I have four kids...a mini-van is the most reasonable option for my family (other than a small bus)
Mini-van recommendations
- Thread starter Texas Aggie
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I've been driving Caravans for decades and wouldn't buy anything else. Great value but the interiors have been cheapened over the years...
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Well, We've just found out that we're having our 3rd child in December. Looks like it's time to get a mini-van (how uncool is that!), so we're looking for recommendations. Of course, the Toyota and Honda seem to be highly rated. The Kia & Hyundai also get high marks. How about the domestics? My primary reason for getting the mini-van is access to the 3rd seat. I'm looking for space, safety, reliability, & fuel mileage. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Texas-aggie,
I just read your original post again and realized I hardly answered any of your questions in my first post since I wrote it so quickly.
Space - according to the reviews I've read, the Sienna has the most space. But the difference between the Sienna, Honda, Dodge, Kia/Hyundai is so small, its probably not too noticeable.
Safety - Hyundai and Kia get excellent crash scores, front/side/rear. Honda and Toyota and Nissan get excellent on front/side. I eliminated all other vans from my list because they had only acceptable crash scores on either front or side. I was considering a Chrysler or dodge but they only got average crash test scores front and side. Considering that a van is a "family" vehicle, average test scores just don't cut it.
Reliability - Toyotas are among the best picks here. Kias were above average. Honda got average reliability ratings according to CR.
Mileage - they all suck, but better than SUVs
Be sure to check out how much luggage room you have with that 3rd seat up. Mini vans have a bunch, my in-laws Tahoe has none. They spent much more and don't have the room and their gas mileage is bad. From what I've seen, MV's give more space, better ride, better gas mileage (4wd will kill that) and cost's the same or less than most SUV's. But they do make you feel a little more domesticated...
I agree, there isn't that much room behind the third seat. One good thing though is that I can fold flat one of the seats in the 3rd row (since we will probably be only using one seat in the 3rd row) for additional storage space if we would take the vehicle on vacation. One other plus is we need an all-around vehicle that can also pull my boat. I imagine the tow rating on some minivans might allow me to tow the boat with it....but it doesn't look very manly pulling up to the lake with a minivan!
You got me thinking about the Suburban route. We currently have a Trailblazer EXT which has treated us well, but my wife insists we can't have 3 car seats in the middle seat. She also says we can't have a car seat in the back seat. I think it would be okay, but her opinion is definitely different. With the 3rd seat up, we don't really have any room in the back anyway. That wouldn't be much of a problem with a Suburban, but I'm not sure about a minivan. I like the idea of better mileage with the minivan, but the Suburban would be more versatile and would work better with more kids. I did see a '99 on cars.com for $10k with only 40k miles, maybe I can find a deal later on. I wouldn't necessarily mind getting something else, but I would like to keep our car for a lot longer.
No doubt about it, especially when there's a ton of cool trucks in the parking lot!! I've only done it once and all I could think about was John Boy and Billy's morning radio show doing their "Married man" skit!
For reliability and fuel economy, Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey. The only domestic I would consider is the Dodge Caravan.
Suburban=true gas guzzler.
Fuel economy won't really be a factor with vans since they're all within 2mpg of each other. My parents have a montana with the old 3.4 that has been one of the best vehicles they have owned. Right now it's at a little over 300000kms and it is still running perfectly on the original tranny. Only thing wrong is the stupid strap to close the rear hatch keeps breaking. So basically I reccomend a montana/uplander/relay based on price and reliability. They can be had for next to nothing compared to a honda/toyota/nissan.
Actually the Suburban isn't that bad. Well, around 20 mpg isn't bad for a vehicle it's size. My Mustang gets 20 to 21... now that's bad! For some reason, GM vehicles usually get a little better mileage, "across the board" than comparable sized Fords. I hate saying that because I really like Ford. But I had an F-150 that got 13. That's bad. 20 mpg isn't bad in a Suburban.
For us the minivan came just before the 2nd child. Once my wife got over the fact that her beloved 328i was too small for all the #@$%! we travel with she picked the minivan over the full size cars (Crown vic, park avenue)I was recommending. Best decision ever. We load the minivan with kids, 2 kayaks and a sailboard and all the stuff i can carry in 5 trips to go to the beach etc. Go out to eat with 3 couples seated comfortably in heated leather captains chairs with a killer infinty stereo. The best part is it rides like a car not a truck and has plenty of power with the 3.8. There is also the stealth thing in that cops dont even look at you unlike when I drive my SS. I am secure enough in my manhood to drive a minivan with pride.
My thoughts also. I am truly a happy person not having to "keep up with the Jones's". How miserable people must be to live in fear of not living up to other's perceptions.
We're on our third DCX minivan over the past 18 years. This one hauls grand children, building material, livestock (pig to the butcher), and has been "camped" in. Versatility is awesome. We like sitting up higher than in a car.
We're on our third DCX minivan over the past 18 years. This one hauls grand children, building material, livestock (pig to the butcher), and has been "camped" in. Versatility is awesome. We like sitting up higher than in a car.
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I started shopping for a new minivan in Feb. I rulled out the Toyota and Honda due to $$ so I was looking at a the Kia/ Hyundai which are basically the same thing. As I was comparing I noticed the Nissan Quest and decided to check that out too. I ended up getting a Nissan Quest. The early years (2004-2005 especially) had some problems, but they seem to have corrected them and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. The engine that they use in the Quest is their tried and true 3.5 V6 so it has plenty of power. One thing that turned me from the Kia/Hyundai is that I read alot of user reviews saying that they were getting around 12-15mpg. With the nissan I am getting over 20mpg in mixed driving.
The Odyssey EX-L is quite sporty IMO. I love the way the engine sounds when accelerating. Very peppy, and sporty sounding to boot. I've accidentally spun the tires a few times. They bark well.
I realize most of the discussion here is about real minivans so this is a bit off topic, but if I were in the market I'd test drive the Mazda 5 just because it is the only one (correct me) where you can get a manual transmission. It looks to me like a wagon that has been made taller for more utility. Is the size like the first generation Odyssey?
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The Odyssey EX-L is quite sporty IMO. I love the way the engine sounds when accelerating. Very peppy, and sporty sounding to boot. I've accidentally spun the tires a few times. They bark well.
I was really impressed with the handling of the Honda. It cornered as well as my Passat and I'm sure it would take any SUV to task in terms of handling and performance. But let's face it, people who chooses SUV's over minivans "for the kids" aren't really about the substance; it's about the image.
Does anyone remember the Toyota Previa? You would tilt the driver's seat forward to access the oil fill.
Too bad they don't import the Mazda MPV anymore. Compare to the the Honda, the Honda handle like a school bus... granted the Honda had the better engine. BTW we put 175,000 trouble free mile on our 00 MPV.
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