Mini Van - Questions

I think the mini van is one of the best inventions ever developed! My children have all grown up now and I have downsized from the van to a compact car and I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss the van!! I always had the Dodge/Chrysler one and it is the greatest. They are so easy to drive and park and get wonderful mileage. I am seriously considering getting another van when we get this car paid off, that's how much I enjoyed driving one. The space is not to be compared to anything else out there. And besides, I'll have grandchildren soon enough so that will justify the van again. Have a blessed day!
B.

I love my Honda Odyssey much better gas milage than an SUV...
The automatic doors are awesome-- no kiddos slamming fingers and other car's doors getting in/out
Also the side door(S) windows now go up/down too
They top end has an automatic tail gate too!
I had a Toyota Sienna before and loved that too-- we chose to go with HONDA this time b/c of the residual value is better in a lease with HONDA
plenty of cargo space even with the 3rd row seat up...go test drive HONDA and TOYOTA
Happy car shopping...

The minivan, hands down! You cannot beat the doors that slide open instead of pull open. It's so roomy too. Plenty of room for that stroller and whatever else you have in the back. I would suggest buying one that has doors on both sides and that has captain seats in back instead of the bench. That away the kiddos have some room between them and can make for a more pleasant ride. ") I have a Toyota Sienna and it drives just like a nice big car!
C.

I was always one of those people who would "never" drive a mini van, but now that I have one, I LOVE it. We switched from a Ford Explorer to a Dodge Grand Caravan last December. We researched for about a year, checked out consumer reports, used vans, new vans, and plenty of other makes and models of vans and SUV's as well and we are sold on our '06 Grand Caravan (best year in the last several according to consumer reports). We get much better gas mileage, we went from two rows to three (and with two car seats in the back seat that third row becomes a life saver). The van also drives more like a car and less like a truck (like my Explorer). We got the automatic doors, which at first seemed like one more thing that could break but with a baby, bags, etc in your arms they are priceless. We have good storage underneath the seats and that little space in the back, but if we need even more, we can fold our seats down (we have stow and go - another big selling point) and we have tons of room for strollers, groceries, luggage, etc. Good luck whatever you decide!

Morning,

I drove a Durango for 4 years while my two kids were in scouts. I wouldn't trade it for the world but now they are not in scout and we dont go camping and travel that much with a bunch of kids I found that a minivan is suitable for our needs we moved a entertainment center in our van and it is pretty big. But if I was to start camping and having to haul camping stuff again I would go with the SUV. We have a HYonda oddsey before we got it we were looking to getting teh Dodge Town and Country. They have the travel package with the DVD for children and four captain chairs the two back ones can be folded down or in some cars can be removed for transporting anything. Best of luck to you.

T.

I have a 2000 Chevy Astro that seats 8 people; which is handy. And the two rows of bench seats pop out the back to make it effectively a full size pickup truck with camper top.. I love my van.. and I average 20 mpg on the highway, 18.5 in the city. My insurance cut almost in HALF.

My husband and i bought our first mini van (Chrysler Town and Country) in December last year and we LOVE it. We have 3 children and they love it(well the older 2 anyway, my youngest doesn't have any feelings about it yet). There is plenty of space for everyone, plus 1 or 2 more, and going on a trip space in the back. It is better on gas then an SUV I had a few years back. It also takes E85, so gas can be even cheaper. It gets a little less gas mileage w E85, but not too much.

L., thanks for the question! I will look back for other answers too as I am in a similar situation. We have two kids, both in car seats and 2 SUVs. Here is what we have found so far:

Type of mini van we are condidering:
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Sienna

Advantages over SUVs:
- sliding doors (instead of opening out..we have to back out of the garage to buckle one of our children in the car)
- more room (cargo and sitting)
- very reliable mini vans
- everyone I know who has one or has had one has not complained about them

Disadvantages:
- Price (might be worth it, but still those two aren't cheap)
- Gas mileage (it's not THAT much better than the SUVs we have now, especially with the current price tags for these)
- Omigosh..it's a minivan!!! Aren't SUVs supposed to be so much "cooler". My image is going to take a beating (hahahaha)

GO FOR THE MINIVAN. I love mine. My son is 5 and my daughter is 11 months. For me, it was very hard to deal with her in the rear facing seat in the SUV. The mini van door opens and you have FULL access to your baby.

