My husband and I are going to buy a new (pre-owned) vehicle for our family. We have recently moved from a very rural area to the city and our SUV isn't what we want or need anymore. We have a growing 12year old boy and a dog. We figure that for the next five plus years we will be hauling kids most of the time, to practices, sporting events, etc... as well as making road trips to grandmas. We want something that is roomy but gets good gas mileage in town and on the highway. I had a minivan once and really liked it. We have been researching them and it is hard to choose. Any suggestions? If you love (or hate) your soccer van, let me know what it is and why. Or if you have any other ideas on a good family vehicle I would love to hear it. Thanks
I have a 2005 HondaOdyssey...LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!! There was another request a while back about this very issue. I think you can do a search to find it. It was mostly about which minivan to get and there were lots of responses (one was mine). I think they ended up getting an Odyssey after researching a few different minivans. I really think you can't go wrong with either an Odyssey or Toyota Sienna. And I'm really intrigued by the new Chrysler Town and Country: you can swivel the captains chairs around to face the back and a table pops up. I think that would be cool for when you have your son and his friends in the car. They'll be talking about their personal stuff and you'll be driving and quietly listening to everything they say. My mom says that's exactly why she drove a minivan when I was growing up: she knew everything about me and my friends without having to "sit me down" to talk. Just another sneaky parent trick to keeping tabs on teenagers!
We love our Chevrolet Venture!! It is VERY roomy and gets great gas mileage. My dad has a Toyota Sienna, and when we went on a trip with him we got the exact same gas mileage as he did! The biggest thing, though is how roomy it is inside I don't feel cramped in it like I do other vans and I can reach the back seat while I am standing on the street with the door open. (I hate having to climb in to get something or someone)
I love love love my Toyota Sienna! Decent mileage, lots of room. The seats are easy to configure and move around. Tons of space and storage. More cup holders than you could ever imagine and a great ride to boot!
We love our Toyota Sienna! One of our favorite things is the 8 seater option. We have taken other friends with us with up to four adults and four car seats and it is not cramped. Plus, we travel a lot, and the storage is unbelievable. For a family of 4 to be gone with everyting they need for two months and still have the back seat available is amazing! We love it! The chairs are very easy to configure. I'm pregnant with a lot of back pain, and I can move them with no problem, except taking them in and out, which we don't do much.
Hi Kim,
We bought our Pontiac Transport in 97. It has never had any mechanical problems, and still runs well. I have a 04 Honda Pilot but it can not compare to the Transport!
Happy hunting.
Blessings,
Cathy
Go with Toyota! If you keep up with your maintance you will have the vehicle for many years to come. My son is a toyota mechanic and he says that is the way to go.
I have a Honda Odyssey and I LOVE IT! I swore I would never have a mini van, however when I got pregnant with my son, taking my daughter and her friends places I realized soon enough I needed a lot more room. I had a Grand Cherokee and I had to take the stroller out to get groceries or trips to Sams club, it was awful! I have had it since 05 and NOT ONE PROBLEM! Honda dealership is amazing with the warranty on it. Just last month my battery died, the guy I initally had change my oil said the warranty was up on it, so when it died I talked to the service manager, he was so full of apologies, they picked up my van from my house, at their expense, fixed it within two hours and delivered it back to me with a free oil change certificate!!! It was in fact under warranty still.
I love it!!!!!!!! Great mileage on it too.
We love our Honda Odessey!!
After we bought ours, both my sister-in-laws boght their own Odessey, and they both love theirs, too.
They rate very similar to the Toyota van, but Honda is cheaper to insure and keeps a better re-sell value than any other brand.
One thing to keep in mind - Honda vehicles REQUIRE Honda parts, only. No aftermarket cheepies will work on them.
You might look into the Hyundai Entorage... they only started making them in the 2007 model year, so it might be hard to find a used one, but they get awesome reviews. I don't have an entorage, but i LOVE my Hyundai Elantra. Good luck!
