Minivan Recommendations

I have a Dodge Caravan SE, which is the cheaper version of the Chrysler Town & Country. Both are GREAT vans & I especially like mine because of the built in 5 point carseats in the middle row. Very roomy and comfortable. I do wish we had the in floor storage at times though.

Make it a GREAT weekend!

S.

Hi. I grew up with a honda and owned one as an adult. When I traded that in, I chose a toyota sienna. We abused that thing for six years and it never broke down, never needed a repair, and was a perfect minivan for us. Now that I know I am only going to have two kids, we decided to downsize to a family car, and again went for a toyota. I wont buy another brand of car again. I hope this helps you!

both my closest girlfriends have Odysseys but I love my Toyota Sienna! It runs beautifully, it never breaks down, everyone and everything fits in it and it's comfy and easy to drive.

I've had my '08 Toyota Sienna XLE for about a year and a half and love it. The middle captain chairs are easily movable for different configurations and it's easy to get in and out of the back seat. We were comparing the Sienna to the Odyssey at the time and felt the Sienna was more user-friendly and the quality felt better.

Here's a quick run-down of why we chose the Sienna:
- Less interior road noise (didn't have to shout to the back seat to have a conversation)
- Console was easier to look at while driving (the Odyssey was too "busy")
- Third-row seating was a LOT more comfortable
- Front seats were roomier
- Center console was sturdier
- Sienna had the interior/exterior color that we liked better that was available to drive off the lot

We did NOT get the run-flat tires on the advice of the salesman - he said they are just too expensive to replace and you don't get a spare tire when you buy new, which means you'd have to call a tow truck.

The one thing I wish I had is the rear camera so I can look for little kids as I'm backing up. At the time, Toyota only offered that bundled with their GPS, which we weren't willing to pay extra for. That feature was included in all of the Odyssey models.

Happy shopping!

My vote is Honda Odyssey. But be careful if you are offered the "run flat PAX" tire option....it is nice, however, if you get a flat they are VERY expensive to repair. PAX tires cost about $1200 for a set of four or $1600 for 4 snow tires including mounting fee and the Gel pack. PAX requires special equipment and training to mount and do wheel alignment which many shops do not have so you HAVE to go to the dealer for repairs. (My hubby is a Honda mechanic). Have fun shopping!

We love our Honda Odyssey. 25mpg hwy/22 around town to answer someone's question about mpg. The top touring model gets 30-32mpg. It's so reliable, very smooth ride (feels like a car) and is so easy to get the kids situated. I DEFINITELY recommend spending the extra $$ to get BOTH automatic sliding side doors. Much safer so fingers don't get slammed (it automatically opens if something is in it's path) and is so much easier when your hands are full to push the the remote button to open. Very spacious, seats 8.

Good luck!

We love our Sienna - had it for 3 1/2 years now, have love, love, loved it, with absolutely no problems except... the run-flat tires. We are on our 3rd set (just shy of 36,000 miles), and I expect we will have to replace them again (as usual) in another 8-10K miles at our own expense. Please note though, we have the AWD version, and AWD cars beat the heck out of tires. Most AWD cars need tire replacements around 20-25K anyhow. I would ask about it (warranty, replacement and such), at purchase time, or google it (there are a few car forums out there) in regards to the 2WD version to see if it is still a chronic problem. We got the first set replaced free no problem, but the 2nd set was a hassle (but eventually replaced free). They also may have come up with a better tire by now, after all this is a 2006 vehicle - one would hope anyway. The run flats are cool because they eliminate the need for a spare - thus giving you more room to store the seats in the back, and I really can't complain about getting 40K + or - miles in free tires, but it's still worth looking into.

I have heard great things about the Odyssey as well. I am partial to Toyota, since they've always been great for me and my fam though.

As for dealerships, we have been very happy with Mark Miller in downtown SLC. We are repeat customers...

We love our odyssey, but the road noise is loud, and the back hatch is heavy to close. You can't beat the cargo space and versatility, and it drove nicer than the Sienna. Can't go wrong with either one in my opinion. GL!

