Minivans

[scottk517]

Any help here would be great. We are looking at the Sienna, but am open to any. Please give us your advice and good and bad stories.

Thanks

Scott, Moe and Regan(8 months)

[the5howards]

We just bought a 2004 Grand Caravan SXT Anniversary package. I absolutely love it. It drives very smoothly, has lots of safety features and ours came loaded with DVD, Power doors and hatch, leather and a sunroof. It was thousands below what Toyota or Honda could match. Dodge is pushing to get the 2004's off the lot because the 2005's are now out. My van does not have the fold flat 3rd row but it does have a 50/50 3rd row.

Each minivan is going to drive extremly different and they all have great features. For us it came down to the extra features.

[ismommy]

We just bought a Sienna on Tuesday and so far I LOVE it. We looked at the Odyssey, MPV, Quest and very briefly at the Caravan.( when we looked ta the caravan they were priced higher than the siena with less features. I am sure they would have come down but not sure how much.
I think they all have good and bad features.
We got a good deal on the Sienna though everyone was matching it and more but decided to go with the sienna based on review here and other boards. Also I really like the idea of curtain airbags and the Bella could be in the middle and if we have baby #2 she/he could be in the middle too.
I love the way the Sienna handles. If you do a serach for Sienna you will see the responses I got in the lounge,

Good luck- from what I have read you will be happy with whichever you choose.

[wendinbill]

I currently drive a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan...and I want to sell it. It's nice, but we've had it three years & I'm ready to upgrade. Honda is the ONLY thing I will buy. They really hold their value. We paid nearly $18K for our van and now we can't even sell it for $8K. Sucks. I am in love with Honda Odysseys right now!!!

[Dscvrlifewith3]

I have a 99 Dodge and it drives well and does great for long trips. Like Wendi, I want to upgrade but my van is paid for and I really would hate a car note. Our next van will most likely be a Honda as well.

Kim

[parkersmama]

I have a 2000 Honda Odyssey and couldn't love it more! If we were going to buy a replacement van today, we'd head right for Honda to get another only this time with DVD. :) We've had it for 4+ years and I still love it just as much as when we bought it. It handles great (just like a Honda Accord) which I love. I thought the American vans handled more like trucks when we test drove them. The fold-down rear seat is fabulous and we used it all the time until Parker had to move back there to make room for baby. Also, we have had nothing but excellent service from Honda. There have been minor problems but they've all be resolved very nicely. I would recommend this van to anyone...it's just terrific!

[momathome]

We have a Mazda MPV and we love it! It is one of the smaller minivans but it is sportier looking than the others IMO and it is much easier to maneuver - we test-drove a Sienna and while I loved the features, I felt like I was driving a boat. The MPV maneuevrs like a car. We bought it last summer when Toyota was unwilling to negotiate the price because of the newness of the Sienna and Mazda gave us a wonderful deal - $500 over dealer invoice and 0% financing for 5 years - the similarly-equipped Sienna would have cost $7000 more between them wanting us to pay the msrp and higher interest financing. Our MPV has dual power sliding doors (by far my favorite feature!) the dvd entertainment system, 3rd row seat that folds flat into the floor, and traction control. I highly recomend it!
-Lauren

[Chelsey333]

We have a 2003 Mazda MPV and I also love it. It really drives nicely and those power sliding doors are great. I love how the 3rd row completely folds under to disapear when I need more room for things. I also love that the captain chairs in the 2nd row can be separated or pushed together. Very happy with it, I have only had it for 8 mos. now. We also got 0% financing and only paid 100.00 over invoice.

[wendinbill]

Now you all have me checking out the Mazda's...lol!! I really think that any of the three foreign minivans would be good-Honda, Mazda, Toyota. My family has always owned Hondas & Mazdas, so they have no complaints. I guess just make a list of all the bells & whistles that you want & go from there. Maybe I can persuade DH to go for a test drive this weekend!! ;)

[momathome]

I forgot to throw in about the side by slide captains chairs - very cool and very convenient! We use this feature all the time. The other thing I forgot to mention is the cargo net - defintely worth getting, makes grocery shopping a breeze!
-Lauren

[wendinbill]

Thanks Lauren! I just called the Mazda dealership...think I'm going to test drive one. They have some awesome deals going right now!! DH will love this....

[momathome]

Woo-hoo!!! Have fun test-driving!!! The other nice thing about Mazda is that there warranty is better than Toyota or Honda. Let me know what you think!!! Any new car you get will undoubtedly be fabulous - new minivans come with such terrific features now, it's not such a mom mobile anymore - it can actually be fun to drive!
-Lauren

[Chelsey333]

Ok, I have a question about the cargo net. I never know what to use it for. Doesn't your stroller get in the way of the net? If I have my stroller in the car, the cargo net never gets used. Maybe I don't have mine set up right.

[Jeanmick]

We have a 2002 Honda Odyssey and couldn't be more happier with it. Here's a website you might want to check out:

http://www.odyclub.com/

HTH!

[RiaHannam]

Dh bought me a 2004 Dodge Gr. Caravan SXT in early November. I really like it. This is the 3rd Chrylser minivan we've owned ('91 and '96 were the others).
I did a lot of research on vans and which ones to look at when it came time to replace our '96. I narrowed it down to Chrysler/Dodge, Toyota and the new Nissan Quest. The Quest was quickly knocked off the list after the test drive. I felt like I was driving a big Barbie Minivan. Did not like interior styling and it was very plasticky and cheap looking inside.
We loved the Toyota and that's what I would have if money was not a concern. There are only 2 reasons why I would pick the Toyota over the Chrysler/Dodge: That being 3 shoulder belts in the back row bench and the option of 8 seating positions. However we got a more equipped minivan when we went with the Dodge for thousands of dollars less. There were way more incentives available with Chrysler/Dodge than Toyota and we ended up getting our van for under invoice (dealers still make money with kickbacks from the manufacturer).

