First new vehicle purchase

[macarose]

I never thought I would buy a new vehicle ever - until 2008 when with the housing collapse used vehicle prices were high and with rebates certain new vehicles were cheap, so on a whim I bought my Xterra. It now has 384K miles on it. Drove it about 100 miles in the last couple days.

My new strategy to beat the system is to buy exactly what I want new - and simply keep it forever.

Enjoy - congrats on the growing family.

Congrats on the Xterra. By the way, do you have the automatic version or the stick? I know the autos have a ticking time bomb that a lot of owners needs to diffuse once it gets to around 100,000 to 140,000 mi.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

2 year old 40k mile Toyota Sienna leaving us stranded on a test drive

Now that is something you hardly ever hear.

 

[Malo83]

Congrats,

 

[cb_13]

Now that is something you hardly ever hear.

Yeah that whole deal made me look like a fool. I wanted a Toyota for reliability, it left us stranded. I said if we bought the Explorer we should get the extended warranty because an APIM for the sync system is about a $1000 repair and they’re a pretty common failure point. 3 years and 60k later the only thing we replaced on the Explorer was the keyless entry pad. The warranty we bought did cover that though.

 

[Skippy722]

Congratulations! I really want one of these to replace our Grand Caravan.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Congrats on the nice van!

 

[SC Maintenance]

Congrats on the Xterra. By the way, do you have the automatic version or the stick? I know the autos have a ticking time bomb that a lot of owners needs to diffuse once it gets to around 100,000 to 140,000 mi.

Its an auto and its flawless. 2005 to 2010 xterra, frontier and pathfinder all had a defective radiator that could mix coolant with ATF and kill your trans. Affectionally known as SMOD - strawberry milkshake of death. There was a settled class action that extended the warranty a little. Simple fix - you can disconnect the transmission cooler - many do without problems, or replace the rad. I replaced my rad with aftermarket the day the warranty ended and do a drain and fill every 25 to 30K - get about 3.5 quarts of the approximately 12 quart fill - never had a problem. There is no filter - just a screen, so I have never even dropped the pan. Plenty of guys have and indicated there wasn't really any point in dropping the pan, but I might do it at 400K for fun

 

[wag123]

When it comes to dealing with little ones (and their things), NOTHING beats sliding side doors, especially in parking lots or the garage.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Congrats. Like the black wheels! but I have one thing to say: Get it tied, or keep it in your pants!

 

[I<3oil]

Most still scoff at the idea of a Minivan, while preferring the visual/aesthetics of an SUV.
Only once you own one, do you understand the superiority of a minivan over the SUV (with regards to practicality and useable space).

Yea but just not a Stellantis product.

 

[meep]

We’ve had 2 Chrysler minivans, both Gen 4, and I had seat time in a later model as a rental. They’ve got the formula down pat, that’s for sure. great seating position, better driving dynamics than the typical SUV, and it’s not just plywood, it’s lawn tools, mowers, generators, washing machines, and everything else you can put in the back of it with a low loading height. Sweet looking van. #vanlifeFTW

 

[cb_13]

I have one thing to say: Get it tied, or keep it in your pants!

We bought a farm last I year, so I might still need a few more helpers

 

[Brons2]

For me the driver's position seems more cramped in the Pacifica than the Sienna. The spec sheet reads similar, but it didn't feel that way when I sat in the vehicle. I'm 6'7" 300 though so I'm particularly attuned to these sorts of concerns. I thought the Pacifica drove well I just didn't think I'd be happy with it long term. The plug in hybrid is a particularly attractive option though.

The Odyssey is pretty tight for me as well, my knees are pretty close to the dash, but the seating position seems more comfortable.

 

[Kurtatron]

When it comes to dealing with little ones (and their things), NOTHING beats sliding side doors, especially in parking lots or the garage.

I have come to the point in life where an owner of a minivan impresses me. That person, to my eyes, must be sensible, unconcerned with petty vanity, and pragmatic. Ostentatious SUV owners doing kid hauling duty are just following the herd!

 

[sgtrockjoe]

Congrats and good luck with your new ride.

 

[andreigbs]

I have come to the point in life where an owner of a minivan impresses me. That person, to my eyes, must be sensible, unconcerned with petty vanity, and pragmatic. Ostentatious SUV owners doing kid hauling duty are just following the herd!

Agreed, but only if they drive it where it belongs: NOT in the left lane!

 

[Skippy722]

Agreed, but only if they drive it where it belongs: NOT in the left lane!

Allegedly, and I do not condone this behavior AT ALL and I would NEVER do such a thing myself, a 2018 Grand Caravan is limited to 112mph…. In Mexico

 

[CKN]

The wife and I both wanted a mini van for the functionality when we got the Explorer. The combination of me being employed at a Ford Dealership and a 2 year old 40k mile Toyota Sienna leaving us stranded on a test drive led to us buying the Explorer Sport. Which was her top choice on based on looks and features.

A Sienna with issues at that mileage is not common. I could see not buying that particular van- but crossing it off your list says other factors were at play....

 

[cb_13]

A Sienna with issues at that mileage is not common. I could see not buying that particular van- but crossing it off your list says other factors were at play....

The only advantage it has over an Explorer Sport was reliability. The Explorer had better interior look and comfort. An infotainment system with more functions(big deal to the wife)and that I was more familiar with. Power was not even a contest the Explorer punched way above its weight class with the 3.5 ecoboost, the Sienna performed exactly as you would expect a family hauler to.

I don’t regret the decision as we put 60k on that Explorer and only ever had to replace the key code pad on the door.

This go around the Sienna was instantly eliminated as the 3 car seats we would be installing in the 3rd row did not fit.

 

[CKN]

The only advantage it has over an Explorer Sport was reliability. The Explorer had better interior look and comfort. An infotainment system with more functions(big deal to the wife)and that I was more familiar with. Power was not even a contest the Explorer punched way above its weight class with the 3.5 ecoboost, the Sienna performed exactly as you would expect a family hauler to.

I don’t regret the decision as we put 60k on that Explorer and only ever had to replace the key code pad on the door.

This go around the Sienna was instantly eliminated as the 3 car seats we would be installing in the 3rd row did not fit.

So the car seats were the issue.