Recommend a family vehicle please

[RooflessVW]

Can he swing new? Yeah prices are high, but used is still cheaper.

Yes large SUV will fit easily 2, but he is back on the market if third comes. If it doesn’t, he has extras more practical space. He can’t lose.

New Odyssey EX-L, Atlas SE w/ Tech, Tiguan SEL, etc. All mid 30s.

The good news with kids is, we know how they're made. And there are ways to stop having them.

I wish we still had our old E83. Perfect size for 4. Hindsight is better than foresight though.

 

[edyvw]

New Odyssey EX-L, Atlas SE w/ Tech, Tiguan SEL, etc. All mid 30s.

The good news with kids is, we know how they're made. And there are ways to stop having them.

I wish we still had our old E83. Perfect size for 4. Hindsight is better than foresight though.

Again, practicality is on minivan side, 2 or 3 kids. Now, if he is not going long trips, SUV is fine. But long road trips, minivan all the time.

 

[wag123]

Why would he buy used? The used market makes paying MSRP on a new car a bargain.

+1
I'm normally a used vehicle guy, but unless one is forced to buy something immediately, it makes more sense to buy new right now.

And why go minivan off the hop? IMO there is no need until there's 3 kids.

Betting on the come, and future-proofing the purchase.
Unless one is independently wealthy, right now vehicle prices are too high to afford making a costly mistake. Several other posters have commented that they purchased something smaller, like a CR-V, and ended up having to purchase a minivan too soon afterwards to accommodate their growing families.

 

[dareo]

All 4 minivans are so good these days. Even with one kid you can keep the kid farther away preventing seat kicking. Kids have friends, relatives, possibly pets, who knows? Its tremendous flexibility in something like a Carnival with its ground clearance or the Sienna’s fuel sipping hybrid. If you can find a new one for sale that is. Sliding doors are gold.

 

[NavyVet88]

I’ll keep my eyes open for a good used odyssey or sienna and see what pops up. Ultimately I may have to go up a bit on my budget to accommodate what ends up really being needed in the end. I appreciate all the info and help guys!

 

[NavyVet88]

Again, practicality is on minivan side, 2 or 3 kids. Now, if he is not going long trips, SUV is fine. But long road trips, minivan all the time.

What ever we decide on wouldn’t get driven much at all as her side of the family lives within 10-15 miles of us and my family is 45 minutes give or take. Vacations for us are/were about every two years but that may pick up with the kiddo. I honestly and truthfully do not foresee the new vehicle warranty expiring due to mileage within the warranty time frame. Most used stuff right now is right on the verge of being out of warranty or is well beyond it.

 

[dareo]

I’ll keep my eyes open for a good used odyssey or sienna and see what pops up. Ultimately I may have to go up a bit on my budget to accommodate what ends up really being needed in the end. I appreciate all the info and help guys!

Used starts to make sense around 10+ years old. Theres some good old vans out there. Anything under like 60k miles your probably way better off buying new. Stretch the loan if you have to but dont buy 2-4 years old.

 

[dareo]

Also if your mileage is low and you dont have a lot of rust where you live a GMT 800 suv like Escalade, Denali, ect 2005-2006 can be an amazing value. Easy to fix, comfy, cheap. Gas is not, but without a new car payment gas is nothing.

 

[JHZR2]

Why would he buy used? The used market makes paying MSRP on a new car a bargain.

And why go minivan off the hop? IMO there is no need until there's 3 kids.

We got a minivan with our second and it was great.

In any of our cars we were driving at the time, both of our knees would then be in the dash if you have multiple kids in the bigger seats like we did. Add to that a stroller (especially a bigger convenient one like a double bob), pack and play, beach stuff, etc. and it’s just Uber convenient to have a van over something else. A minivan with two young kids is really nice. We weren’t even sure we’d have a third at that time.

Two bigger kids could probably be ok with a suv type vehicle, but then there’s the issue of them having their own space and how much junk do you intend to lug around. There are more ways to overcome that once car seats are out of the equation.

 

[RooflessVW]

I mean, I have 3 kids and a van. I'm just speaking from my experience.

 

[xgmad]

Honda odyssey?

 

[alarmguy]

Tiguan is nice for sure, I like European styling and character a lot.
Mazda CX-5 for reliability hands down, not even close as far as that goes. It would be first on my list if a long term vehicle.
A little partial too, as a Mazda 3 2012 Skyactive that we own still has not needed a repair. Either way though, Im sure you would be happy with either, its just that chart on the Tiguan looks scary to me.

