Will I regret selling the minivan

[flashy09]

I have a 2014 Odyssey and love it. I really do, except it's starting to look older on the outside, it's now relatively high mileage (145k) and I am starting to feel the age inside with technology and missing safety factors.... and I do miss some luxury touches.

So my questions: Sometimes test driving all these cars I feel l start to analyze them vs really think of my situation. I don't use the 3rd row for passengers all that often and it's 99% kids. Once I took two other couples to an event. The Odyssey 3rd row is truly full size and it was a great ride for everyone! But how much does that really matter for kids? With a regular size 3rd row...and most do seem tight or with strangely high floors ....do kids complain or do you miss/want a bigger one for another reason? My daughter does go back there to change (I leave it up because I like the well area for groceries). My kids are small, but some of their friends even at 9 are my height! So I guess have to think of adult size preteens/teens not just little kids....but then again in 2-3 yrs the front seat is usable.


Second question is the safety features. My car has warnings, but nothing active. I want the extra safety, but I am little scared of it. I have heard sometimes an overpass or a turn can trigger a lane correction or brake or the car will track the wrong lane? Also my road is extremely narrow and the sides drop off so I am quite close to the center line when no oncoming traffic. Will it be pushing me back over all the time?

Thank you!

[smilequeen]

I never enjoyed my minivan so I never missed it. I have a full size SUV and the third row is great, better than any minivan we’ve rented according to my oldest…but I have an Lincoln Navigator L, which is huge (I want to downsize when my oldest goes to college for sure). Minivans are easier to access the 3rd row, in general though.

For safety, I love the blind spot detector and I like my heads up display and lane monitoring but I would not use the feature that self corrects, it seems dangerous to me. I’ve known a few people who have had accidents or near misses when the car self corrected but they were able to turn that feature off after.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Having a car that can carry your kid and their friends is great. It gives you a chance to get to know them when you offer to get them from practice at school or to something social. Minivans are nice because of the easy access and I think they drive easier than mega SUVs. Test drive a bunch though and see what you prefer.
You can turn off some of the safety tech (and just turn it back on if you think it would be helpful at the moment). The only one that I have had issue with is the brake one. It flashes this big red “BRAKE” and is distracting- especially because it has only gone off when I’m going around a sharp curve and there’s a parked car. Chill out, car, I see it!


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[twowhat?]

We have an even older Odyssey (2008) that we would most definitely regret getting rid of. In fact it's being towed today to the shop to hopefully fix something simple to keep it going...

I will say that I do feel like we are missing out on safety features. We at least have a backup camera, so there's that. But no other real advanced safety beyond the backup camera, ABS, air bags...however, it's a very safe car.

This car can just do literally whatever we throw at it. 3 adults in the 3rd row? Done. Stuffed with kids and dogs? Done. 2 families, 8 people, all in one car to get to a concert? Done. Grandparents can get in without climbing? Done. Everyone can squeeze in the sliding doors despite stupidly compact parking spaces? Done. 77 inch flat screen TV in original box? (I KNOW there were people watching us in the Costco parking lot thinking "no way" and then "WTF" when we slid it straight into the back of the van). Done. Basset sectional? Played Tetris, but done. It has been able to transport literally all the furniture we've bought because of the ability to remove the second row completely and have a HUGE RECTANGLE to fit things. And I LOVE that it's not really an "inflated" size, since it's older, so it still feels compact to drive. I'm afraid to get a new van because everything is just bigger.

What I really want is my van, with the exact same dimensions and the exact same ability to get rid of all the passenger seats to clear a large cargo space, but with AWD.

Also, DH completely agrees. We would ALL be SUPER SAD to not have our van.

[Snow mom]

My odyssey is a year or two newer than yours I think and I’m fine with the safety features it has. DH just got a new car and it beeps at you if it feels you are leaving your lane and auto-brakes if it feels it necessary (we haven’t tried this out.) I don’t feel like either of those things is a must have. For its capacity the gas mileage is really good on the minivan and I like how modular the seating is as I use it for a lot of different things.

This has been a weird few years to have a minivan as we haven’t been sharing rides at all until this school year started so the extra capacity for kids really hasn’t been a thing. But especially if you are thinking of replacing with a new car think 3-5 years down the road. All of DDs friends are at least small adult sized at age 12. Some of the boys in her grade are massive—like already 6’. Everyone is out of car seats and boosters. I love having them in my car again because the car conservations are both amusing and a good window into life. I’m often the default driver because I can fit so many kids but to me I really enjoy driving a gaggle of kids around. I wouldn’t consider getting rid of my minivan at this point. Maybe once the kids have cars of their owns and are mainly driving themselves or being driven by friends.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We have an even older Odyssey (2008) that we would most definitely regret getting rid of. In fact it's being towed today to the shop to hopefully fix something simple to keep it going...