LOVE our Toyota Sienna! Things for you to think about: putting the 3rd row up/down. I couldn't do it in the Honda Odyssey on the older models that don't have it split. Safety ratings...The american models may have 5 star goverment but most american models don't do very well in the Highway Safety Institute - For example in 2004 (the year we bought), the driver loses their lower legs/feet in an offset frontal impact. Also, don't rule out new. With hard bargaining, we got a new Toyota for the same price as a used Honda Odyssey.
Our Toyota Sienna is the BEST!!!
I was never wild about my mini-van. It was a Chevy Astro. Then I had an accident in it. Because it was on a truck chasis, it was a bit taller. It was a life saver. We finally sold it to buy a Suburban. But that Astro took a beating and kept on ticking.
Don't get a Jeep Cherokee. We have two, and they're reliable and get decent gas mileage (not as good as a sedan, though), but they have no leg room in the back seat. We've had to scoot up the front seats to accommodate both my infant and rear-facing convertible seat. Not that you have that issue!
My sisters both have a Honda Oddesey. But they were disappointed in the 12 mpg gas mileage. They love the features, but they are getting to be a bit old (6 years or so), so things may have changed since then.
Hi Kim,
I have an SUV and I live in town. I love my vehicle, minus the gas mileage. The perk of it is the mornings here in Littleton when the roads are covered in snow and the people with front-wheel drives get stuck. I have an 8 year old and a dog. I just purchased my SUV in January and did a lot of research through Consumer Reports. You might want to consider a vehicle that is all-wheel drive. This way you can get around when it snows, go to the mountains when you need to and the gas mileage is better than an SUV. They have so many quality AWD vehicles now, I'm sure your family could find one that would fit your needs. Just a different thought than a mini-van. Try checking Consumer Reports as it will tell you quality and even what kind of vehicle will suit your family.
We love our Dodge Caravan. We like the remote keyless entry. WE push the button and the slider doors open on their own, which is nice when you have your hands full of kids and their things! All of the seats store down so that you can have the entire back of the van for hauling things, which is nice if you don't have a truck. It seats 6 comfortably, but you can sqeeze 7 if needed. We have the extended cab which I feel is what make this van better. With the extension you get the air for the entire back rather that just the front air trying to blow to the back. Check it out, it's a good buy,
I drive a Honda Odyssey and it is wonderful! Definitely test drive one of these - you'll love it!
The Toyota Siennas are great vehicles and used ones are going for a great price right now. This is my first recommendation for best features, power, and more for the price. The Siennas have really come down in price, but are consistently rated as high as the Odysseys. Honda Odysseys are consistently good, good features, but hold their value and you will pay more, used or new. The Dodge Caravan is the best bang for the buck if you're looking for an inexpensive vehicle that doesn't cost a lot. The ride is rougher and the power isn't something to brag about. The new Caravan has some cool features though that others don't offer. The Chrysler minivan is the more luxury version of the Caravan. Then you have Saturn, the Mazda MPV, Nissan Quest, and even crossover vehicles with 3rd seats. It's up to you. Your best bet is to check out Consumer Reports, or Car and Driver. Narrow down your search, then hit the dealerships and narrow that list down even more. it's extremely individual on what you want and need.
We have a Honda Odyssey and we love it! It gets great gas mileage, it's comfy, plus it has great storage space.
We just got the 2008 Toyota Highlander. We had a Honda Odessey but it doesn't come with AWD. We were sliding everywhere in the snow. We couldn't even make it up our driveway. Otherwise I loved the minivan. We had a 2001 Highlander and still have it. After going thru all the SUV's in that class...we decided on another Highlander. It has the 3rd row and is very roomy. Gets good gas mileage and can tow up to 5000 lbs if you decide you want that. If you want another minivan, I'd highly recommend getting one with AWD here in Utah! Good luck!