 

[JHZR2]

False. They had had a few teething issues on the 2019s and 2020s but they have TSBs and extended warranties for those very minor issues (parasitic battery discharge, misreading fuel gauge, stuff like that). They are solid cars and that’s one of the reasons why they are the top selling SUV in America.

Minor issues, huh? Across multiple samples there have been in addition to the items you mention:
- faulty wiper controls
- bad wheel bearing
- faulty suspension components

All this before 40k on one, much less on the other.

They’re the top selling suv because people swoon over Toyota and will ignore the isssues they encounter on them while griping about similar issues on other cars. Interesting phenomena…

They do have a good hybrid system… and automakers have done a good job of duping people into the fallacy that their kids will die on the drive to school if they don’t have AWD… so people buy awd cars with big bodies on them, like the rav 4. Simple enough concept when you look at what people are told and how they think.

I’m sure the issues have been ironed out. Toyota doesn’t that I’m aware of sweep lingering issues under the rug. I’m sure it’s a fine product for people who want one.

I personally always wanted an RX hybrid, but I’m not as big a fan of the latest style.

 

[Supersonic]

Don’t rush. Go used. You really want vehicle that when child vomits inside you are indifferent about car. That is their purpose. I have Honda Pilot from my in-laws now. They got place here for summer and I am maintaining and driving that car. IMO, of older family SUV’s it is roomiest one and closest to minivan. Engine is powerful enough, transmission issues are resolved In previous generation. VCM can be turned off. Brakes are issue, but in AL you don’t have demanding hills to overwhelm them and warp them. There is noticeable torque steer in FWD, but what you gonna do.

Still think 2016 Sienna with lower mileage is best bet. You can sell it 10 years down the road. Someone will buy it, trust me.

I like your idea but I'd either go 1 year newer for the ease of maintenance or 10 years older, same reason, ease of maintenance.

I'd look at the 2017 to 2020 Sienna with the newer 3.5 as YouTube's Car Care Nut says easier to work on, the earlier 3.5 just doesn't have much room, 2010 Sienna being my experience here, though they are fairly reliable if the one time something does need repair and the motor has to come out, resources better be there, whether it's cash for a shop or ability to do it yourself. I think you could still get the certified preowned warranty with one of these 2017 and newer and with the over-all cost I'd want the warranty, but this is way out of my budget for a vehicle and I am only here to voice an opinion of what I'd look at.

In this specific instance I think the 2004 - 2006 Sienna and a budget of $4 to 6k, the location should have a few limited rust examples available and the "Maintenance Technician by trade" should be able to work through service work, timing belt, coolant plate re-seal, center sliding door hinge; though there still could be be a drip coming from behind the flywheel which is either main seal and/or oil galley plug, just add oil until transmission has to be removed. And keep the other cars as necessary.

Not going to knock the other choices but to say watch Kia 3.3 and the head bolt issue as it may evolve and Honda would be my second choice for something that was less than 5 years old and biggest warranty available. I think like up to 2003 -07 Dodge with around 100k if I went that route being I heard good things but no experience to say much more. I didn't read page 2 - 5 so excuse me as I may be light on some comments.

 

[wag123]

All 4 minivans are so good these days. Even with one kid you can keep the kid farther away preventing seat kicking. Kids have friends, relatives, possibly pets, who knows? Its tremendous flexibility in something like a Carnival with its ground clearance or the Sienna’s fuel sipping hybrid. If you can find a new one for sale that is. Sliding doors are gold.

I like both of them. I lean more towards the Sienna because of the fantastic service I have gotten out of the one I have now and the much higher gas mileage of the Hybrid. I believe that gas prices are going to continue to rise and experts predict that it may exceed $6/gal in a few years (if not sooner). The $2500 price difference between the two vans will be easily overcome within 2-3 years by the Hybrid's 50% better gas mileage. After that it is money in the bank. Needless to say, if/when the gas prices skyrocket, the Sienna Hybrid is going to have a solid gold resale value.

 

[edyvw]

I like your idea but I'd either go 1 year newer for the ease of maintenance or 10 years older, same reason, ease of maintenance.

