fully capable of transporting people in the third row. But for the most part, they can barely fit young children in there.
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Sliding doors ftwwwwwwwwww
Just for that fact alone and then add in 22-25mpg on the highway doing 75-80? Yeah, they’re pretty legit. If you worry about what a vehicle looks like, you’re probably not in the minivan segment.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Happiness is the day a big WeatherTech mat goes over those flush/folded seats
Not true on the newer 4th gen hybrids. The crappy run flat tires are gone, replaced by a small air compressor and flat repair gunk. A (temporary) spare tire kit is available as an option, but it is pricey! BTW, the new 4th gen AWD system does not require that the tires are the exact same diameter.
https://www.siennachat.com/threads/spare-tire-conversion-kit-install.71610/
FWIW, I have not had to use the spare on my Sienna in the 20 years and over 210k miles that I have owned the van (but I did have to replace it once because it dry rotted).
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Got the Sienna when our first son was born in 2005. He just took it on a 3 day ski trip with 5 of his closest friends. It carries mountain bikes, 10ft studs from Home Depot, and every manner of people and stuff that needs to get around. It's a keeper.
I like something like this
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...ear=2019&state=NY&zip=14132&clickType=listing 51k mile, 2020 Grand Caravan for $20k
Check to see if it has factory warranty left, get them to add the longest best extended factory warranty they have and see what happens?
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...ear=2019&state=NY&zip=14132&clickType=listing 51k mile, 2020 Grand Caravan for $20k
Check to see if it has factory warranty left, get them to add the longest best extended factory warranty they have and see what happens?
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I love minivans and would always recommend them unless ride height is of vital importance. They just do everything well. Generally more cargo room than a large SUV, definitely so if you remove the 2nd row. Can haul more people in more comfort. Usually get better gas mileage. They're just tough to beat. The J35 and 10 speed is a comfortable, powerful combo in the Odyssey, though Honda has had some reliability issues: power-slide doors and auto-start system, just to name a few. The Odyssey also has mastered the use of the interior, storage-wise. The Sienna will reliably run for longer than you'll want to keep it. I don't know much about the new Carnival, but the Kia Sedona was actually a pretty reliable van, it just didn't do anything as good or better than Toyota/Honda.
Bottom-line: out with wagon-supremacy, in with minivan-supremacy.
Bottom-line: out with wagon-supremacy, in with minivan-supremacy.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/e62e3614-325c-4396-9218-51d0a852222b/
It’s unfortunate Suburbans have gotten way too expensive, never spent more than $5000 on a Diesel Suburban
It’s unfortunate Suburbans have gotten way too expensive, never spent more than $5000 on a Diesel Suburban
Had a Pacifica rental last year. Loved it. But I've wondered about reliability and such...
I mean, if it doesn't add much to cost, sure. But definitely don't need it for this car. FWD is fine.
Yes! I've looked at these online, too. So, basically, reading through all of these, I've narrowed it down to all the cars I've already looked at online and still have the choice paradox issue because y'all didn't all agree on one or two cars to help me narrow it down
In the last year I have used my sister-in-laws 2022 Buick Enclave 4 times (2 trips from Denver to Dallas and 2 trips from western Kansas to Columbus, Ohio). I'm a true blue Mazda guy for it's handling and pleasant travel behavior. I was going to use one of mine but she offered ( we took her along on a couple of the trips). I was pleasantly surprised with the Enclave. While big (by my standards) it handled nicely and had a very comfortable ride. I was expecting more body roll for it's size but it was surprisingly well controlled. It was also very quiet even at 80 mph and soaked up bumps like a full size luxury sedan but w/o the floaty feel. The V6 had ample power for passing on two lane highways and got as high as 26 mpg with four adults and lots of luggage. With the 20+ gallon fuel tank 450+ mile range per tankful was common. The third row can accommodate two adults fairly easily. The second row captains chairs (which are very comfortable) can be moved forward for more third row leg room. With the third row folded second row legroom is equal to the front seats and one can stretch out if needed. With that third row folded luggage room and storage is huge. Interior appointments are pretty luxurious as well. It has just less than 50K miles and per my SIL has not required anything but routine service. The OEM tires were just changed for our most recent trip so they lasted well for a heavier vehicle. It's definitely a very comfortable and roomy people hauler especially for road trips.
We drove the Odyssey back from Niagara Falls with six people, luggage, and a tail wind. 26mpg.
Below average (the Kia is better). Something else to consider, if you buy one it may become an orphan soon, the Pacificas are only assembled in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and a 25% tariff will kill it dead overnight. Furthermore, I don't expect that Stellantis will be around much longer. An auto manufacturer has to sell vehicles to survive, and none of the Stellantis brands are selling very well. Their sales share of the US new vehicle market has dropped from 12% to 6% in the last year. There are still brand new 2022 and 2023 models sitting on dealer lots, let alone large numbers of 2024 models!
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