That said I'm very happy with my Dodge. The auto doors and liftgate are my favorite feature. Plus I'm picky about color and I got my exact choice: Butane blue with med gray interior. Now that the 2005's are out I am intrigued by the new fold up seats. BUT I've never ever needed to fold down my seats - I have just too many kids! However I like the option of more storage. Perhaps in a few years we'll upgrade but I'm completely satisfied with what I'm driving now. This is our first ever brand new vehicle - not sure if I can ever go back to used after this, lol!

So have fun looking - test drive all of them and I'm sure you'll pick your favorite!

[momathome]

My stroller rests in the well/trunk area and the cargo net is suspended slightly above the stroller. I lean the stroller on it's side so that when I put in the grocery bags, they sink to the bottom of the net and rest on the floor of the trunk area just in front of the stroller. Occasionally, when I overstuff my cargo net, the grocerys do end up resting on top of my stroller but this is a rarity. I'm thinking a lot depends on how big your stroller is and how much room it takes up in the van. HTH!!!
-Lauren

[mamamillie]

I have to echo the MPV raves. I've had mine for a year and couldn't be happier. I have only one child so we keep the third row folded flat most of the time. I usually have 2-3 strollers back there and still have plenty of room for groceries and other shopping. I swore I'd never have a mini van and cried when I sold my jeep but I really love my MPV. We looked at the Odessy also and will probably go with that next time when we need the more space. But, for right now, the MPV is perfect and was an awesome deal. It was also second only to the Odessy for CR ratings.

[MelissaTC]

Glad to hear you are happy. I have yet to find a person who has a 2003 or 2004 Caravan that isn't happy...

We are in the process of purchasing a 2005 Grand Caravan SXT...we looked at the Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Nissan...

Mazda was too small for our needs, DH hated the Toyota and we both walked out of the Nissan dealership...

Honda was the only other choice for us. We are both confident that the Grand Caravan is for us. Lots of features, including the stow and go seats, power liftgate (a must for me!), dvd player, lots of room...and the ride is awesome! Feels like we are gliding! I love it!

[berob]

I hate to say it but go Japanese. There is no doubt that a Mazda, Honda, Toyota, or Nissan will provide you with a better long-term ownership experience and far better resell value. In order, the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Mazda MPV, and Nissan Quest are Consumer Reports top rated minivans. In order of reliability only, Consumer Reports ranks the Toyota Sienna first, followed by the Mazda MPV, Honda Odyssey, adn the Nissan Quest. All of these have average or better than average reliability. The Dodge and Chryslers are all ranked below average in reliability. FWIW, the Honda Odyssey will be redesigned for 2005. That may mean good deals on the '04s when the '05s come out, but it will definitely mean that the '05s will be in short supply and will initially sell for at or above MSRP. Like many things in life, its a pay now (higher price, better quality, and better resell) or pay later (higher repair cost, lower resell). I do not own any of the vehicles mentioned above, but I am familiar with and have driven all of them.

[DDowning]

We have the 2004 Quest and I love it. The center console makes everything at my fingertips and that Navigation stuff really comes in handy! (I have the SE). I love how it drives - DH likes it because the styling doesn't make it look like a minivan - rather a stationwagon on drugs. It was the only van I was interested in so I can't compare it to others when I was in the market. My next door neighbor has the 2003 Odyssey and while it drives nice, the fabric/interious looks like hell after a years use. I agree with the other poster - the MPV was too small for us. We had this a rental car for when we were in Sarasota last week. It was so small - DH nicknamed it the "most precious vehicle". Different strokes for Different folks....

[wendinbill]

Back from a day of Minivan shopping...sigh. I didn't drive any of them, because I just didn't feel like it. Anyhow, I currently own a Grand Caravan. I first looked at the Mazda MPV's and the lack of cargo space in the rear was a huge turn off. Sigh...I so desperately wanted to love this van. Second stop, Honda. Just SO expensive...but still, it's what I really want. Third, Dodge. WAY expensive for what it is...a Dodge. Low re-sell value, but some great features-but I refuse to "settle". Fourth stop, Toyota. The Sienna is a very nicely built van. Love all the features. Will be going back to drive the Honda & the Toyota on a sunny day without the children! Then I will decide. Pay more upfront, have higher resell in the end-very important to me!

[ismommy]

Hi,

This is what I did last weekend. Drove everything and kept coming back to the Sienna Odyssey. The Honda deakers were really dealing throwing in dvd players and coming down on cost but we ended up with the Sienna. This was based on a few things - te side curtain airbags were importanat to me. The moms here raved about the 60/40 bench. Also the Odyssesy is being redesigned (which is why they are dealing) I was concerned that when the 2005 Odysesy came out that it would have the features the Sienna has now and also would look dated quickly.
Good luck I am sure you will love whichever you choose.

[MartiesMom2B]

How long are you planning to keep the van for? If you want an expensive minivan and are planning on keeping it for a few years I would just lease it. I don't have any experience with Hondas but the car my parents gave me to drive was a Toyota Minivan from 1984, they sold it to my uncle in 1998 (probably for a couple hundred bucks) and guess what. It still running great.


Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[scottk517]

Thank you all for youre help. My DW is in love with the sienna, but we are going to look and test drive the MPV, Quest and Odessy. Your posts have been very informative.

Scott