I'd look at the 2017 to 2020 Sienna with the newer 3.5 as YouTube's Car Care Nut says easier to work on, the earlier 3.5 just doesn't have much room, 2010 Sienna being my experience here, though they are fairly reliable if the one time something does need repair and the motor has to come out, resources better be there, whether it's cash for a shop or ability to do it yourself. I think you could still get the certified preowned warranty with one of these 2017 and newer and with the over-all cost I'd want the warranty, but this is way out of my budget for a vehicle and I am only here to voice an opinion of what I'd look at.

In this specific instance I think the 2004 - 2006 Sienna and a budget of $4 to 6k, the location should have a few limited rust examples available and the "Maintenance Technician by trade" should be able to work through service work, timing belt, coolant plate re-seal, center sliding door hinge; though there still could be be a drip coming from behind the flywheel which is either main seal and/or oil galley plug, just add oil until transmission has to be removed. And keep the other cars as necessary.

Not going to knock the other choices but to say watch Kia 3.3 and the head bolt issue as it evolves and Honda would be my second choice for something that was less than 5 years old and biggest warranty available. I think like up to 2003 -07 Dodge with around 100k if I went that route being I heard good things but no experience to say much more. I didn't read page 2 - 5 so excuse me as I may be light on some comments.

2017 has huge issues with transmission.
I would say space difference between FE and FKS engines is going to be negligible. Both are V6. On FKS spark plugs are 60k instead of 120k on FE. On FKS booster vacuum pump must be changed at 120k. Add to that as in previous models master cylinder that is robust as butter.

 

[Supersonic]

2017 has huge issues with transmission.
I would say space difference between FE and FKS engines is going to be negligible. Both are V6. On FKS spark plugs are 60k instead of 120k on FE. On FKS booster vacuum pump must be changed at 120k. Add to that as in previous models master cylinder that is robust as butter.

I wasn't aware of that on the 2017, but that is a good example of something to know before going to look at it, I'd want to know as many things as possible. I have no first hand knowledge of the newer Sienna's but was watching some of YouTube's Car Care Nut content on the newer 3.5 -the FKS, and thinking that was what I would eventually look for when my budget allows for it or when my 2004 is no longer serviceable - another ~20 years I hope...

 

[edyvw]

Avoid 2017 at all cost. 2018 and after should be ok.
It seems booster is biggest issue on FKS Sienna and HL. Toyota wants you to change it at 120k, but expect failure much earlier.

 

[Quantico]

Your choices of vw and others are terrible choices for reliability and resale.

Toyota , honda are your best brands to choose from. Car or suv 2wd or 4wd is up to you. Subaru is another option that people seem to like long term. The outback and forester do well.

Corolla and camry are excellent cars. If you want or need 4wd or a mid sized suv for taking stuff with you a honda crv or pilot are great.. the toyota highlander is great.

I think the new toyota corolla cross might be the top of your list. Great reliability and great resale and great mileage. Its a new body type based on all long term great reliable engineering and the car is new and I bet the resale will be excellent.

Vw products have a terrible reliability . And the new screen and interface is the worst in the car business.

Hyundai / kia has popular cars but I dont like the engine reliability or trans reliability .

These days many cars and places add huge mark up. I think you can buy a honda or toyota at list.
I really love the new GR 86 toyota sports car. In base trim its in your budget. But its not a large car. Resale and driving fun factor are at a 11 out of ten.

 

[IveBeenRued]

Minor issues, huh? Across multiple samples there have been in addition to the items you mention:
- faulty wiper controls
- bad wheel bearing
- faulty suspension components

All this before 40k on one, much less on the other.

They’re the top selling suv because people swoon over Toyota and will ignore the isssues they encounter on them while griping about similar issues on other cars. Interesting phenomena…

They do have a good hybrid system… and automakers have done a good job of duping people into the fallacy that their kids will die on the drive to school if they don’t have AWD… so people buy awd cars with big bodies on them, like the rav 4. Simple enough concept when you look at what people are told and how they think.

I’m sure the issues have been ironed out. Toyota doesn’t that I’m aware of sweep lingering issues under the rug. I’m sure it’s a fine product for people who want one.

I personally always wanted an RX hybrid, but I’m not as big a fan of the latest style.

I have a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. I have had one trip to the dealer with my and that was because of a misfit underbody aero panel and to get the parasitic battery drain TSB done. 47K and still going strong. My Ford had no less than 17 trips to the dealer according to my records just to get it to 36K, lemons exist with every brand.