I have an 8 seater Toyota sienna, and LOVE it. I love the versatility with the seating, the features it has, the way it drives, I can't think of anything I don't like.

i'm only adding my 2 cents because I didn't see anything about crash safety in the other posts.
when we bought our van (2004 model), the Chrysler products were much, much worse on the offset impact than the Odyssey, Sienna, or Quest. We were in the Chrysler dealer looking at a van we liked and questioning back and forth when my husband said, "why are we even having this discussion...its not worth the risk or money if someone chooses to hit us!" he was right and we spent the extra money (a lot, I know) and narrowed it down to the odyssey and sienna. so, do your research on safety for whatever year you're looking at (Highway Institute in addition to the government ratings) and check insurance rates (they typically reflect safety although sometimes its theft that makes them higher).
the biggest reason we went w/the sienna (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) was it felt much nicer than the odyssey for the same money. Since I keep a car 'til it dies and my husband grew up w/a different car every 2 years, the only way he'll agree to keep one 12 years is to get all the options (cheaper for me in the long run than buying 4-5 cars over that period). the other advantage was that in the 2004 models, the rear seat was much easier for me to put down/up in the sienna. not because it was heavier but the angle in the odyssey was weird for me (I'm only 5'3").
I thought the auto sliding doors was a silly feature - now I wouldn't give it up for anything if my kids were still under 5 and still might not even though they're older. I had to turn the doors off on a recent trip (long story) and even at 5 and 7, the kids somewhat struggled w/doing them manually and if your hands are full, pushing a button is absolutely wonderful.
good luck!

We LOVE our Honda Odyssey.

Drove a Dodge Caravan for for 5 years...it was okay. Two years ago we replaced it with the Honda Odyssey...love, love, love this car! Even my husband who really did not want to get another minivan loves this car. We also had narrowed down our search to the Honda or the Toyota. I think we would have liked either one, but we chose Honda because at the time we purchased we could get the one we wanted with all the features we wanted for a little less than the comparable Toyota.

Hey ladies, what is the gas mileage that you all are getting on all of these terrific vehicles? Doesn't this make a difference in the type of vehilcle you get, especially a large van?

not two weeks ago i talked to my mechanic and he said he loves anything toyota!! it is the most relable make out the next to the honda odyssey.
here is the feature ilike about it is that the sliding door windows roll down. we have air but my hubby don't like to use it for some reason. so we need the windows. but we dont have the windows. we are on our 3rd dodge caravan and like them very much. as a mom of 4 and if i had to choose all over again i would get the automatic doors and trunk ,automatic rear windows as well as the sliding door window option, stow and go is super for that extra diaper bag umbrellas, most importanly make sure that your vehicle comes with a key fob that controlls at least the locks on the door. our brand new 06 van didnt come with one.
i thought that was rediculas and to pay for it is about $300 dollars. well that is my expierence qwithtvans. good luck and god bless!!

Hi Z.:

We just bought a 2007 Toyota Sienna CE. It's an 8 passenger. We love that you can remove the 8th seat for more space, or put it back in when you need to carpool. We have 3 kids, so that gives us room for 3 friends if we need. We love how roomy it feels inside, how easy it is to get our kids in and out of their carseats, and it drives really well. The CE doesn't have a lot of extras, so if you like extras I would suggest a different model (the XLE is the most luxurious). We've had both a Camry and an Accord, and our Camry had better longevity, so we leaned toward going back to a Toyota rather than a Honda. Consumer Reports rated the Sienna the most reliable minivan, and we wanted something that would last us a long time. Of course, the Odyssey was a close second, so it seems either way you go, you'll get a great car.

I bought a minivan about 3 years ago (we have a 2006) and after some research, narrowed it down to the Toyota & Honda, just like you. At that time, we test drove them both. After talking to the dealers and driving the cars, it was a no-brainer for us to go with the Odyssey. The Odyssey drives much better than the Toyota in my opinion. There is a lot more get up & go with the Odyssey. When we talked price with the dealer, the Honda dealer was much more willing to work with us on price than the Toyota dealer. I'm sure I would have been happy with the Toyota, if the pricing has worked better for us - but I have absolutely loved my Odyssey - no regrets.

We had a Chrysler Town & Country and LOVED it! It was the Touring Limited Edition - both side doors and back hatch were automatic. Ours seated 7 - but you can get them seating 8. Both 2nd and 3rd row seats could be removed - now you can buy it with Stow n go seating.

It drove like a car - which was nice and the kids could climb in and out of it without any difficulty.

Good luck!
C.

We have a dodge grand caravan and have really liked it. We looked at both the Honda and the Toyota, but the deciding factor for us was price. We felt like we could buy a slightly used Caravan under 10,000 miles for a lot less than an equivalent Toyota or Honda. Great family van lots of leg room. We have the captains chairs in the center so it is comfortable for me if I need to sit by the kids. Stow and Go seating is great for when you need the cargo room to haul bigger items. I have loved this van.

