Time for an Upgrade! I Need Minivan Recommendations.

I drove a Doge Grand Caravan for 13 years and NEVER had a problem with it. When we sold it we got top dollar for it even with the mileage and age. It held its value much better than foreign made ones. We knew six other couples that were shocked because their foreign made vans did NOT hold their value very well. I would not buy a foreign made vehicle unless you wish to support another government, as we as taxpayers are now having to bailout the domestic auto makers. I wouldn't be surprised if our government starts putting large import taxes on foreign made vehicles and parts. Then everyone with a foreign vehicle will be selling them real cheap.

Good luck. I'm now past the minivan stage but they certainly are great with kids and all their stuff.

SUPPORT AMERICA...BUY AMERICAN! Or your grandchildren may be speaking another language as their native tongue.

We just had to do the same. We did the rounds and ended up with a Nissan Quest. I have friends who have had a Dodge caravan and hated it. It was always breaking down. I don't think you can go wrong with Honda, Toyota or Nissan. People won't like me for this but I won't go for an american built car any more the build quality just is not as good, we have had them and there was always something going wrong with them and this is even brand new cars.
What we like about the quest is that the back row and the middle row of captains chairs both fold flat into the floor making a very big flat bed. It has a reversing sensor which has been very handy already. It is the longest of the vans. Ours is 2nd hand, 2 yrs old and came with a factory built in DVD player, we were told that they come as standard in the van! Its okay in the snow but think a change of tires will make it stick to the road better. Most come with the cheapest tires fitted. Most of all I love the room and my kids are not irritating each other as they can spread out, and they can all strap themselves in! My 5 yr old could not do that in the SUV and you cannot get 3 seats across and they being able to tie themselves in. We tried it in a lot and it is not possible. Whatever van you get make sure that if you haven't got one to buy a opener for it that you can open the door and the rear tail gate as you approach, it makes it so easy and the kids think it is so cool! Which for me helps because I resisted getting a van for so long!

Congrats. We have owned a Chrysler Town and Country and we love ours..I think the biggest benefit if the two sliding doors all automatic and the fact that all the seats in the back will Stow and Go...meaning they all will stow into the floor with the pull of some releases. Plus when you have all the seats up it gives you extra room under the floor boards to store extra clothes and kid stuff w/out the van looking dirty (its like having a basement in the van). Our middle row of seats are captain seats, and that is very nice to have because it fits adults a lot better than the benches, the back row is a bench that can fit kids car seats very nice. Really the benefits of a van go on and on..we were always resistant to own a mini-van but same as you when we were pregnant with our third we knew it was time to get something bigger, more doable with three kids and gas wise needed something good. We love our van and have gotten over the whole mini-van thing that we thought we were to cool for one. My best advice is to look around and shop for a good deal, there are lots of good vans out there by different makers.

We LOVE our Nissan Quest. We bought it new in 2005(after my youngest was born). And 4 years later, still love our van. It's one of the more longer of the mini-vans. So, it can haul alot. We've gotten alot of compliments of how "cool" it looks from our friends & family-especially our teenage nephews. What's also nice is, it doesn't look too mini-van'ish. Which was a concern for my honey since he was trading in his beloved pick-up for this van. We have done road trips w/4 large adults, a teenage boy & 2 little people in this van quite comfortably.
Prior to owning the Quest, we did own a Dodge Caravan. We purchased this used and unfortunately, had one mechanical problem after another. We did enjoy the van when it was faithfully running.
Hope this info is of help.

Happy van hunting! :0)
L.

Funny, I had a Jeep Cherokee, until I had my son, then we got a mini van. Honda Odyssey. I have driven a lot of differnt vehicles and by far this was the BEST thing I have ever had. Due to finance issues I had to part with it as we leased it, I almost cried. I LOVED THAT Van, it was an 05 and never had one problem with it. The sliding doors are great for crappy weather days, the kids can run and jump in. There is TONS of room and with three kids you have to consider their friends will be coming along soon. I loved it! The only drawback was you have to take the middle console out to make it easy access to the back seat, so then it sat 7 instead of 8. I LOVED it's reliablity, safety and it was just great. Smooth ride, lot's of great features, like rear air controls. TONS of storage room in the back. I highly recommend this.
Not to mention they hold their resale value almost more then any other vehicle. So it is truly and investment.
I really was upset about parting with mine, we had to just pay cash for a car with the economy and the lease coming due but if I had to get another one, it would be another Odyssey!
Go to Edmunds.com or Kelly Blue Book.com, both will give you comparisons, ratings and consumer history of what they liked or didn't.
I can say Honda is a very reliable vehicle. American made mini vans are good but not long term and seem to have history of issues not to mention they do not hold their resale values. Not to diss Chrysler, Dodge or Ford but they just aren't as well made and reliable.

