Need Advise on Mini Vans.

We bought a 2006 Toyota Sienna last spring before the arrival of #3. We love it. It has great safety ratings and runs wonderfully. I recommend it highly. I have also heard really good things about the Honda Odyssey.

No matter what you do, stay far away from KIA!! Worst decision ever.

Love my Honda Oddyssey! It has everything you mentioned & it's an '06. I think we paid around $18k.

Whatever you do, don't buy a KIA anything! They suck. I have friends who have the Honda Odyssey who LOVE them. Good luck!

I've heard many complaints about the Dodge Caravan - lots of maintenance and does not last as long. Seems like the Toyota and the Honda are the best, but they are very pricey!

We have the Pontiac Montana (or Chevy Uplander), and we love it. Much cheeper than the Toyota and the Honda, but less maintenance than the Dodge.

Just a thought!

Hi!

Have to wade in as we (ex and I ) owned several dodge products...one being a dodge caravan. While the van itself met our needs for a while, there was not a dodge product that did not have issues...from transmission...to engine lights that 'came on' for no apparent reason...to various littler annoyances.

POST divorce...I got an Oddyssey...

LOVE IT.

Dodge wil have to turn some pretty cool somersaults for me to go back to them...

Best Luck!
michele/cat

We've had Dodge Caravans/Plymouth Voyagers/Chrysler Town and Country since our first one in 1989, and I love them! The first one was purchased new, and we drove it until about 200,000 miles... yes, we had the transmission rebuilt at about 160,000 miles, but that didn't surprise me.

The last two we bought used, and as things happen in used vehicles, you do have to do repairs. The first used one we bought through our mechanic at about 120,000 miles, and in 5 months we had to put about $2500 into it... (ABS system, CV joints, I don't remember what all...). Yes, disappointing, but we ended up driving it until about 200,000 miles again. The third one we bought at a garage sale... I think it had about 130,000 miles on it.. we paid $3,000 for it, and really didn't have to do anything until about 35,000 miles later, when we had the transmission rebuilt. However, the rest of the engine has been great, and we figure we'll get another 30,000 out of the rebuilt transmission.

I love the feel of them, and the space... even though 75% of the time I am the only one in it, it seems, I still prefer the larger size.... space for grown kids when needed, space for grandson, ability to haul stuff....

At this point in life, due to finances, we tend to buy old for about $2,000-3,000 ...... we know there may be some repairs we will have to do, but we usually then drive it for 4 years or so and drive it until it dies. We could get off cheaper with a smaller car, but I like being up higher in the mini-van and feel safer in something a bit bigger than a sedan.

Three of my 4 kids are grown now and so have not had a mini van in about 6 years, but we did go through 2 in the past- a Caravan and a Pontiac Transport. These were from the 80s and 90s, so are not comparable to anything made today, but my advice to you would be if you really want to understand what you are purchasing, take the time to research on edmunds.com--read the professional as well as consumer reviews-- or just Google reviews of any particular vehicle that you come across while shopping. I have heard the Hondas and Toyotas overall are very good as far as reliability and longevity, but they sure do tend to be inflated in price, even the used ones. Do not really know much as to spaciousness of them however. I tend to think all Japanese made vehicles run smaller in cargo/interior room, but I may be wrong about their minivans. It really does pay to research though--sometimes people get lemons and are "sour" (sorry) on a particular model so you really have to look at a good number of reviews to get a more accurate picture, then decide what is best for yourself. As for my experiences, both of my minivans lasted until almost 200,000 miles and nearly 10 years each, but there were many repairs along the way to keep them running. One we purchased used (Caravan) and the Pontiac was a new purchase. If you like all the "bells and whistles" I would also look into the Nissan model (Quest) as that brand tends to have a lot of nice options over all, and I think more competitively priced.
Good Luck!!

We held out with #3, too! We have the 2011 Odyssey (which is now used since it's 2012!) We bought it for baby #4. It has wide-mode for carseats in the second row. We have 3 across that row, and 1 in back in the middle. We got the model with 8 seats, but no options (like DVD, heated seats) beyond what came with it. The van has tether in all small, and lower anchors in 5 out of 6 spots! Have fun shopping, and best of luck with #4!

We have a Dodge grand caravan with Captain Chairs in the center row. I really like the space this van provides. This is our second Caravan and we think for the price they are a great van.

I hate to say it, but you get what you pay for. Consumer report reviews of the Caravan are terrible.

Buy yourself a gently used Honda or Toyota. I drive a fully loaded Honda. It was 3 years old when I bought it, only had 20k on it, and now only has about 28k. It should easily last me another 10 years, since it is a Honda, and I've never owned one for less than 15 years --with no repairs, I might add, save for break discs, and regular maintenance.

I have driven a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan for the last 4 years or so. I love the utility of it. It has just over 80K on it and I have had to do very little in the way of repairs. You will LOVE the electric sliding doors....so much easier to get kids in and out...

Don't buy a Kia. I just bought an '01 Dodge Caravan and have had major problems (put 3k into it the first week we bought it and it needs another 2k). HOWEVER, its old so that is expected. When you find one you like, google it and see what people say about it. Also, see if your insurance agent knows someone who can run FREE carfax reports and check each one! Some we looked at had been in MAJOR accidents and of course, the current owner doesn't disclose that to you. Also, call a company that does everything the DMV does, like change the title, plates, registration, etc. I know someone and I would call them with the VIN and they checked to make sure the title was clear. DO NOT BUY SALVAGE RESTORED TITLES!!! They are usually the ones with the good price. They have also been considered "totaled" and most insurance companies will not cover them for comp/coll. Just be careful. Oh, and you can go on autotrader.com and they have articles on how to buy/sell used cars. Good luck!!!

I test drove a dodge mini and I really didn't like it. It felt SO boxy and heavy. My foot actually got tired, lol! I decided to go with the toyota sienna. I LOVE it! It is so easy to drive and I love all the space I have inside.

I had a caravan and the tranny went out at about 50,000 miles. The guy at the shop told me they are well known for having bad transmissions which by the way are very expensive to replace even with a re manufactured one. When I was trying to sell it, many people told me the same thing about the bad transmissions. I also heard the same about PT Cruisers.