Further, my son can totally get in and out completely on his own. With the SUV, I was CONSTANTLY worrying that his car door would hit the car next to us. Now, he can open and close the door on his own and get in and out on his own. He does his own seat belt and everything. And, I have no fear of him damaging the next car.

In my minivan, I leave the last row of seats folded down most of the time, so we have an awesome amount of room in the back. Total heaven and it is a little bit lower than the SUV, so it is easy to get things in and out of the back.

LOVE IT

I never had an SUV, but was totally against getting a minivan (the whole image thing). But boy, I sure do love my Toyota Sienna! The sliding doors are awesome, it is such a comfortable ride (we've driven R/T to NJ three times), the turning radius is fantastic, and soooooooo much room! I have driven other minivans as rentals -- Dodge Caravan (not the new one, though) and Kia Sedona -- and the Sienna beats them hands down! The Caravan was sluggish and the turning radius was terrible and it wasn't all that comfortable. The Kia Sedona accelerated nicely and was very spacious, but wasn't very comfortable and the gas mileage wasn't as good. I've also heard good things from Honda Odyssey drivers. The Sienna does cost a bit more, but it is worth it. With the middle row, you have the option of a third seat, which can then be positioned closer to the front seats if you have an infant/toddler. Well, we decided to get the third seat even though our girls weren't that little at the time. And initially we didn't use it. But what foresight! We welcomed child #3 in 2007 and that seat has been a blessing. I'm easily able to reach our little one, and of course the middle of the row is the safest position for a car seat.

I am have been trying to decide the very same thing. I have a 15 month old and expecting my second child in April. The deciding factor for me is having two car seats and the ease of loading up the kids and all the stuff that goes with them. Depending on what size SUV you are considering it may be easier in a really big SUV. I was trying to decide between a honda pilot and odyssey and have pretty much decided on the odyssey, although we are putting off the purchase until we really have to have it.
I hope this helps Good Luck!

Well I can partly answer your question. Seems like most people have the minivan. I have two small children and am still not into the minivan look. Our grand jeep cherokee went out last April, so we had to get another vehicle. After lots of consideration we went with the GMC Acadia. Ours seats 7 with the middle row being captains chairs, but there is a bench seat option that seats 8 also. I absolutely love it. The captains chairs seperate the kids and leaves an aisle for me to get to them on road trips. The middle row seats slide forward and back to make more leg room in the back. The back row splits 60/40 and folds down flat for more room. I can fit a double stroller behind the third row when it is up with no problem. Also there is a storage box ( kind of) in the trunk area to store other items. Other features are rear air conditioning in all three rows and cupholders for all seats. It is basically a mini van on the inside without the look on the outside. I guess the only feature that would be nice is the sliding doors. This SUV gets the best gas milage in its class. Around town we get about 19 and on the highway about 24mpg.

But whatever you choose should feel comfortable to you. And remember as kids grow(which they do fast) some convieniences are not necessary, so we bought for the long haul.

Hope this helps.

Holy moly, I can't believe I'm saying this but I LOVE my mini van. We recently had a third baby & could have squeezed her into our Jeep Cherokee but it would have definitely been a SQUEEZE! My eldest, 7, loves having the back seat all to herself & I love that they're not all crammed together & fighting (literally) for space. It's awesome being able to get everyone in through the same door, keeping them near me & not walking around the car in a parking lot. We went with the longer wheel base so I've got plenty of room in the back for groceries, etc but it doesn't feel like driving a boat.

Cost was a major factor for us, so we went with the Kia Sedona. I don't have fancy upgrades, but I haven't found it too taxing to do without automatic doors or leather seats. I also don't think my children need more opportunity to watch TV, so not having a DVD in the back isn't a big deal. ;) I know there's a certain stigma attached to the Kia, but I feel good that I'm driving a vehicle which has top marks for safety while not breaking us financially.

Like I said, I'm totally loving the van. It's fun to drive (I'm surprised how easy it is to make U-turns & tight corners!), my kids are thrilled with the space & I love that we're all safe & comfortable.

Good luck with your decision!