I will say that I do feel like we are missing out on safety features. We at least have a backup camera, so there's that. But no other real advanced safety beyond the backup camera, ABS, air bags...however, it's a very safe car.

This car can just do literally whatever we throw at it. 3 adults in the 3rd row? Done. Stuffed with kids and dogs? Done. 2 families, 8 people, all in one car to get to a concert? Done. Grandparents can get in without climbing? Done. Everyone can squeeze in the sliding doors despite stupidly compact parking spaces? Done. 77 inch flat screen TV in original box? (I KNOW there were people watching us in the Costco parking lot thinking "no way" and then "WTF" when we slid it straight into the back of the van). Done. Basset sectional? Played Tetris, but done. It has been able to transport literally all the furniture we've bought because of the ability to remove the second row completely and have a HUGE RECTANGLE to fit things. And I LOVE that it's not really an "inflated" size, since it's older, so it still feels compact to drive. I'm afraid to get a new van because everything is just bigger.

What I really want is my van, with the exact same dimensions and the exact same ability to get rid of all the passenger seats to clear a large cargo space, but with AWD.

Also, DH completely agrees. We would ALL be SUPER SAD to not have our van.

We borrowed a friend’s Odyssey to move some batches of stuff when we moved and I was amazed by how much it held! We rented one to move ds1 to college and I foresee needing it even more when he gets his first apartments. I think minivans are magical


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[georgiegirl]

If your kids are young, I’d stick with a minivan. Nothing beats the convenience of a minivan…sliding doors and ample storage. We are considering switching to a 3 row SUV in a year or so. DD turns 16 in march, so I won’t have to drive her then. Just my boys (12 and 8). I’m on my second Honda Odyssey. First one purchased in 2009. Second one in 2017.

[carolinamama]

I never enjoyed my minivan so I never missed it. I have a full size SUV and the third row is great, better than any minivan we’ve rented according to my oldest…but I have an Lincoln Navigator L, which is huge (I want to downsize when my oldest goes to college for sure). Minivans are easier to access the 3rd row, in general though.

For safety, I love the blind spot detector and I like my heads up display and lane monitoring but I would not use the feature that self corrects, it seems dangerous to me. I’ve known a few people who have had accidents or near misses when the car self corrected but they were able to turn that feature off after.

This is pretty much my situation. I had a love-hate relationship with my minivan. There is nothing as convenient for loading and transporting kids but I just didn't love driving it. After I was finished loading littles, I got a full sized SUV and then "downsized" this year from the XL version to the regular Yukon. My 3rd row is regular sized and can hold teens or adults comfortably. I keep some of the safety features off - mainly the lane assist since it drives me nuts but I love the blind spot assist. Even with all this room, I rarely have a full carload day to day. DS1(16) drives himself and I can leave kids home when I run siblings. We carpool some (less than we did pre-pandemic) but rarely with more than 1-2 extra kids. My point is, if you can hold off a few more years, I don't think you would miss the larger third row nearly as much.

[ncat]

We have a 2010 Odyssey that we bought 12 years ago. I will most likely replace it with a newer Odyssey, but not until the new car market calms down and my teen has a little more driving experience.

When we bought it, DD was 6 and DS1 was 1. We loved the 3rd row because we are all tall and knew it was a matter of time before the kids would be adult size. Its great to have a car we can all comfortably ride in, including my parents when they come to visit.

[AnnieW625]

I have never owned a minivan, but I drive a 2006 Honda Pilot with 220,000 miles on it and even though the car is old I can’t see myself getting rid of the car anytime soon. We both worked outside the home until Covid and didn’t have carpool friendly schedules so we never felt like we needed a mini van (plus Dh wasn’t sold on the style). Yes it lacks a lot of safety features (it does have full side curtain airbags, and leather seats) but tbh the car still runs and it is long paid off. Do I wish it had the blind spot monitoring…..sure and a backup camera….sure but I can at least add a backup camera and not go into debt again for car payments. Now we are hoping it lasts at least another 2 years because DD1 will be driving and we still need two cars even though we are working from home. Plus the chip shortage issues also don’t make buying a newer car easy these days because prices are overly inflated right now so keep that in mind; you most likely won’t find a deal right now on anything. So with all of that said unless there is something mechanically wrong with it like the engine and transmission both decide to die I wouldn’t get rid of a 7-8 year old car that only has 145k miles on it. Your car has many years left on it. I guess I wasn’t joking years ago when I said we may end up keeping our Pilot to be DD1’s first car (although I think she may end up driving the Subaru more initially. I know I am not the norm when it comes to buying cars every 5 years and not buying my kid the latest and greatest car though so I won’t be offended if you take this advice with the smallest grain of salt).


