Which Mini-van should I buy?

by confusedjw 18 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Lady Lee

  We have an 96 Grand Voyager Twin to the Grand Caravan

  It only has 86000 Km on it so the hubby will still get a lot of use from it. (I won't have it after tomorrow and will really miss it)

  Sliding doors on both sides is great. I wish it had power windows but oh well we got it free from his father's estate. The extra length is great. The only thing that is a real pain is the weight of the seats if you want to take them out. One person can't do it alone.

  I love the one where the seats fold down into the floor - awesome idea because you don't have to worry about where to store them or carting them in and out of the house.

  My daughter has a used 2000 Windstar. I like the Caravan better but that might be because I am used to it.

  The one main issue I have with the vans (both the Windstar and the Caravan) is that I can't see the front or back ends when parking. Especially with the Caravan after 5 years I still have a hard time judging how close I am to things because I can't see the front drop-off or the back where it rounds in. I wind up leaving a lot of space around the van when parking. We even added magnifying mirrors on the side of the van so I could see better but the corners are so rounded I still can't see where the ends are.

  Other than that I think it would be hard to go back to driving a car. I love the view of the road I get with the vans.
• 

  Carmel

  I'd check Consumer Reports to see which one has the fewest consumer complaints and what the pluses and minuses are for each. Pretty good advice there!

  carmel
• 

  blondie

  http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/index.cfm/act/class/classid/5
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  Princess

  I drove a '99 Toyota Sienna for five years. I loved it and highly recommend the Sienna. It's a bit pricey like you mentioned but the resale value is amazing and I didn't have any complaints.

  Switched in May to a Ford Excursion for business reasons and we didn't want to do the minivan thing anymore. The Excursion seats 7 like the Sienna, but in a bigger way.
• 

  TrailBlazer04

  I had a Dodge Grand Caravan, bought new, got rid of it when it hit 190,000 miles...just was tired of driving it after 10 years. I also had a GMC Safari (like a Chevy Astro). I LOVED the Safari, almost bought another one, but was talked out of it (by my hubby who decided I didn't need another "mom-mobile). I now have a 2004 Trailblazer EXT. Seats 7, has decent cargo room, towing capacity, etc. When I was car shopping, I test drove a Chrysler Town & Country. I hated it...after driving the Safari with that big V-6, the Chrysler seemed underpowered.

  Just my $0.02...

  TB
• 

  bikerchic

  While out west we drove my daughters Honda Odyssey it was great, I was really impressed and have told hubby if we ever win the lottery that would definately be in our fleet of vehicles.

  Specs:

  The all-new 2005 Odyssey redefines just how good a minivan can be.
  Engineered to drive like a European luxury sedan, the 255-horsepower Odyssey excels in ride quality, comfort and handling. The engine is packed with the latest innovative Honda engineering, so you get high power with efficiency, economy and lower emissions. New safety features include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), a new brake-assist feature that enhances stability by detecting oversteer or understeer. The Odyssey's highly adaptable interior includes a stowable 2nd-row PlusOne Seat? that allows seating for eight (EX), and one-motion 60/40-split 3rd-row Magic Seat® that makes cargo loading even easier. You can even entertain passengers with the Honda DVD Entertainment System with remote control, The all-new 2005 Odyssey redefines just how good a minivan can be.
  Engineered to drive like a European luxury sedan, the 255-horsepower Odyssey excels in ride quality, comfort and handling. The engine is packed with the latest innovative Honda engineering, so you get high power with efficiency, economy and lower emissions. New safety features include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), a new brake-assist feature that enhances stability by detecting oversteer or understeer. The Odyssey's highly adaptable interior includes a stowable 2nd-row PlusOne Seat? that allows seating for eight (EX), and one-motion 60/40-split 3rd-row Magic Seat® that makes cargo loading even easier. You can even entertain passengers with the Honda DVD Entertainment System with remote control, 9? screen, and personal surround sound headsets. And with the new Michelin® PAX® System on the Touring model, you can travel on a punctured tire at 50 mph for up to 125 miles. Discover new levels of confidence while navigating through an uncertain world. 9? screen, and personal surround sound headsets. And with the new Michelin® PAX® System on the Touring model, you can travel on a punctured tire at 50 mph for up to 125 miles. Discover new levels of confidence while navigating through an uncertain world.

  Gotta love Honda!
• 

  Tim Horton

  MY inlaws or maybe you could call them outlaws, (all depends on the nature of your relationship)have a Toyota Sienna and they can't stop raving about it. They've come out here to visit and rented various other types of Mini-vans but nothing compares to there's apparently. Hope it helps. Mind you that's just one man's opinion. Honda's and Toyota's do seem to have the best track record though. I do agree about the consumer report guide. It really helps.
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  freedom96

  You should get a decent deal on most mini-vans, especially the American made ones, but I would encourage you to stay with the Asian vans. Yes, the Sienna is very nice, but pricey. The Mazda MPV is great. It does not have a high center of gravity like many vans do, and thus drives much more like a car. You can get them at a good price, even the loaded ones, which are very nice and come with a big moon roof, leather, etc.

  The Odyssey has had transmission problems, and most of the American vans have horrible transmissions. Don't know why they can't get their act together and build something more reliable.
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  truth1

  Definitely the Chrysler Pacifica. They were rated the safest mini-van out of them all. My sister owns one sne she is complete thrilled with it. Thanks.