I have not driven an SUV but recently moved to a mini van. I have family that do drive SUVs and the big difference I can see is that you do have more room. I bought a Dodge Grand Caravan with the stow and go seating. I would not get any other as I have driven my sisters Sienna and I didn't like having to take the seat out and leave it at home to gain space. When we got where we were going, we were needing that extra seat. I would recommend a used over a new if you can find one. If you live in or near the Alliance Area check out Allen Samuels Dodge on I35, they were great with me. They took my wrecked car and gave me $750 for it, plus extra for trade it. I got a 2007 GC for arround 13,000 and it was almost fully loaded, plus gap insurance and 3 year 36,000 mile warrenty. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Just an additional thought, but if you look at Grand Caravans, ask about the built-in carseats. I LOVE mine. With three kids, we can use them for additional friends, or it's even nice if we've forgotten that we took a carseat out, and need to leave in a hurry, the built-in one is there. The seats look normal, but have a panel that folds down and has a five-point harness right there connected to the seat itself. THey have to be a certain size to use it, I think it's 23 lbs or so, but that size will be here before you know it.

Family of 3 here with 4 cars.......

We have a 1997 Chrysler Town and Country loaded minivan what we bought when our only child was about 2 I guess. We have never done anything except routine maintainence. The van has less than 60,000 miles so it is in excellent shape. I use it when I need to go to Home Depot, Costco, have family visiting or if I have to cart my daughter and more than 1 of her friends. It gets great gas mileage, avg about 25 on the highway. This van is the 3rd Chrysler Town and Country we have owned. I know there are newer models of minivans now that are very nice and have great features. I've not been in the newer models so I can't vouch for them. Mine is an oldie but goodie!!

One of the things I love about this model was that if we were on the road, I did not have a console between the driver and passenger seats up front. I could get up and go to the back area to check on my daughter. If it was raining, I could get us both ready to get in the rain and go out the side door. We rarely use the van now but it is worth far more to us than any dealer would pay for it so we just hold on to it. You can take all the seats out and that has worked for bringing home new furniture if needed and multiple Home Depot runs.

We have a Jeep Cherokee. I love the Cherokee, however, the ride in the van is much smoother. Gas mileage is not as good on the Jeep. I like the look of the Cherokee as well.

My hubby surprised me with a sport luxury Mercedes for my bday 2 yrs ago and that is my main mode of transportation until my daughter starts to drive and then I get an upgrade and she gets this one. I love this car and would recommend to anyone. It is very safe as well. Safety is a huge issue with us since we will have a teen driver all too soon.

Hope that helps!

Hi L.,
I know when I had a newborn and a 2 yr. old, my mini van was a lifesaver. When your arms are totally full, holding a baby carrier, diaper bag, purse, and holding hand of other child, it is SOOOOOO NICE to be able to push a button on keychain and the van door opens!!!!!! Sure makes life a little easier!

I've had a minivan for 7+ years and love it. I plan on keeping it until my kids are in college and then having a small car (ala Honda Fit) as my primary vehicle. I don't really like larger vehicles, but the Honda drives like a sedan - the only gotcha is that you do have more blind spots and need more space for changing lanes etc.- i.e., you need to be more cautious which can be difficult with kids in the car. I will likely keep my minivan for roadtrips and larger shopping trips, as well as when visitors are in town. I would guess it is going to last me for 200,000 + miles.

That all said, I did not get a minivan until my kids were in elementary school as you really don't need that much space unless you plan on lots of roadtrips, as you don't do major carpooling typically in the early years.

However, for roadtrips vans are fantastic. We take out seats (a must for flexibility in minivans and have lots of room for the kids stuff, coolers, etc. Of course, kids are also belted up. But, the van is great if you encounter bad weather as you don't have to leave the car for a picnic, etc.

I have also driven a truck and don't like it at all - the handling is different and maneuverabilty is far more limited. I've also ridden in larger SUVs and I know my minivan has far more flexible space and is far better.

We have hauled room fulls of Ikea furniture in my minivan due to the ability to fold the rear seat down without removing it - another MUST for ultimate flexibility.

The only plus for a minivan in the early years is the automatic doors and some ease in putting kids in/out (as compared to a sedan).

The minivans now are tons more flexible than more with lots more features, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. The only reason I haven't traded up is because I have had so few problems with my minivan (105,000 right now) - it's been in the shop once for something other than routine maintenance (another reason I prefer Hondas - they're superior in reliability).

In terms of safety, most minivans do quite well in the crash tests. Honda I think is the best - at least it was when I bought mine).