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[flashy09]

The chip shortage is a giant thorn in my side when buying new.

I did try an Escalade - the only "big box" SUV I have tried - that was a '18 or 19. It has everything and funny enough didn't feel that huge to drive to me ( the new model did!). But the floor seemed so high in the 3rd row. Does anybody mind that in real life?

Captain seats are my other dilemma. The middle seat can come out in the Odyssey, but I leave it and fold the back part down for the cup holders. My kids usually just climb over it to get to the 3rd row, but with other people around we act more dignified and I get out and slide the seats forward. Even with power second rows that I have tried it's still sort of a hassle. Captain seats seem easy for kids to get in from carline and just walk back.....are they definitely the way to go? Even with less convenient cupholders for storage or water bottles?

[AnnieW625]

The chip shortage is a giant thorn in my side when buying new.

I did try an Escalade - the only "big box" SUV I have tried - that was a '18 or 19. ……

So if you are at all interested in GM and are a Costco member Costco has GM employee pricing through January I think.

Still don’t think you need a new car but I would honestly weigh this option on a new car with no miles on vs. a 2018-2019 car with 15k-30k miles on it. The pricing may not even be that much different. Plus you might be able to get a top of the line Tahoe or Yukon Denali new for the price of a used Escalade.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Captains chairs are my preference.

[carolinamama]

The chip shortage is a giant thorn in my side when buying new.

I did try an Escalade - the only "big box" SUV I have tried - that was a '18 or 19. It has everything and funny enough didn't feel that huge to drive to me ( the new model did!). But the floor seemed so high in the 3rd row. Does anybody mind that in real life?

Captain seats are my other dilemma. The middle seat can come out in the Odyssey, but I leave it and fold the back part down for the cup holders. My kids usually just climb over it to get to the 3rd row, but with other kids we act more dignified and I get out and slide the seats forward. Even with power second row it's still sort of a hassle. Captain seats seem easy for kids to get in from carline and just walk back.....are they definitely the way to go? Even with less convenient cupholders for storage or water bottles?

So the raised floor behind the 3rd row was part of the reason I ended up with the 2016 Yukon XL originally (same body as Escalade) since we have 3 kids and were regularly using the 3rd row at that point. The biggest reason was our 3rd kid and 2 dogs because we thought the cargo space was better for our situation, not the 3rd row. I have lots of friends with the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade and no one seems to pay any attention to that 3rd row floor, especially when they have 2 kids. When the body changed for 2021, the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade 3rd row wasn't sitting on the back wheels anymore so it's a full-size. I had to replace my XL in February - it was totaled, not because we had any trouble with the car and we didn't buy the XL version. As you noticed, the new ones sit higher and I think they are slightly wider but it doesn't feel any bigger to drive IMO once you get used to it.

Yes to captains seats. So easy to move through to the 3rd row, especially if you are looking at a full-sized SUV.

[flashy09]

So if you are at all interested in GM and are a Costco member Costco has GM employee pricing through January I think.

Still don’t think you need a new car but I would honestly weigh this option on a new car with no miles on vs. a 2018-2019 car with 15k-30k miles on it. The pricing may not even be that much different. Plus you might be able to get a top of the line Tahoe or Yukon Denali new for the price of a used Escalade.

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The new models are just too big for me! I think this car is well priced and it's fully loaded, which I appreciate with the chip shortage. Is the KBB still valid with these inflated prices or are good deals just good deals for this year and not really a good deal in general?

I probably should wait and keep this minivan. Maybe get it waxed and detailed! I do appreciate it so much more again after trying to find a comparable. Although has anyone tried the ottoman in the Sienna? My kids would love that. Can it be used with low back boosters?

[flashy09]

So the raised floor behind the 3rd row was part of the reason I ended up with the 2016 Yukon XL originally (same body as Escalade) since we have 3 kids and were regularly using the 3rd row at that point. The biggest reason was our 3rd kid and 2 dogs because we thought the cargo space was better for our situation, not the 3rd row. I have lots of friends with the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade and no one seems to pay any attention to that 3rd row floor, especially when they have 2 kids. When the body changed for 2021, the Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade 3rd row wasn't sitting on the back wheels anymore so it's a full-size. I had to replace my XL in February - it was totaled, not because we had any trouble with the car and we didn't buy the XL version. As you noticed, the new ones sit higher and I think they are slightly wider but it doesn't feel any bigger to drive IMO once you get used to it.

