I'm sorta halfheartedly looking around at older used minivans say 06-08 for a couple of reasons I won't get into here. All of them seem to have issues as they age. I think I'm most interested in the Sienna because it seems to have a reliable transmission if it's treated well and serviced. But I'm open to other suggestions.
The Odyssey is a no-go because of the well-publicised transmission issues and the VCM issues noted by some on these forums including respected posters like Trav.
I don't trust Chrysler products.
The Kia/Hyundai vans seem to get terrible mileage from what people report, although I have had good luck with Kia in general.
Anyway, speaking of Siennas in particlar, some offer 8 passenger seating and I would prefer that.
Another thing I noticed about Siennas is that they switched from the 3.3 to the 3.5 engine in 2007, kind of looking for some real world experience with the two engines. The 3.3 was rated at 230HP up to 2006 when changes in SAE ratings is said to reduce the number to 215HP, although it's the same engine. The 3.5 has a lot more power - 266HP. But does it come with an attendant reduction in mileage? Or is it only if you go around flooring it all the time, does the additional power come with additional cost. Both the 3.3 and 3.5 of that era use a 5 speed auto, don't know when the 6 speed comes in but anything newer than 08 is probably beyond my cost comfort.
O7's in good condition with around 100K give or take 20K seem to go for around the upper 7000 range from private individuals, somewhat more from dealers.
I went to Siennachat looking for particular mechanical failure modes. Overheating these things seems to send your engine to the grave. One person mentioned that the thermostat housing cap is plastic and that his had come apart on the freeway, necessitating an engine replacement. Yikes.
Any other gotchas on these vans?
The Odyssey is a no-go because of the well-publicised transmission issues and the VCM issues noted by some on these forums including respected posters like Trav.
I don't trust Chrysler products.
The Kia/Hyundai vans seem to get terrible mileage from what people report, although I have had good luck with Kia in general.
Anyway, speaking of Siennas in particlar, some offer 8 passenger seating and I would prefer that.
Another thing I noticed about Siennas is that they switched from the 3.3 to the 3.5 engine in 2007, kind of looking for some real world experience with the two engines. The 3.3 was rated at 230HP up to 2006 when changes in SAE ratings is said to reduce the number to 215HP, although it's the same engine. The 3.5 has a lot more power - 266HP. But does it come with an attendant reduction in mileage? Or is it only if you go around flooring it all the time, does the additional power come with additional cost. Both the 3.3 and 3.5 of that era use a 5 speed auto, don't know when the 6 speed comes in but anything newer than 08 is probably beyond my cost comfort.
O7's in good condition with around 100K give or take 20K seem to go for around the upper 7000 range from private individuals, somewhat more from dealers.
I went to Siennachat looking for particular mechanical failure modes. Overheating these things seems to send your engine to the grave. One person mentioned that the thermostat housing cap is plastic and that his had come apart on the freeway, necessitating an engine replacement. Yikes.
Any other gotchas on these vans?