I own a Chevy Venture. Love it!!! On the key chian is has the ability with he push of a button to open the side doors. Great for when your hands are full and you need to open a door with out setting everything down. The minivan also sits lower to the ground witch i think makes it easier to load and unload without lifting higher. Good Luck.

Not long before we started TTC I bought my Honda Accord EX. It's got everything but nav. It's awesome. I love it. I had my first (twins) a few years later and wondered how it would work. So far it's actually been great. I can even squeeze in a buddy in between the carseats in the back. I LOVE my Honda.

I have thought about the future. We want more children, but not right away. Having gone trough fertility treatments, we may not be able to have any more. My Accord should hold up for a long time....

My advice to you is, don't get another car until you actually have another child. You never know-you may not have any more then you've got a mini van with a singelton.

We've had 2 Honda Odyessys. We loved our first one, our second one has had more problems. It is a bad year model for the Honda, it is a 2001 and I would not recommend that year at all. We've had numerous problems with our transmission, had to replace our transmission at 105,000 miles. We've had problems with the catalytic convertor. We have 189,000 miles on it also. I believe they have corrected the problem in other Honda Odysessys after 2001. Our sliding door motor went out on the right side. We can still open it,however it is difficult doing it manually! We had a 1997 one, we had no repairs needed on that one at all,except for regular maintenance, oil changes/tune ups/new tires,etc...
I talked with a Foreign and Domestic auto repair shop and asked them do they get more Honda vans in or more Toyota vans in, I was curious, as we have had more problems with 2001 van. He told me he gets Hondas in all the time, especially trucks, SUV's and the vans. He says the transmissions and other major parts they work on a lot because for some reason Hondas have difficulty in the trucks, SUV's and vans, as far as the engine/transmission goes. The cars-Honda they don't get many of them. He says he hardly ever gets a Toyota van/truck in for repair.

We want our next vehicle to be a Toyota. Overall, Honda is good manufacturer, however there are bad year models. I've also had Honda Accord. Our 2001 van, unfortunately, when they implemented the emissions changes in the van and helping the environment with pollution; it didn't work well on our vehicle. I would check Consumer Reports if you get a used one and find the year model that you are wanting to buy and check it with them and that way you will know the history of problems other people have had with that year/model/make.

I've never had a SUV, however I would think a van would have more storage and room for several kids. I've ridden in SUV's and it does seem smaller.

I had a SUV it was a Saturn Vue but I only had 2 kids. I have recently upgraded to an Saturn Outlook it is an 8 passanger van but it doesn't look like a van. I am one of those people that are "too young to drive a van" so this was a good option for me.

We just bought our first minivan after agonizing over whether to get an SUV or not. We went w/a minivan b/c it is designed perfectly for a family. The spaciousness is amazing, the sliding back doors are so convenient, & the gas mileage is better than an SUV. I am so glad we got a minivan over an SUV. And ours is a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, which I've heard is a top choice. Very safe, too! Also - very easy to drive & park, vs. maneuvering an SUV.

Hey L.!!

Did T tell you we are buying one too? Must mean we are getting older... The moms in my momsgroup all swear by their vans and love them for the convenience (especially the door auto open thing). Those of us in the group with only 1 child are still holding onto our SUVs but those with 2 all seem to have either a van or a suburban. We have found with our SUV now that the back seat is not as big as we once thought it was, especially since we will have two car seats back there at the same time (and kids these days are in car seats for so long, till they are like 40 pounds or something).

As far as type of SUV, we've been doing research and all the reports seem to point to either the Honda Odyssey or the Toyota Sienna (Sierra?) as being the best of the best. More money but apparently much less problems. For some reason Nissan, even though they have great cars in general, their mini van doesn't fare as well. And a girl in my momsgroup has one and has complained about all the problems she has had with it.

But I will be checking back on your question to see what everyone else recommends! =)

My husband wants an SUV, but I prefer a van. I've found from looking at many different vans/suvs at car shows, etc, that vans seem to have more space, especially in the trunk area (unless you get a large suv, which I don't want).

We rented a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan last month in Phoenix. We hated it! The seats were not comfortable at all (very hard and boxy)! The far back seat was tilted up at an odd angle that made it even more uncomfortable to sit in. I did like that it had a built in mirror so the driver can see in the back of the van, and the stow-and-go seating, but that was about it. We are looking at the Toyota Sienna (I think that's the name of their mini van) and the Honda Odyssey.