Yes to captains seats. So easy to move through to the 3rd row, especially if you are looking at a full-sized SUV.

So no complaints about the raised knees sitting in the 3rd row?

Maybe I should try the new model again. It seemed huge to me compared to driving the old style, but I already thought it looked massive on the outside so maybe I psyched myself out!

[essnce629]

Like Annie, I think you still have plenty of life in your Odyssey. My best friend has a 2007 Sienna with 200k miles on it and she's still trying to hold out on waiting for prices to go down and get through the chip shortage.

We rented a full size mini van to move DS1 into college, and it was great for that, but way too oversized for day to day life for our family. I currently have a 2015 Mazda5 and love the compact size, sliding doors, and captain's chairs. I have no idea what I'd get after it, but nothing bigger. I've spent the last 6 months or so driving DH's electric Chevy Bolt exclusively since he's working from home and there was no need for me to keep paying for gas, and it made us realize that we can get by just fine with a much smaller car. Even going to Costco I'd still take his car. His car was a lease and he just gave it back last week and we've actually decided to stick with one car for now.

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[MSWR0319]

So no complaints about the raised knees sitting in the 3rd row?

Maybe I should try the new model again. It seemed huge to me compared to driving the old style, but I already thought it looked massive on the outside so maybe I psyched myself out!

I do not like raised knees in the 3rd row. I currently drive an older Infiniti QX80. We just ordered a new Lincoln Navigator, with two of the things were were looking for were safety features (mine does not have many at all currently) and more leg room in the 3rd row. We really liked the 3rd row in the Navigator because it wasn't raised and gave the kids more leg room. DS is 13 and 5'10". He sat in the back of my QX not long ago with a friend who is as tall as he is and was super scrunched. He liked the leg room in the Navigator and was very comfortable. We also went with a new Navigator because the models that were just a year or two old were actually more expensive than the new one because of the supply. Captains seats are a must for us in the second row!

[jgenie]

The new models are just too big for me! I think this car is well priced and it's fully loaded, which I appreciate with the chip shortage. Is the KBB still valid with these inflated prices or are good deals just good deals for this year and not really a good deal in general?

I probably should wait and keep this minivan. Maybe get it waxed and detailed! I do appreciate it so much more again after trying to find a comparable. Although has anyone tried the ottoman in the Sienna? My kids would love that. Can it be used with low back boosters?

I did this with my DH years ago. We were working hard to pay off the mortgage on our first house and a new car would have set us back. When DH would start mooning over new cars I would take his car to be detailed. It would come back shiny and he would be happy for a few more months. Kept it up until we paid off the house then he bought a new car.


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[smilequeen]

I do not like raised knees in the 3rd row. I currently drive an older Infiniti QX80. We just ordered a new Lincoln Navigator, with two of the things were were looking for were safety features (mine does not have many at all currently) and more leg room in the 3rd row. We really liked the 3rd row in the Navigator because it wasn't raised and gave the kids more leg room. DS is 13 and 5'10". He sat in the back of my QX not long ago with a friend who is as tall as he is and was super scrunched. He liked the leg room in the Navigator and was very comfortable. We also went with a new Navigator because the models that were just a year or two old were actually more expensive than the new one because of the supply. Captains seats are a must for us in the second row!

I've had the Infiniti and the Escalade and the Navigator is the best of all of them for sure, so so comfortable. The Infiniti was the prettiest though ;)

[LD92599]

Although has anyone tried the ottoman in the Sienna? My kids would love that. Can it be used with low back boosters?

My boys LOVED The Ottoman and had no issue w/ it when the youngest was in a booster. I had a '14 Limited AWD but now have a '21 XLE AWD and while so much more is standard on the XLE, the Ottoman was on the higher trim level (and the power side mirrors - miss those!).

[carolinamama]

So no complaints about the raised knees sitting in the 3rd row?

Maybe I should try the new model again. It seemed huge to me compared to driving the old style, but I already thought it looked massive on the outside so maybe I psyched myself out!

I've never owned a version with a higher floor in the 3rd row since I had the extended version and the 2021 and newer are 6 in longer so 3rd row floor is flat. And the captain's chairs move up and back in case someone needs more room back there.

I think people either like driving a large vehicle or they don't. DH doesn't really like driving mine but I'm completely comfortable. It takes some time to get used to it. It's comfortable and the features are nice - I've had Denali's so the features were mostly similar to the Escalade, but no where near as pretty :). Since you have a perfectly functioning minivan, you don't need to make a quick decision, unless you are ready. I would have driven my 2016 into the ground if it hadn't been totaled.