My Odyssey being an 05, paid $26,000, still had a resale value of $17,000, that is HUGE! Not to mention I no mechanicaly issues at all in four year. If you keep the oil changed, the servies up to date, you needn't do anything else to it.
Just to online, research and compare for what you want in a mini van and what everyone has to offer.

We have a Chryslar Town and Country and we just love it. It runs really well. We have had it for 2 years (it's used) and have had hardly any problems, mainly just the brakes and tires. It has a ton of room. We have 5 kids, 2 of which are teenagers and fit just fine. We drove to Disneyland from Salt Lake last year and there was no complaining from the kids at all about space.
Good Luck

I went out set on buying a Honda or Toyota because we heard they were the best, we test drove a few and were really disappointed with both of them. We ended up liking the Chrysler Town and Country best. We got an 05, we've been driving it for a year and a half and have really liked it. I think as far as cargo space goes all minivans are about the same. I have 4 kids and we travel and go camping a lot, We have had plenty of room. Sometimes we stow one of our captains chairs when we travel, it's nice to have that option, and they stow so easily.
I would recommend test driving a few and see what you like about them.
We are the same with purchasing cars and car payments. It's smart to buy used, although I hear right now that used car prices are going up. I guess because it's harder to get a new car right now. You might want to look into that. Good luck, and congrats on the new baby.
B.

Toyota Sienna! Start there! LOVE ours! Got it Fall of 2003 and still love it! We'll be fitting our 4th child in it this summer!

Congratulations! We have a Toyota Sienna eight seater. We can do 3 car seats across the middle seat, which leaves the back available. My husbands job takes him out of town for several months at a time. We get furnished places, but we take everything else with us. We've done growth clothes, out of season clothes, Pack 'N Plays, swings, bouncy seats, toys, etc. for a family of 5 for as many as 6 months at a time and never had to use a car top carrier. We even carry a printer/copier/fax with us and a few other things like that. The room is incredible. We'll probably never get anything else. We have a 2006 with 112,000 miles on it and have yet to do anything other than replace brakes and tires for repairs. We have taken bikes in it, too. I think the seats are very easy to raise and lower. Have fun shopping!

LOVE my Toyota Sienna.
Your kids are right - the automatic, sliding doors are cool - we get so many comments! Actually, they're hugely practical - I was going to skip them but got talked into them by my boss's wife, of all people. Can't thank her enough!

The only issue w/used is that in the early years of the current models (2003 for odyssey and 2004 for sienna and maybe a couple after), many of the safety features were optional. I wouldn't give up my VSAT (vehichle stabilty something....) - it's saved our behinds a couple of times when having to suddenly swerve on the highway because someone drops something in front of you or shoots a gap that isn't there. Also, the full air bags all the way through to the third row were not standard in 2004 - they're a huge peace of mind (particularly when my small town mother-in-law drove my kids around Denver for a week!)

as for space - we have more cargo space w/the rear seat UP than we did in a Jeep grand cherokee - crazy, huh? And w/the rear seat down, we have as much cargo space as a Tahoe (I have a co-worker w/one and I used to park next to her and I'd compare). Super, super easy to put the rear seat up and down. Also super, super easy to take the captain's chairs in and out. w/all the back seat seating down/out there's space for a full sheet of plywood (4x8). I've hauled a stove, a full-length sofa and an outdoor, wooden play structure among other things! And, we have room to haul friends or grandparents in addition to the 4 of us.

We went to a minivan when our Jeep died mostly because we couldn't figure out how to go car-camping w/two dogs and two car seats in anything but a minivan. we used to use a car top carrier when we had one child, two large dogs and went camping or took long trips (700 miles) to relatives. Haven't used it since we bought the sienna and we now have 2 kids and the 2 dogs.

Lastly, if safety is super important to you, be sure to look up both government 5-star AND the Highway safety ratings. we really like the chyrsler/dodge product when we bought (fall '03) but the driver was never going to walk again in an off-set crash and there were not air bags all the way back - made it a no-brainer to go to Nissan, Honda, or Toyota. Also, we wanted something that would go 200k or more (we buy new - but then hold on to it FOREVER). We ended up w/Toyota because it just "felt" more luxurious. My husband has to have all the bells and whistles if I make him drive it more than 5 years (they got new cars every 3 years when he was growing up!). Also, I'm short and the Toyota was much easier for me to stow and lift the rear seat - not beacause they're lighter-just the leverage was different.
Have fun test driving!

we have a toyota sienna. it's nice and roomy and it does fit 3 carseats just fine. plus the seats in the back fold in the floor so that you don't have to remove them and you can fit strollers, dogs, whatever in the back. i love it.

i hear that honda is #1 safety rated and Toyota is a close 2nd. they're both really nice vans. we drove both when we were looking and they're very similar. drove much better than the dodge caravan which was not smooth at all.

hope that helps.

Love, love, LOVE my 2005 Honda Odyssey! If I were to buy another minivan right now, I'd definitely go with the Odyssey, with the Toyota Sienna a close runner-up.