I have a 3 year old Honda Odyssey and I LOVE it. Mine is the level just below the Touring. It has leather, DVD, seating for 8 and much more. The main reason we picked Honda over Toyota was price. The Honda was about $8K less for the same options. I have never had any issues at all, just gas and go! She's had new tires and it was not terribly expensive, less than our old SUV. The interior is very roomy, I just love this van.

I did test drive just about every van out there. I was very disappointed that the American vans were not even on the same playing field, as I had always driven an American car. The Ford van was the worst of the worst.

Good luck!

Z.,

We've been looking at both of those vans too. If you look at Consumer Reports, they both have been in the top 3 overall for several years - especially for safety & repair maintenance. When we are ready, we'll be buying an Odyssey. In our opinion, Toyota has too many options (and we don't like the dealership near us). We also know several people with the Honda who are very happy with it. I don't know anyone with a Sienna.

Good Luck with your decision!

I LOVE my Honda odyssey. I have the PAX tires and while they are expensive, I believe well worth it. We got a flat tire during that crazy December snow storm 3 years ago and made it to where we were going and back home without having to change it. They give me piece of mind. We have driven to Maine and back twice in the 5 years we have owned it. Love, love, love this van!

I just bought a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country a few months ago. It's great! Stow and go seating, the back seat folds backwards also, for camping out, drive-ins, etc. It gets 27 MPG on the highway. Got heating and A/C vents for each seat with separate controls for the back so passengers can control their own heat and cooling, or the driver can control it if the passengers are little (like mine.) There are also separate controls for the driver and front-seat passenger which is great because my hubby is always hot and I'm always cold!

Sliding doors on both sides, cup holders EVERYWHERE and the bench seat in the back has little pocket holders where I put coloring books for my boys and crayons in one of the cup holders for long trips.

The Dodge Caravan is a slightly less expensive version of the Town and Country.

Now, I never looked into any other minivans, so I can't compare, but I think the Town and Country is one you should take a look at when you're shopping for your perfect minivan!

BTW, my mom and mother-in-law are super jealous of my car. LOL Bonus.

I have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan top of the line. We bought it new and I would NEVER make this same purchase. It now has 95,000 miles but has been problematic since about 6 months in with everything from small to major issues, including transmission, air conditioning, electrical, drive train, you name it. Fortunately, we bought the extended warranty which paid for itself but the inconvenience of regular repair shop visits has been a major pain. It has now been out of warranty for over a year and we have dropped another couple of thousand dollars in repairs. If it weren't for uncertain economic times/job situations, I would have traded it off after the warranty expiration.

In my opinion, the additional expense for the initial purchase of the Honda or Toyota pays off in the end. I will definitely choose one of these in the future.

Yesterday I rode in my girlfriend's new Chrysler Town & Country. It's the first minivan I have ever been impressed with: http://www.chrysler.com/en/2009/town_country/
Pretty nice with tons of features and space & looks nice too.

My sisters both have Oddeseys, but we just bought a Grand Caravan. It made sense for us because we have never had a car payment in our life! We will likely never buy a new car, either (who wants to lose 40% of the value when you drive it off the lot?) So when we were looking for vans, we budgeted about $8000. The Hondas we could afford for that price were 9 years old with over 100K miles. Or we could buy a 2003 Grand Caravan with 92K miles for $4500. It was a no-brainer.

I did a lot of research on the different models. They said that Mazda MPV's are the smallest ones out there. That's fine if you only have two kids and need some extra room for gear. But if you have more kids, they say skip the MPV.

My friend has a newer Nissan Quest(?) that is really really nice. I would have liked to get one of those instead, but again, our goal was to not have a car payment.

As for reliability, I'm usually a Honda or Toyota girl. But again on the reviews, every type of car has problems. In Grand Caravan's it's the transmission. In Hondas it was a long string of major belts breaking and all the cool extra features not working after a while (like the power-sliding doors). I figured they all add up to a lot of money, so why not start off paying less money for the vehicle?

I dunno, that's the choice we made. We love the room in the Caravan. My kids walk around in there, and I have had so much space to carry the baby gear I'm buying on Craigslist! We got one with two bench seats instead of captain's chairs. I'm not sure it really makes that much of a difference, though. We love all the seating options, so my boys can sit next to each other in front, and we can pile so much stuff in the back, or they can have their own row and have a break from each other. One feature I look forward to is putting the back bench in the center row (and taking out the smaller bench out completely) so the soon-to-be three kids can sit there, and we'll have the entire back open for camping gear, etc.