[bcafe]

We have an Escalade ESV, so it's longer. We needed a people hauler and room for ski gear. The rear is not raised although the vehicle may be too much for what you are wanting. My teens drive the odyssey as I am over minivans.

[marinkitty]

I just downsized from a GMC Yukon Denali XL that I drove for 7 years and loved. It was a great kid hauler, had the luxuries I wanted, I loved the captain seats and the third row could accommodate full sized people. It drove well and I liked having an SUV way more than driving a mini van. We only moved on from it because 2 or my 3 kids drive now and we no longer needed a 7 seater.

[heatherlynn]

I'm embarrassed to say this considering the ages of my "kids" but I love my minivan! Daughter's hockey goalie gear plus teammates? Check. 4x8 plywood? Check. Moving older daughter into/out of college and into first apartment? Check. Taking a group of kids for ice cream who aren't quite old enough to drive? Check. Picking up a vintage metal desk from FB marketplace? Check. I have a 2020 Pacifica with stow and go seats that can fold into the floor. This thing is perfect for me. Is it the most exciting car to drive? Not really. But it's comfortable and does drive well plus gets decent gas mileage, so I'll probably have it for awhile.

[ehmom]

We've had a Honda Pilot for years and have loved the size, but it has way less space inside than a minivan would. Think about this too...how tall do you think your teenagers will be? Our two teenage boys (13 &18) are over 6', our daughter (16) is 5'8, and our youngest is sure to follow being tall. We have started looking for cars with more space now that they're older because their legs are long. We can't really travel comfortably on the Pilot anymore for road trips.

[StantonHyde]

My Sienna got totaled and I just couldn't justify spending the money to replace it when my kids were no longer preschoolers. I missed that van every day for the next 3-4 years. I totally wish i had gotten a new van!! Don't give up the van yet--you have another 50K miles left on yours. By then, you can make a choice. But I would keep the van for now.

[muskiesusan]

I recommend checking out the_car_mom on Instagram and/or YouTube. She does video reviews of vehicles and goes over features, storage, seating comfort, etc. She has two littles so she is also looking at how car seats fit, but just a great overall resource. We found her when we needed to buy a car during the shutdown and test driving was complicated. Her reviews are pretty funny too.

[mikala]

I'd get it detailed to buy yourself some decision time.

My van is similar age and we're thinking about getting a newer version in a few years and planning to keep it until kids are college age. In addition to kid hauling it's so useful for other things. I've carried everything from a new dishwasher to a new front door. I removed the center seat in the middle row so kids can climb in without moving any seats/car seats.

[zukeypur]

I'm 50/50 on this one. If I still had littles and lived in a super windy environment, I would keep the van. However, I have a pilot now and I love it. It's big enough for every day, has plenty of cargo space, and can fit the whole family plus grandparents on the few day of the year when we need that extra capacity. Yes, the minivan could hold a bit more, but for 363 days of the year, the pilot is more than enough.

[AnnieW625]

I'm 50/50 on this one. If I still had littles and lived in a super windy environment, I would keep the van. However, I have a pilot now and I love it. It's big enough for every day, has plenty of cargo space, and can fit the whole family plus grandparents on the few day of the year when we need that extra capacity. Yes, the minivan could hold a bit more, but for 363 days of the year, the pilot is more than enough.

The wind doesn’t really effect us too much and we’ve never had a van, but I agree with this statement. My 72 year old active dad (who is about 5’9” will sit in the third row of our Pilot with no complaint and there is not nearly as much space in there as in the new Pilots.

My DD1 wants to go to school outside of driving range of where we live now so I will just have to plan on renting a mini van then. I agree they are useful but for 98% of the time when we need to haul stuff our Outback (as long as there are only 2 people in it….although a twin size bed barely fits with a 3rd in the back) and the Pilot do a great job for what we need. We never missed not having a mini van. My kids adore traveling in our Pilot vs. the Outback because it is worn in and comfy but the Pilot has been retired from road trips.


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[mom2binsd]

Your van should have almost another 100K if you treat it well, my last two vehicles had over 250K when I got rid of them, and they were a 2003 Mercury Monterey minivan and 2008 Ford Edge.

It sounds like it still fits your lifestyle and the cost of new vehicles and low inventory is not in a buyers favor right now.

I never had a backup camera/side indicator for blind spots on my previous cars and while they are nice, they aren't necessary. Shoulder checking is still a good idea and the rear view mirror works well.